“Remember who you are. Check in with me tomorrow.”
The call ends and I stand there, phone growing cold in my hand, staring at my reflection in the dark window. Behind me, I can hear the fire crackling, hear Asher moving around in the living room.
I should leave. Pack up, go back to Chicago, put distance between us before this gets worse. Before I do something unforgivable.
But when I turn around, Asher's standing in the archway.
“Bad news?” He asks, tilting his head.
“Work.” I force a smile. “You know how it is.”
“No.” He says quietly. “I don't think I do.”
We stare at each other across the kitchen. There's a question in his eyes, one I can't answer. Won't answer.
“Asher—”
I shouldn't. Every instinct screams at me to walk away, to build the walls higher, to remember what I am. What I'm here to do.
Instead, I cross the kitchen toward him.
He doesn't move, causing me to brush past him to get through. The contact sends electricity down my spine.
He must turn, because his voice carries. “I have questions.”
“About?” I ask innocently.
“You.” He says, following me through to the living room. “Who are you?”
My composure is fixed in place. “You know who I am.”
“Do I?” He moves closer. “Because sometimes I look at you and I see someone else entirely.”
Why are you so intuitive?
“Maybe that's projection.” I cluck my tongue. “Maybe you see what you want to see.”
“Maybe.” Another step. I don’t like this… “Or maybe you're the best liar I've ever met.”
My heart flat lines. He's too close to the truth. Too close to me.
“Everyone lies, Asher.” I brush him off with a shrug.
“Not like you.” His hand comes up, hovering near my face without touching. “You lie the way you breathe. Like it’s the only thing keeping you alive.”
“That's—”
“True.” He finishes. “It's true and we both know it.”
Tension cracks between us like a whip. He's close enough now that I have to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.
He flashes me with a grin, the kind I’m beginning to rely on. This can't happen. We have to stay on the lines of friends or I risk everything.
Goddamn, Asher.
He should have stayed behind.
Chapter 5
