“I…” Silver paused, taking a deep breath. “I have to go back once the school year is over. I don’t have a choice, and I don’t think I’ll be allowed to leave.”
“Oh.” I felt my heart sink. At the same time my shadows stopped their ceaseless fidgeting and began to recede. “So this… whatever it is between us…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the question, so I chose a new one instead. “Are humans allowed in the Twilight Realm?”
Silver shook his head. “No. Both our magic and our realm is sacred to us. That’s why there’s not much in the library about our culture.”
The truth of the situation was finally starting to sink in. This attraction between us, whatever it was, could only be temporary. At the end of the year Silver was going home. And I wasn’t allowed to follow. I’d been foolish to allow myself to hope otherwise. But then again, I barely knew the guy.
So why then did it already hurt so much to know that he would leave?
“You know what…” I said, pushing myself up from the beanbag. “I think I need to get back. There’s some homework I need to do. And I have another cleaning shift tonight.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind if you work here?—”
“I’m sure,” I replied, cutting him off. “I… uh… I work better alone.”
The smallest glance showed me the hurt on his face and immediately I wished I hadn’t looked. I wanted to kick myself. I hadn’t meant to make Silver feel bad. Maybe I was overthinking this whole thing. We’d just met, shared a couple of kisses. It wasn’t like we were planning our future together or getting married.
“I’m sorry,” Silver said, rising from the beanbag with a defeated air about him. “I didn’t mean to make things awkward.”
“You didn’t,” I said, heading for the door. “I just… I should’ve known better.”
I was out the door before he could respond, the heavy wood creating a barrier between us. My stomach twisted as I headed for the stairs at a jog. I needed to get away from Silver, to get back to my own world where I belonged. I wasn’t allowed in the Twilight Realm and that’s where Silver was going after graduation. Permanently. And the last thing I wanted was to get attached to a man that I had no chance of a future with.
I felt like such an idiot for even hoping things could be different for once. But I was Ash Vale, and life was never easy for me.
Chapter 9
Silver
“You okay, buddy?”
A hand came to rest on my shoulder, and I realized I’d been staring into my locker, unmoving, for the better part of a minute.
“Sorry,” I replied, glancing over at Karrick. “Just got a lot on my mind.”
“You wanna talk about it?”
I shook my head. “It’s not important.”
“Dude, you’ve been a space case all week. You’re forgetting all our plays and getting things mixed up on the field.” He leaned in a little closer. “No offense, but I don’t really want to lose the game this weekend because something’s up.” Karrick squeezed my shoulder. “So, c’mon. Talk to me.”
Lifting my head, I glanced around the locker room. There were still a few guys getting cleaned up after practice. I really didn’t want them overhearing things about my personal life. They were good guys, but I didn’t want my life to become their next string of jokes to toss my way.
“Alright,” I said, knowing how stubborn Karrick was. We’d been friends for a long time, so I knew his heart was in the right place too. “Just not here, okay?”
Karrick nodded, gesturing toward the door with his big fuzzy head. “Let’s take a walk.”
We finished getting dressed in silence. I pulled on my jeans and a clean shirt, tossing my practice gear into my gym bag. My mind was still swirling with thoughts of Ash. It had been a week since he’d bolted from my room, and I hadn’t seen him since. I’d gone back to the locker room several times hoping to catch him during his cleaning shift, but either my timing was off or he was deliberately avoiding me.
Once we were outside, the cool autumn air hit my face, clearing my head slightly. The campus was relatively quiet this time of day, with most students either in class or studying in the library. Perfect for a conversation I didn’t want overheard.
“So, what’s going on?” Karrick asked as we headed toward the lake at the edge of campus. “And don’t give me that ‘it’s nothing’ crap. I’ve known you too long.”
I sighed, shoving my hands into my pockets. “It’s stupid, really. Just... guy trouble.”
“Guy trouble?” Karrick’s eyebrows shot up. “You? Mr. Love-’em-and-Leave-’em having relationship problems? That’s a first.”
“It’s not a relationship,” I snapped, then immediately regretted my tone. “Sorry. It’s just... complicated.”
