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“But you knew it wasn’t me?”

He smiled. “Yes. You knew nothing we had talked about online. Plus, your name tag kind of gave you away at the shelter.”

“So why didn’tyoutellme?” I asked.

“Because I wanted tokeeptalking to you. I wanted to get to know you. Maybe I thought I needed an excuse.” He drew in a breath. “Are you mad?”

The weight that had been sitting on my shoulders for weeks was gone, leaving me feeling light and giddy. I was relieved, surprised, confused, but not mad. How could I be mad when I’d been doing the same thing? “No. Are you?”

Asher shook his head.

“But wait…D&D?” My eyes widened. “Paddleboarding? I thoughtshemade those dates with you.”

He held his hands up. “I had no idea you were scared of the ocean. None. And D&D was just funny. I knew you didn’t know how to play. I thought you’d confess. You didn’t confess.”

“I need to sit down,” I said. After all those weeks of worrying and dreading this admission, it all seemed too easy. I’d been waiting for a fallout. This didn’t feel like a fallout.

“Yes, sit down.” Asher gestured to the couches.

I sank to the floor instead.

He smiled and dropped down next to me.

“I’m going to buy your mom plastic couch covers,” I said. “My grandma had some and they worked wonders. They make couches usable.”

He reached out his hand, palm up.

There is nothing between you now, no more excuses,my heart said.That’s why you’re scared, that’s why you think there’s still a fallout coming, you’re trying to protect yourself.“I like you too much,” I said out loud.

“You like me too much to hold my hand?” Asher asked.

“Yes.”

“You’ve never liked anyone before?” he asked.

“I thought I did, but it didn’t feel like this.”

“How does it feel?”

“Scary,” I admitted.

“You’re scared of me?”

“I’m scared of getting too attached and then losing you. I’m scared that maybe you’re not careful with your decisions. That you just fly into them headfirst.”

He slowly ran a finger down my arm. “Has this felt like a fast progression to you? Because it’s felt like the slowest buildup I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

I laughed. “I may be a little closed off. You know, the wholemom abandoning mething. I know, I know, everyone talks about how well adjusted I am, but it’s a front.”

“Oh yes,” he said, playing along. “I just heard someone say that a few days ago.That Wren, she’s so well adjusted.”

“You mean when I was having a breakdown at the shelter?”

“You call that a breakdown?” he asked. “It could use some work.”

“I’m a notorious underachiever.”

Asher inched closer to me. “You know what else they said, those nameless people? They said Wren doesn’t use humor for deflection at all.”