Page 48 of Between Hello and Goodbye

“Yes. I spent all day watching from the car with binoculars,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I told you, I live here. Well…close to.”

“Not here? Princeville?” I flapped my hand. “Forget it. You don’t want to tell me. You don’t want me to know you have money.”

“What are you talking about? I never said—”

“You didn’t have to say anything. When Morgan mentioned your beach house it was pretty clear you wished he hadn’t. And it’s fine, I get it. You probably think I’d just try to use you for your dough like I used Silas.”

“I don’t think that, Faith,” Asher said in a low tone. “I have my reasons for keeping my shit private and they have nothing to do with you.”

“How you keep showing up for me…taking care of me. I never asked for that.”

“I know, that’s on me,” he said, toying with his spoon. “Morgan’s always bitching at me for the same thing.” He tossed his spoon down. “But helping someone out isn’t the worst thing in the world I could be doing.”

“It’s not,” I said with a sigh. “It’s just bad timing. Here I am trying to be more independent and I’m completely helpless.”

“You’re not completely helpless, but whatever you’re looking for…maybe you’re looking in the wrong place.”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe you’re not supposed to be doing this by yourself.”

“That was the original plan.”

“Plans change,” he said, gesturing at my ankle. “You need to decide if you want to be partner at your ad firm, right?”

“Right.”

He shrugged. “So maybe just set that decision aside and just…be. And when your trip is up, ask yourself again and see what you think.”

I made a circle of slush in my shave ice bowl. “Ten days is an awfully long time for someone in my predicament. What am I supposed to do with myself?”

Asher looked out over the little town. “I have four twelves coming up, then four more days off.” He turned his gaze to me. “My shifts start at four a.m. and end at four p.m.”

“At which point you’ll be tired. Asher, I can’t…”

He held up his hand. “Do you want to go back to Seattle right now? Don’t think, just answer.”

“No,” I said. “I’m not ready.”

“So here’s what you do. I have one last day off. You chill and keep your foot up, and I’ll keep you company. Then for the next four days, I’ll come by after work and take you out—helpyou get out in the evening,” he corrected. “When my shifts are over, and I have time off again, we can see where you’re at. No doubt you’ll be in better shape to explore the island, with or without me.”

Without Asher…

Already those words were giving me chills. Which was bad. I didn’t get attached. I didn’t catch feelings. I didn’t let my emotions become tangled up in a man, mostly because I never spent time with one longer than a night or two.

“Silas Marsh, my gay fake fiancé,was the longest relationship I’ve ever had,” I blurted.

Asher’s fist flew to his mouth, choking on a bite of shave ice. “Okay.”

“That actually lasted a few months. He’s high profile, so I didn’t mess around with anyone else lest I be discovered ‘cheating’ on him.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you should know that’s how terrible I am with relationships. As in, I don’t have them.”

“I don’t either.”

“And I’m leaving in ten days, so it isn’t a good idea to try to flex those atrophied muscles with you.”