Page 102 of Creatures Like Us

“What’s your name?”

“Noah.”

“Thank you, Noah. Remember what I said.” With that, she turns around and takes her partner’s hand.

“What was that about?” he mutters as they continue their walk.

I don’t hear her reply before they disappear between the avenue of trees and further into the park. I feel the ghost of her palm on my cheek, the softness of a stranger’s touch. That kindness. I wish I could be kind too. I wish I could be gentle.

Maybe I still can be. Maybe there is still one more thing I have to do.

As long as you’re alive, there’s always time to make things right.

I owe one last debt, and after I’ve paid it, I can rest at last.

Chapter 28

Asher

Idon’thavemuchto look forward to, but Ididlook forward to vegging out on the couch with some beer and enjoying the atmosphere of the party. As it happens, my plan isn’t working out so great.

Ethan and I got here together, but he quickly disappeared with his old high school buddies, abandoning me in the middle of the room. As I should have predicted, Lilith was quick to walk up to me and slide her arms around my neck, squealing into my ear.

“Ash! I’m so glad to see you.”

She sat me down on the couch with a beer in my hand that I now try to sip but can’t for the knot of anxiety in my throat. I haven’t been able to eat anything either. The last time I ate was at Sidney’s Diner with Noah.

I wish he were here right now.

I wish he’d show up by the door, reach out a hand, and take me away from this place.

“Well?” Lilith slides up to me like an excited little puppy, which means she must be high on some strong upper. If that didn’t give it away, her jaw grinding manically around a piece of gum would have. “How’ve you been? You’re going to tell me now, right? Now that you’re not with that weird guy with the long hair and the dead eyes?”

I say nothing, just keep trying to sip on my beer. I have to get drunk to get through this.

“What happened to you? Did he chain you in his basement or something?” She throws her head back in a laugh, and when I don’t refute her question, she gasps. “That’s it? Ash, what happened to you?”

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard that question or contemplated it myself, and I still don’t entirely know the answer beyond the obvious technicalities.

“I was dying?…?and he saved me.”

“What?” Lilith chews her gum incessantly, jaw clenching tight. “You’re not making sense, babe.”

I want to glare at her, tell her not to call me that, that we’re over, but all I do is look straight ahead, observing the party going on around us.

I fucking hate these people. All of them.

That big, scary-looking biker in the corner and his tiny bird-named boyfriend.

Joshua, who’s always out of his mind on drugs and always happy to offer me some.

That dude with the bandanna around his head and a goofy smile on his face—Ravi, I think his name is. He seems like a nice dude, to be fair, though he seems more committed to having a fun time than handling his job as a bouncer.

And Lilith? I should hate her most of all. I should smack some sense into her and tell her it wasn’t okay, what she did, but I feel too numb to do any of it. Too numb to do anything more than stare glumly into space. When I feel her fingertips stroke the back of my hand, I stiffen and pull away. She makes a distressed sound, as if she’s entitled to touch me.

Fuck this shit. I can’t do this anymore.

“Where’s Joshua?”