Page 31 of Echoes of Us

S eptember arrived with an unseasonable chill, turning Yale's campus into a painting of red and gold.

Students flooded back into empty spaces, their voices and laughter filling the quiet that had settled over the summer.

The physics building hummed with new energy - fresh faces, new research proposals, and whispered excitement about the master's student who'd just returned from Geneva with glowing recommendations.

Ashley had managed to avoid the department's welcome breakfast, citing lab prep work that Dale knew was a lie but didn't call her on.

She'd spent the morning reorganizing equipment that didn't need organizing, her hands steady even as her heart raced every time footsteps passed the lab door.

Somewhere in this building, Cole was starting his first day as a master's student while she began her final year of undergrad - a fact that felt impossibly strange given their shared future she remembered.

"You can't hide in here forever," Dale said, not looking up from his whiteboard equations. The summer had softened something between them, turned awkwardness into genuine friendship. "The first-years are touring the labs this afternoon. He'll be in Professor Chen's rotation group."

"I'm not hiding." Ashley adjusted a beaker that was already perfectly aligned. "I'm working."

"Right." Dale's tone carried gentle amusement. "That's why you've reorganized the same shelf three times."

Before she could respond, voices in the hallway made them both freeze. One was Professor Chen's, familiar and warm. The other...

"The Geneva research group showed fascinating results," Cole was saying, his voice carrying that quiet confidence she remembered from another life. "Their approach to quantum entanglement theory opened up some interesting possibilities..."

Ashley's hands stilled on the shelf. Through the lab's glass walls, she caught a glimpse of him - the first in months. He looked different. Sharper somehow, more polished. The summer in Geneva had transformed him, his casual energy replaced by something more deliberate. More controlled.

Professor Chen was introducing him to the other students in the rotation group. Cole nodded at appropriate moments, his attention focused and professional. When his gaze swept the lab, it passed over Ashley with practiced indifference before acknowledging his brother with a slight nod.

That carefully crafted politeness hurt worse than rage would have.

"Interesting," Dale said quietly. "He seems... different."

Before Ashley could respond, Professor Chen pushed open the lab door. "Dale, do you have a moment to show the group the quantum interference setup?"

What followed was thirty excruciating minutes of precise academic discussion.

Cole asked intelligent questions, offered relevant insights, and maintained an air of perfect, professional courtesy that made Ashley's skin crawl.

He didn't avoid looking at her, didn't tense when she spoke - it was as if she were any other student in any other lab.

After the group left, Ashley slumped against the counter. "Well, that was..."

"Weird," Dale finished, frowning at the door. "Very weird."

Her shoulders slumped. Dale squeezed one reassuringly. "I'm sure there's a good explanation."

The first week of classes settled into a rhythm Ashley hadn't expected to enjoy.

Her course load was perfectly balanced - morning lectures for her psychology requirements, afternoons in the lab with Dale, and an advanced physics seminar she'd chosen partly because she knew the material from her other life and partly because she loved watching Dale's face light up when she asked the right questions.

Sarah was back to haunting their usual corner of the library, and her textbooks spread across three tables as she prepared for her own finals. "I still can't believe you actually understand this stuff now," she said, gesturing at Ashley's physics notes. "Dale's a miracle worker."

"Or I'm just brilliant," Ashley teased, earning an eye roll.

She'd spotted Marie across the quad a few times, but her friend had been suspiciously busy with political science prep, her texts growing shorter and less frequent over the past few weeks. Ashley figured she was just stressed about a senior year - they'd catch up properly once things settled down.

Even running into Ezra felt different. She'd seen him that morning, some leggy blonde hanging on his arm as he held court by the coffee cart. Instead of his usual smirk, he'd given her an almost approving nod. She'd smiled back, surprising herself with how little his presence bothered her now.

Everything felt lighter somehow. Her friendship with Dale had evolved into something real and uncomplicated. She understood the physics texts she was reading. She was planning on saving Dale without manipulating anyone, and now that Cole was back...

"You're in a good mood," Dale commented as they calibrated equipment that afternoon. "It's nice to see."

Ashley adjusted a dial with careful precision - a skill she'd definitely picked up from him. "I am, actually." She glanced at him. "Things feel... right. Like they're finally falling into place."

Dale smiled, that gentle expression that made his eyes crinkle at the corners. "Even with Cole back?"

"Especially with Cole back." She straightened, suddenly decisive. "I think... I think it's time I talked to him. Really talked to him."

"Yeah?" Dale's smile widened slightly. "What brought this on?"

Ashley thought about her parents' quiet wisdom about choosing to rebuild. About Ezra's warnings of butterfly effects. About the way, Dale's friendship had taught her that sometimes the best relationships grow from broken pieces put back together differently.

"Let's just say I finally understand what I'm fixing things into," she said softly.

She waited until the end of the day when the lab had emptied and the hallways had grown quiet.

Cole would be in the east wing - she'd memorized his rotation schedule, not that she'd admit that to anyone.

Her heart hammered against her ribs as she approached the lab where he was working alone, his dark head bent over some equipment.

"Cole."

He didn't startle, didn't even look up. "Need something?"

The polite disinterest in his voice made her fingers curl into fists. "Can we talk?"

"About?" He adjusted something on the machine with precise movements.

"You know about what." Her voice came out steadier than she felt. "You're back."

"Excellent observation." Finally, he straightened, turning to face her.

Up close, the changes in him were more evident - the sharper cut of his jaw, the more deliberate way he held himself.

His gray eyes met hers with perfect, professional courtesy.

"Was there something specific you needed to discuss? I'm rather busy."

"Don't do that," she said quietly. "Don't act like we're strangers."

Something flickered in his expression - so brief she might have imagined it. "Would you prefer I act like something else? Old friends, perhaps? Or maybe..." His smile turned sharp. "No, I think professional courtesy suits us best."

"Cole-"

"I appreciated your... intervention with the department." He began gathering his papers, each movement controlled. "Though unnecessary, it was well-intentioned, I'm sure."

She took a step forward. "That's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here, Ashley?" For the first time, his tone held something other than polite distance. "What exactly are you hoping to accomplish?"

"I miss you." The words fell between them, raw and honest. "And I know you're angry-"

"Angry?" He set down his papers with deliberate care. "You think that's what this is?"

"Then tell me what it is." She took a step closer, emboldened by the first crack in his polite facade. "Because of this - this perfect civility? It's not you, Cole."

His laugh was soft, almost sad. "And you're such an expert on who I am?"

"No, but I’m willing to find out."

He turned to face her fully, his gray eyes intense in a way that made her breath catch. "You used to think you knew who I was and had the perfect image of who you wanted me to be."

"I know," she said softly. "And I'm sorry. I'm not like that anymore." She took a breath, steadying herself. "I want to get to know who you are. Really are."

Something flickered in his expression - surprise, maybe. Then his features smoothed back into that careful distance. "I'm not interested."

He might as well have slapped her.

She convinced herself she was too proud to ask why, too afraid of his answer, but the question slipped out anyway, small and hurt: "Why not?"

"I told you before." His smile was gentle but final. "You're not my type."

The casual dismissal hurt more than she was willing to admit, more than his anger ever had.

Before she could recover, voices approached in the hallway, coming their way. "There you are!" Marie's voice carried into the lab, bright and familiar. "Ready for dinner?"

"Just finishing up," Cole said, turning toward the door.

Ashley froze at the sight of her. Marie - one of her closest friends - stood there in a pretty dress, her dark curls placed carefully around her shoulders. The same Marie who'd stopped answering texts three weeks ago, who'd made excuses about being busy with study.

Marie's eyes widened slightly when she saw Ashley, guilt flashing across her face. "Oh. Ashley. I..." She glanced between them, her usual confidence faltering. "I meant to tell you."

Cole's expression didn't change, but something in his posture shifted - protective, almost. He moved toward Marie with deliberate steps.

"Tell me what?" Ashley's voice sounded strange to her own ears. "That this is why you've been avoiding me?"

"Ashley-" Marie started, but Cole cut her off with a gentle touch to her arm.

"We should go," he said quietly. "Dinner reservation."

Marie hesitated; conflict clear on her face. "I'll call you?" she offered weakly to Ashley.

But Ashley had already turned away, pretending to be very interested in the lab equipment. She listened to their footsteps fade, to the soft murmur of their voices growing distant. Only when she was sure they were gone did she let herself look up.

The lab felt too small suddenly, too quiet.

Her vision blurred as tears welled up, turning the pristine equipment into wavering shapes.

She blinked hard, feeling them spill onto her cheeks.

All her careful plans to bring Cole home had worked perfectly.

She just hadn't expected them to bring him home to someone else.

And she certainly hadn't expected that someone to be her friend.

A sob caught in her throat as she pressed her palm against her mouth, trying to hold it in. The silent lab offered no comfort, just the steady hum of equipment bearing witness to her breaking heart.