Between Hello and Goodbye(50)

“We aren’t possible.” I shook my head, my tone softening. “This has been pretty wonderful, but I can’t, you can’t, we just…can’t. And you know it.”

He crossed his arms. I hugged mine. Time stood still for a few moments, and I held my breath. Waiting. Then he nodded and that sort of broke my heart.

What did you expect? He’d leave his beautiful family and run away with you to Seattle? Or are you willing to skip the flight home and stay here?

No, I had to be level-headed for a change. Responsible. Not the flighty, impulsive, unreliable person I’d been, but a woman who was trying to get control of her life and make something with it, independent of any man. Especially not a man I’d known for a handful of days.

Another thought tried to break through my cold rationale to whisper that Asher Mackey wasn’t just any man, but I couldn’t let it.

“I’ll call an Uber,” I said into the silence. “Go. Go,” I said gently but firmly when he didn’t move. I mustered a wavering smile. “They’re waiting.”

Asher’s face was stony still, but conflict raged behind his eyes. Finally, he nodded and walked away. I watched him go, feeling as if he were carrying some essential part of me and I’d never get it back.

Nope, it’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine fine fine…

My fingers trembled as I called the Uber. It took twenty minutes to arrive, and though the front entry to the school was quiet and empty, I knew my firefighter was watching the entire time to make sure I was safe.



I spent Saturday on the beach, sitting in a chair and watching the waves crash. When I thought I’d drown in my own thoughts, I grabbed my phone and called Silas Marsh.

“Hey, Faith, what’s up? How’s—?”

“When did you know?” I blurted.

“Sorry? When did I know what?”

“You and Max. When did you know there was something between you?”

“I don’t know, ten milliseconds after meeting him? Not that I could admit it to myself…”

I groaned and held my head in my hands.

“Wrong answer?”

“Yes,” I said. “You’re supposed to tell me real things take time and anything else is just a temporary infatuation.”

“Uh huh. What’s going on?”

“Don’t laugh at me.”

“Never.”

“I met someone.”

I’d never said that before. Characters said it in movies all the time where it caused knowing smiles and butterflies. I’d always wondered what it would feel like if I ever had a reason to say it. The butterflies were there, but tears stung my eyes, too.

That’s not how it’s supposed to go.

“I’d say I’m happy for you,” Silas said slowly, “but you sound serious.”

“No, I’m being silly. I don’t know why am calling you. I just…”

“Wait, slow down. You met someone and you really like him?”

I looked to the ocean. It stretched out into forever, and I lived on the other side of it.

“Faith? Talk to me.”

I heaved a steadying breath, firmed my voice. “I will. I’ll tell you everything when I get home. Tomorrow. I’ll be home tomorrow.”

There was a pause, and I knew Silas was trying to figure out what I needed him to say. Finally, he said, “I’ll pick you up at the airport.”

Correct answer.

“Thank you, Si. I’ll see you then.”

That night, I packed my three bags, and Sunday morning, I called an Uber to take me to the airport. I waited on the lanai, staring at the ocean, my fingers toying with the pendant around my neck.

When my app said the driver was a few minutes away, my front door opened and Asher barged in. My heart pounded as he joined me on the lanai. He sat on the other chair, arms on his knees.

“Hey.”

“So that’s it?” I asked, my voice trembling. “You just walk in the door without knocking? Like we live together or something?”

“No,” he replied in a low voice.

“Because we don’t live together, Asher. Do we?”

He sighed. “No, we don’t live together. But I always just walk in. Because you leave the door unlocked. For me.”

“Well, that’s…stupid,” I said, my eyes filling. “And unsafe. To let anyone bust in and…and hurt me.”

“I’m not anyone,” he said. “And I’m hurting too.”

I glanced over at him helplessly. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugged with a small smile. “You have my shirt.”

A sound that was half-laugh, half-sob burst out of me. “Well, too bad you came all this way for nothing. I’m taking it with me.”

“Good.”

“Don’t you have work?”

“I moved some things around.”

“Asher…”

“Come on. You’ll miss your flight.”

I canceled my Uber and sat in the front of Asher’s Jeep as he loaded my luggage. The airport in Lihue was fifteen minutes away. We made it in twenty, because Asher wasn’t driving at breakneck speed but taking his time.

At the tiny airport, he got my luggage checked for me and walked with me as far as security. Wordlessly, he took my face in both his hands and kissed me. A deep, soft, reverent kiss that shook me to my core.