By the next morning, I had somewhat lowered my panic. I was still nervous, but I called the hospital and moved up my appointment with Nurse Irene to this afternoon. The only other thing I could do in the meantime was not think of Asher. At all. With all Asher-thoughts banned until further notice
Asher would have cupped my cheek or cradled the back of my head. He would have pressed his body against mine. He would have maintained the distance longer, teasing me, stretching out the moment. Lamar’s kiss lacked passion – on both our parts. Maybe he was being respectful, giving me only a simp
That evening, I sat in the library with my textbooks sprawled in front me. Aimee and Nicole were on the other side of my table. Aimee pointed out a key section of the text for me. Nicole highlighted it. I’d failed another practice test, but I’d done at least slightly better than my last attempt.
After running into Asher outside of the library, I decided that Aimee had been right. Boys were complicated and confusing, and it was much easier to focus solely on studying. I avoided both Asher and Lamar, and when not in class, mostly stuck to studying in my room. For a few days, things had be
“Got it.” He mimicked zipping closed his mouth. I offered a small smile of thanks and returned to my work. For the next five or so minutes, I delved into the topics of the text. I began writing a new note. “Hey, Cynthia,” Lamar said. My pen stilled. “Yeah?” “How long are you planning on st
“They don’t know who you are yet, and I’ll do everything I can to protect you,” Nurse Irene said through the phone. “But you have to be extra careful.” Overwhelming fear stirred within me, spreading outwards until my entire body trembled. Nurse Irene continued on. “The official researchers have
Asher “Asher.” Cynthia was saying my name, trying to claim my attention. At any other moment, I would have been more than happy to give it to her. But right now, I was defending her from a threat, and that threat had yet to be neutralized. Cynthia smelled bitter, fearful. It pushed off of her
My heart jumped into my throat. If only I could pull her into my arms again. But then she turned from me. She walked to Lamar and he offered her his arm instead. She took it and they walked away. She watched me, looking back until they reached the door. Then she was gone, but the strong scent