Page 50 of One Merciful Moment

He bent his neck side to side, trying to dispel the adrenaline Copper's warning had stirred. The storm wasn't just a threat to Everstill. It was a threat to Ashley. To him. To their life together.

"I don't understand how this can happen. I'm sucked into a place I can't leave." She held onto him, voice quivering. "Then if I do leave, I might die."

"We don't have to think about anything right now." He held her tighter.

The front door burst open. Finn came out holding Kallie's hand, followed by Moe and Jillian. Boone wasn't surprised. Copper's announcement had rattled everyone. The couples had more to lose.

Finn stopped in front of Boone. "We need to talk."

"Yeah." Boone led them to the end of the building where the morning sun hit the sidewalk.

Kallie crossed her arms, chewing her lip, while Finn kept her close. "If the veil opens, we need to figure out what we're doing. The rest of the men will rush to get out."

"I want to see my mom," Jillian said, leaning against Moe. "I've wanted that since the day we got pulled back. But I'm scared of what'll happen to Moe if I go."

"You're not going alone." Moe's jaw clicked. "Nothing is separating us."

"That's what I mean. I won't risk you. Not again."

Finn exhaled. "Kallie's been talking about leaving. She wants to go back, but..." He glanced at her. "She's second-guessing it now."

"It's not just the danger. It's the unknown. Copper said the veil tests people. What if it separates me from Finn? What if I can't find him again?" Kallie lowered her voice. "I don't have family on the other side. Finn is my family."

Ashley shifted beside Boone. She'd stayed quiet, listening.

"Go ahead," Boone said. "Say what you want to say."

"I'm just thinking... would it be possible for the three of us to leave together? Me, Kallie, Jillian?"

"No," Finn said sharply.

"Absolutely no," Moe added, pulling Jillian closer.

"Hang on." Kallie turned to Finn. "Think about what she's suggesting."

"I'm not letting you walk into the veil without me. It beat the hell out of us last time." Finn shook his head. "Fuck no."

"Same," Moe said. "I'm not letting Jillian go anywhere without me. The force that pulled us apart was too much. If we're not killed, we could get separated. No one knows where we'd end up."

"I was able to come and go," Kallie whispered. "When I was a kid. It wasn't easy to find the road, but I was never hurt."

"I wasn't hurt either," Ashley said. "It was like turning around and finding myself walking down the street of Everstill. Copper said we've stabilized the town, maybe it'll be as simple as walking through the veil to get home."

Jillian exhaled loudly. "God, I wish it was that easy. I could walk through, see my mom, and come back without her missing me."

"Boone told me time doesn't move back home while I'm here," Ashley said.

The others nodded.

Kallie chewed her lip, then looked at Boone. "Finn, did you tell Boone?"

Finn stiffened. "Tell him what?"

"About the aging," Kallie whispered.

Finn looked away. Kallie turned to Boone.

"What about the aging?" asked Ashley.