Page 72 of One Merciful Moment

Ashley let her chin fall to her chest. She squeezed her eyes closed, dispelling the tears burning behind her eyelids. Understanding why Jillian would return to Everstill hurt more than the confusion ever could.

She raised her gaze to Moe, his expression already resigned, then to Finn and Kallie. "Are you two staying here?"

Finn shook his head. "I want to test the bridge. If I can prove we can travel back and forth, then everyone has a chance of leaving someday."

"Or staying," Kallie added. "If the bridge works, we can build Everstill into a real community. A place that supports all of us. Not just a place we're trapped in. Finn and I don't have family here. We'd like to help the others."

They talked about Everstill like it was home. Like it was theirs. Like she was the one on the outside now.

She strained her eyes toward the yard again, desperate to see something that might be a shadow. But nothing looked out of the ordinary.

"When are you leaving?" she whispered.

"Tomorrow morning," Jillian said. "After I visit my mom one more time."

She nodded, even though her heart was breaking all over again. They were going back where Boone lived.

"Keep looking for the shadow," Jillian said softly. "You have time. We'll call in the morning before we go."

Ashley blinked back tears. Jillian stood, rounded the table, and hugged her, holding her tight. She wanted to send a message to Boone, but if she spoke, she'd break down.

"Try really hard." Jillian squeezed her again. "It's the only way to get back to Boone."

She stayed at the picnic table after they left, willing the shadow to show itself. Every fact she knew about Everstill played in her head. She tried to remember everything Copper had told them. Plus the new theory about the bridge.

But all she saw was sunlight.

"I won't stop thinking about you, Boone," she whispered. "Every minute of the day."

Chapter 43

Boone

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The store door closed behind Boone. He walked away with a sack of groceries tucked under his arm. Copper had told him to keep moving, keep mowing, keep the town steady. But nothing was normal. It seemed like all he was doing was pretending to be someone who wasn't falling apart.

He reached the sidewalk and looked up, stopping in his tracks.

A cloud drifted across the sky. It moved and stretched as he moved, as if it were breathing.

The grocery sack slipped from his arm and hit the ground. The jar of jam shattered at his feet. He walked straight into the street, eyes locked on the cloud as it thickened and curled inward.

A burst of energy surged through his body. He held himself back. This time he wasn't going to lose control and beat at the barrier. He was going to wait. Right here. In the middle of the street. And show the veil he was ready to go.

If the veil opened, he would walk through it. If it didn't, he was going to run as fast as he could and die trying.

To hell with staying clean. He was unraveling every bit of progress he'd clawed his way toward. But he also knew he couldn't survive this emptiness forever. He needed her. He needed Ashley like he used to need heroin. His body couldn't function without her.

He'd take whatever time he could get with her before his willpower weakened and the old cravings came back. Before the pain hollowed him out again.

Boone lifted his chin, staring at the cloud as it thickened and dipped lower, the air around him shifting, humming, getting colder.

He stood perfectly still in the middle of the street. His eyes focused on the sky. He didn't move, blink, or care about anything except the possibility, however small, that the veil might open and he might get even one second with Ashley.

The wind picked up, whipping dust across the road. He planted his feet, shoulders squared, ready to walk straight into whatever came next.

"Boone!" Copper sprinted toward him. "Stop, don't go any closer!"