I paid, left her a tip, and then stood aside so the guy behind me could be served. A few minutes later, with my coffee in hand, I made my way along Centennial Street, the thriving hub of Destiny Falls. I passed several historic buildings, including one that housed the museum. Across on the other side of the street stood the Information Center. I knew better than to pop in and have a look around, since Heather Braddock used to be in charge and might still be. Instead, I continued past the commercial district, reaching an intersection. If I turned left, I’d come across the fire station, or at least, where it used to be. I hesitated for a moment, then detoured in that direction. Not to see Liam. Just because I wanted to know if the station was still there.

It was. And Asher Heaton sat on a foldout chair near the open garage doors. He shot to his feet as I approached and stalked toward me with a dark scowl.

“No.” He waved his hands as though ushering me backward. “You can fuck right off.”

“I wasn’t coming to see Liam.”

His glare was full of disbelief—and okay, maybe I’d been hoping to run into Liam. I’d imagined seeing his face so many times, and I hadn’t had the chance to catalog all the differences yesterday.

“You need to go before he realizes you’re here.”

“But—”

“No buts.” His hands landed on his hips, and fury flashed in his eyes. “I encouraged him to give you a chance back then. Did you know that?” He didn’t let me respond. “I told him he should put himself out there, and that you were different from his ex. I’ve regretted that every single day since you broke his heart over a goddamned phone call.” His expression twisted in disgust. “You didn’t even have the decency to see him face-to-face. It fucking broke him.”

Shame and guilt, my familiar friends, tangled in my chest. I didn’t argue because I deserved his censure. I’d promised Liam I’d come back, and I’d let him down. I have to live with that.

Asher stepped closer. “If you really care about Liam, you’ll leave town and never bother him again.”

“I can’t do that,” I said softly.

His eyes narrowed. “No one wants you here. Least of all Liam.”

With that, he turned on his heel and strode back to the fire station. I bit my lip almost hard enough to break the skin, and tears prickled in my eyes. The pain in my chest burned hotter. The words Asher had fired at me felt like bullets. I couldn’t blame either of them for being angry with me. All I could do was prove with my actions that this time I was here to stay.