When he left Rick’s and drove to his family’s home, Easton made sure to take his time, to appreciate this town he loved so much. Roads he knew by memory because they were the same roads he’d traveled every day of his life. The same gravel lane leading to the same house.

The same people who’d been there from day one.

Ash was an exercise junkie, focused on putting only the best things inside her body. So it always struck him as wrong when he found her out on the front porch with a cigarette in her mouth. His twin only smoked when she was worried or when she was sad. Lately, she’d been trying to hide it from him, but she was his twin. He always knew.

Easton didn’t say anything as he sat next to her. They’d sat on this same porch for a long time now, and he never needed to say anything. Eventually, Ash leaned her shoulder into his.

“I hate this part,” she whispered.

“I know.”

“You can’t work taking people on nature walks up at the big house?” Ash glanced up at him. “Hold their hands as they frolic through the flowers?”

Teasing her for her worry would have been easy. Theirs was a relationship built on mutual good-natured mockery to hide affection far deeper than most would ever know. But some things he would never tease her for, and admitting she was scared was one of those things.

“I could, but I’d hate it.”

Having a twin wasn’t as easy as an adult as it was when they were younger. Being tied so tightly together was harder when real life got in the way. On some level, they both knew they were drifting apart compared to when they were kids, and neither wanted that. But he knew what she needed from him to be happy: to give up the way of life that made him happy. And as much as he loved her, Easton wasn’t willing to change who he was for someone else.

Not even Ash.

“It’s going to be okay,” he told her. “I know you don’t believe me, but it will.”

“Maybe.” Taking a long drag on the cigarette in her mouth, she shook her head. “Probably. But one day, it won’t. Are you ready for that? Because I’m sure not.”

There was nothing he could say to that. Nothing to make her feel better anyway, so Easton simply sat with her. And when she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, he knew she’d given up the fight.

The next trip, it would start all over again, because Ash didn’t know how to stop caring so deeply.

“These things will kill you.” He flicked the end of her cigarette. “And they smell awful.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’re out of here. Go whine to someone else.”