Page 31 of He Falls First
Esme shakes her head. “Not a thing. I think you scared them away.”
The fact that I don’t believe in ghosts is irrelevant.
“I’m so glad,” I say. “I’m glad you got some good sleep. Hopefully, this will set you on the right path.”
“Having a friend after all these years alone did the trick,” she says.
Oh boy, I really don’t do well with sappy friendship stuff, but I know Esme needs to have this moment. “I’m glad we’re friends too,” I say. Gee. That didn’t feel cheesy at all. Or insincere. Not in the least.
Rowan rolls onto his back, his arm flopping over his chest. His mouth agape, he lets out another snore.
Esme and I look at him, then look back at each other and crack up.
It really does feel like whatever has been haunting Esme has stopped.
I look at the sleeping Rowan, and my heart aches at the sight of my sleepy, silly, one-track-minded, wonderful boy.
I have so much to be thankful for.
I wish I could stay past the New Year, but I need the credits next semester. And this internship is a critical part of one of my final research papers.
But no matter what happens, I know I’ll leave here with a new friend and a boyfriend.
Long-distance relationships are complicated. They rarely last.
Rowan’s hand reaches for me as he dozes. His snoring quiets down when I fit my fingers through his.
I wouldn’t count us out just yet, no matter what people say.
Something tells me we’re going to make it.
epilogue
The following February
Rowan
The back of my truck is a satisfying game of Tetris. Every box, Rubbermaid bin and suitcase, I’ve stacked in perfect rows and columns and squares.
Whatever didn’t fit perfectly, I donated or sold before I left Fate.
It’s weird to leave behind everything I know.
But I have to have Briar in my life. I simply have to.
I resigned from the Fate Volunteer Fire Department, cashed out my savings, and moved my shit to Indiana. The first stop is the Bloomington Fire Department, where the chief in Fate put in a good word for me.
My next stop is Indiana University.
It takes some doing to track down her campus apartment, even with the address.
I wait all day in my truck for her to come outside because I’m not allowed into the building as someone with no student ID. Which, I find comforting.
Eventually, I doze off and am later awakened by a gentle rapping on my truck window.
“Rowan! Oh my god! What are you doing here?”
What am I doing here? As if she doesn’t know.