Page 51 of One Merciful Moment

"While time stands still for us on the other side of the veil while we're in Everstill, the men don't age here. But they do if they cross over. We figured out Boone was seventy-four years old."

"What?" Boone's pulse spiked. "The hell he is."

Finn shook his head. "Kallie."

"You should've told him," Kallie said. "He deserves to know he'll be older if he leaves."

"It's the same for Finn," Jillian added. "He's much, much older than he is here."

Boone backed up a step, then another. He couldn't drag air into his lungs. "No. I can't handle this right now."

Ashley grabbed him, but he was already stepping away. He needed air. He needed everything to go back the way it was. Too many changes. Too many truths.

Finn lifted his hand. "Boone, listen—"

"Not tonight," Boone said sharply.

He shut down fast and hard, the way he used to when something hit too close. All he wanted was to take Ashley home.

"We'll talk tomorrow," Finn said gently. "Go home and take care of yourself."

Boone swallowed hard. "Let's go."

Ashley didn't hesitate. She stepped beside him, took his hand, and they walked away.

He slowed his pace so she wouldn't fall behind. The street was quiet. He was supposed to gas up the mower and start mowing, but would it matter if the grass grew if Ashley left him the moment the storm opened the veil?

Ashley stared at the ground. He hated the silence. He wanted to know what she was thinking. He wanted to ask if she was scared. If she was planning to leave him.

But he couldn't.

He had no right to ask her to stay. It was unfair to make her choose between him and her life outside Everstill.

He didn't even have the right to hope she'd choose him.

They reached the house. Boone opened the door for her. Ashley stepped inside and stood in the middle of the room, looking away.

He ran his hand over his face. "Ash?"

She turned. Her expression nearly knocked the breath out of him.

He crossed the space in record time, swept her up in his arms, and crushed her to his chest. "It's okay."

She trembled in his arms. Tonight was too much.

He forced himself to breathe. Seeing fear in her eyes broke him.

"Boone... I don't know what's going to happen."

"I know."

"I'm not trying to hurt you."

"Yeah." He inhaled through his aching chest. "I know that, too."

"I just... I have to think about what's possible."

"I know." He kept saying it because it was the only thing he had the right to say.