Chapter 20

ASHER

Wednesday rolls around and I find myself breaking my usual routine, showing up to work with just a minute to spare in the afternoon. The withdrawal from my usual drug use is hitting me hard, but showing up to a law firm stoned isn’t exactly an option.

Daniel, as always, is less than thrilled to see me. He gives me a slight nod of approval that I’ve managed to show up on time. Without missing a beat, he hands me a stack of paperwork to file in his cabinet.

It seems like filing paperwork is his favorite task to delegate to me. I wonder if he just hates doing it himself.

I breeze through the paperwork, already familiar with his filing system. To my surprise, we’re not staying in the office today.

He instructs me to grab his things and two files from his desk. I obediently climb into the back of his car.

He sighs as our eyes meet in the rearview mirror, then pulls out of the parking lot, driving us over an hour away.

We arrive at a client’s house, a large property with a woman waiting for us on her front porch, rocking gently in her chair. A small, curly-haired white dog sits at her feet, surprisingly calm as we approach.

The size of her house suggests she’s got money to spare. I can’t help but snoop around a bit when she invites us inside.

Daniel takes a seat at the dining table, which is pushed against a wall with a large bay window overlooking the backyard. Three horses graze peacefully in the distance.

But something else catches my eye. In the corner of the room, there’s a display cabinet filled with model planes. I’m drawn to them, reminded of a cherished memory with Zach.

He used to bring home models for us to build together. When I say “us,” I mean he would build them while Atty and I enjoyed the rare one-on-one attention, even if his focus was on the models.

He’d always talk about how his grandad used to do the same with him. It was our thing for a while, until he realized he was doing it more for himself than for us.

One day, he just stopped bringing home models. I think that’s when our relationship started to go downhill.

But then again, we were hormone-driven teenagers by then, and I was more interested in getting laid than spending time with my parents.

“My husband was in the Air Force. He missed flying after he retired, so he started building these models. It took him hours, but it brought a smile to his face before he passed,” the woman tells me, startling me with her sudden closeness.

“My dad used to build these with me. I know what you mean about the hours,” I reply.

“Memories, always there to remind you of a forgotten time,” she says, giving me a knowing smile.

“All right, Mrs. Hern, I’ll get these documents filed for you. They’ll be effective immediately. If you need anything else, just give me a call,” Daniel announces, signaling our departure.

Mrs. Hern bids us goodbye as we leave, limping slowly toward the front door. I take one last look at the model planes.

“Memories,” I murmur to myself before following Daniel out of the house.

Our next stop is a court hearing, where Daniel leaves me outside—again. I can’t figure out why he doesn’t want me in the courtroom.

Maybe he doesn’t trust me to behave. That would be a fair assumption under normal circumstances, but I’m not an idiot. I know this is his livelihood, and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that, especially not if it could hurt Ella.

“Don’t move or talk to anyone,” he orders, just like he did during my first week.

I respond with an eye roll, earning another sigh from him. I wonder how many times I can get that reaction from him in a single day.

The idea of pushing each other’s buttons, of seeing how far we can go, is oddly appealing. He is gone for what feels like forever, not returning until well past four in the afternoon, looking like he’s been through the wringer.

His hair is a mess, his shirt unbuttoned at the top. I’ve never seen him so disheveled, so emotionally raw, unless it involves Ella.

“Did something go wrong?” I ask, standing up before he even has a chance to signal me to.

“Something like that. I’m sorry I kept you waiting, Ash,” he replies.

“It’s not your fault,” I reply with a shrug.

That leaves us standing there in an awkward silence as the courtroom slowly empties out. We wait until everyone else has left.

Then we start walking side by side. We make our way to his car parked just outside the building, neither of us saying a word.

Daniel puts his stuff in the trunk without asking for my help. As I am about to get in the car, I hesitate by the back door.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask him as he closes the trunk and walks around the car to face me.

“You wouldn’t understand, Ash,” he says, running his hand through his hair for what must be the hundredth time.

“Maybe it’s time you taught me to understand… What do you think?” I suggest.

He looks at me over the top of the car, his eyebrows raised as he considers his next words.

“I didn’t think you cared about this job.”

“Who said that?” I ask.

“Well…” He rolls his eyes, then shakes his head, a small smile playing on his lips. It is a smile that tells me he’s made assumptions based on my disapproval of his relationship with Ella.

“Just get in the car, Ash.”

So I do. I get in the car, but I choose the front seat instead of the back. I think that surprises him more than my questions about the case he’s obviously just lost.