Chapter 59 When Two Worlds Collide.

By Monday morning, my nerves were a wreck.

I’d barely slept the night before, tossing and turning as I replayed Asher’s words in my head — “We’ll face it together.”

They were beautiful. Brave. Comforting. But they didn’t stop my stomach from twisting into knots every time I thought about what was coming next.

The meeting was set for 5 p.m. at our house.

My mom said it so casually over breakfast — “Tell Asher’s parents to come over this evening so we can talk like adults.” Like it was no big deal. Like she wasn’t planning to dissect every detail of my relationship under a microscope.

My dad, on the other hand, just grunted and adjusted his glasses. I could tell he was uneasy too. He’d barely said a word since my ,um and I spoke last night, she probably told him. The guilt still lingered, heavy and unspoken between us.

When I texted Asher the time, his reply was instant.

Asher: “We’ll be there. My mom’s nervous, my dad’s pretending he’s not, and I’m trying not to throw up. So, normal.”