Play with the Phantom (Midnight, #2)

by Amanda Richardson

“Were you happy? With me, I mean.” His voice is almost too quiet. The words are soft, but they land like a punch. My stomach knots, my pulse picking up speed. I stare at the horizon, feeling the ocean breeze sweep over my skin, and I say the only thing I can. “I was… at first.” Asher stiffens beside me, but I don’t look at him. I can’t. The wind shifts, carrying the distant sound of Hannah’s laughter. Asher exhales sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. When he speaks again, his voice is lower, tinged with something that sounds a lot like quiet defeat. “I feel like I kept trying to make this work, but it just didn’t. No matter how hard I tried.” I bite the inside of my cheek, swallowing down the sharp response that threatens to rise. Did he try, though? Because all I saw were words without action. Empty promises. Half-hearted gestures after the damage was already done. He listened, sure, but he never really heard me. And maybe for a long time, I pretended that was enough. That if I stayed patient, if I stayed quiet, things would magically shift. But they never did.