Hazel POV
The symptoms were getting worse.
Every morning, the nausea hit harder. I could barely keep water down. My body felt heavy and tired all the time, even when I tried to rest. I hid it as best as I could — throwing up quietly before Mom and Lucas woke up, pretending I had eaten when I hadn’t, forcing smiles when my head spun.
But it was becoming impossible to hide.
One night, Asher came again.
I was waiting on the back porch like I always did now, wrapped in a blanket. My heart still fluttered every time I saw him step out of the shadows, even though I knew I shouldn’t feel that way. He sat beside me, closer than usual, and handed me a small container of warm ginger tea.
“You look pale,” he said softly, studying my face. “Have you been sleeping?”
I nodded, taking the tea with
