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Jade’s lips tipped downward, and I wondered if we were heading for an argument again.

She was stubborn, but she was so much more than this place could handle. She’d be happy with me somewhere else. Once she saw that, we could make plans.

From the way she gripped the steering wheel tighter, I knew today wasn’t that day.

I was running out of time. I was leaving in three weeks. That wasn’t changing.

Jade didn’t answer as we pulled to the side of the road. She parked in the same place each time.

“You’ve been coming here a lot,” I said. “Hugh’s gonna complain about his grass.”

Jade rolled her eyes. “Whatever. He complains about everything.”

That much was true. I wondered how everyone dealt with it, but there must have been some patience I was missing. They put up with every weird thing Hugh did and still talked to him.

I didn’t understand.

She got out of the car, and I stared at her as she went to the trunk. If she was coming here a lot, then she had a lot on her mind.

Was I a part of that? Was our future worrying her?

By the time I was out of the passenger’s seat, she was shutting the trunk.

“Jade, I⁠—”

“Come on,” she said. “I have a blanket for you.”

She went ahead, and I let out a sigh as I watched her go.

There was no future where the two of us weren’t together. We’d been by each other’s sides for nearly our whole lives. There was no end to that.

There was no way I was staying either.

I knew there was a big world out there. Mom’s letters had shown me that. The way she described the city with a fondness came through even in written word, but I also remembered the wistful smile that she would get when she thought about her life.

I’d never gotten that trip. I’d never seen anything outside of this tiny town.

I was determined to change that.

The hike was spent in near silence. Only the sounds of birds and nature surrounded us. I focused on Jade, hoping she would say something about our future.

She didn’t.

“Here we are.” She put the blanket down on the ground. “Finally.”

The spring looked like it always had. It was clear, coming from a rocky cliff face that was about twenty feet tall. The sound of running water always helped Jade find peace. She plopped onto the ground with a soft smile.

I followed suit.

“We’ll need to figure this out eventually.”

“I’d miss this place,” she murmured. “Wouldn’t you?”

I watched the water closely. This was one of the best parts of the town, but it wasn’t somewhere we were supposed to be. Unlike everywhere else, this wasn’t a park or anything the community could use.

“There are other places.”

“But none that we spent our childhoods at. This is where we grew up. Does that really not mean anything to you?”