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She was fired at the library for unfriendly behavior. They had said she made a big commotion out of nothing. No one had believed her.

But she didn't mind it. Being gone from the library meant one less place where Mr. Singleton could stalk her.

"You told me you quit," Asher said, bringing her back to the present.

She had said that indeed. Hearing the pain in his voice, she regretted telling him – or not telling him after it had happened. She lied to him because she didn't want him to know the truth of what his father did. She had thought he would never believe her.

"What was I supposed to say?" she spit out, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"The truth."

Those words made the tears try to come out harder. She stayed silent while collecting herself and subtly wiping away the few tears that managed to escape.

She didn't want this conversation. Asher should have known, but she had never told him. Yet now it was too late to admit it all. It only hurt her to know that she made a mistake. Telling him now was trying to right that mistake, but she didn't feel relieved.

"I was too scared," she finally admitted.

"I could have helped you," Asher said, turning to look at her. "I would have protected you."

"You did help," she said, looking him in the eye. "After that incident at the library, I met you in your pickup and we drove to the other side of the lake."

Asher let out a breath. "So that's why you were so eager."

She nodded while biting her lip. "I wanted you to be my first. I was truly scared that it would be him."

"Did he go further than that?" He couldn't keep the pain out of his voice, but it was the worry that made his voice break.

"I don't want to talk about it." She stood up again, but Asher's voice stopped her – again.

"Elena, please. I want to know what my father did to you."

She didn't turn to him because she found it too embarrassing. She was weak, just like Mr. Singleton had said. And even in his death he haunted her with those words. To this day, she still wasn't strong.

"He never went further," she admitted. "But he also didn't do it just once."

Asher sighed and moved his hands in his hair. "This is so messed up."

Elena could only nod. It was messed up, but she didn't want to talk about it – or even think about it. She had admitted all of that now, and wanted to leave.

But the silence that hung in between them restricted her from doing so. She stayed with Asher and she didn't know why. Especially since she wanted to leave – leave the past, leave Asher, leave Saint Charles. But she waited out the silence.

And eventually she was the one to break and start a conversation.

"The company asked for you."

Asher looked at her questionably. "What company?"

"Dupont. The one that started the gallery."

"You work for them?"

Elena nodded and kicked the ground with her feet. "They asked for 'The Golden Couple,' but I got my individual chance."

"I would have come," Asher said as if it was obvious. "If that's what you wanted me to do, I would have come."

"But you didn't like it," she said while shaking her head. "That's why you never started the career you were offered."

He shrugged. "Photography was my hobby, not my profession."

Elena stopped kicking the ground and looked up. "Was?"

A sigh escaped Asher as he looked down at the ground. "Nothing was ever the same since you left, Elena. I thought I would get over you, but I can't. I broke up with the girl," he admitted after a short silence.

"Asher, I'm not staying. I'm leaving tomorrow morning." He couldn't break up because of her. He had to get over her because she would never be there for him. She couldn't deny her heart warmed at the knowledge he wasn't seeing anyone else, but then it clenched when she realized he was still madly in love with her. Just like she was still madly in love with him.

Asher sighed again, then stood up and threw his hands in the air. "How can you just leave? How can you make a good life there if you have so many memories here? If you have people waiting for you here?"

She looked away from him when she admitted: "it's easier to live a lie than to be reminded of every bad thing I have done."

"You didn't do anything bad," he said sternly while walking closer to her. "We both made some wrong decisions, but look at me. I can live here. And so can you."

Her head shook. "I did horrible things, Asher. I thought you would die, or at least never walk again. And that would be on me."

"But I can walk, Elena. You shouldn't feel guilty for anything."

She bit her lip and blinked away the tears. "But I do. And I can't just shake it off. I'm sorry," she added before running away.

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The morning after the funeral was a dark one. Elena, Emily and Kay started packing their bags after breakfast. No one said anything, and Elena wished she knew what her siblings were thinking. Were they dreading leaving Saint Charles? Or were they mourning their father?

Elena wasn't doing any of those. She was thinking of Asher. Their conversation the day before gave her mixed feelings. She was relieved he knew the truth, because it wasn't something she should have kept from him. Especially not in that time they were so close to each other.

But she also hated herself for telling him. Asher didn't find his father the best man there was, but Elena feared she had ruined every memory Asher had of the man. Mr. Singleton had still loved his sons very much. Which was why he wanted Elena gone. He didn't think she was good enough for Asher.

So was she really not good enough for him, or did he not want his sons to grow up and start their own life? Or was she simply easy to blame for Asher's wrong moves?

Whatever it was, she wasn't going to find out anymore. Mr. Singleton was dead. He couldn't come back and tell her anymore, but luckily he also couldn't harass her anymore. Yet that didn't mean he couldn't haunt her anymore.

She sighed and dropped the last of her clothing in a suitcase. When she was finally finished, she made her way outside and threw her suitcase in the trunk of the taxi. It felt strange to leave again, but she knew it was the right thing to do. Reliving everything that had happened in Saint Charles was hard. And if she were to stay, she would relive it every day.

So leaving was the only right to do. But why did she feel so doubtful?

"Why don't you all stay a little longer?" Mia asked with a sigh. With the help of aunt Tina, she had made her way out of the house in her wheelchair. She didn't need the wheelchair all the time anymore, but her legs were still not stable enough to carry her everywhere. And with the help of aunt Tina, Elena was sure her mother would recover soon.

"We've got jobs, Mom. We can't stay," Kay said while he walked out of the house with his suitcase. As always, he was the last one to be ready. Emily walked out as well, then gave their mother a kiss on her cheek.

"Take care," she said before walking to aunt Tina and saying goodbye to her too. Kay and Elena followed.

Saying goodbye to their mother was the hardest part for Elena. Mia had just lost her husband, while gaining the hope of staying with her children during her recovery. Yet here they were, saying their goodbyes and leaving her behind. It broke Elena's heart.

But staying was out of the question. She had to go back to Denver before more of the past caught up with her.

Just as she was saying goodbye to aunt Tina, when she heard someone shout her name. Her heart fluttered at the sound of the voice, then died at the sound of a footstep and a thud. He should hate her, not look for her.

She turned around and walked toward Asher, meeting him halfway so that her siblings couldn't listen in. She didn't want to say goodbye to him, because it meant seeing him again. And seeing him again meant doubting her leave again.

But now that he was here, she'd better get this over with as quickly as possible.

"Asher," she started with a sigh. But he was quick to interrupt.

"Please, don't leave. If you don't want to stay because of me, then stay because of your mother, or the town-"

"Asher, no. I've got a job. I've got an apartment. I can't just leave that all behind"

"Why not?" he asked, irritated. "Because you know from experience that it leaves a big hole?"

Her eyes flickered to the ground. His words stung, but they were true. Leaving Saint Charles had left a big hole. Leaving Denver would do the same. Which was why she should not leave Denver behind for Saint Charles. She could not stay here.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Asher quickly said. His hand reached up as if he wanted to touch her, but then he dropped it again.

"But you're right. I would leave a big hole."

Asher shrugged. "The first one would be filled again."

"But the fear would still be there."

"Elena, there's nothing to fear anymore," he said, laying his hands on her shoulders. He lowered his head so that she was looking at him. "You're not weak. Whatever my father said, it's not true. Please, stay. We could- You could be happy again. Whether it is with or without me, I don't care as long as you're happy."

He sighed and dropped his hand again, wiping her arms while doing so. When he spoke next, he sounded defeated.

"Elena, I would do anything for you. I will keep every secret you want me to keep. I will swim any lake you want me to swim in. I will hate every person you want me to hate. Just, please, give yourself a chance to live with me, because the only one who blames you for what happened is you."

She turned her head away from him because she didn't want him to see the tears that were burning in her eyes. He would do anything for her, but all she could do for him was break his heart – again. She hadn't meant to give him hope, but just coming to Saint Charles did that for him. And she hated it. Now she had to break the heart of the man she loved so much again.

"I love you, Elena," he said, calmer than before. "My feelings for you have never changed. And even though I've tried, they never will change. And I know you, I know you feel the same. Then why not give it a chance?"

She looked at her hands while they clenched together, then released. Clenched again, released again.

There were so many reasons why she couldn't give their relationship another chance. She had already admitted so much, yet he still didn't know everything. His father was no issue anymore, but knowing he lost his leg because of her was. His entire life had changed because of her, and she couldn't forgive herself for that.

So another chance was out of the question.

"I have to go, Asher," she whispered. She didn't wait for his response and just turned around without looking at him. She hopped into the taxi, her siblings following quickly behind her. And when the car drove away from Saint Charles, Asher still stood in the middle of the road, watching her leave him – again.