Daphne snuggled in tightly to Asher, as a gun fight occurred on the screen in front of them. I ought to savor this moment all that I can. Tomorrow is December first.

  Daphne couldn’t put her finger on which one of all the things it was, but deep in her gut, she knew that things were about to inexplicably change drastically.

  Tomorrow is our st day working together. No more Trevor. On Friday, I’ll be signing the lease for my new apartment.

  Still, although she knew she should probably be feeling happy, her heart panged at her.

  Tomorrow is December. We are less than four weeks away from the day I died.

  She looked up at Asher who was grinning and ughing at a joke one of the characters had made on screen. We haven’t even fully made up from our fight to the police station.

  She wrapped her free arm around her chest in a futile effort to comfort herself. Everything feels so fragile right now. Including me.

  Daphne looked back at the screen, chewing at the insides of her lips. I’m surer than I was a couple of days ago that Rose is the killer. Will he ever be able to forgive me for what may end up happening…if I were to get her thrown into prison?

  Asher pulled Daphne closer, as one of the main characters pced a bouquet of flowers on the grave of his loved one. Why would Asher have been sent back to the past as well, if he ultimately ends up breaking up with me because his twin sister is my killer? Why would he also get a second chance if it gets wasted because of a cruel twist of fate?

  The movie was reaching its ending as the main character was finally able to overcome the vilin who had killed his loved one. Asher took Daphne’s hand into his own and squeezed it tightly.

  It would be great if there was a second person who had come back to the past that I could commiserate with besides Asher. Maybe I could be honest with Maggie and tell her the truth…? Daphne imagined the look of disbelief that her sister would wear if Daphne had told her the truth. No. Daphne shook her head a little. I can’t tell Maggie unless I want to take a detour into the psychiatric ward. She will definitely think I’m losing it with all the bad shit that has happened in our lives tely.

  The credits on the screen in front of them began to roll, triumphant music pying. Whether I like it or not, Asher is the only I can rely on for this mission.

  Asher let go of her hand, and grabbed the remote, pausing the credits and abruptly stopping the sound. The TV had been bring so loud that now, the silence seemed loud to Daphne.

  Daphne swallowed hard. We’ve both been avoiding a confrontation. We’ve been doing everything but talking in an effort to make things seem like they are better than they are. Will we end up fighting again? Will our retionship be on the rocks until we know for sure who the killer is, within the next three weeks?

  Daphne shuddered a little. I don’t know if I would be able to deal with it on my own. I might die for real without his help.

  “How are you doing?” Asher asked Daphne, ending the roar of the silence between them. “We only have a few weeks left until the day you were brought back to the past from.”

  The day I was murdered. Just say the day I died.

  “I’m honestly feeling pretty nervous about it all,” Daphne admitted. She rubbed the back of her neck. “My second chance has been filled with so much happiness and good people…even happy memories. I’m happy to have met you and gotten the chance to cultivate a retionship with you.” She let out a heavy breath and smiled a little.

  “But,” she continued, “My happiness feels so fragile and delicate, just like a paper flower would be. So easily crushed.” She swallowed hard, her heart beating quickly and aching simultaneously. “At least with real flowers, they can grow back if they are picked or destroyed, as long as their roots survive. With paper flowers, they may be beautiful, but when they are destroyed, that’s it for them.”

  “Why does your life and happiness feel like paper flowers?” Asher asked.

  “Because there’s no guarantee that I’m going to make it out of any of this alive,” Daphne said. “My happiness may end up being incredibly short lived.”

  Asher sighed lightly and smiled a little at Daphne. “No one makes it out of life alive,” he reminded her. “And most people don’t have the benefit of knowing when or how they’re going to die. You are lucky in that way.”

  “You’re right,” Daphne murmured, shaking her head a little. “It’s disappointing that it took literally dying for me to even consider what I wanted out of life.”

  “It’s alright,” Asher said. “Better te than never. Some people don’t even consider it until they don’t have any time to make up for it. Life is about making the most of things while we still can. Everything dies, though…going back to your paper flowers…Just because all actual flowers might be able to regrow its flowers after being crushed, doesn’t mean that someday it won’t die anyway. The fragility of paper flowers doesn’t make them any less beautiful.”

  Daphne nodded, soaking in Asher’s words. “That’s a good point,” she said. “Just because my happiness is short lived doesn’t make it any less beautiful or worthy of defending.” She swallowed hard, feeling her throat tighten up and her eyes prick. Her heart ached with a mixture of pain and relief.

  I wish I wouldn’t have had to sacrifice myself to survive.

  “I also pn to do anything and everything I can to keep you safe,” Asher told her. She met his eyes, glowing with his affection. “I’m not going to let you go so easily having gotten a second chance.”

  “Thank you,” Daphne replied with a small smile, her heart clenching at his words. “I’m so gd I’m not alone.”

  Asher nodded and pulled her in close to him, rubbing his hand in circles on her back. “I’m gd you’re not alone, too,” he said. He let out a heavy breath. “Also…I wanted to apologize for getting so defensive earlier this week when we were driving to the police station. Specifically, when you suggested that Rose could be your killer.” Daphne heard his teeth grinding together next to her ear. “As much as I don’t want to admit it, I think you may be right.”

  Daphne’s eyebrows raised, and she pulled back away from Asher to study his face. He looked broken.

  “What?” she asked. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

  He leaned away from her towards the end table that was next to his couch. “Thanks again for getting Vio’s DNA to me so quickly.”

  Daphne’s heart dropped. I know where this is going.

  He pulled a piece of paper out of the drawer in the end table next to him, and handed it to Daphne. Given it had been less than a week since she had see the first DNA test she had ever seen in her life, she immediately knew what she was looking at.

  The first name was Vio’s, and the second was Asher’s father, “Ethan Hawthorne.”

  “Sample two is most likely to be the parent of sample one,” the paper stated. The conclusion was that the two were biologically reted.

  Daphne covered her mouth, her eyes going wide. Next to her, Asher nodded. “After our argument earlier this week, I paid for a rush order on the test to see if I could it to disprove that Rose was involved with your death. All I ended up doing as confirming that you’re most likely right.” Asher sighed. “I was really hoping that you were wrong, even though in my gut, I had a sneaking suspicion that I was the one who was wrong.”

  “I’m sorry,” Daphne murmured, putting the results on the coffee table in front of them and wrapping her arms around Asher.

  “It’s not your fault,” Asher said, shaking his head. “I’m just disappointed in my sister. She’s my only sibling and I just wish things had turned out differently.”

  Daphne pursed her lips. “I know that I have three other siblings besides Cy, but I can rete at least a little bit,” she replied. “Cy and I have never gotten along. But who would have guessed that he would steal my car?” she shook her head and then gestured at the results of the DNA test. “Though, I guess, you actually have two sisters after all.”

  Asher let out a small chuckle. “I suppose you’re right,” he agreed. “And she’s still so young, so I’ll at least have a chance to get to know her before she has her own life.”

  Daphne nodded. “If Maggie gets custody of Vio, too, it will be a lot easier for you to spend time with her than if she’s under my mother’s control.”

  Asher’s lips tightened and thinned and he nodded slowly. “I hope Maggie can pull it off,” he said.

  “Me too,” Daphne agreed.

  “I have something else I want to tell you about Rose,” Asher said, redirecting the conversation.

  “What’s that?” Daphne asked.

  Asher hesitated for a moment, looking off into the distance before he turned back towards Daphne. “I think Rose lied about my mother not having a suicide note,” Asher said, watching Daphne’s face.

  Daphne blinked several times, her eyebrows raising high. “What makes you think that?” she asked.

  “I’ve been suspicious of Rose on this particur thing for a long time,” Asher admitted. “But really, my mother is just not the type who wouldn’t leave a note expining her ‘why.’” He paused, looking at Daphne closely. “Like I said in the past, Rose seems stuck on that day. Knowing what I know now, I can’t help but wonder if there might have been something in that note that mentioned your mother, Vio, and our father’s affair.”

  Daphne started nodding slowly, picking up the pace as she digested Asher’s words. “That would make a lot of sense,” she said. “But why would she target me? Why not my mother, or even Cy?”

  Asher shrugged. “Your family from the outside looking in looks like a perfect, happy family. In the past, you were the only Woods child that she and I met. From her perspective, she might be punishing your mother through harming you.”

  Daphne’s eyes widened. “I guess I never considered that there might be another downside to looking like a perfect, happy family.”

  Asher nodded, frowning. “It especially makes sense that she’d target you, too, if she truly was under the impression that you were trying to steal Landon from her.”

  Daphne swallowed hard and nodded. “It’s gotta be Rose,” she said. “No one else has a clearer motive.”

  “Agreed,” Asher said.

  Daphne scanned over his face. His eyes looked tired, and withdrawn. “Are you alright?” she asked.

  Asher let out a short ugh. “I’m not,” he admitted. “But what choice do I have?” A single tear started sliding down his face. “I’m given the choice between choosing between my family or someone I love.”

  Daphne’s heart skipped a beat. “I love you too,” she murmured.

  Asher smiled shallowly. “The choice is obvious. I know I came back to the past for a reason. I intend to protect you and your happiness, even against my own family, whether your happiness is made of paper or not, it doesn’t matter to me.” He smiled softly at her, caressing her cheek. “You deserve to be happy.”