***
Nothing on earth could compare to the sinking and crushing feeling of coming back home after a defeat. Neither Asher nor I said a single word to each other as we drove back, and we couldn’t even bear to look at each other.
We returned home some time after midnight, and we walked into the house silently. I wanted to say something hopeful and encouraging, to lift his spirits and remind him that we shouldn’t give up. But I couldn’t bring myself to say or do anything. All I could do was stare blankly at the mess all around the house, and my chest tightened as I imagined how freaked out Amelia would be if she saw the state of the house.
“We should clean it up,” I said, finally breaking the silence. “At least put everything back in its place.”
Asher merely grunted. In an instant, he sp
