The Past Doesn’t Knock Twice Asher’s POV I didn’t sleep well that night.
Not because of work.
Not because of the uncomfortable position I’d been sitting in half the night.
It was because of the way Kael had hugged me when I came home.
He had been waiting.
Again.
And the moment I walked through the door, he’d come straight toward me and wrapped his arms around my waist as though he’d been holding himself together all evening just to do that.
“I missed you.” Four words.
They shouldn’t have affected me as much as they did.
But they did.
More than I wanted to admit.
I stared at the ceiling while the dorm remained silent around us.
Across the room, Kael was sleeping.
Peacefully.
One hand was curled beneath his cheek.
His blanket had slipped down to his waist.
I quietly got out of bed and pulled it back over him.
He stirred.
“…Asher?” “Go back to sleep.” His eyes barely opened.
“You came back.” “I told you I would.” He smiled sleepily.
“…Good.” Then he closed his eyes again.
I stood there for a moment.
Something about that simple trust made my chest ache.
I wanted to keep him safe.
Not because I felt sorry for him.
Not because I thought he was weak.
Because somewhere along the way…
Keeping Kael safe had stopped feeling like an obligation.
It had become something I couldn’t imagine not doing.
— The Next Morning Kael was still asleep when I left for my morning shift.
I wrote him another note.
I’ll be back before class.
Don’t skip breakfast.
I hesitated.
Then added: And don’t worry.
I smiled to myself.
He always worried.
Even when he tried to hide it.
I placed the note beside his phone and left quietly.
— The morning passed quickly.
By the time I returned to campus, students were already filling the courtyard.
I looked around automatically.
I was searching for one person.
Kael.
I found him near the fountain.
He was standing with Liam and Noah.
He was laughing.
Actually laughing.
His head was slightly tilted back, his eyes squeezed shut.
I stopped walking.
For a moment, I simply watched him.
There was something about seeing Kael genuinely happy that made everything inside me settle.
Then he noticed me.
His smile immediately changed.
It became smaller.
Softer.
Just for me.
“You’re back.” “Yeah.” I walked toward them.
Liam looked between us.
“Do you two ever get tired of saying that?” “Saying what?” Kael asked.
“You’re back.” “I missed you.” “Be careful.” “Did you eat?” Liam began counting on his fingers.
“Those are basically your entire conversations.” Kael’s face turned pink.
“That’s not true.” Noah laughed.
“It kind of is.” I looked at Kael.
“You ate?” He nodded.
“Yes.” “Everything?” He hesitated.
“…Almost.” I sighed.
“Rabbit.” “I ate!” “You left something.” “I couldn’t finish it.” “What did you leave?” “The vegetables.” Liam burst out laughing.
“I knew it!” Kael frowned.
“They tasted weird.” I shook my head.
“You can’t survive on pastries.” “I can try.” “No.” Kael smiled.
“You’re bossy.” “Someone has to be.” His smile widened.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Then I noticed something across the courtyard.
A black car.
Parked where it shouldn’t have been.
I stopped smiling.
The windows were tinted.
I couldn’t see the driver.
But I remembered the car from last night.
Same shape.
Same dark windows.
My eyes narrowed.
“What’s wrong?” Kael asked.
I looked at him.
“Nothing.” I didn’t want to frighten him.
But I couldn’t stop watching the car.
After several seconds…
It drove away.
— I spent the rest of the morning thinking about it.
Maybe it was nothing.
Maybe I’d imagined it.
But my instincts rarely lied to me.
During class, I caught myself staring through the window.
Kael noticed.
He quietly nudged my elbow.
“What are you looking at?” “Nothing.” He gave me a suspicious look.
“You’re doing it again.” “Doing what?” “Thinking too much.” I almost laughed.
“You’ve started noticing everything.” He smiled.
“Maybe.” The professor turned toward us.
“Is there something amusing over there?” Kael immediately straightened.
“No, sir.” The class laughed.
I looked down at my notebook.
Kael was trying not to smile.
I whispered, “Troublemaker.” He whispered back, “You started it.” — After Class I waited for Kael outside the building.
He came out carrying his books.
“Ready?” “Yes.” We started walking toward the dorm.
Halfway there, Kael stopped.
“What?” He looked behind us.
“Did you hear that?” I listened.
Nothing.
“What?” “I thought someone called my name.” My expression hardened.
“Where?” He pointed toward the courtyard.
I looked.
Empty.
“Probably someone else.” Kael nodded.
“Maybe.” But he stayed closer to me after that.
I didn’t mention the car.
Not yet.
— That evening, something unexpected happened.
Kael received a phone call.
I was sitting at the desk working through some paperwork when his phone began vibrating.
He glanced at the screen.
His entire body froze.
I looked up.
“Kael?” He didn’t answer.
The phone kept ringing.
He stared at the screen as though it were something dangerous.
I stood.
“Who is it?” He didn’t say anything.
The call ended.
Then the phone started ringing again.
Kael’s fingers trembled.
I walked toward him.
“Give me the phone.” He shook his head.
“It’s him.” I stopped.
“Your uncle?” Kael nodded.
The phone continued ringing.
I watched him.
“You don’t have to answer.” He looked at me.
“But what if he knows where I am?” “He already knows.” Kael’s face paled.
I immediately regretted saying it so bluntly.
“Sorry.” He shook his head.
“No.
You’re right.” The phone stopped.
A message appeared.
Kael looked at it.
His face changed.
“What did he say?” He handed me the phone.
There was only one sentence.
We need to talk.
My jaw tightened.
I looked at Kael.
“Don’t reply.” “I wasn’t going to.” Another message appeared.
You can’t hide from me forever.
Kael’s breathing became uneven.
I immediately put the phone down.
“Hey.” He looked at me.
“Look at me.” He did.
“You’re here.” He nodded.
“You’re at school.” Another nod.
“And he isn’t here.” Kael swallowed.
“Not yet.” I didn’t like those words.
Not one bit.
— That night, I called someone I trusted.
An old friend who knew his way around the city and had connections with people who could find information quickly.
I didn’t tell Kael.
I didn’t want him involved.
“Can you look into someone for me?” “Who?” I gave him the name.
There was silence.
Then— “Why?” “Just do it.” “Is this trouble?” “Maybe.” “You’re getting yourself involved again.” “I know.” He sighed.
“Send me what you know.” I hung up.
Then I looked across the room.
Kael was asleep.
His face was peaceful again.
I wondered how many nights he’d spent sleeping like that while someone else was waiting for the next opportunity to hurt him.
My hands curled into fists.
I wasn’t going to let that happen again.
— Three Days Later The information came back.
I read it twice.
Then a third time.
His uncle had a history.
Not just with Kael.
There were unpaid debts.
Several complaints.
A restraining order from someone else that had expired.
And an assault charge that had never gone anywhere because the victim had refused to testify.
I stared at the screen.
This wasn’t some angry relative who had come looking for a conversation.
He was dangerous.
And now he knew where Kael was.
I closed my laptop.
I needed to tell him.
But I didn’t know how.
— That afternoon, Kael wanted to walk back from the library alone.
“I’ll be fine.” “I’ll come with you.” “You have work.” “I can be late.” “You’ve already missed enough time because of me.” I frowned.
“Don’t say that.” He looked down.
“I’m sorry.” I sighed.
“Just…” I gently touched his shoulder.
“Let me walk you.” He smiled.
“Okay.” We started walking.
The sun was already lowering.
The campus was quieter than usual.
Kael was telling me about something funny Liam had done when he suddenly stopped.
I followed his gaze.
At the end of the road…
The black car.
Again.
This time it wasn’t moving.
It was parked.
Waiting.
Kael’s smile vanished.
“Asher…” “I see it.” His fingers immediately found my sleeve.
I stepped in front of him.
“Stay behind me.” The car door opened.
A man stepped out.
Kael’s breathing stopped.
I felt his fingers tighten around my shirt.
The man began walking toward us.
Slowly.
Confidently.
Like he knew exactly where he was going.
Like he had been waiting for this moment.
Kael whispered behind me.
“That’s him.” My entire body went still.
His uncle stopped several feet away.
His eyes moved from me…
To Kael.
Then he smiled.
“So…” His voice was calm.
Far too calm.
“This is the boy you’ve been hiding behind.” I stepped forward.
Kael’s hand remained tightly wrapped around the back of my shirt.
“Don’t come any closer.” His uncle laughed.
“Who are you?” “Someone who’s telling you to leave.” He looked amused.
“You don’t understand.” “I understand enough.” His gaze moved to Kael again.
“You’ve become very brave, haven’t you?” Kael flinched.
I noticed.
And something inside me snapped.
I stepped completely between them.
“You don’t get to talk to him like that.” His uncle’s smile disappeared.
“This has nothing to do with you.” “It does now.” He stared at me.
Then smiled again.
“Be careful, boy.” His voice became colder.
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” I didn’t move.
“Maybe.” I glanced back at Kael.
He was terrified.
But he was still standing.
Still holding onto me.
I turned back toward his uncle.
“But I know one thing.” His uncle waited.
“You won’t touch him.” Silence.
Then his uncle’s eyes narrowed.
“We’ll see.” He turned around.
Walked back toward the car.
Before getting inside, he looked over his shoulder.
“This isn’t finished, Kael.” The car drove away.
Kael remained frozen.
I turned toward him.
“Kael.” He didn’t respond.
I stepped closer.
“Hey.” His eyes finally met mine.
Then his knees seemed to give way.
I caught him before he hit the ground.
His arms wrapped around me.
And this time…
I was the one holding on tighter.
Because I finally understood.
This wasn’t going to end with his uncle simply going away.
If we wanted Kael to be free…
We were going to have to make sure his uncle could never hurt him again.