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I loved her. That was it. Nothing else about this place interested me.

The last thing I wanted to do was hike through the humidity and go to the spring, but I knew my answer immediately.

“Fine, but only for you.”

She grinned. “Good. We’ll take my car.”

Technically, the spring was on private land, but Hugh hardly ever went to the woods. He knew we were here when he complained about Jade’s car being on his grass, but he never outright told us to leave.

To get to the spring, we had to go through the town square. I was sure that long ago this place was the center of a thriving town—if Strawberry Springs had ever thrived at all. These days, the paint on the buildings had faded and cracks popped up out of nowhere.

This was how every small town ended up eventually.

“Damn, the decor shop closed,” Jade muttered as she turned. “Another one bites the dust.”

“They barely had any customers for years. I’m surprised they hung on that long.”

“Do you ever wonder what this place looked like in its heyday?” she asked.

“I don’t think this place had a heyday.”

Jade looked over at me with a frown.

“I-I mean, I bet it was cool.”

“You’re so negative,” she muttered.

“It’s like every other small town.”

“And? It’s the one we grew up in. We met here.”

“And?”

“That makes it special.” She said it like she was talking to a child. She thought my love for Strawberry Springs should be obvious like hers was, but I never put this place on a pedestal like she did.

Mom wouldn’t want me to.

“Yeah, to some.” I shrugged. “There’s more out there.” Jade’s bottom lip poked out and I decided to press further. “You know, there’s this witchy shop out in San Francisco that’s hiring.”

Jade’s eyes slid over to me. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“And what does it pay? I’d have to find a place to live.”

“I could sneak you into my dorm.”

She huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, right. We’re not subtle.”

That much was true. The second we got together, everyone knew about it just from the way we looked at each other. Rumors flew faster than the speed of light, and everyone watched us with knowing smiles.

I hated it. I didn’t want to be noticed. I wanted everyone to mind their own business.

“We could work on it,” I assured her. “And I won’t be in the dorms long. I plan on taking some coding classes to make up the gap so I can get my own place.”

“Are you gonna join a new band? Lucas will miss you.”

“He’s going to Nashville, and no. I’ll be too busy for a band.”