My feet carried me down the wooden walkway my dad had built as a kid, over the rocky area where the lake came partly on, and onto the pier. Elodie didn’t look up as I got closer, but I didn’t miss the smile working its way on her face. I didn’t say a word as I lowered down next to her and put my feet into the cool lake water. We sat there for several minutes in silence, neither of us needing to fill the void with useless chatter.
The lake house had always been my favorite place to be. We’d spent most of our family vacations here, and sometimes a random weekend too. It was my family’s second home, and the first place any of us wanted to come to when we needed a break. I’d spent months here when I’d left the Marines. My days would be out on the water, and my nights would be spent sitting on the deck watching the sunset, amazed by the colors in the sky it would leave behind before darkness took over.
“How was the call?” Elodie’s soft voice asked.
I shrugged in response, not wanting to talk about it. “Good.”
“Right.” She cleared her throat, and I felt her shuffle an inch away. I desperately wanted to reach out to her and pull her closer, to put my arm around her and just…be. But I was in my own head, thinking about what would happen from here. I needed to talk to my dad, but I didn’t know when I’d be able to without alerting Elodie to it. I didn’t want her to worry about me, all I wanted her to concentrate on was her. On getting better. Becoming stronger. Healing, both on the inside and outside.
“You know,” I started, trying to change the subject. “We’ve never been on a proper date.”
“Huh?”
I glanced over at her, laughing at the confusion on her face. “I’ve never taken you out on a proper date.”
“Oh.” Elodie chuckled, but I could sense it was uneasy. “I’ve never really been the dating type.” She bit down on her bottom lip, her navy-blue eyes looking lighter in the afternoon sun. “I’d much rather stay in and watch a movie or something.”
“We have popcorn,” I told her, swishing my feet in the lake water. “What kind of movie do you want to watch?”
She stared at me, her attention not wavering even for a second. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you want to watch a movie?” Her eyes narrowed on me. “It’s as if you’re trying to distract me.” She tilted her head to the side, not letting up for even a second. “You know I can see something is bothering you, right?” I didn’t answer her. I refused to acknowledge it. I may have bared part of myself to her on the boat earlier, but this was different. This was about protecting her. About making sure she was safe, whether that meant I was a free man or not.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Her chest moved as she took a deep breath. “You don’t want to talk about it at all?” She raised her brow. “Or you don’t want to talk about it with me?” I stared at her, not sure what the right thing to say was. If I told her I didn’t want to talk about it with her, it could hurt her feelings, and that was the last thing I wanted. So instead of saying anything, I kept silent. Sometimes saying nothing was the best path to take.
Her shoulders drooped, and she glanced away. “Okay.” She blew out a breath. “I get it.”
“Elodie—”
“Your mom will be calling me in a few minutes.” She looked down at her cell next to her. My mom had been calling her every day since we’d gotten here. She’d even gotten in touch with her high school and had them email all her work over so she wouldn’t fall behind. “Maybe we can watch a movie after that?”
She was offering me an out, agreeing to the distraction I’d given to her, and I didn’t hesitate for a second to accept it. “Sounds like a plan.” I pulled my feet out of the water and stood. “What kind of movie, then?”
She grinned up at me. “Action. Always action.”
I winked. “You’re my kinda girl.”
She snorted, followed up by a laugh, but it wasn’t the fake kind. It was the throw-your-head-back uncontrollable kind. The kind which pulled me to her even more. Each day I learned something new about Elodie, and each day I fell deeper and deeper. Her burn was soul-deep, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Chapter Eight
ELODIE
The day started out exactly the same as the eight previous to it.
I woke up with Asher next to me on the chair asleep. He refused to sleep in another room, and if I were honest, I preferred to have him in here with me. I felt safer with him around, within arm’s reach. The birds sang outside the window as the sun rose, and I watched from the deck as the cool morning air whipped around me. I’d made it back to the bedroom and into the bathroom without waking Asher up, and for the first time in over a week, I looked at myself in the mirror.
I didn’t skim my gaze over my reflection. Instead, I stared, bone-deep, cataloging each of my features. The bruises had more or less faded now, leaving behind a darkish glow and a few spots where the swelling hadn’t fully gone down. But that was only my face. My ribs still ached, although not half as bad, but it was the soreness between my legs that reminded me the most. Every time I used the bathroom, it stung, and I knew it was from where the assault had grazed me inside, which meant I was never far away from it. It was always there, a subtle reminder to not let go completely.
It didn’t matter how much I wanted to move on. Reality was, I’d never be the same again, so I had to adjust to the new me—the me who had scars on the outside and inside. The me who was determined to wage the war I’d been thrown into. I’d slowly collected the right weapons, and now that I knew how to semi-use them, I could fight back.
That was what I told myself anyway. But as I stared into my eyes and witnessed the sadness shadowing them, I worried I’d never win. That I’d always be a few steps behind everyone else. Would people see me differently now? Would they treat me a certain kind of way? Would they hate me? Think I was fragile? I didn’t know what would happen from here. All I could be sure of was having Asher at my side.
I smiled at the thought of him. Over the last few days, since we’d been out on the boat, we’d been closer than ever. He’d told me more about his time as a Marine. He reeled off stories about him and Jax, both good and bad, and I felt like I was part of it. I felt like I was on the inside and not on the outskirts, something which had never happened before. I knew he was leaving me in the dark with some things, but it was inevitable. It wasn’t like I was over here telling him about every single time Knox had laid his hands on me, so why would he do the same?
We were bridging the gap, getting to know each other on a level neither of us had before. But nothing made me feel as close as when we’d watch a movie on the sofa, popcorn between us, our fingers intertwined. It was a small thing, something which most teenagers did, but it was big for us. He was touching me with my permission, and I slowly felt my control over my body coming back to me.
“Elodie?” I jumped at Asher’s sleepy voice. “You in there?”
“Yeah, I…” I spun around and stared at the door, expecting it to open any minute. “I’m just getting in the shower.”
“Okay.” His voice was close, so close it was as if he was talking to me through the small gap where the door closed. “I’m gonna go shower too, then we can head into town and get some food for tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” I asked, frowning. He couldn’t see me, but I knew he’d be able to hear the confusion in my voice.
“Yeah.” His voice was farther away this time. “Thanksgiving.”
Thanksgiving? I blinked. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d celebrated Thanksgiving. “I…okay.” I didn’t move from my spot as I heard his footsteps move away. We were already at the end of November. Since the school year had started, I’d broken it off with Knox, been beat up by him, and—
I shook my head. I wasn’t going to think of the negatives. I had to focus on the positives. That was what Asher kept telling me anyway. Let the negatives happen, but then let them go. It was like a prayer he
said over and over again, and the more he said it, the more I believed it. It wasn’t about pretending the negatives weren’t there. Instead, you had to let them be, acknowledge them, then let them go. It was working so far. So, I let them fly over my head and smiled as I thought about all the good that had happened to me since the start of the school year.
I’d met Leo and become friends with him.
I’d fallen for Asher—my heart beat faster at that thought.
Lola and Belle had come into my life, two women who were strong and vibrant, but more importantly, taught me there was kindness in this world.
I’d had so much happiness within arm’s reach, and it was only now I understood I could move on. I didn’t have to stay in this place in my mind where I felt like everything was going to get me. I could let Asher wrap his arms around me—I could initiate contact with him. I could show him that I was moving on.
So, with renewed energy, I quickly showered, brushed my teeth, and dressed in one of Asher’s T-shirts and a pair of dance shorts, which came to mid-thigh. It was the most skin I’d shown since before that night, but as I made my way to the kitchen, I was hyperaware of it.
Asher stood at the counter, pouring himself a coffee. He turned at the sound of my footsteps, and his gaze traveled over my legs, causing his brows to jump a little, but it was the fire lighting in his eyes at the T-shirt I was wearing that had my own smile turning into a grin.
“Morning,” I greeted, stepping forward and taking a deep breath. I’d been the person to kiss him out on the boat, but since then, I hadn’t made a move. It had been different with us when we were out on the water, almost as if we were in a different world.
“Morning.” His voice was rough, not so sleep-deprived, but I could tell I’d had an impact on him. “You look…” He stepped forward, his gaze not leaving mine. “Beautiful.”
I felt the burn of a blush on my cheeks, and my instinct was to look away, but as soon as I turned my face, he closed the small amount of distance between us and grasped my chin with his thumb and finger.
“You never need to look away from me, Elodie.” His voice was lower this time, rougher, causing goose bumps to prickle over my skin.
I dipped my head farther back to meet his stare, and I swallowed at the fire behind his eyes. There was no mistaking how he felt. He showed me plain and simple. No hiding. No pretending.
“I…” I didn’t know what to say, but what I did know was that I wanted to get closer. I wanted to feel his body pressed against mine. I wanted to relish in his arms as they wrapped around me. So, I stepped toward him.
He didn’t hesitate for one second as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him. I sighed at the feel of his embrace and wished he’d never let go. It wasn’t about feeling safe with him. It was something more, something that couldn’t be explained. He made me feel things I never thought possible, and even now, through all the darkness, he was my single beam of light I veered toward.
He bent at his knees, so his face was level with mine, and I felt his breath flow over the side of my neck. “So damn beautiful,” he murmured.
Butterflies took flight in my stomach, and I gripped on to his biceps as he placed a gentle kiss on my cheek. But he didn’t stop there. He continued his path down to my lips, pausing for a second as his gaze met mine. He was waiting for an answer, one I gave him by closing my eyes. And then his lips connected with mine. Soft, gentle, coaxing. It was so different to the kiss we’d had on the boat. This one wasn’t closed-mouthed. Instead, I ran my tongue over his lips, begging him to part his mouth, and once he did, I moaned.
It had been two weeks since we’d last kissed like this. Two weeks since I’d given my body over to Asher so freely. But it had also been two weeks since I’d had my choices taken away. Now though, I was pulling them all back, regaining everything I’d lost, and that included time with Asher. Time where we could have been getting to know each other without everything hanging over our heads.
I lifted up on my tiptoes as the kissed continued, then pushed my hands into his hair. The soft strands flowed between my fingers, longer than they had been when we’d first gotten here. Neither of us took it further than the kiss. We just enjoyed it. Relished in the embrace. But no sooner had we pulled away did the sliding door to the kitchen whoosh open.
“Happy day before Thanksgiving!” a female voice shouted, followed by, “Oh shit. Did I interrupt something?”
The blush on my cheeks burned hotter than it ever had, and I spun around to open the refrigerator. I needed something to cool me down, but also somewhere to hide.
“Belle,” Asher greeted, his voice still having an edge to it. “What are you doing here?”
“Thanksgiving, duh.” I grinned, imagining she’d rolled her eyes, but I still couldn’t move from the open refrigerator. The few bits of food we had in here were fascinating. “Leo and Ford are getting the things out of the—”
“Elodie?” I spun around at the sound of Leo’s voice, and gone was the embarrassment. I hadn’t seen him since the cookout at Lola and Brody’s house. It felt like such a long time ago, yet in reality, it wasn’t. His lips pulled into a tentative smile, his apprehension clear as day. He was so different from the men who surrounded him in his family, and yet so alike them all at the same time. He protected the people he cared about.
“Hey.” I closed the refrigerator and moved around the middle island past Asher. His hand trailed over my arm, comforting me, but at that moment, I didn’t need it. Leo was my friend—my only friend. I flung my arms around him, swaying us side to side. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“Same,” he whispered. Neither of us let go for several extra seconds, and when he did pull back, he placed his hands on my shoulders. His gaze met mine, searching for something. Deep down, I knew what it was, but I did nothing but smile. I’d promised myself today would be different—positive, happy. “You okay?” I nodded, not willing to verbalize it and jinx how I was feeling at that moment.
Asher groaned from behind me, and both Leo and I turned to face him, Leo with a grin and me with a raised brow. “Seriously? Mom and Dad are here too?” His attention was on the window that looked out onto the lake, his hand pushed into his hair as he gripped it. I turned to see what he was looking at, and sure enough, Lola and Brody were flanked by Ford as they all made their way up the walkway, which led to the back of the house.
“It’s Thanksgiving, Asher.” Belle moved toward us and pulled me out of Leo’s grasp. “Did you really think we’d spend it apart?” She winked at me and placed her arm around my shoulders. “You look hot in my baby brother’s T-shirt.” My eyes widened at her words, but her chuckle had my shoulders relaxing.
“We didn’t spend it together the year you ran away,” Asher quipped back.
“Oh, you did not just go there.” She turned to face him completely, taking me with her.
“I did.” Asher wrapped his arm around my waist from the other side. I was stuck between the two of them with no possible escape in sight. “What you gonna do about it?”
“You just wait, caveman.”
“Waiting…” He raised a brow at her.
“I’m telling Mom—”
“Asher!” Lola shouted as she darted inside. She threw her bag on the dining table and ran right for Asher. I tried to move aside as Belle let go of me, but I didn’t make it in time, and the way Lola wrapped her arm around me and then Asher told me she had no intention of letting me move. She mumbled something, but I couldn’t quite hear her until she pulled back with the biggest grin on her face. “You two look so...happy.” She sighed and placed her hand on her chest. “Don’t they look happy, Brody?”
“Yeah, darlin’, they do.” Brody placed some bags near the door, then moved toward us. “Our son also looks like he needs a shave.”
Belle snorted from behind us, but Asher just grinned and stroked his new beard. “I kinda dig it.”
“You have half of it missing. You can
’t even grow a proper beard.” Belle tugged on it, and Lola batted her away. “What? He can’t. Look.” She prodded his cheek, and Asher growled.
“Stop it, Belle,” Lola said, but her voice was light as if she was used to the back-and-forth between them.
Everyone started talking amongst themselves, Leo took his bag upstairs, and I tried to listen in on everyone’s conversations, but I couldn’t quite get the gist of it until Lola said, “Cade and Aria will be here later tonight.” Her attention moved to Asher. “Why don’t you go out on the lake with Dad and Ford, and we’ll head into town for food supplies?”
Asher glanced over at me from the other side of the counter, his eyes darkening, and I knew he was keeping something from me. I’d felt it the day he’d had the call with his lawyer, but something told me not to push. We’d already confided so much in each other, and I knew when he was ready to tell me whatever was going on, that he would. I had to trust in whatever he was doing.
“I dunno.” He frowned. “I think I’ll go with Elodie and—”
“She’ll be fine with us,” Belle told him. “Right, Elodie?”
“I…” I bit down on my bottom lip. I hadn’t been far away from Asher since the moment we’d left his mom’s house to come to the lake house, and the idea of us being apart had nerves flowing through me at lightning speed. But with an encouraging nod from Lola and a smile from Brody, I told him, “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
His nostrils flared, and I knew he didn’t believe me, but he nodded anyway, resigned to the fact that it wasn’t just him and me any longer. We were surrounded by his family, just when we’d wanted alone time.
ASHER
My heart raced as Dad pulled the boat loaded with roads and supplies away from the dock. I didn’t want to leave Elodie alone, whether she was with other people or not. I could still see the shadow of Elodie through the kitchen window, and the farther away we got from her, the more I regretted agreeing to go out on the boat. Would she be okay? Would she need me? What if something happened, or she remembered something from that night and—
Deep Burn: (Asher & Elodie: Easton Family Saga) (Burned Duet Book 2) Page 10
