by Lyra Winters
He averted his eyes to the wall and nodded in response.
The air seemed tense, and Mags had her fists clenched. “Gerald, stop stealing our best friend.”
He rolled his eyes. “She’s my girlfriend. That goes above friends, Magnolia.”
Luca put a hand on her shoulder. “Nah, man. You should still give your girl time with her friends.”
Gerald shrugged, not adding any more to the conversation.
“Want some wings?”
Gerald shook his head while Eve nodded. “Yes, please.” She grabbed a plate and helped herself.
Luca got up, went to the fridge, and grabbed a beer before taking a swig. Mags followed him, stole his beer and took a drink. He smirked at her.
“Shit,” Mags said as she turned to me. “Did Preston get ahold of you a couple of days ago?”
I nodded. “Unfortunately, yes.”
“Fucker called her like six times.” Asher wrapped a protective arm around my waist.
“Get this.” She hands the bottle back to Luca. “He called me trying to reach you. He knows how much I hate him!”
Luca shook his head. “That man is a piece of shit.”
“He’s also powerful. Watch what you say about someone like that,” Gerald spoke up.
“Excuse me, but do you even know Preston?” Mags crossed her arms.
He shrugged. “I talked to him once at a cafe. Dude seemed nice enough.”
“Yeah, well, dude cheated on me through our whole relationship.” I scrunched up my nose.
He gave me a blank stare, almost as if he didn’t believe me.
Eve swatted his arm. “Preston is not a nice guy.”
He turned to her. “So, even my girlfriend isn’t seeing things from a different perspective. I’m disappointed.”
She walked away, grabbed a glass and poured herself some wine before she downed the contents of the glass completely. The room fell silent. Not even Luca made a stray remark.
Evelyn was never a drinker, for as long as I’d known her. Mags and I made eye contact. She was as worried about her as I was.
“Let’s play a game,” Asher said. I could tell he was trying to clear the tension in the room.
“What’d you have in mind?” Luca grinned.
Mags raised her hand with a bounce. “I know! Let’s pull out the liquor and play Never Have I Ever!”
I giggled. “No offense, but you always lose. You haven’t not done much!”
She grabbed her hair tie, and pulled it out. That allowed her hair to tumble down. Luca was staring at her with a certain look in his eyes. “I’m game,” he said, with his gaze focused on Mags.
Asher and Luca pulled out all the alcohol they could find, and we started playing. Eve stayed silent, with her eyes downcast. Gerald looked miserable. He had his arms crossed and refused to look at anyone. I hated their dynamic. Mags was right to be worried from the start.
Later, Mags had already downed eight shots. Luca and Asher had only downed four, and I downed one. Gerald and Eve had none.
“I have one!” Luca smirked at Mags. “Never have I ever slept with my cousin’s best friend.” He kept eye contact with Mags as he took his shot.
My mouth fell open. “No fucking way! You two slept together?”
Mags’ face was as red as could be. “Not cool, Luca.”
“When?”
Luca coughed. “Aren’t you forgetting to drink?”
I grabbed the shot glass and tossed it back. The alcohol burned my throat on the way down.
“Seriously though, when?” Asher asked.
Mags grumbled. “The same night you guys slept together the first time.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked them both.
They shrugged, avoiding eye contact with each other.
“I could’ve guessed.” Eve pushed her glasses up. “Mags always got especially giddy around Luca.”
Luca smirked at her. “Giddy, you say?”
“Eve! Don’t tell him that!” She hid her face with her hands.
Gerald stood abruptly. “We have to go,” he told Eve, whose smile faltered.
“But why?”
“Because we have to, Evelyn,” he raised his voice.
“Woah, don’t talk to her like that.” I frowned.
Mags shook her head. “You can’t speak to a woman like that!”
Eve’s mouth clamped shut, and she shook her head furiously. “It’s fine. Thanks, but we are fine.”
Gerald glared at us before he stalked out of the house with the front door wide open.
Mags grabbed Eve’s arm. “You don’t have to leave with him.”
Asher looked toward the door. “Seriously, no man should treat you the way he does.”
“You can stay here tonight.” I walked over to her.
She shook her head and patted Mags’ hand. “It’s fine. He just got in a bad mood. He doesn’t enjoy drinking.”
Mags snorted. “Bullshit. That man drinks like a brute.”
Eve bit her lip and looked to the side.
“I’m honestly worried about you leaving with him,” I said as he honked the car horn.
“I’ll text you both when we get home. I’m sorry.” She pivoted on her heel, scampered out of the house and shut the door behind her.
Nobody spoke at first. The shock of seeing Eve in that situation didn’t sit well with us.
“I hate him,” Mags seethed.
Luca wrapped an arm around her. “I can see why.”
“What do we do? Eve is too sweet.” I felt tears prick my eyes.
Asher pulled me into a hug. “Be there for her. Keep reaching out. She won’t leave because she’s told to. She needs to realize it herself.”
The night ended on a sour note. Mags and Luca stayed the night, and Asher and I went to our room. Eve stayed on my mind a lot that night. I hated how little Preston made me feel when he’d yell, but the way Eve acted with Gerald scared me. I prayed for answers that night. I had to help her get away from him.
Friday flew by. I thanked our reading test for that, because test days were always easy. The students asked about Rosie and when she would come back, but I didn't have an answer for them. At the end of the day, Asher and I reported to Mr. Higgins’s office again for yet another meeting regarding Rosie. I had hoped and prayed for good news, but the sinking feeling in my gut told me to expect the worst.
Officer Richards and Mr. Higgins were already waiting for us. We sat in those stupid chairs that hurt my butt, and Officer Richards got straight to the point.
“We’re going to need you both to testify. The uncle is denying everything. The family is having a difficult time with this but we have high hopes everything will work out. We will have you meet with a lawyer that works with the department the day you go to testify.”
My heart sank in my chest. “That poor family. I can’t imagine.”
Higgins cleared his throat. “Faith, I was able to find out who took his case.”
My eyes snapped to his. “Tell me it wasn’t my father.”
He shook his head. “It’s Preston Hill.”
My brain stuttered for a split second and my eyes took in more sunlight from the bay window than before. I hesitated while my thoughts caught up. It seemed like his name had knocked every wisp of air from my lungs, and I sat there struggling to function.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Asher whooshed out in one breath.
“Unfortunately no, we understand if you don’t want to testify with this circumstance.” Officer Richards stared at me.
“No, I’ll still help Rosie.” My throat became dry and I cleared it. “I think I need to go drink some water.” I stood up.
“I appreciate your willingness to help the girl. Both of you,” Officer Richards said. “Please, feel free to go home.”
Asher stood up and led me out of the office with his hand on the small of my back. I eased at his touch. “Want to head to The Coffee Shop?” he asked.
I at
tempted to calm my rapid shallow breathing with a deep breath. “Yes. I need something to drink.”
Once we had our drinks and food, we sat in the booth near the door. My mind was reeling from the fact that Preston had accepted this work. How could anyone do that?
Asher tilted his head and leaned forward, his breath warm on my face. “You okay up there?”
A warmth seared through my cheeks. I could never get used to his closeness. Every time he got close, it’s like he lit up every nerve on my body like a Christmas tree. I nodded with a small smile. “I’m fine.”
The door dinged and I looked up. Preston had just strolled in like he owned the place. Burning anger slithered through my body like poison, demanding to be released in the form of violence. The rage consumed me, engulfing my moralities.
I made my way over to him before I had a chance to think about what I would do. Asher followed behind me.
“I knew you were a piece of shit, but this is low even for you!” My hands moved as I spoke. “How could you defend a child rapist?”
He hushed me, grabbed my forearm and moved us to the side of the door. “You knew I took on these kinds of cases.”
“Only when they were accused and evidence pointed toward them being innocent!”
Asher moved Preston’s hand off me and tucked me into his side.
Preston glared at Asher before narrowing his eyes down at me. “It’s about the money. Were you really that naive that you believed that lie I told you?”
I blew out another ragged breath. “Preston, come on. This is a ten-year-old little girl. Why are you helping make this harder on her?”
His smoldering stare held onto me that kept me frozen in front of him, despite Asher’s protective stance. “Your compassion really used to turn me on. I loved how weak you were.”
“She is not weak.” Asher tightened his hold on me.
My body stiffened. “You’re a fucking sicko. What kind of shitty person are you?”
He sighed, staring at Asher. “You’ve turned her pretty little mouth dirty. You should be ashamed.”
“You know what?” I snapped, gripping the end of Asher’s shirt. “You’re right. Asher has turned me into a dirty little thing. Something you were never capable of.”
His eyes flashed as his signature smirk appeared again. “We could always work things out, we used to be good together.”
“I’ll never be with a monster like you.”
He feigned a pout. “Baby, you were with this monster all along. You used to enjoy it.”
That anger boiled up once again and I opened my mouth to retort back but Asher shook his head. “He’s not worth it, Faith. Let’s go home.”
I clamped my mouth down and nodded. We turned toward the door and Preston made one last remark. “Have fun with my sloppy seconds, asshole!”
Asher stormed toward him and stopped just inches away. “I had her first. Hell, I was her first. And now, I’ll be her last. Stay the hell away from her.”
I grabbed Asher’s hand and hauled him away from Preston. We got in the truck and I mulled over the encounter with my psychopath of an ex.
“You didn’t have to go confront him, you know?” His hand rested on my thigh.
I licked my lips. “I know, but I was so angry. I don’t get how anyone could help someone like that.”
“I understand. I’m angry too but the best thing we can do is be there for Rosie.”
“You’re right. Thanks for helping me level out.” I squeezed his hand.
“We’re going to get through this case. I have a good feeling about this.”
Deep down, I knew he was right. There was no way we would lose. Rosie had concrete evidence, I just hoped Rosie would have an unbiased judge.
A pair of warm lips trailed down my collar bone, which brought me out of a peaceful sleep. Sunlight poured into the room, bathing us in the golden rays. Asher’s hands brushed against my exposed torso, and he murmured under his breath about the softness of my skin. My eyelids fluttered open, and we locked eyes for just a moment before he tugged my panties off. He kissed a path from my breasts downward, which left me utterly breathless. He was in no rush and took his time as he explored my body. His hands caressed my hips which sent tingles roaring through me. My back arched, and I knew where his fingers would soon reach. The anticipation grew with every minute that passed. My head leaned back against the pillow as he did, and a soft moan escaped my lips.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered, as he stuck one finger in and began to move in and out.
I panted. “Good morning.”
Suddenly, he stopped moving. He pulled his finger out and started another trail of kisses that moved from my stomach up to my breasts, with his hands tickling my sides as they glided up. He took his time as he licked and sucked on my nipples, and watched my body convulse under him.
One more touch and it was over. I felt electricity coursing through my skin, hormones shut off my brain and the buildup was too much to handle. I grabbed his face and pulled his lips to mine. Every kiss had a raw intensity - breaths rapid, heart rates increased, our tongues entwined, and then he pushed inside of me. I moaned as he sent waves of pleasure with every thrust. I couldn’t seem to get enough of him. He was my everything and the way he made my body his, was invigorating.
Asher was electric. Whenever he touched my skin, tingles of electricity exploded in a frenzy of static. It’d been that way since our first time. We moved in an intoxicating rhythm. I breathed heavily as I chased my climax. Within a split second, I was writhing beneath him. Time was forgotten. I craved the immense magnetic field between us. His body stiffened as he released a sexy moan into my ear, like a song made just for me.
He collapsed in a heap beside me. My body reeled from the explosive sex. It was always magical to be with Asher, and I was in Heaven thinking about this being the rest of my life.
“Best morning wake up call, ever.” I breathed, as I turned my head and smiled at him.
His bicep tensed as he raked a hand through his unruly morning hair. It was sexy as hell. “I have a date planned for us today and seeing you with only your panties on this morning drove me crazy.”
I giggled and buried my face in the pillow. “You’re the best.”
After a few minutes of catching our breath, we took a shower and got things ready to leave the house. He refused to tell me where we were going.
Two hours later, we pulled into a parking lot of a hiking area in the mountains. My mouth dropped as I looked to Asher.
“You used to love coming here with Luca and me.” He grinned. “Surprised?”
I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, I love nature walks.”
He winked before he hopped out of his truck. “You will definitely love this one. I have a surprise for you once we reach our destination.”
I raised my eyebrows, jumped out of the truck and hoisted the backpack up. “Well, let’s go then!” I started walking toward the entrance of the trails with him behind me.
“Wait up,” he shouted, as he jogged up beside me. “I know you’re eager, but you don’t know which path we’re taking. You need me for that.”
I laughed and intertwined our fingers. “Let’s hold hands so we don’t lose each other, then.”
My lungs burst with fresh air, and I welcomed the heat of the sunlight that cascaded down on us. It took us about an hour to get to the special trail that supposedly leads us to our surprise destination.
He smirked and took the bottom of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead. My mouth watered when I glanced at the abs underneath. I could honestly go for round two with him right now. “You ready?”
Our footfalls synced with our heartbeats as we began down the special trail. The mountain path widened where the soil was soft and became narrow in the rocky passes. Moss covered most of the rock on the sides of the path. There was no trace of civilization in the wilderness apart from the worn-out path.
As we drew closer, a ste
ady rushing sound had increased until a beautiful waterfall came into view. The roar of the water was breathtaking, and I turned to look at Asher with a huge smile.
“Thank you for bringing me.”
He had been staring at me, his smile widened to show his perfect white teeth. “I know how much you love nature.”
“How’d I get so lucky?” I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into a drawn-out kiss.
I broke our kiss and pulled the phone out of my backpack. “I have to take some photos. My class has been reading non-fiction books about habitats. They’d love to see this.” I unlocked my phone, brought up the camera and took a few photos.
He stole my phone, switched it to face view and stood where the waterfall was behind us. “Let’s take a picture together.”
I laughed as he grabbed me and smooshed our faces together. We were both smiling hard. I couldn’t help but swoon when he did stuff like this. I loved documenting our time together.
He placed the phone back in my bag, zipped it up and handed it back to me. “Now we have an official couple photo.”
I slung it on and shook my head. “You’re adorable.” I walked further down the trail.
“Wait…” He cupped my face. “Don’t walk away, not yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m in love with you and I have been for years.” His hazel eyes were hypnotizing me. I could never tire of hearing his sweet words.
I put my hands over his. “I love you, Asher.”
He leaned in, pressed his lips to mine, and the world melted away. The kiss was slow, soft and achingly sweet. The kiss proved his words of love. His hand rested below my ear, as his thumb caressed my cheek. Our breaths mingled. I ran my fingers across his back, pulled him closer until there was no space left between us and I felt the beating of his heart against my chest.
“I’m sorry,” he said, as he rested his forehead on mine.
“What on earth are you sorry for?”
“Not reaching out to you seven years ago.”
I smiled. “We’ll make up for the lost time.”
“What’s going on with the Jenkins girl?” Linda stopped me in the hallway and stared passively at her french-tip nails. Students maneuvered around us, heading to their buses or to pick up.
