Ascend - A Reverse Harem Romance (Celestial Academy Book 1)

by Maya Nicole

  I had been texting Ava all evening about my confusion.

  :Aren't you sick of idiot boys? I vote for the teacher, he's a man.

  She had a point, but would that even work? He was absolutely the most attentive guy I had ever been interested in. He had even left a can of soup, box of crackers, and bottle of 7 Up outside my door. I felt only slightly guilty that my stomach ache had been a lie to be left alone.

  :I think he stole my panties.

  :So? That's hot. What do you think he did with those panties? He's probably not wearing them if that's what you're thinking. She followed her text with an eggplant emoji. Ava wasn't so innocent after all.

  A laugh bubbled out of me. :Wow. No words.

  :I need to tell you something... about John.

  My stomach dropped and I sat up. I could see she was typing out a text so I waited. My hand shook slightly.

  :That day you punched him, Officer Flores took that flier off the ground. I'm not sure what happened exactly, but him and his dad were arrested over the weekend.

  I let out a long, shaky breath of air. I knew exactly what happened. His father's drug mule business, hidden behind the veil of being a church, had imploded. Him giving me the flier like that, was a threat to me to work for them or be sacrificed. When John gave you a flier, there was no choice.

  I knew I should have never bought my weed from him in the first place, but I had needed it and it was high quality. If I had known they were more than just weed dealers, I would have found someone else.

  My phone buzzed and another text popped up with an unknown number. I opened it and a smile spread across my face.

  :Hey, this is your knight in shining armor, Ash. How is your head?

  :It's feeling better, if angels weren't such dicks it would be even better.

  :I won't disagree with that. What happened? Whose ass do I need to kick?

  I laughed, a smile plastered on my face. :Everyone’s.

  :Even Toby's?

  :What are you up to tomorrow? I'm thinking of ditching classes...

  :Work. I usually go to the pool hall or a bar after.

  I bit my lip and went to stand by the window, looking out over the darkened campus. There were several angels milling about and one on the far side, across the far field, going into the trees.

  :Let's hang out. Ditch work.

  :Can't do that but maybe when I get home. Meet at my place at 5ish?

  :Yeah, see you then.

  Now I was going to get no sleep because I was sleeping with a teacher, kissing my bully who bought me a personalized notebook and pen, and hanging out with a Fallen.

  Chapter Nine

  I must have been over-zealous about hanging out with Asher because I got to his place before he did. I sat at the top of the metal stairs that lead to his door and tried to calm the fluttering in my stomach.

  This was just two friends hanging out. Right? Not that he was a friend yet, he was Tobias's long-lost Fallen friend. Tobias was surprisingly understanding, or at least he appeared that way when he stopped by after classes to check on me. I couldn't keep this from him, especially given their history. Which was a big fat mystery to me still. There had to be more to their stories than just that they had fought and died together in WWII.

  Nothing was ever so cut and dry.

  "A woman that's on time, I like that."

  My eyes snapped to the bottom of the stairs and I stood, tugging my shirt so it fell back into place. I hadn't even heard him drive up in his truck.

  "Or I just got lucky there was no traffic." I adjusted the strap of my purse on my shoulder. God, why was I so nervous?

  He smiled and slid his sunglasses on the top of his head. His hair was pulled back into a small man bun, which worked for him and his face was cleanly shaven. I tried to hide the fact that my eyes ran down his body taking in his opened blue plaid flannel, gray shirt, blue jeans, and work boots marked with dirt. The flirty smirk on his face told me I didn't do a good job.

  "I hope you don't mind if I shower first." He brushed past me and opened his door, holding it open. "I'm assuming you want me to smell."

  I smiled at him as squeezed past him and took in the clean space. The other day it had clothes thrown over a chair and floor, and empty bottles and food containers covering the counters. It had looked like he hadn't cleaned in weeks.

  "You didn't have to clean for me."

  "Who said I cleaned for you?" He bumped my shoulder playfully as he passed and went to the kitchen. "Drink?"

  I watched as he poured himself a glass of whiskey and then went to the refrigerator. "I've got wine, beer, Diet Dr. Pepper."

  My heart fluttered. He had said Diet Dr. Pepper was crap, but he had stocked his fridge with some. "I'll take some wine." He turned and raised his eyebrows but then pulled a bottle of white wine out and grabbed a wine class out of a top cupboard. He probably didn't use the wine glasses often.

  He walked over to where I had perched on the arm of the couch and held the half-filled glass out to me. I reached out to take it, our fingers touching, but he didn't let go. His slate blue eyes, a little bluer than the other day, stared down at me, then at my lips. My legs spread slightly and he took a small step forward.

  "I should go take a shower." His voice had taken on a slightly husky quality but then he stepped back and pulled his sunglasses off the top of his head. "Make yourself at home."

  I let out a shaky breath after he slid the bathroom door shut and sat down on the couch. All I could think about was him in the shower. Did the muscles in his forearms extend under his shirt? Did he have any tattoos?

  Never before had I longed for three guys. I hated admitting to myself that there were three but I couldn't stop thinking about chocolate chip cookies. Two were probably more man than I could handle, and then there was Oliver. I didn't even know how old he was. He was around my age, but he was a Class I angel, which meant he just was.

  Tobias and I hadn't talked about us, the idea of being a couple was too new. We barely knew each other. But he hadn't said anything about me wanting to hang out with Asher. Because that's all this was, two people getting to know each other as friends.

  I sipped the wine, the faint hint of fruit staying on the back of my tongue. I didn't usually like wine, but this almost tasted like juice. I turned on the TV to some court show and only half paid attention until the bathroom door slid open.

  The soft scent of coconut and pineapple wafted into the room. Asher did not strike me as the tropical scent type, but I wasn't complaining. I turned my head and watched as he walked out with a towel around his waist, his lean, toned body on full display. I raised my wine glass to my mouth and took a prolonged sip as he walked up the two steps to the bedroom platform to a chest of drawers, his back turned towards me. He had a large tattoo of black wings covering the entirety of his back and part of his arms.

  Holy mother of all things holy.

  I turned so my leg was bent on the couch and watched as he dropped his towel and pulled a pair of blue jeans from a drawer. I didn't know if he thought I wouldn't look or if he was purposely baring his toned ass.

  My wine was gone, but my lips were still on the rim of the glass as he slid the jeans on with no underwear. Tobias wasn't too keen on wearing them either. The jeans hit just below the two dimples in his lower back.

  Quickly turning back towards the TV so I wouldn't be caught, I put my hand on my chest to try to calm myself down. The judge on TV was lecturing a couple for wasting her time with nonsense.

  I didn't look away from the TV until he walked into the kitchen, buttoning the last button on his green plaid shirt, but leaving the top two undone. He grabbed the whiskey he had left on the kitchen table and drank it all at once.

  "Ready to go? I was thinking we could check out this new Korean BBQ place a few blocks from here."

  He offered me his hand and I took it as I got up off the couch. His calloused hand was massive compared to mine and made feel... safe. I followed behind him as we made
our way down the stairs, still letting him hold my hand.

  Dinner was interesting. Not interesting in a bad way, but in a 'holy shit is he flirting with me?' and 'please, keep your leg pressed against mine' kind of way. We talked about almost everything. Food, his business, my school issues past and present, interests.

  He threaded his fingers through mine, looking over at me as we made our way back down the street towards his place. The whole area was being revitalized by people like him, turning previously abandoned buildings into lively hot spots and living spaces.

  "Are you going to come up or head back to school?" He had finally let my hand go and had his arm slung around my shoulder, he fingers playing with my hair. I was glad I had chosen at the last minute to wear it down.

  I wasn't cold but had goosebumps on my skin from his touch. Did I want to go up to his apartment with the bed and the couch all in the same room, beckoning me? Yes. Should I? The jury was still out on that one.

  I looked up at him, the white strand lights in the trees lining the street creating a soft glow on the sidewalk. His eyes sparkled and looked back at me, darkened with dilated pupils. What would it be like to have his strong, callused hands on my skin?

  His hand tightened on my shoulder and he stopped, his neck stiffening and his eyes darting to the other side of the street.

  "Stay right here." He moved me in front of a large window of a restaurant, the couple sitting on the other side glancing briefly at us before going back to their conversation. "I need to go check it out."

  Before I could protest or ask any questions, he jogged across the street, stopping in the middle on the dashed yellow lines to wait for passing vehicles. I watched the space between two buildings he had disappeared between with a frown and then made my way across the street. It led to an alley that ran behind the buildings. I strained to hear but the only sounds were the passing of cars and the noises coming from the restaurants and bars lining the street.

  On impulse, I quickly walked down the path between buildings and peeked around the corner. My eyes widened as Asher threw a man in dark clothing into another and they fell onto the ground. He walked with clenched fists and hunched shoulders to the nearest one, grabbed his head and snapped his neck. The sound caused me to gasp and cover my mouth with my hand.

  He grabbed the next man who was scrambling back like a crab and did the same thing. He piled the two limp bodies on top of a third near the wheel of the gray, windowless van blocking the alley.

  I felt as if my heart was going to jump out of my chest cavity and explode. I stepped out of the darkened walkway as Asher pulled open the back doors of the van.

  "I told you to stay across the street." He didn't look in my direction as he reached into the van and dragged two angels out, one had their wings extended and arms and legs zip tied, but the other didn't.

  I took another step forward and gasped as they stepped into the light from a lamp post. I rushed forward and knelt beside Oliver's side. He looked at me with wide eyes and tried to talk through his gag. I pulled it out.

  "They came out of nowhere!" His voice was frantic and he smacked the ground with his wings trying to sit up with his bound legs and arms.

  I looked over at Asher who was staring down at Levi with a glowing silver weapon gripped in his hand. He looked confused and then turned towards Oliver and me.

  "I take it you know these idiots?" Asher swiped the knife through Oliver's ties. "I'd never expect an archangel along with another angel to get taken by three Fallen. You should have felt them coming."

  "We... we thought it was you two. They knocked us out before we even knew what hit us," Levi said, standing and reaching over to help Oliver up. I watched with rapt attention as Oliver shook out his shining wings and they folded back and disappeared.

  Asher tucked his knife into the waist band of his pants near his hip, the faint sound of it sliding inside a sheath bringing my attention completely back to him.

  "You're fucking idiots. What do they teach you at that school of yours? Fallen angels feel different." He shook his head and then turned his body towards me, putting his hand on his hips. "And I told you to stay back. Isn't one kidnapping attempt enough? What if they-"

  "Who are you? You feel like those three... hey where did they go?" Oliver moved his head around looking for the heap of bodies that had suddenly vanished. He swatted Levi's chest with the back of his hand. "See, I told you following her was a bad idea."

  Faster than my eyes could track, Asher had Oliver pinned against the side of the van, his feet dangling a foot off the ground. His jaw was set tight. "You were following her?" His words came out clipped and menacing.

  I felt a heat bloom between my legs. Clearing my throat, I stepped forward and placed my hand on Asher's tense bicep.

  "Let him go Ash. It's okay." I didn't want Asher to kill them. I was curious as to why they had been following me though.

  I turned to Levi and raised my eyebrows. Behind me I heard Oliver grunt as he dropped to the ground.

  Levi sighed and ran a hand over his forehead. "He- we were worried. You missed class two days in a row."

  My stomach clenched and I folded my arms over my chest. "You were worried. After all the bullshit over the past week, are you really surprised?"

  "These are two of the fuckers that have been assholes? Say the word and I'll kick their asses." Asher took a step towards Levi who promptly backed up with his hands in front of him, palms out.

  "We're sorry, we..." Oliver looked over to Levi and then at me. "We were stupid."

  "That's an understatement." Asher grabbed my hand, lacing is fingers through mine.

  Oliver's eyes looked down at our interlocking fingers and then up at me. His eyebrows arched and his frown deepened.

  "You said that she was almost kidnapped?" Levi moved next to Oliver, keeping a wide distance between himself and Asher.

  "Yes, there were three of them, same type of van. Why couldn't you guys get away?" I asked.

  "Besides the demon blood on the zip ties, they spray something in your face. I think it makes you weaker. That's why I need my seraph blade to cut the ties," Asher explained while pulling his phone out of his back pocket. "I'm calling Tobias to come get you two, the demon blood that got on your skin will take a few hours to wear off. You won't be able to fly."

  "Armstrong? Please don't!" Oliver took a step forward before Levi put an arm out across his chest stopping him.

  "Don't Ash, I'll take them back." It was out of my mouth before I even knew what I was doing.

  Asher turned to look at me and I crossed my arms under my breasts. He was clenching his jaw. He put his phone back in his back pocket and muttered something unintelligible under his breath before turning and walking down the gap between the buildings we had come down.

  We walked in uncomfortable silence back to his building, the two angels following behind us. When we reached my car he looked past me at the building across the street, his jaw set tight, moving slightly.

  "I'll see you later." He leaned forward and brushed his lips against my cheek, the skin burning under the softness of his lips. He turned and headed towards the stairs leading up to his place.

  I watched as he went and blinked my eyes several times, quelling the tears that had formed. He was disappointed our night hadn't ended well. I can't say I blamed him. I had wanted to go up those stairs with him.

  We piled into my car, Levi in the back and Oliver in the front, and rode back to the school in silence.