“Don’t be stupid.” She chortled, the sound so weird coming from her lips. “You can’t do that.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “We’re going home after this holiday, and you’re gonna open back up.” My lips quirked at the corner, and I leaned back in my chair. I liked bossy Elodie. “It doesn’t matter whether you work from there or anywhere else, the memories will always be in here.” She tapped the side of her head. “I refuse to let you uproot what you’ve spent so much time building.”
“It doesn’t bother me—”
“It bothers me.” Her chest moved rapidly. “He’s not going to win. I refuse to let him win.” She stared me down, not giving even an inch of leeway. “I’m done with him winning.”
“Yeah, girl!” Belle shouted, throwing her hand up in the air. “You tell him.”
“Belle,” Mom ground out.
“What?” Belle shrugged. “She’s right. She can’t keep letting him win. I spent years afraid of everything after this.” She pointed at the scar on her neck, and Elodie turned to face her. “Every time I went out of the house, I wondered if something would happen. I’d constantly be looking over my shoulder.” She let out a breath, and I hated seeing the pain on my sister’s face. “I wouldn’t go out. I stayed inside all day, hiding away from the world. But it didn’t do me any good.” She smiled at Elodie, the kind of smile that told her she understood how she was feeling. “The moment you tell him he’s not going to win is when you get your control back.”
“I want that,” Elodie whispered, and it was as if no one else was in the room. “I don’t want to feel…” She pulled in a breath and held it for several seconds, but it did nothing to keep the tear rolling down her cheek at bay. “Trapped. I want to be free. Free from my past.”
“You can do it,” Dad said, his voice soft. “This family has been through so much sadness and look at all of us.” He stood and moved toward her. “And you’re part of this family now, Elodie.” He smiled down at her, the same smile he used on Belle and Aria. “We’ve got your back. Always.”
Elodie hiccupped a sob, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t sit here and watch her fall apart. She needed more time to heal. I pushed my chair back and stood, prepared to catch her when she fell.
“You do?”
“We do,” Dad answered her, and without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest. “You’re never alone. Not now. Not with us.”
Elodie grabbed on to the front of his T-shirt as Mom stood, and it was only seconds until she was joining in on the hug as well, whispering something in her ear.
“Well, shit.” Ford leaned back in his seat. “I feel like crying now too.”
Belle snorted, but as I turned to face her, tears streamed down her cheeks. “This is so sad and happy all at the same time.” She pushed her chair back and ran over to them. “I want in on this hug too.” She wrapped her arms around Mom and Elodie, and they parted a little to let her in.
“Me too!” Leo shouted and scampered out of his seat.
Slowly, everyone moved from their seats and joined them. But I stayed standing there, wondering how I’d managed to be born into a family like this one. They loved hard, supported the people who they cared about, and fought for what was right.
I took a step toward them as they started to part, and by the time I made it to them, Elodie was standing in the middle, wiping the tears from her face. “Elodie,” I whispered, and it was all she needed to dart toward me and wrap her arms around my waist. I held her tight, not willing to let go.
“I think we should go home,” she murmured into my chest.
I blew out a breath, knowing deep down it was the best thing for her now. She’d had time away, she’d started to heal, but what she needed were people around her who would have her back. She needed the support of a family—our family. “I think we should too.” I pulled back a little and placed my hands on the sides of her face. “When you say home, what do you—”
“Your home.” Her lips pulled up on one side in a small smile. “Our home.”
“So, you’ll move in?” I asked, my eyes wide. I was sure she was going to say no. She was fiercely independent, and that was just one of the reasons I loved her so much.
“I will.” She lifted up onto her tiptoes, then placed a kiss on my cheek.
“I’m so proud of you.” My forehead pressed against hers. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she choked out. “So much.”
I’d never get tired of hearing those words from her.
Chapter Twenty-Six
ELODIE
“You sure about this?” Asher asked, standing at the trunk of his car. His hands were pushed into the front pockets of his jeans, his gaze firmly focused on me. “We can stay longer if you need to.”
“I’m sure,” I told him, my voice firmer than it had been for the last few weeks. We’d been at the lake house for nearly a month, and it was time we went home. Time we got back to normal—our new normal anyway. I couldn’t deny I was nervous to leave the safety this place held, but I also couldn’t keep hiding. Glancing around, I took one final look at the front of the lake house, knowing we’d come back. It held a special place in my heart, just like it did for everyone else in the family.
The gravel in the driveway crunched under Asher’s boots as he stepped toward me, and I tilted my head back to stare at his face. He’d shaved this morning, only leaving stubble behind, and although I was missing the beard he’d started to grow, I preferred him like this. “Ready, then?”
Inhaling a breath, I smiled, a real smile, not the forced ones I’d used so many times before. “I’m ready.” He placed a kiss on the top of my head, and we stood there, only the sounds of chirping birds and the wind flowing through the trees surrounding us. It was peaceful here; a heaven I hadn’t known existed. But all that would be over in the matter of hours. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell Asher I’d changed my mind, but he pulled away before I got the chance to say anything.
He opened up the passenger door for me, and within a couple of minutes, we were out on the road, heading home. Everyone else had left yesterday, but we’d decided to stay an extra night. We’d stayed out near the lake until the sun started to come up, then napped for a few hours before we packed our things, which was why the car lulled me to sleep as we drove through the tree-lined roads.
I wished I’d been awake for most of the ride home, but I knew if I had been, I would have only stressed about how close we were to all the bad memories. My nerves would have gotten the better of me, and I would have told Asher to turn back. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t stay away forever. I had to go back. I had to finish my school year out. I had to face everything—both the good and the bad.
“Elodie?” A hand grasped my shoulder softly. “Wake up. We’re here.”
I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes, seeing Asher’s house right in front of me. The last time I’d been here was after he’d found me sleeping in my car and— “Why is my car here?” I asked, confused. It had been outside the tattoo shop and…I shook my head. I couldn’t think about that place yet. I’d been brave when I’d talked about it at the lake house, but now it was even more real. We were back in town. We were home. We were close to Knox.
“Dad brought it here for you.” Asher’s hand whispered down my arm and to my hand. “Look at me.” I couldn’t stop staring at my car. I hadn’t driven it since before that night. I hadn’t—
“Elodie.”
I whipped my head around to face Asher.
“You’re okay.” He wasn’t asking, he was telling me.
The prospect of getting out of this car petrified me. What if Knox knew I was back here? What if he was waiting to strike again? My heart pounded in my chest, and my breaths quickened. He got me last time, so would he be able to get me again? Asher’s hand squeezing mine pulled me from my thoughts, and I stared at him, watching his dark-brown eyes to keep me centered.
“I’m okay,�
� I repeated. If I told myself it enough, maybe it would come true. “I don’t think I can do this,” I admitted, my voice a low murmur.
“Sweetheart.” Asher’s hand moved to my face, and his thumb swiped over my cheek. “You can do this.”
I didn’t move my gaze off his, soaking in all of his strength and using it to help me keep going. I wasn’t sure what I would have done without Asher by my side. He’d been my rock through everything, and the idea of him leaving me here alone scared the hell out of me, but I knew it would happen. We’d come home to get back to normal, and normal was him going to work and me going to school. But I couldn’t do it yet. I couldn’t face the same halls Knox walked down. But what I could do was get out of this car and walk into Asher’s house.
I shoved all of my fears down and slowly reached for the door handle. At my movement, Asher got out of his side of the car and darted around the front to me. He pulled the door open the rest of the way and held his hand out to me. I took it without a second thought, not moving my attention off him as we walked up the side of the driveway and to his front door.
I watched each of his movements as he unlocked the door, stepped inside with my hand still encased in his, and switched the hallway light on. I followed him inside, not letting go as he locked the door behind us, then led us into the living room. My nerves slowly dissipated now that we were back inside, and once Asher closed the blinds to the window, which overlooked the driveway, I was even more relaxed.
I’d done it. I’d gotten out of the car, and nothing had happened to me. It was the second big step I’d taken today.
“You hungry?” he asked, standing in the middle of the living room with my hand still attached to his. I didn’t want to let it go, but I knew I had to at some stage.
“I could eat,” I whispered, slowly letting my palm graze over his. My stomach dipped as if I’d been on a roller coaster, but after a couple of seconds, I was still standing, which was a positive in my eyes.
“Chinese?” Asher asked, and I nodded. “Okay. I’ll order the food. You want to go take a shower or something?” He stepped into the kitchen and pulled a drawer open. “You can have my room, and I’ll take the sofa.” I knew I should have told him he didn’t have to sleep on the sofa, but I wasn’t ready to be in the same bed as him—not yet. The first night he’d been let out of jail was a blur, but each night after that, he’d slept beside me in the chair, making sure I felt safe. I appreciated it more than I could vocalize. It had taken weeks for Asher to touch me and not flinch, and although the nightmares were waning, I didn’t have the strength to sleep next to him. It would come, I knew it would, just…not yet.
“I…” I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, so I nodded and took a step toward the door. At the last second, I turned. “Asher?”
“Hmm?”
I waited until he looked up at me, his dark eyes swirling with something I couldn’t quite place. “Thank you.”
He smiled, the kind of smile he only ever gave me. The same smile that had butterflies swarming in my stomach. “You never have to thank me, sweetheart.”
“I know, but…” I shuffled on the spot and gripped my hands in front of me. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.” I swallowed, trying to keep my emotions at bay, but it was getting harder to put a front on with Asher because he saw right through it.
His eyes darkened as he stood, his muscles tensing. “You’re stronger than you think you are, Elodie.” He pushed his hand through his hair, and I frowned. He only ever did that when he was stressed out. “You can do anything you put your mind to. Remember that.”
I nodded, not sure if I believed the words he said, but there was something different about the way he said them. Something I couldn’t put my finger on. “I’m not sure I can,” I whispered, confessing my fears to him. “But thank you.” I didn’t move from my spot for several seconds. I stood there, staring at him, wondering what was bothering him. Asher may have been able to see through the cracks in my facade, but I could also see through his. “I’m gonna go get in the shower,” I said slowly, hesitating, hoping he’d tell me what was on his mind, but the relief flashing in his eyes had me even more on edge.
Was he hiding something? Or was I imagining things? I blew out a breath. I was probably thinking something was there when it wasn’t. My body was tired, but my brain was exhausted, so I turned around and headed up the stairs, hearing his voice order food a couple of minutes later.
Today was a fresh start. A new beginning. Yet I couldn’t quiet the small voice in the back of my head telling me I hadn’t imagined the way Asher had reacted.
ASHER
I stood in the doorway of my bedroom, watching Elodie’s chest move up and down with each of her breaths. Her eyes were closed, her face so peaceful. I’d never get tired of seeing her like that—like she didn’t have a care in the world. But I knew as soon as she woke up, all the bad things would come rushing back, and the stress on her face would be plain as day.
We’d been home a couple of days, and although I wished I could stay here with her all the time, I had to get back to the shop. It had been closed for nearly six weeks now, which meant I wasn’t getting paid, and neither were Lara and Jez. We’d come home to get back to normal, and now we had to actually do it.
But I was scared. Scared she’d be lonely. Scared she wouldn’t be okay on her own. I took a breath. Maybe I could leave it another couple of days? Maybe I could—
“You just gonna stand there all day staring at me or actually go to the shop?”
My heart raced in my chest, and I darted my gaze back to her face. I hadn’t realized she was awake, but I should have known better. She was hyperaware of everything around her, even during sleep. “Sorry.” I cleared my throat and stepped inside. “I was just thinking I could leave going back to the shop for another few days and—”
“Nope.” She shook her head and sat up in the middle of the bed. “You need to go back, Asher.” Her shoulders tensed, her body telling a different story. “I’ll be fine here.” She shrugged, acting like it was no big deal, and rubbed her eyes. “Your mom said she’s gonna come over anyway.”
“She is?” It was the first I’d heard of it.
“Yeah.” Elodie pushed the comforter aside and stood. “She went to my school yesterday, so she’s bringing over more work for me today.” She paused, her gaze flitting away from mine for a second, then coming back. “They said I don’t have to start back until after Christmas. But I don’t want to fall behind.”
“Right.” I hesitated, moving forward. “But I could stay until she gets here—”
“Go.” She smiled and closed the distance between us. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”
My stomach swirled with nerves. The last time I’d left her alone—
No, I couldn’t think about it. I couldn’t keep living in the past. She wasn’t scared to be here without me, so I shouldn’t have been either, right?
“Okay, but call me if you need anything.” I placed my palm on the side of her face, relishing in her soft skin. “And I mean anything, Elodie.”
“I will.” She lifted up on her tiptoes, and I bent at the knees to meet her halfway. Our lips touched, fire igniting between us, but it was over all too soon. It was a see-you-later kiss. The kind of kiss I’d never thought I’d have but relished in.
“I’ll call you,” I told her, stepping away from her but not turning my body. I wanted to take in the sight of her, standing in the middle of my bedroom with one of my T-shirts on and her hair a mess. She looked every bit as beautiful as she did when her hair was brushed, and she was in her own clothes.
“Have a good day,” she whispered, her chest heaving.
“You too.” I was prolonging it, not wanting to leave, but at this stage, I wasn’t sure whether it was because I didn’t want to leave her here alone until my mom turned up, or if it was because I didn’t want to be away from her. Maybe it was both. “I’ll see you later.”
I didn’t wa
it another second as I spun around, walked down the stairs, then left the house. I made sure to lock the front door behind me, and I stared up at my bedroom window as I pulled my car door open. The blinds parted a little, and I saw her face. I lifted my hand in a wave, waited for her to wave back, then pushed inside my car.
My mind was on overdrive as I backed out of the driveway and drove to the shop. I’d told Jez, Lara, and Mav to meet me there, so I really didn’t have a choice but to go in today. But as I didn’t have any clients booked in, maybe I could finish early. Fuck. I was already regretting leaving her. Anything could happen while I was gone, just like it had last time.
I pulled up in front of the shop, seeing movement inside, and debated turning around. It was too soon. I’d tried to run before I could walk and—
My cell buzzed in my pocket, and I yanked it out, seeing a message from my mom.
Mom: I’m at your house with Elodie. Stop worrying.
Asher: How did you know I was worrying?
Mom: Because you take after your dad. I’ll stay here until you get home. Just concentrate on what you need to do today. Okay?
I blew out a breath. She was right. I needed to concentrate on the shop. I needed to contact all of my clients and rearrange the appointments I’d canceled. More importantly, I needed to give Elodie some space. I couldn’t be with her every second of the day, no matter how much I wished I could. She had to regain her freedom, even if it was only through baby steps. And this was the first step since we’d been back.
Asher: Call me if you need anything.
I pushed my cell back into the front pocket of my jeans, got out of my car, then walked into the shop. The door had been replaced, and the inside had been put back to how it was. It was almost exactly the same, apart from a few new shelves scattered around that my dad had put up because the old ones had been broken.
Burned Duet: Asher & Elodie: Fast Burn & Deep Burn (Easton Family Duet Boxsets Book 4) Page 34
