A muffled voice broke through the noise. “Lennon?”
Jostled out of a daze, I connected my eyes with his baby blues. My God, they were crystal clear, like the blue in the ocean waves, a peaceful truce.
“Yes. Sorry,” I said, stumbling over the words. “Which one did you want to do first?”
Asher eyed me, a flicker of confusion passing over his face. “Let’s do something reckless,” he suggested. “I’m already on a roll with this one.”
There was something impetuous in the way he said it, as if Asher Graves was drifting down a path of destruction. I wasn’t so sure I was the best partner for him, because let’s face it: that was my entire goal.
I nodded and dropped my gaze to the list. Asher leaned in and whispered, “I guess some of them won’t be doable, though.”
Concerned that he was giving up even before the assignment had begun, I shot him a glare and snapped, “We can get a little creative, don’t you think?”
He was fed up with me—I knew it. He looked up through his lashes, fire flashing in his icy-blue eyes. “How do you suppose we float in the fucking Dead Sea, then?”
I was momentarily lost for words. I hadn’t even pushed him, and he’d already snapped. I hadn’t thought he had it in him. Well, fuck him. It was on. We were completing this fucking taskwhether he liked it or not, and I didn’t give a shit how we did it, as long as we did.
“Listen, I don’t care if we hop into a pool labelled the Dead Fucking Sea—we’re going to complete this fucking assignment one way or another.” I took the pen I’d grabbed from the table, wrote down my cell phone number, crumbled the paper, and tossed it in Asher’s direction. “If you change your fucking attitude and decide you want to complete this with me, you can reach me here, asshole.”
Asher
Iwoke up the next day with my entire body still sore and my mind heavy with fog. I hadn’t slept much the night before, frustration running rampant throughout my body. I needed to calm down. Letting it get to me was doing me no favours…she was just so infuriating.
I rolled over in bed and reached for the drawer in my nightstand where I kept Lennon’s number. The crinkled paper that I gave my very best attempt to flatten sat on top of the sheet that held our list. In a fit of fury over something I still couldn’t name, she’d stormed off, tossing me her number along with the list. I’d picked them up, watching her bleach blonde locks disappear as she left the room.
I ran my thumb over the number in my hands, conflicted. I didn’t know why it felt so hard to text her. It was the same feeling I used to get when I was getting ready to text a girl I was interested in for the first time, like I was asking them out on a date. Lennon wasn’t that. She wasn’t the kind of girl you ask out on a date.
Nor did I want to…
She was the girl you proceeded with caution with. The one you had to be certain about. The one you couldn’t afford to mess with.
After typing her number into my phone, my cursor hovered in an empty text box, uncertain of how to begin. Did I saygood morning? Thank her for leaving me high and dry yesterday? Do I just call her?
It was becoming a bigger thing than it needed to be.
Asher:Good morning
Several moments passed as three little bubbles floated across my screen off and on. What the hell could possibly be up her ass already today?
Lennon:Who is this?
The palm of my hand collided with my forehead. Of course she didn’t know who the fuck it was—I hadn’t offered up my number yesterday after she’d stormed off and thrown hers at me. I was an idiot for letting her get to me.
Asher:It’s your favourite bucket list partner.
I smirked like an idiot as I sent the text, already picturing her rolling those deep-green eyes. I’d never met anyone with eyes like Lennon’s—they held a world of untold stories. I was probably annoying her already. It felt confirmed while I watched those bubbles dance along my screen for the next three minutes.
Lennon:How do you know you’re the only one I have a bucket list with?
Oh, she wanted to play games this morning. Lennon was unpredictable, always keeping me on my toes.
Asher:She’s got jokes this early in the morning.
Lennon:You woke me up, dick. What do you want?
I didn’t know why I was enjoying this so much, but it was giving me life, feeding the fire in my chest. I’d already forgotten about the pains my body was carrying. She was dangling a carrot on a string in front of me, and I was more than willing to chase it.
Asher:I’m not so bad to wake up to.
