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“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.
