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Her head dropped as she fought tears, mortified that she was crying in front of Asher over a stupid date. The next second, she found herself wrapped in his arms, her tears drying on his white shirt. Her head went to his chest as one hand rubbed her back comfortingly.
“Careful, I’ll end up getting makeup on your shirt.”
His arms tightened perceptibly. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got another one upstairs. If you need to cry, you go ahead and cry. I’m here for you.”
Closing her eyes tightly, Willow shook her head against his chest. “If I’d just given you two minutes to talk, to explain, then I never would have—”
“Try not to worry about it. I probably should have tried harder, but you seemed so excited, and the last thing I wanted was for you to get upset all over again. Although I’m glad that Ben seems to be a nice guy, at least.”
Letting out a broken laugh, Willow pulled herself back from Asher’s arms, tipping her head back so she could look up into his face. His expression was soft, his eyes full of a concern that she knew came from his heart.Am I ever going to find someone who’s even a little bit like Asher?“Just promise me you won’t tease me about this.”
Asher shook his head, and for a second, Willow thought he was about to grin and make some sort of stupid joke to try and make her laugh. But then his hand lifted, and his fingers brushed across her cheek, pushing away the single tear that had managed to escape.
“I promise.”
She tried to laugh, but a strangled sound came out from her throat. Her cheek was burning from where he’d brushed away her tear, and she suddenly felt a little dizzy.
I’m probably just overwhelmed with the whole thing. The date was such a disaster.
“Maybe I’ll let you joke about it in a few years’ time.”
“This isn’t your fault, Willow. Don’t you start thinking that it is.” Asher’s hands suddenly went to her arms, holding her tightly in place as he dropped his head a fraction to look deep into her eyes. “I know you. You’ll probably stay here tonight stewing about all of your bad dates and wondering what it wasyoudid that made them all turn out that way. But none of this was your fault. Neil was an arrogant schmuck who thought you’d love him just as much as he loves himself. I know Jimmy seemed great, but it turns out he likes attention more than anything else. And Ben sounds like a great guy, he’s just into something you’re not, and that’s okay. In fact,” Asher continued, smiling as his eyes lit up, “I wouldn’t even call that a bad date! I’d just call that a misunderstanding.”
All I want to do is lean into him to feel his arms around me again.
That thought sent a streak of shock straight through her, and Willow closed her eyes tightly, afraid that what she was thinking would show in her expression.
“Thanks, Asher. You always know how to make me feel better.” Aware that her smile was wobbling, she opened her eyes but looked away.
“It’s the least I can do. I’m just sorry I can’t stay for dinner.” His hands slid down her arms until they caught her fingers. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
Everything in Willow wanted to beg him to stay with her.I don’t want you to go out on your date. I want you to stay here with me.A sudden dark, desperate fear made her heart plummet, wrapping its thick tentacles around her.What if this goes really well? What if he meets the person he’s going to end up with?
“Willow?” Asher’s fingers squeezed hers, bringing her back. “Are you okay? What’s wrong? You’ve gone a little pale.”
“Nothing.” Giving herself a shake, she stepped back, ready to pull her hands out of his. “I guess I’m just worried about ending up alone.” A hard laugh broke from her lips. “Three bad dates, and I’m already panicking.
Asher’s bright grin chased away some of her fear. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, I promise you. You’ve just got to find the right person for you, and that can take time.” The very next second, Willow felt his lips brush across her forehead in a gentle kiss. Instinctively, she lifted her head and looked up into his eyes, his mouth only an inch or two away from her own.
Everything seemed to stop.
Her breathing quickened. Asher’s smile had faded, and he was staring back into her eyes as though he’d never really seen her before. His fingers were still twined with hers. Sparks clouded her vision, and in that one, hot, heavy moment, Willow realized exactly what it was she wanted.
I want to be with Asher.
Her cellphone buzzed, and she jerked in surprise, dropping her head to pull it out of her pocket. When she looked up, Asher was already gone.
“I’d better go. I don’t want to keep my date waiting.” Willow spun around, seeing him standing at the front door. Her head was spinning with mad, crazy thoughts while her heart screamed at her to stop him, to pull him back into the kitchen until she worked out what she wanted to do next. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
“We’ll have dinner tomorrow, okay?” With a wave, Asher pulled open the front door and stepped out as Willow closed her eyes. The gentle slam of the door closing behind him sent shards into her heart, and she dropped her head into her hands.
What on earth am I doing?
Lifting her head, Willow gave herself a shake, blowing out a long, calming breath.You don’t really want Asher. You’re just desperate after what happened with Ben.
Throwing a glance to the grocery bag on the counter, Willow groaned aloud. She didn’t want to eat alone.
The thought of seeing him bounding in with a huge grin on his face, ready to tell her about how great the date had gone, was more than Willow thought she could bear. Shaking her head to herself, she slammed one hand, palm down, onto the kitchen counter. The sound echoed around the room, forcing her into making a decision.
