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I raise an eyebrow at him, crossing my arms. "Cocky, aren't we?"
"Always."
His tone is full of suggestive promises, none of which I can act on. After all, he's my stepbrother. It's wrong. I shouldn't feel the way I do about him.
Asher stands to leave and I cringe at the vulnerable panic that suddenly overtakes me.
"Stay with me. Please. Just for tonight."
He gives a small laugh, brushing the hair from my face back behind my ear. "What kind of brother would I be if I didn't look after my little sis? I'll just go take the dirty dishes to the kitchen, and I'll come right back."
"Okay," I mumble, watching him leave.
Alarm bells ring inside my head. This is getting dangerous. Having him stay in my bed is like taunting a lion with fresh meat. But right now, I'm willing to sacrifice just a little bit.
Only a little bit, though.
Chapter eighteen
"I'veorderedthepizza,"Asher says, sitting down on the couch beside me.
It's Friday night and we're having a movie session. It's been three days since the attack and to his credit, Asher hasn't left my side. He's been caring for me, making sure I'm not overdoing it and cooking us food. It's weird and I'm not sure how I feel about it.
I'm not used to this side of Asher – the protective one. I've told him countless times that I'm fine. It's just bruises, after all. But he has insisted.
It's been nice. Weird, but nice. But I'm eerily aware that things will change again soon. The college break is nearly over, and as far as I know, Jenny and his friends are due to return tomorrow.
The game is currently on hold, and whenever I try to bring it up, he waves it off. To be fair, I'm struggling to think of more dares. I'm assuming he's the same. The shift in energy between us is making it difficult to think of new ways to torture him. Because, if I torture him too much, I worry it will come back to bite me too.
"Good. Over 20 minutes and it's free so, keep an eye on the time," I respond, sipping a cold beer. I pass one to Asher, who cracks it open. He flicks the bottle top onto the coffee table, putting his legs up.
"What movie do you want to watch?" he asks.
I point to the screen where the selector is hovering. "I'm thinking Cruella. It's supposed to be good. I've heard positive reviews."
Asher nods his approval. "Sounds good to me."
The pizza arrives 22 minutes later, and I hold back laughs as I hear Asher playfully arguing with the delivery driver. The driver caves in, agreeing to waive the fee. I snort when I hear the driver yelp his thanks before Asher stalks back into the room carrying the pizza.
"What was that about?" I ask, eyeing off the box.
Asher puts it on the coffee table, flipping open the lid. We both take a deep breath, groaning at the delicious smell.
"Pizza is free but I tipped him double the cost anyway, just for him. The little guys deserve more than the companies. They get paid shit as it is."
"That was nice of you," I say, reaching for a piece of pizza.
We start the movie, a comfortable silence taking over as we watch with our pizza and beer. Emma Stone is a gorgeous woman and the movie does not disappoint. I'm almost sad when it finishes, even though I'm starting to get tired.
As I flick the television off, I rotate my body so I'm facing Asher.
"So, Jenny comes home tomorrow. You must be excited," I state earnestly.
Asher shrugs, but nods. "Yeah, I guess. She's been texting and checking in. I think she's obviously pissed at me for bailing. But, I did manage to fix her mom's car, so there's that."
I beam at him proudly. "Really? Mrs. Anderson must have been stoked. She was so worried about it."
"She was definitely happy to get out of the house and not have to chase the mechanic."
