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Ode grins on the steps, shaking her head almost in disbelief. Something odd sparkles in her eyes. Even from here, I can see it. I know when my best friend has something up her sleeve. What the hell is going through her head? She grins more, waving as we ease away down the long lane leading toward the main road.
“What was that about?” Please! Give me something. I need to know what you all discussed, or it will drive me nuts.
Asher shrugs at my question, still not bothering to look in my direction. I narrow my eyes on his guilty behavior. He’s suspect as fuck, and I can’t put my finger on what he’s up to. Maybe it’s the tequila taking over my brain, but I kinda want to torture the information out of him.
“It was nothing,” he says, giving me a tight smile. “I was just…getting some advice. That’s all.”
Yeah, because that’s not suspicious one-bit, Evil Ash. You can keep your secrets. Best believe, I’ll find out soon enough. Ode tells me everything. At least, I think she does. My eyes narrow when I pull out my phone and shoot a quick text, earning only a devil emoji in return.
Traitor.
And I tell her so.
“Right. Advice…” I trail off as we head down the main road toward Central City again. “What exactly did they say to you?”
He shakes his head again, chuckling at my curiosity that will one day get me killed.
“Can I—” Asher hesitates a moment, his lips flapping like a fish out of water. “Um, can I take you to meet someone?” I blink several times through his rushed words, leaving him breathless beside me. “I mean, if you want to. I’d really like to introduce you to someone important to me,” he murmurs with uncertainty.
“Meet someone?” I ask, raising a brow of suspicion.
“Yeah. It won’t take too long, I wanted to stop by before we left town to say hi to her. I, um, haven’t seen her since I left.” He swallows hard, with a glossy sheen taking over his hazel eyes. “I want her to meet Lyric,” he whispers, sinking his teeth into his bottom lip, stopping the sudden quivering.
“I want to meet her! Who’s her?” Lyric chirps, leaning forward, clutching the new white bunny Ode gave her as an early birthday present.
From the once dismal expression to something only the sun could conjure, Asher’s entire face lights up with a wide grin, exposing his teeth. For the first time in a long time, I see the delight written in his expression and fluid movements.
Whatever we’re about to do, lifts the weight of everything off Asher’s shoulders, making him whole.
“First, we need some flowers,” he says softly. “Then, we can meet her. I promise.”
“Flowers?” she questions, furrowing her brows. “I love flowers,” she says, cocking her head with curiosity as the car zooms down the empty road on our way back to the city that made us.
“Flowers,” he confirms, pulling off the main road and into a tiny gravel parking lot.
A few older model cars rest around us, unoccupied. One license plate reads—flowers2233, attached to a large van with the Central Florist Shop logo painted on the side with beautifully crafted purple, pink, blue, red, and white flowers decorating the entire van. Even the hubcaps have been touched by the bright and cheery colors.
My head pounds as I rest it against the window, staring at my surroundings. “A florist shop,” I surmise, glancing over at Asher, who nods.
“She loved this place.” He doesn’t take his eyes off the front of the shop, directly in front of us. “Her favorites are in there. Roses,” he says cryptically, not bothering to mention the name of the woman we’re speaking about, which, again, kills my curiosity.
I’m so damn desperate to understand what’s going on, but something about the way Asher peacefully stares at the shop eases all my wonderings.
“You can stay here if you’d like,” he murmurs, side-eying me until I nod. This seems like something he needs to do all on his own. “But can I take her to help?”
My heart explodes when he stares at me earnestly until I nod. “Of course. Ly, you want to help Daddy pick out flowers?”
“Yes!” she gasps, hurriedly undoing herself from her booster seat.
“Thank you,” he breathes, reaching over to squeeze my hand. “We’ll be right back.”
“Of course,” I murmur, gluing my eyes to his loose movements as he removes himself from the car with a smile pulling at his lips.
Who is this Asher? He’s a completely changed man from even a month ago. I’m not complaining one bit. The old Asher was a rigid asshole who put me through the damn ringer with his attitude. This is the same Asher who manipulated everyone around him to achieve his dream and leave his abusive father.
But this new Asher. Dear God… I could see myself falling, madly, deeply, head-over-heels, in love with him.
Something weird happens inside my body, like my ovaries exploding, when he gently helps her out of the car with that grin plastered on his face. Light captures his hazel eyes when he bends down, coming eye level with her. His long fingers run through her hair, tucking it behind her ears with a chuckle as they whisper things to one another.
