Chapter 212

“If I’m still willing…” Asher said, eyes soft. “Cynthia. Of course I’m willing.”

“Then you’ll be the baby’s godfather?”

“Very few things would make me happier.” Cradling my face, he kissed me softly on the lips. “My family. Finally.”

Before I could feel bad for not accepting sooner, he kissed me again.

Then he dropped to his knees before me. He placed his hands on my hips and peppered kisses all around my growing belly until I giggled.

“My whole life, I’ll protect you,” he said to the baby. “I’ll keep you safe and happy. You’ll grow up strong. You’ll never know a lonely day.” He looked up at me. “And neither will your mother.”

“Asher…”

“I mean it. I will stay by your side for as long as you let me.”

I would always let him. “Stay, then. Stay with me.”

Slowly, he rose back up to his feet. “You’ve made me so happy, Cynthia. I can’t even express how much.”

He said that, but I could tell. For the first time, his smile was wide and easy. His usual façade was entirely gone, revealing the peaceful contentedness beneath.

I felt incredibly accomplished. The rest of the world would only see the emotions Asher chose to let himself show. But he was allowing me to see all of him.

To him, I was special. I was trusted. I was family.

I threw my arms around him and pressed into him again. He easily encircled me into his embrace.

We held each other for hours.

Later, as we rested side by side in bed facing each other, we gazed into each other’s eyes. I couldn’t stop staring at his obvious happiness. I tried to soak it all in, memorizing every facet. The curl of his lips, the softness in his eyes.

I wished I was a painter so I could have captured this moment with canvas and oils. I doubted would do his beauty justice.

Eventually, my eyes fell closed and I drifted off to sleep. Yet even in dreams, I remained as I was. Being with Asher was the most perfect vision I could imagine.

When I woke up, my face was pressed into the nook of Asher’s neck and shoulder. His arm was wrapped around my waist. The hand of the other was cradling mine against his chest.

Our hearts beat in sync. I still wasn’t sure if this was a symptom of our mating bond, or merely a coincidence. It felt too real to be an accident though, like I could feel his heart beating inside my chest alongside my own.

It was so… peaceful. Even with everything we’ve faced and every threat made against us, when we were like this, nothing else mattered.

I could have stayed in that moment forever.

Asher lifted his hand and traced the bruises on my neck. His touch was tender, reverent. I knew the marks bothered him.

“I’m okay,” I promised. “It barely hurts at all.”

“He got too close,” Asher said. “I could have lost you. I should have been faster on the stairs.”

“You made it in time, Asher. I’m here because of you.”

He rolled us over, so that my back was pressed into the mattress and he was leaning over me.

“That’s not good enough,” he said. “What kind of protector am I if I continue to arrive late? You were in danger, I should have been right outside the door.”

“Asher, please. Don’t do this to yourself.”

“I’ll only forgive myself when that monster is in jail. When that whole club is brought down, and you aren’t in danger anymore.”

“I’d like that too, but not just for me.”

He looked at me strangely, tilting his head.

“Ever since that helmet with the knife… Asher, you have to know that I worry for you too. If anything happened to you…”

He kissed my cheek, then my chin, then my nose. “We are alike, you and I.”

He kissed my mouth. He lingered, his lips coaxing mine open. He pressed his tongue to the dip in my bottom lip.

But then his phone rang. Pulling apart, he grunted and I groaned.

“Just pretend you can’t hear it,” I said, groggy, hiding my face in his throat.

“It could be important,” he said, though he hadn’t moved to grab it yet.

“It could be a wrong number.” I’d hoped.

“It could be Chase,” he countered. I hated that he was right.

Grumbling, I pressed myself down enough for him to stretch out to the nightstand and retrieve his phone.

“It’s Chase,” Asher said and answered the call. He put it on speaker, so I could hear too.

“It’s six in the morning,” Asher said instead of a greeting.

“Good morning to you too,” Chase said.

“Morning, Chase,” I said, mostly to let him know I was also present. “Though it is early…”

“Sorry, but you’ll like what I have to say. I wanted to call before I headed in to work.”

“Out with it then,” Asher grumbled.

“Asher.” I gave him a look that I hoped said, be polite.

He sighed. “Please.”

Chase laughed. “Oh I like her. Okay, so last night my hacker friend was able to crack into the website. Damn, is it unsettling. But between that and yesterday’s recording, I have everything I need to finish up the exposé. Now I just have to write it!”

“That’s great, Chase. Thank you.” Already, I felt lighter. This was going to work, it had to.

Asher, watching me, smiled a little. “Thank you, Chase.”

“Thank me when it’s done. Should be printed at the end of the week.”

This already felt like a victory. By the time we hung up with Chase and rolled out of bed to get ready for the day, I was absolutely buzzing.

As Asher walked me to class, hope filled my heart. Asher kissed my cheek outside of the door, and I was so happy that I easily ignored the glares of some of the girls in the classroom.

Asher squeezed my hand and then left. I walked into the classroom, more ready to face the day than I’d maybe ever been.

With the happiness came confidence and I aced the day’s quiz.

I’d been doing well in my grades lately. With the help of Asher, my friends, and my baby, I’d been learning easier.

I’d been earning straight A+’s for a while now. My grades were all the way back up from that slight slip that occurred after my trauma.

On days like this, I felt invincible. Like there was nothing I couldn’t achieve.

The girl sitting behind me, the cheerleader raised her hand. The professor called on her.

“Professor, if I witnessed something against school rules, you’d want to know about it, right?”

The professor became concerned. “Do we need to speak after class?”

“I saw someone cheating,” she said. “I think that’s pretty low. The whole class should know, shouldn’t they?”

“Let’s discuss this privately,” the professor said.

But the cheerleader wasn’t done. “It can’t wait, Professor. Cynthia should be held accountable now.”

I blinked, startled. Me?

I turned in my chair, glancing behind me. The cheerleader was sneering at me, lip curled in disgust. Though her eyes sparkled with mischief. She was enjoying calling me out.

Did she think I actually cheated or was she just trying to get me in trouble? I couldn’t be sure.

“Well, Cynthia,” the girl said. “Own up to it. Tell them how much of a cheater you are.”