Chapter 217

I watched Asher, fear gripping my heart. How much had he heard me say? Did he hear me say I loved him? How would he react now? Would he be repulsed?

His face was carefully neutral. He continued walking toward us and sat down in his seat beside mine.

“Asher, I…”

I knew I probably should have taken back what I said, but I couldn’t. Not even to save face. But I could still apologize if I had made him uncomfortable.

He gave me a look, and in his eyes was an unexpected softness. An unusual smile curled his lips, making him seem something between very pleased and outright smug. My heart picked up speed.

As he looked back to Chase, he threw his arm around the back of my chair. His thumb brushed against my shoulder. I leaned into the touch.

Suddenly I didn’t feel the need to apologize anymore.

For the rest of the night, he found ways to continue touching me. He bumped our knees together but did not pull away, keeping our thighs touching. Or he reached over and brushed a stray hair back from my face.

After we said goodnight to our friends, he held my hand the entire walk back to the dorm. When we were safely behind our closed door, he whispered in my ear, “I can’t wait to hold you tonight.”

We changed and brushed our teeth, and then, true to his word, the minute we were both in bed, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into the safe shell of his body.

As I drifted off to sleep that night, I felt safe and happy, surrounded by love and hope.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

I awoke to Asher’s sharp ringtone. He grumbled as he removed an arm from around my waist to reach for his phone. As soon as he accepted the call, Chase’s voice came through the speakers.

“The article is out. Have you seen it?”

Asher grunted his reply.

“Well, go get a paper!”

Asher groaned as he hung up the phone and changed into sweatpants. As I sat up in bed, he leaned down and kissed me on the nose.

“I’ll be right back.”

After he left, I changed into my day clothes and then began to clean a little. I was so nervous, I couldn’t sit still.

Then my phone rang. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

It was Aimee.

“What’s going on?”

“Have you read the article yet?” Before I could answer, she continued talking, “It really cuts deep. I wasn’t sure about Chase when we met him last night, but he’s actually a pretty good journalist.”

“Asher will be back with a newspaper soon,” I said.

“Good. You have to read this. But Cynthia, the fallout has already begun.”

“What do you mean?” I didn’t dare hope.

“The Academy already placed the Vice President on administrative leave, pending an investigation.”

I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. It wasn’t quite the same as him being arrested or fired, but it was close. This was only the beginning of the end for the Vice President. There was time for the rest.

I hung up with Aimee, and continued to wait for Asher to return. It was sure taking him a long time.

I tried not to worry. I knew Asher was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. But with everything going on –

A knock on the door roused me from my thoughts.

Odd. Asher wouldn’t have to knock, unless he forgot his keys? But that wasn’t like him. Even half-asleep as he was, he wouldn’t forget –

The knock sounded again, louder. Then a sharp thunk rattled the door.

Slowly, I walked to the door to peer through the peep hole. Yet, when I did so, no one was standing on the other side of the door.

Unnerved, I backed away into the room and sat down at the edge of the bed. I thought to call Asher, but, though he likely wouldn’t forget his keys, he had left his phone behind on the nightstand.

I worried my hands together and waited as patiently as I could. After a time, a key jiggled in the door lock. It opened.

“Cynthia? Are you alright?” Asher asked as he crossed the threshold. His eyes were wild with worry, but when he saw me, he seemed to calm.

“What happened?” I asked.

He sidestepped away from the door. A knife was stuck into the wood. Was that the noises I had heard?

Fear struck through me. What would have happened if I had opened the door?

I swallowed hard. “Joseph?”

Asher gave me a hard look, then turned and closed the door. He had a newspaper under his arm.

“Asher, was it Joseph?”

Asher walked over and sat beside me. He took both of my hands in his.

“When I was out, I saw policemen. They had just gone up to Joseph’s room. They’re searching for him.”

“Searching for him? They haven’t found him?”

Asher shook his head. “He’s disappeared. His reputation is in shatters. He’s lost his backer, with the Vice President under investigation. He has nothing to lose. And no one knows where he is.”

I trembled so hard that he abandoned holding my hands to wrap me in his embrace instead.

“He won’t hurt you,” Asher whispered. “I will never give him the chance.”

I wanted to believe him. I knew he meant the words. But he hadn’t been here when Joseph stuck that knife in the door. If I had opened it, he might have stuck it in me instead.

When Lamar appeared in the space before us, I wasn’t even surprised. My fear had me in a stranglehold. It had only been a matter of time before I created that projection.

Asher held me tighter. With his presence and his support, I was able to break the tether and destroy the apparition. But the fear lingered, quaking through my body.

Joseph had always been dangerous, but with nothing to lose, who knew what lows he would sink to now? And clearly, I was in his sights.

Would he speak the investigator, like he so often threatened? Or would he go straight for murder, as the knife in the door suggested?

“I’ll keep you safe,” Asher told me. He rubbed his hand up and down my back, offering what comfort he could. I breathed deeply, trying to calm down.

It almost worked – until my phone rang again.

“It’s probably Aimee again,” I reasoned. “Or maybe Nicole, this time.” Yet when I reached for the phone, I paused.

I never expected to see the name on the screen.

Mom.

Confused, I quickly answered the call and brought the phone to my ear. Asher moved back, giving me space, but I grabbed his hand before he could move too far.

Whatever Mom wanted, I knew I would need Asher’s support.

“Cynthia?”

I hadn’t talked to her for months. Yet her voice elicited a familiar sense of urgency within me. I desperately wanted to please her. Even here, even now, with everything else that was happening.

“Hi, Mom. Did something happen? Is Dad okay?”

I couldn’t imagine why she was calling me now. The only thought that made sense was that something terrible had occurred. Had someone died? Or was in the hospital?

Had Joseph found a way to harm my family?

“Nothing happened. Why would you think that?” Mom said. “Or are you trying to guilt me for not calling enough?”

“No, I –”

“I didn’t call to fight.”

I swallowed down my defense of myself. “Did you want to talk?”

“It’s been a long time. Too long. Cynthia, your father and I want you to come home for a visit.”