Chapter 32

Asher was going to kiss me. I knew it, straight down in my core.

Yet just as his lips brushed my lips in the barest of touches, someone whistled.

“Get a room, you two!” one of the cheerleaders laughed.

Another shushed the first. “Why did you interrupt them? It was about to get good!”

“Don’t be a pervert.” The first cheerleader rolled her eyes. “No one wants to see them bang in the middle of the gymnasium.”

Asher jumped away from me like he’d been burned.

Embarrassment striking me, I buried my face in my hands to hide my blush.

Coach cleared his throat. “Let’s not forget why we are here, everyone.”

Oh, no! Even Coach had seen?

I wished the ground would open and swallow me whole. How mortifying!

“These techniques might save your life someday,” Coach continued. “Let’s not use this chance to practice as an excuse to fool around.”

“Come on, Cynthia.” Asher held out his hand for me, and helped me to my feet. The instant I was steady, he released my hand again.

Coach approached Asher and me. With a pointed look between us, he said, “No more floor exercises for you two, alright?”

“Yes, Coach,” I said quickly, blushing hard.

“Yes, Coach,” Asher said, slower.

Coach turned from us. “Back to work!”

Blessedly, most everyone listened. Only a few snickers continued to make their way towards me.

When I caught sight of Elena, she looked like she wanted to murder me. I tried to ignore her.

“He’s right,” Asher said softly, like he was chastising himself. “You need to learn these moves.”

He was more diligent in his training after that. The heat in his eyes dimmed, and didn’t once return for the rest of class. He entirely focused on my training.

After training, I hurried to catch Asher as he beat a hasty retreat toward the gym doors.

“Asher! Hey!”

I thought he might keep running, but instead, he slowed so I could catch up. When we were outside and alone, he totally stopped and turned to me.

“I’m not angry at you,” he said.

I frowned at him. I didn’t think he was, but I supposed it was as good a place to start as any. He was clearly opening a door here. I wouldn’t pass up the chance to walk through.

“Then what is going on, Asher? Why are you acting like…” Like nothing happened.

“I lost control of my wolf,” he said. “Nothing that happened that night should have happened. And when I think about how it was all because of Joseph…”

He huffed. “I can’t believe I let that weasel get under my skin like that.”

Slowly, I started to understand the problem. Asher had said he wasn’t angry with me because he was angry at someone.

It could have been Joseph. Joseph had goaded Asher, and it was no secret that Asher hated him.

But, somehow I knew this was something else.

The way he talked…

I asked, “Are you mad… at yourself?”

He exhaled again, and I knew I was right.

“I’m the Captain of the hockey team. I’m the son of an Alpha. I need to be able to keep a clear head.” He looked at his own hands in disgust. “I shouldn’t need to depend on you like I did.”

His words cut into me more than they should have. But in my head, I shouldn’t need to depend on you sounded a lot like I don’t need you.

“Everyone needs to depend someone sometimes, Asher.”

He gazed at me, eyes cold as ice again. “Not me.”

Ouch.

He hurt me, but I just nodded. What had I really expected? That one pleasant evening looking at each other would fundamentally change our relationship?

He’d always kept me at arm’s length. This was nothing new.

My wounded heart festered. Maybe I wanted to hurt him too, when I said, “Well, pretty soon you won’t have to worry about me anyway.”

“What are you talking about?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Joseph asked me to be his girlfriend. For real, this time.”

The temperature around us dropped twenty degrees, at least.

Asher’s voice was carefully measured as he said, “He what?”

I knew he had heard me, so I shrugged. “I told him I’d think about it.”

“What is there to think about?”

I lifted my chin, defiant. “He says he’s changed.”

“And you believe that?”

“Give me a reason I shouldn’t.”

Looking at him, I searched for a hint of emotion. I wanted him to grab me by the shoulders and tell me he wanted me too. That I shouldn’t date Joseph because he wanted the job.

But his face remained a blank slate.

I pressed, “If you can give me just one non-Dylan reason why I shouldn’t date Joseph, I’ll listen to you.”

He watched me. The silence between us stretched.

For a brief moment, I let my heart fly. Say it, I begged in my mind. Just say you like me.

“He hurt you. Repeatedly,” Asher said, falling back on his same old reasons. “You shouldn’t need me to remind you of that.”

The breath left my lungs. I should have known I was kidding myself, thinking he would say anything different.

I backed away a step.

He took a step forward. “Cynthia. You can’t be serious about this.”

“He’s not the same as he used to be,” I said. “He’s patient, and he’s been a total gentleman this time.”

“It’s an act,” Asher said. “He’s playing you again.”

“You don’t know that!” I snapped.

I lost my temper. But I reeled it back in right away, and shook my head at him.

“Just forget it, okay? Forget I ever told you.”

He called my name, but I ignored him, too busy trying to get away.

I’d asked Joseph to meet me at my favorite coffee shop so we could talk. He got there before me and ordered me a cup. It had more sugar and cream than I liked – more like what Joseph preferred.

But it was a nice gesture, so when I arrived, I thanked him and continued sipping it, even though it made me scrunch my nose each time.

“I want to ask you for more time,” I told him, when we’d settled into a booth. “I know you said you would be patient, but it might take me a while before I’m ready to give you an answer.”

Joseph reached across the table and placed his hand over the back of mine. I forced myself to hold still this time and not flinch away.

“I’d wait forever for you,” he said, holding my gaze.

I narrowly avoided rolling my eyes. “Please, Joseph. Don’t lie to me.”

“Sorry. Old habits.” His gaze dropped. When he looked at me again, his face was sheepish. “Maybe I wouldn’t wait forever. But I would wait a long time.”

He squeezed my hand and smiled. “You’re worth the wait, Cynthia.”

My heart ached. How I wanted Asher to say that. If Asher said, I’d wait forever for you, he’d mean it.

But Asher would never say that.

“Thank you,” I told Joseph, meaning it.

“And even if you say no,” Joseph went on. “I want to be a part of the baby’s life.”

I blinked up at him, seeing him in a new way. He… would still want to see the baby even if he didn’t have me? “Really?”

“Yes. I want to co-parent with you, no matter what.”

He looked so earnest, so open, I couldn’t help but believe him. He’d hurt me before, and maybe would again. Asher had seemed so certain of that.

But maybe, just maybe, Joseph would want to love and cherish our baby.

I smiled at him, and his grew wider.

“I have an idea,” he said. “Something to help show you how serious I am about this.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Cynthia. Will you meet my parents?”