Chapter 73

Thinking I had overstepped Asher’s boundaries by hugging him from behind, I began to release him.

But then he caught my hands with his and gently returned them to where they had been, palms flat against his hard, muscled abdomen.

We both relaxed into the hug, and I felt the emotional distance between us narrow.

“I’m upset with you for accepting the challenge,” I said. Courage came easier like this, without him looking at me. “But you are my dearest friend. Me being mad at you doesn’t change that.”

“Does that mean you won’t come watch the challenge?” he asked me, voice unusually soft.

“I shouldn’t.” I was angry. If Asher hadn’t accepted Joseph’s challenge then I wouldn’t be about to lose one of them.

As mean as Joseph could be, he was my baby’s father. I needed him so my baby could have a real family.

But Asher… He was my sworn protector and my best friend. I’d be hollow without him.

Asher rubbed his warm hands along my forearms. “Joseph keeps hurting you, and you brush it off until the next time. Again and again. And all I could do was watch…”

“But this is too far, Asher. If I ever force Joseph out of my life, it has to be my choice.”

“You let him continue to hurt you. You are too kind-hearted.”

He meant that I’d never kick Joseph from my life, if given the option. Maybe he was right. Joseph’s offenses against me were numerous and only increasing in severity. But I kept making excuses.

Like Aimee did with Brent.

I squeezed Asher a little tighter.

“I’ll be the bad guy if it keeps you safe,” Asher said. “I swear I’m not doing this to hurt you. I only want to protect you.”

“I know that.” Closing my eyes, I inhaled his soothing scent of pine and leather. “And I’m grateful, but…”

Behind the anger at not being given a choice, and beneath the dull concern of losing Joseph forever, burned another fear.

Challenges were dangerous. Asher could get injured.

“If something happens to you,” I said, “I’d never forgive myself.”

He froze a moment, then turned slowly in my arms, until my face pressed into his chest. He ran his fingers through my hair, coaxing my attention up to his face.

“Joseph is not strong enough to hurt me,” Asher said. “He is incapable of winning this fight.”

“Everyone knows that,” I said. “Doesn’t that worry you?”

Asher lifted a brow, unsure.

Joseph was calculating, always searching for angles he could exploit. He’d shown it, when he sabotaged Asher’s hockey team, or given me that necklace to stalk me.

“He wouldn’t have offered the challenge if he didn’t have a plan to win it,” I said. “He’ll try something, I just know it. Some kind of underhanded tactic…”

Asher cupped my face in his hands. He held my gaze prisoner under his own. The oceans of his eyes were calm and steady, and I was lost in them.

“No matter what he tries, he won’t succeed. I won’t lose.”

He was confident, I could so easily believe him. But as well as I knew Joseph, I knew Asher too. If Joseph tried something underhanded, Asher would brute force his way through it.

To protect me, he’d have little regard for his own safety. I couldn’t let that happen.

Asher wanted to keep me safe, but I wanted the same for him. If he wouldn’t listen to me, I’d have to keep an eye on Joseph myself.

Joseph could do what he wanted to me, but for him to continue to antagonize and terrorize Asher…

I wouldn’t stand for it anymore.

Asher’s hands dropped to my back and pulled me in for a tighter hug.

When we finally released each other, I immediately missed his warmth. Not for the first time, I wished he wanted me romantically. I’d stay glued to his side if I could.

But nothing was ever that easy.

In my own dorm room, I studied at my desk with the desk light on. My phone was unusually quiet, despite me wishing it would buzz and offer a distraction.

I was beginning to reach the upper limit of my studying. Now I was simply rehashing topics I’d already drilled thoroughly into my brain.

So when my phone finally lit up with a message, I picked it up eagerly.

The message surprised me, it was Aimee.

Help! Brent agreed to meet me in the park! I don’t know what to wear!!

Following the text were a slew of smiley faces. I’d never seen her so excited. Some of it rubbed off on me.

Maybe Brent had come around, after all!

For the next twenty minutes, Aimee sent me pictures of various outfits, and I sent her feedback, until we both agreed on a simple sundress with a turtle-neck top.

My studies were completely forgotten.

Good luck! I messaged, while grabbing my own shoes and jacket. I knew my way around the park pretty well, and at this time of night, there would be a lot of shadows to hide in.

I had every intention of making sure Brent apologized thoroughly enough for Aimee to come back to herself. I needed to see it for myself.

After another twenty minutes, I was hiding near the dark side of a tree trunk, as far from every surrounding lamppost as I could be. Aimee was pacing the narrow width of a wooden gazebo nearby. From my close distance, I could see and hear everything.

Aimee was early. At exactly ten pm, Brent joined her in the gazebo.

He was different than before, eyes darting around in nervousness. He wrung his hands together.

“Brent, are you okay?” Aimee asked. She looked like she wanted to reach out to him, but stopped her hand halfway. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Brent inhaled sharply. “So you do know.”

Aimee stilled a moment. “What are you talking about?”

Her confusion only seemed to anger him. “You have to call this off, Aimee. Whatever curse you put on me, you need to stop it.”

“Curse? I didn’t –”

“Don’t lie to me!” He snapped, then immediately wilted, gazing around quickly. When he spoke again, it was quieter though quicker, panicky. “No one else knows what happened! It had to be you!”

Aimee’s eyes were wide with concern. “Maybe if you explain to me what you are talking about, I can help.”

“Help? You’ve helped enough! Why curse me, Aimee? Is it because you can’t handle your own guilt?”

Aimee stepped backwards, hand to her face like he physically slapped her. “N-no, I—”

“I was a fool even to go out with you. I should have known your kindness was fake. You only ever wanted me to suffer, didn’t you? You probably got pregnant on purpose!”

Tears slipped from Aimee’s eyes. “Brent…”

Brent, fueled by fear and rage, only cut her deeper with his words. “I wish I’d never met you, Aimee.”

And Aimee shattered. Tears flooded from her eyes now. Her voice broke on a sob. She couldn’t even seem to find words.

She shook her head at him, then covered her face and ran. She stumbled on the steps of the gazebo, falling onto her knees in the mud, ruining her beautiful pale sundress.

Brent only watched her as she forced herself to her own feet disappeared into the park.

I hated him. How could he say those things to Aimee? How could he be so cruel to a girl who obviously still loved him?

Aimee running instead of putting him in his place was a mercy Brent did not deserve.

I would not be so merciful.

Manifesting the apparition of the crying baby typically sucked all of my strength from me. But today, my anger gave me power.

I made that apparition appear in the blink of an eye. It cried louder and burned brighter than any time before.

Brent, terrified, fell down onto his backside. He pushed himself into the far railing of the gazebo, as far from the apparition as he could go.

I moved the baby closer to him.

There was no escape.

Through the baby’s mouth, I growled, “I warned you.”