Page 14 of From Asher, With Love

Julianna giggles before shifting her attention to me.

“Really, Charleigh?” She raises her eyebrows with a satisfied smirk. “You didn’t tell me how last night went. How did it go with Asher? Did he agree to find you a new building?” The words spill from her mouth faster than water rushing from a broken dam.

“What?” Selene perks up. “You’re looking for a bigger store? That’s great.” She blows out a large breath of relief. “That’ll solve so many problems.”

I trade glances between Julianna and Selene.Shit.“Not exactly.” I wince, ready to hear Julianna start spouting off about how she thinks I chickened out from my meeting and so-called blind date.

“What do you mean?” Selene asks, her face immediately slipping into disappointment.

“Yeah, Charleigh. Whatdoyou mean?” I have a feeling Julianna knows more than she’s letting on. Maybe Asher told Holt about our run in, then Holt told Julianna.

Word can travel fast in situations like this.

Thankfully, a customer walks in. The bell jingles over the front door, and Selene is quick to assist her, leaving Julianna and me at the desk. But not before Selene spins around and wags herpointed finger between us. “I’m going to help this customer and then I want a full play by play of this conversation when I’m done. Leave nothing out.”

Julianna giggles again, and I internally groan.

Selene spins around.

I snatch my coffee off the counter and head for my office. If I’m going to talk to Julianna about Asher, I need plenty of caffeine coursing through my veins.

She follows me and immediately sits in the chair across from my desk.

I sit down in mine and place my elbows on the dark oak top. I rest my head in my hands and run my fingers through my hair, pushing it back off my face. I’m still looking down when Julianna breaks the silence.

“So, what happened?”

I release my hands from my head and sit back in my chair. “Do we have to talk about it? I decided to go with a different realtor.”

“Bullshit.” Julianna places her hands in her lap and sits back in her chair. She’s so sure of herself. She’s also right. “Holt texted me and said Asher told him you didn’t show up, which I know isn’t true. Asher is lying, and so are you.”

“What are we, in high school? It’s like a game of telephone.”

“You’re keeping something from me, Charleigh Keeler, and I want to know about it.” She pauses, then flicks her gaze up, nodding back to the front of the store. “Selene, too.”

“You suck, you know that?” I scrunch my nose, but then follow it up with a grunt. “Uh, fine.”

In the five years I’ve known Julianna, I’ve never once mentioned Asher. I guess now is the time. The words bounce around in my chest, dancing with the embers of a life I used to live. A life completely different from the one I’ve built and from the oneJulianna knows.

I stare off at the pile of papers sitting on my desk. “If I had known it was Asher I was meeting, I wouldn’t have gone in the first place.”

Julianna leans forward, resting her elbows on the edge of my desk and her chin in her petite hands. “I’m listening,” she croons happily.

I look into Julianna’s eyes, feeling the heat in my chest starting to simmer. I sigh and pick up a paper clip, sliding my fingers across the thin metal. “Asher and I knew each other back in Connecticut. In high school.”

“Oh.” My best friend’s eyes widen, her pink links forming a perfect circle. Her back turns straight as a pin as she sits up, curiosity piqued.

I take her silence as her wanting me to elaborate a bit more. I’m just not sure exactly how much I’m willing to divulge right now but I know I need to start somewhere. Maybe it’ll help get all the stress and shock of seeing Asher out of my system.

“We started dating when we were seventeen. He moved to California the night of our graduation. It didn’t exactly end well between us. And by end well, I mean him disappearing in the middle of the night, leaving only a note taped to my windowsill.” I leave out the details surrounding Asher’s move to California. As the words sift through the embers and make their way out of my mouth, I’m realizing I’m not ready to tell Julianna everything yet. The sting of the wounds worn around my heart is still there. I swallow it down, willing it to fade.

“I’m sorry, Charleigh. If I had known…” Her voice trails off, and I’m thankful she doesn’t interrogate me any further.

“It’s not your fault. There’s no way you could have known. Why would you?” I tilt my head, reading the unwarranted guilt all over Julianna’s face.

I rest my palms on my desk and move to organize the loose papers scattered across it. “Anyway, he basically treated me likea stranger when he saw me. He made up some shit about not knowing Holt, claiming he wasn’t the one I was supposed to meet. I took his lie as an affirmation that things between us haven’t changed in ten years. He obviously still harbors some resentment toward me for whatever reason. I don’t even know why when he was the one who left and ended things between us.” I sigh. “It’s fine, though. I’ll keep looking online for a new place, and I’ll research other real estate agents. I’ll find someone else.”

“That’s good. Pick yourself up and keep moving on.” Julianna nods, but I can tell from the way her eyes dim that she’s saddened by my background with Asher.

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