Page 18 of From Asher, With Love

“Hmm. Seems the Capuletis keep a whole closet stuffed with secrets.”

“Possibly.” She quickly spins on her heel, turning her whole body toward me as she crosses her arms over her chest and cuts me a glare. “But how do you think your friend feels knowing you lied about not knowing him?”

“How do you think Julianna feels knowing you never told her about me?” I bite back.

The anger in Charleigh’s face transforms to one of hurt. The bottoms of her eyes line with liquid, and the colors in them change like a kaleidoscope. Her full lips thin as she inhales a hot breath.

I step forward, closing the space between us. It’s the closest I’ve been to her in ten years.

She steps backward, her spine hitting the wall behind her. Her scent fills the air around us; a mixture of vanilla and flowers. Even with her heels, the top of her head still doesn’t meet my chin. I’m hovering over her, looking down at her as she tips her chin up. I take a quick glance at how many floors we still have to go—only ten more left—and her whole body turns rigid with mine pressed against hers.

“Yeah,” I practically growl. “Something tells me that if she would have told you it was me you were meeting, you wouldn’t have shown up. She didn’t know she was setting you up with me, did she?”

Her bottom lip quivers as she inhales a shaky breath. Her face is close to mine. Too close, but she doesn’t back down.

“I don’t think you want to start comparing relationships and trust.”

“What are you implying?” I tighten my jaw, the air swelling once again. Charleigh’s expression is full of tension. I can’t decide what has her more annoyed: my lie to Holt or the fact I didn’t agree to take her on as a client, leaving her to resort to working with Cyrus Temper.

She presses her lips together and swallows, her attention dancing between my mouth and my eyes. She doesn’t answer my question.

“What bothers you more, Charleigh?” I ask. “The fact Ididn’t want to work with you, or that you think I’m a shit friend? Because it seems to me it might be both.”

She bites down on her bottom lip, pulling it between her perfect teeth.

Fuck.

Suddenly, I’m remembering how those lips were once mine to kiss whenever I wanted to.

But things are different now. Vastly different.

Standing this close to her is a mistake. My cock swells, and I have to consciously tell myself this is a bad idea. The elevator can’t reach the lobby soon enough.

I’m drawn to Charleigh as quickly and as strongly as the first time I spotted her watching me from beneath her favorite tree.

Despite my interrogation, she remains silent, so I continue. “And don’t pretend to be shocked by my question. We both know the truth behind how you really feel about me.”

Her bottom lip pops out from between her teeth, the flesh pink from the pressure she placed there. “Wow.” The word slowly seeps out of her mouth. Her eyes narrow, once again, and it’s as if she’s pierced me straight in the chest. “How arrogant you must be to feel hurt for the way I’m treating you now. Doesn’t feel good, does it, Asher? Maybe I’m giving you a dose of your own medicine.”

I’ve struck a nerve. Fury and anger have returned to her gaze.

“Ten years. Ten years of dead silence,” she forces out. “Silenceyouchose. So, don’t act like you’re the victim here. You were the one who left. And the thing is, I moved on and mademychoices.”

It took nearly ten years to get Charleigh out of my mind. The pain of what happened, her forcing me to make the decision to leave, is still fresh, even after all this time. We both lostsomething the night I left, but in a way, I feel I lost more than Charleigh did: my motherandCharleigh.

I thought I was doing what was best for the both of us, but the differences between her and me couldn’t be more apparent now.

The elevator finally stops. An ear-piercing ding fills the space between us before the doors slide open. I’m still standing in front of Charleigh, pressing her body against the wall for everyone to see.

Pinning me with a sharp glare, she shoves her hands to my chest and quickly walks out. I hold my breath, knowing I should let her go… but like the fool I’ve always been, I don’t.

Charleigh’s feet have already carried her out of the main lobby by the time I catch up to her. She pushes against the large, glass door with force and stands on the curb, waiting for a cab. Clearly ignoring me, she raises her hand in the air.

I stare at her for several seconds before she finally speaks again. “What more do you want from me, Asher? At this point, I think it’s best if we don’t interact with each other.”

I keep staring at her, watching her hail a cab. There isn’t one for at least another block, but she keeps her hand raised anyway.

“The city really grew on you, didn’t it?” I ask quietly.

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