Page 66 of From Asher, With Love

Goddammit, I want to punch him in the fucking face. But I also know if I do, the asshole will call the police and press charges. I’d play into his hand perfectly. I’d give him the satisfaction.

He gives me one last smile that makes me reconsider. Consequences be damned.

“It was good to see you, Mr. Egan. We’ll be in touch.”

TWENTY-ONE

CHARLEIGH

After wrapping my mouth around the opening of the large, clear bottle, I tip my head back and down a large swig before passing it to Selene with a sour expression. The liquid burns my tongue, leaving a blazing trail down my throat before splashing warmly into my stomach.

“See?” Julianna beams, taking the bottle from Selene. “I knew we would need this.” She tilts her head back, taking another swig, her long, chestnut hair catching the afternoon sun pouring through the windows to the front of my store. Selene and Julianna sit on one of the display tables, their long legs dangling over the edge, their feet hovering just above the floor.

I’m sitting cross legged on the checkout desk beside the single-wrapped flowers with paper heart tags, and the single serve bags of floral tea in brown bags with my store logo on the front.

Selene is still wincing from her shot when Julianna offers her the bottle of vodka for another swig. She silently shakes her head, shimmying her shoulders in disgust. Julianna then sticks her arm out toward me, but I shake my head, too. One shot isenough. I take a sip of my tea sitting beside me, hoping it will mask the taste of vodka coating my mouth.

Three hours of walking up and down the block carrying thousands of flowers is exhausting, but I feel so relieved knowing a sweet sixteen party won’t be ruined. And I have Asher to thank for that. Still, the thought of needing a better, larger storefront weighs heavily on my mind.

“So…” Julianna leans back and gives me wink. Somehow, she still looks perfect despite us rushing around all day. “Are you going to tell us why your super-hot, billionaire ex went out of his way to save the dayafteryou supposedly fired him yesterday?”

“Oh, my God.” Selene groans, grinning widely. “I’ve been dying to hear all day.” She looks at Julianna before looking at me. She grips the edge of the table and leans forward, eager to hear my juicy gossip.

I hold back my smile, biting on the inside of my cheek. “Ididfire him.”

“Okay.” Julianna waves her hand. “And…?”

I roll my eyes, no longer able to hide my feelings. It’s not that discussing relationships with my two best friends is embarrassing, but there’s something about my love for Asher that I’ve always kept to myself. Part of it is probably due to the fact our relationship when we were younger was mostly kept secret. Especially from my parents. There’s always been part of me that’s been tied to the idea that speaking about it out loud will make it unreal.

I take another sip of my tea and play with one of the single-wrapped flowers. I rub my thumb over its velvety petal. “After I sent him that text, I’d resigned myself to never seeing him again. Sort of how I felt when he left before. But then he showed up at my door.”

“Showed up?” Selene asks, intrigued.

I look up to them both. They’ve stopped moving their legs, hanging on my every word.

“Yeah.” I blow out a heavy breath. “He was at my door, soaking wet. He was angry I’d fired him via text.”

“Well…” Julianna scoffs. “He doesn’t exactly have a right to be upset when he left you a note breaking up with you.”

“I know.” I nod, trying not to think about that. Julianna has a point, but I can’t hold the note over Asher’s head forever. We were kids, and that night wrecked us both. We won’t be able to move forward if I can’t let go of the past. “But he told me he hasn’t stopped thinking about me since we ran into each other that first night. He said he’d never felt a pain like the one when he’d read my text. He felt hollow, as if I’d ripped his heart out. And that’s saying a lot because he’s been through more pain than anyone I’ve ever known.”

Silence befalls both my best friends. Julianna’s face no longer holds judgement.

“Wow.” Selene sighs, her shoulders falling.

Julianna sits up and tilts her head. “You really love him, don’t you?”

My chin quivers. “It’s been ten years. I used to think love died with loss. I thought love died with pain.”

“There’s no expiration date on love, babe,” Selene says softly.

I look at her as a tear slips from my eye, and I shake my head and sniff. I can’t believe I’m crying, but honestly, I haven’t felt this vulnerable in a long time.

“Selene’s right,” Julianna agrees, wrapping her arm around Selene. Selene rests her head on Julianna’s shoulder and places her hand on her knee. They both look at me with reassuring smiles. “It’s okay to love again,” Julianna says. “I know I said men are scum, and for the most part they are.”

Selene and I both giggle.

Julianna laughs but inhales a heavy breath. “But not all of them are dicks.”

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