Page 53 of The Fate Of Us

“Your sisters’ Goldie Moore, right? Yeah, I think I saw a commercial she was in theother day, promoting a kid’s sitcom.”

My sigh was the only answer he needed to understand how I felt about what my parentswere forcing her into.

His smile went tight. “Let me guess, they used the ‘I provided you with the resourcesfor acting so I’ll be taking a cut of your royalties’ card on you both?”

I shook my head, my brows drawn. “Surprisingly, no. Not much, anyway. Whichprobably makes sense as to why we never moved house in the years I was acting, they knew they couldn’t touch my money. But with Goldie…” I paused, tilting my head and eyeing him, hoping if I stared hard enough he’d be able to see the gated-off mini mansion my family resided in now. Infinity pool and all.

His head bounced into a nod. “She’s getting the treatment I got. One minute, we’re inthe middle of nowhere in South Carolina—”

“South! It was South Carolina.” I say to no one but myself, not realising the wordsweren’t just in my head, before I hand all my attention back over to Asher. “Sorry. Carry on.”

He chuckled before he carried on. “And then the next thing I know, we have a hillsidevilla in Laurel Canyon, my friends and everything I’d known for the past seventeen years were two thousand miles away.”

I shook my head. “Wait… you moved because your parents spent what you made?”

His head fell back as the frosted glass fell to his lips. “And then some.”

“God, Asher, I’m so sorry.”

“And I’m sorry. For you and your sister.”

My shoulders rolled into a shrug, as I took another swig of my martini to soothe my speedyheartbeat. “She’s a fighter, stronger than I was at her age, anyway.”

“Oh, I don’t know, you were pretty feisty yourself at times.”

“Only when you pissed me off.”

His smirk curled once more. “Likewise.”

We both dropped our heads and took quick but savouring sips of our cocktails, minedoing nothing for the mix of emotions already taking over my body tonight.

“But I’m pretty sure that feistiness wasn’t only reserved for me and my… cocky, teenage ways.”

Oh no, I wasn’t in the right mood for him to mention—

“How did Nate feel about you leaving, when you finally left home?”

I don’t know why my ears pricked up at the mention of his name. I knew it wascoming. I didn’t like how my heart sank, either, like that feeling you get when you know the night is coming to an end.I was already missing the nervous flutters. Those pre-date jitters that I was trying toconvince myself I hated. The dare and the panic and the—

Wait.

How did Asher know that Nate and I knew each other back then?

Nate told me that he’d…

My eyes focused. “You remember him, don’t you? You know he was the guy Iintroduced you to that night we all went for dinner.” I searched Asher’s face, noting every time the corners of his mouth inched higher. “You do, don’t you!”

He nodded as he chuckled at me. “OfcourseI remember who he is.” A smile that waswhiter than the bar tiles bloomed on his mouth as his glass touched his lips again. “And I’m assuming from the look on your face that he told you that I either blanked him or didn’t recognise him in the times we’ve crossed paths?”

I nodded, putting no effort into hiding my smile. “He thinks you’ve got no idea you’ve met before.”

The glass fell from his lips, the muscles in his neck bobbing as he swallowed.“Well,I’ve never been great about letting grudges go.”

“Oh yeah? And what grudge did you have with him?”

“He got the girl, in the end.”

I stiffened, goosebumps marching down my arms. I felt my lips pop open, my lashesblinking at the words.

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