Page 29 of Harmony Island Gazette
Asher shut the door behind him and then turned. He crossed the space between us and set the bag of food and the drink tray down on the coffee table in front of me. “I got honey shrimp, chicken lo mein, egg rolls, and fried rice,” he said when he turned to meet my gaze.
My salivary glands instantly activated. Asher was eyeing me, waiting for a response before a smile slowly spread across his lips. “If we’re celebrating your success, why did you get everything that I love?” I asked as I untangled myself from my blanket before tossing it to the side and standing. The smell of the food made my stomach growl as I made my way into the kitchen to get plates and utensils.
Asher shrugged. “It all sounded good when I got there, so I just went with it.”
I eyed him as I pulled two plates down from the cupboard and then slid open a drawer and found two sets of chopsticks.
“So, what are we celebrating?” I asked as I bumped the drawer closed with my hip.
Asher studied me for a moment as if he were trying to figure me out. “The sale with Ms. McDonnell earlier today. You know, the one youcameto.”
I plopped down on the couch before setting a pair of chopsticks down on one of the plates and handing it over to Asher. “That’s what I figured, but I was just making sure.” I forced a smile. “So it really happened, huh?”
Asher dropped down on the couch next to me. I’d already pulled the little white boxes from the bag and was in the process of opening the honey shrimp. After I’d dumped some onto my plate, I realized that Asher hadn’t moved, so I turned to see him sitting there, watching me.
I frowned as I licked some of the sauce from my fingertips. “You okay?” I asked.
He blinked a few times as he straightened as if he hadn’t noticed that he’d been staring at me. “Yep, mm-hmm,” he said as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “Sorry, I just zoned out there for a second.” He yawned. “I’m wiped.”
I nodded in agreement. “Me too.”
“Gloria kept you that long?”
I shook my head. “Not longer than normal, but she was over my shoulder the whole afternoon. You’d think I was writing a piece on the president of the United States.” I leaned forward and opened the next container. I dumped some of the chicken lo mein onto my plate and then set the container back down on the coffee table.
Asher picked it up as soon as I set it down and grabbed his chopsticks before he settled back on the couch. He proceeded to eat from the container, and I returned to opening the rest of the boxes. I had so many things I wanted to say to him. Questions I wanted to ask. But I wasn’t sure how to say any of them without coming across as critical of my best friend’s success.
“Barbara seemed excited,” I finally said after I’d finished filling my plate. I grabbed the plate and chopsticks and leaned back on the couch.
I could feel Asher’s gaze on me. “Yeah, she did.”
I slipped some honey shrimp into my mouth, wondering what I was going to say next. Thankfully, Asher picked up the conversation. “It’s a good thing. Ms. McDonnell sells her property for over market value, and the community gets a facelift. It’s a win-win.”
I pushed the fried rice around on my plate. “Why would the Proctors offer so much? Why not just offer market value?” From what I’d heard of the Proctor family, they weren’t generous. I couldn’t imagine they were out offering more than market value because they wanted the residents of Harmony to be wealthy. A business like that would get shut down so fast.
Asher didn’t respond right away, and I paused before I glanced over at him. He was studying me, his gaze darker than I’d expected. He was chewing thoughtfully until he sighed, leaned forward, and placed the container of food on the coffee table.
“You know, I really didn’t think it was my place to ask Mr. Proctor why he’s doing what he’s doing with his business.”
There was a bite to his tone that surprised me. I’d struck a nerve. I hadn’t meant to, but I’d made my friend upset. I needed to backtrack and fast.
“I’m sorry,” I said, offering him a soft smile. “I guess never-ending questions is a hazard of the trade.” I reached out and rested my hand on his arm. I never wanted to upset him. I wanted to be happy for him, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something weird was going on. I was worried about my friend and the community around me.
There was something wrong with the Proctors, and even though I told myself not to care, I couldn’t stop myself. From the look on Asher’s face, he knew that as well.
“This a good thing for me, Ella,” he said as he straightened. “I wish you would just be happy for me.”
I set my plate down and nodded. “I am,” I said quickly. “I am happy for you. I want you to have success. You’re my friend.”
His gaze snapped down at me, and for a moment, I saw frustration flash in his eyes. Then he sighed. “Then be my friend.”
I nodded. “I’m trying. I just…”
There was a battle going on inside of me. Should I say what was truly on my mind, or say what I knew would salvage my friendship with Asher? I didn’t want to lose him, but I also couldn’t lie. That wasn’t who I was.
“I don’t trust the Proctor family. Something doesn’t feel right, and I think you know that too.” The truth tumbled from my lips before I could stop it. The man in front of me wasn’t the Asher I knew. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t even a little bit skeptical about all of this.
Sure, Ms. McDonnell had a nice house in a nice location, but for Mr. Proctor to come in and offer over its worth seemed strange. Why wasn’t Asher seeing that?
