Page 46 of Flirt

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“Nat—”

“I swear the next thing out of your mouth better be, ‘Thanks, Nat. I owe you one.’ Otherwise, I’m going to call Cameron, and then you’ll really be in for it.”

One Stone sibling was bad enough. He didn’t stand a chance if they decided to gang up on him. “Thanks, Nat. I owe you one.”

She patted his cheek and smiled “Good boy.”

Reaching for his sandwich, he slid it across the counter, groaning when his phone began ringing. A quick glance at the screen told him it was a call from the front gate, which meant the other truck from the center had arrived.

Tired, hungry, and frustrated, he hit the code and pressed the pound key to open the gate without answering the call. They’d either figure out where to go, or they’d drive around his property until they ran out of gas. Whatever happened, he really couldn’t bring himself to care.

Turning off his ringer, he slid his phone out of the way at the same time he reached for a fry with his other hand. They were still warm and crispy, and he moaned a little in appreciation as he chewed and swallowed. Natalie’s ex was a fucking idiot. She was amazing, and anyone would be lucky to have her.

She spoke her mind, and she was a little more outgoing than Cameron, but kindness just seemed to run in the family. Asher imagined he could call either of them at three in the morning, for any reason, and they wouldn’t even think of not helping him.

Cameron would tell him that was what family did. They were there for each other, even when the other person acted like an idiot. Asher’s experience would dictate otherwise, but he definitely liked Cameron’s version of family better.

That didn’t mean he wanted to rush out and meet the guy’s parents anytime soon, but he was starting to get more comfortable with the idea. He’d met Natalie without breaking out into hives. That seemed like a good start.

Hey, Ash.”

Asher froze, a fry halfway to his lips. Maybe the stress of the day had finally broken him, because no way in hell could he be hearing that voice inside his house—his sanctuary. No fucking way was Kyle Anders standing in his kitchen.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Kyle laughed, the sound raspy and a little deranged. “Although, I was surprised that you even let me through the gate.”

Shit. That was what he got for not answering the damn phone.

“Nice place,” Kyle continued.

Asher didn’t respond. He didn’t move. The fries that had been so tempting just a moment ago felt heavy in his stomach. Mostly, he hated the way seeing Kyle made him feel. He despised how easily he recalled old memories he’d worked so hard to forget. It didn’t matter that over a decade had passed, or that he was now an insanelysuccessful author. Kyle’s very presence made Asher feel like the scared teenager he’d been when they’d met. The teenager who had dug through trashcans just to survive, praying for any kind of scraps.

“Why are you here?” he finally asked, but he still couldn’t make himself move. “How did you find me? Why were you even looking?”

“I never forgot about you, but I wasn’t looking for you.” Kyle’s footsteps sounded unusually loud as he took a couple of steps closer. “Then, I saw your picture on that blog, and I…” He trailed off with a disgruntled huff. “The famous Asher Dare. I had to see it for myself.” His laughter sounded even more unhinged. “If people only knew who you really were.”

Asher’s stomach twisted. “What do you want?”

“I just want to talk. It’s been a long time.”

Ithadbeen a long time, sixteen years to be exact, but he didn’t believe Kyle had stalked him across two states to talk.

Standing, he took a deep breath to steady his resolve, then turned. He thought he’d been prepared. He thought he’d been ready. Seeing the man standing there in his kitchen, dressed in baggy, wrinkled clothes, staring at him with those empty eyes, was like a punch in the gut.

All the air left his lungs, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to refill them. Logically, he knew it was all in his head. Heknewno one could hurt him now,not unless he let them, and he’d never let anyone hurt him again.

The only person he could truly count on in the world was himself. No matter how great people seemed on the surface, they’d eventually let him down. They’d hurt him, some intentionally, some not, but it all felt the same in the end. Trusting people, opening his heart to them, it only gave them power and the tools they needed to destroy him.

Hands clenched at his sides, spine stiff, teeth clenched, knowing these things didn’t matter. Logic had no room to take root and flourish among the weeds of his past.

“I want you to leave,” he said, his voice quavering only once. “Get out, and don’t come back. Don’t call me. Don’t try to contact me.”

Shaking his head, Kyle took a step closer. “I just want to talk.”

“Then talk.” The sooner he found out what the man wanted, the sooner he could get rid of him.

Kyle’s gaze darted around the kitchen, then over his shoulder, before finally settling on Asher again. “If you’re mad about the coffee shop, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things in front of your friend, but I was hurt.”

“You werehurt?”