Page 76 of Be Your Forever
“Can you t-take me h-home?” Bri’s voice sounds so small that I have to bury the rage down.
“Of course, go ahead and crawl over to the passenger seat. I’ll drive you home.”
“H-How did you get here?”
“I ordered an Uber immediately after we got off the phone. I had them step on it so I could get to you.”
“Y-You did?”
“Of course I did. You needed me, so I came. Best seventy-five bucks I’ve spent.”
Bri’s eyes widen in shock at the astronomical amount. I cup her face in my hands, wiping away any tears that fall before leaning in to kiss her forehead. “Let’s not worry about that now. Let’s get you home and in bed.”
“Okay.” Bri climbs over to the passenger seat, and I buckle her in. She reaches for my hand, and I interlock our fingers together. The light turns green, and I look both ways before driving through the intersection.
Bri is passed out by the time we pull into her driveway, so I’m carrying her through the house bridal style. As I’m tucking her in bed, she whispers something that I wasn’t expecting her to say after everything.
“I-I know I-I said I wanted to talk to Max, but I-I’m n-not r-ready y-yet,” Bri stammers before turning over, and then she’s out like a light. My little warrior just went through a scary experience, and now she wants to tackle a difficult conversation with her brother.
“You’re stronger than you know, bear. We’ll do it when you’re ready.” I lean down, pressing a kiss to her temple before whispering in her ear, “I love you, baby. Sleep well, little warrior.” I turn off the lights before slipping in behind her. Her strength is a beautiful thing.
Brianna
My life has felt like an endless thunderstorm
Myheadispoundingwhen I wake. After the night I had, it doesn’t come as a surprise to me. What does shock me is waking up alone. Asher’s side of the bed is cool to the touch, alerting me that he’s been up for some time. The sound of crinkling paper has me turning over, and that’s when I see it. A piece of paper with Asher’s familiar scrawl.
Good morning, beautiful. Head downstairs when you wake up—Asher
Warmth spreads throughout my body like that first sip of morning coffee. I toss the blanket to the side and run to my closet. The feel of the silk pajama set glides across my skin like a swimmer in water. My eyes flick to the pair of sweats I used to live in, and pride radiates inside my chest at how far I’ve come. The gray sweats represent a time in my life when my world was void of all color. When everything was crashing down around me, cloaking my world in complete darkness.
I hug the fabric against my chest, thanking them for their love and support before placing them in their designated spot. The closet door closes with a soft click, and I slip my feet into my fuzzy slippers before walking downstairs. The smell of vanilla waffles assaults my nose. I turn the corner into the kitchen and my breath hitches. Spread out before me are all my favorites. There’s the main dish, the vanilla waffles, but next to it is a bowl of the juiciest, most ripe looking watermelon I’ve ever seen.
My favorite iced coffee sits on the other side, and I watch as drips of condensation race down the plastic cup. The sound of sizzling has my attention snapping to the oven where a shirtless Asher is cooking. I should be concerned about the potential burns he might get, but I can’t help but ogle him. Seriously, the man is fucking built. He’s the perfect amount of muscular—not too bulky but not too skinny. Avery may like her men skinny, but when I touch a man, I want something to grab onto. And Asher has plenty of muscles for me to explore. I watch, completely mesmerized as his back muscles ripple like fresh raindrops on a crystal lake while he flips whatever he’s making. Asher’s skin glows underneath the sun's rays, illuminating the most delicious back dimples that I want to sink my teeth into.
Great. Now I’m hornyandhungry—which seems to be a permanent feat with him around. I glide over toward him and feel his muscles tense when I press a kiss against his back. I wrap my arms around his middle, letting the heat from his skin soak into mine. My face is buried into his back, and I inhale the now familiar scent of cinnamon and leather. My mouth waters, and not from the smell of turkey bacon and hashbrowns crackling in the pan.
The burners click off, and Asher transfers everything from frying pan to plate. He turns around, lifting me up and plopping me onto the counter next to the stove. The cold countertop shocks my system with the same intensity as stepping into an ice cold pool. Asher steps in between my legs as my arms wrap around his neck.
Our lips meet, the kiss languid and sensual. Our tongues intimately dance together as soft moans fill the space. Asher is the first to pull back, tucking a few strands of hair behind my ears. His eyes scan my face and when his gaze meets mine, I see the love there.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning. How long have you been up? I woke up and you weren’t there.” My fingers scratch his scalp and Asher’s eyes flutter closed while leaning into my touch.
“I’ve been up for a while, planning some things for you.”
“For me?”
“Yeah, last night was a lot for you, so I thought you’d need a reset day.” I pull my hands out of his hair, my arms falling limp against my sides.
Yesterday started off amazing, especially before the bar opened. But then Giselle had to open her damn mouth and started pelting pitches at me that I had a hard time dodging. Insecurity after insecurity was hurled at me, and the armor that I’ve spent so much time rebuilding cracked.
While my shield didn’t shatter completely, it fractured just enough to let the panic attack slither its way in. And then I came up to the scene of the accident, and the small grip I had on my feelings combusted.
“Thank you for coming to help me.”
“Bri, you don’t have to thank me for something I’d do in a heartbeat. You needed me, so I came. End of story. How are we feeling?”
