Page 125 of One More Kiss

“I hurt him,” I whimper. “I hurt him so bad.”

“I know. Yes, you did, go fix it.” She says getting out of the car.

“How can you be so okay with this?” I ask getting out behind her.

“I have known you both forever. Which is why I know you two wouldn’t lie about this. You guys wouldn’t take this chance if it wasn’t real.” She tosses me the keys over the hood.

I take them and round the car hugging her tightly, tears still leaking down my face. “Thank you,” I say getting in the driver seat.

“Hey, Gen.” She calls.

“Yeah?”

“If you hurt him again, I will kill you.” She threatens.

“You won’t have to.” I answer, knowing that if I hurt him like this again it would kill me.

Me to Asher: We need to talk, I’m on my way to the hotel.

Read.

The ride to the hotel is long making my leg bounce the whole time in impatience. It seems like every stoplight that I come too turns red, and every little old person is out and about taking their merry time.

I sigh with relief when I pull into the hotel parking lot. I unbuckle my seatbelt, turning off the car. I inhale deeply and close my eyes trying to calm myself.

Here we go,I think to myself.

I wave at the clerk in the lobby as I pass, hitting the elevator button for the fourth floor. Once it finally opens, I speed-walk like a crazy person scanning the room numbers. The lock beeps as I insert my keycard into the lock and open the door.

I walk in slowly to find Asher sitting at the top of his bed against the wall with the TV remote in his hand watching some comedy special. “We need to talk,” I say mirroring the message I sent.

“You made it pretty clear where you stand,” he says clicking the television off.

“Listen, I’ve been in love with you since I was twelve and you were fifteen years old. I know it sounds stupid; how can someone fall in love with anyone at that age?” I scoff. “I don’t know how, but I did. I think it was the first time I’d felt safe, I was always at your house and you, and Margot were the only constant I ever had.”

My breath shakes as I breathe deeply. “When I was thirteen and you were sixteen it was the first time you broke my heart, and you didn’t even know it. Saylor Nash was the first girl you brought home, even if no one else saw her sneaking out of your bedroom but me. You locked up after she left and were coming back to your room shirtless with a damn hickey on your neck, and you just put your finger to your mouth to tell me not to say anything before you closed your bedroom door. It felt like my heart fell out of my chest right there in front of me.” I choke out.

“Gen, -“Asher starts but I just continue.

“It was the first time I realized that I didn’t have a chance in Hell, even if Margot told me she was okay with it.” I laugh. “I didn’t look like her, I wasn’t your type. I was chubby and even though I’m not as much anymore I’ll never have a flat stomach like them. I stopped coming over for a week using the excuse that my mom was sick even though I didn’t even know where she was at the time.” I sit down on the other bed, looking at my hands.

“Even though I knew that you didn’t see me like I saw you, I don’t know if I was trying to punish myself or what, but I couldn't not love you. I loved you then, I loved you while you were out with other girls. I love you now. Loving you was never a choice for me.” I whisper the last bit.

Asher appears in front of me, his finger under my chin making my head tilt back to look at him. “I always noticed you, baby. It might not have been at that exact moment that I fell in love with you, but I did. I love you too, Gen.” His lips kiss mine softly, his body gently pushing mine back on the bed as my arms wrap around his neck.

---