CHAPTER 16

 

Two Years Ago—Seriously Now

 

Charis: If polygamy were legal, would you do it?

Asher: I'd fucking love a harem, are you kidding me?

Charis: Really? I wonder if I would.

Asher: Nah, you'd hate it.

Charis: Why do you say that?

Asher: You'd freak out with more than one man.

Charis: You think?

Asher: That's why I said it.

Charis: Hmm, I wonder. Okay, anyway, a harem I can understand, but that's not the same as multiple wives. What's the attraction for you?

Asher: Harem, wives, I'm not seeing a difference here.

Charis: Then it's the increased, uh, lascivious capacity that attracts you to the idea.

Asher: I love your tomato face, Sloane. No, actually I was just messing with you. More than one mate at a time loses its glow fast.

Charis: Ew. You sound like you speak from personal experience.

Asher: No comment.

Charis: You were a manwhore in high school worse than your brothers even, weren't you?

Asher: That's an ugly label. Listen, I prefer to look forward, not back. These days I'm all for the big M.

Charis: Mammaries?

Asher: Monogamy, brat.

Charis: So you were just being cocky before when you said you'd love a harem.

Asher: Yeah, pretty much. All I want is one woman you know inside and out, heart and soul. The one who's yours and only yours. Like my parents have.

Charis: That's so cool and mature. I think my parents sleep around.

Asher: That's unfortunate.

Charis: Do you think Aura is the one?

Asher: I hope so.

 

Asher

 

SHE WALKED INTO THE EATIN', and it was like I hadn't seen her in years. God, how I'd missed her. My cock didn't stir so much as blow up like a balloon on a helium high as she glanced around. She didn't see me. I raised my hand. She still didn't see me.

Here, beautiful.

I started to stand up.

"Asher…" The tug on my hand brought me back down to earth. I made myself relax in my chair and look across the table at Aura, her full lips pursed in an expression I knew well.

"Hmm?"

"Why did we have to do do this with them?" Aura gestured over her shoulder to where my brother and Charis were working their way through the crowd.

"They're why we're doing this. You said you're into my brother Karl, didn't you?"

She frowned. "Well, I said I found Karl interesting, but…"

"You said he seemed different, that his texts were strangely provocative. That was your word, provocative," I reminded her. "Now's your chance to do something about it, angel."

"But I thought…"

I was pretty sure I knew what she'd assumed. I was a heartless dick to arrange a double date like this, playing on her expectations of getting back together with me. Even if anybody with half a brain would have noticed from my clipped, businesslike manner that wasn't what I had in mind.

Ultimately this lesson would do her good, though. When she saw the lay of the land, her path would be clear.

Heading away from me, and toward her brighter future.

Accepting that we were truly over.

She'd been hounding me with messages, having convinced herself I'd give a fuck about her flirting with my brother. Granting her my blessing had backfired. She thought I was in denial.

Why were all women in denial about my being in denial? First Charis, then my sister, Ryanna—you should see the sad-faced texts she kept sending me—and now Aura herself. Since she should know very well by now I'm not a jealous person, it was really she that was in denial, to assume I was even here for her.

The truth was, the reason I was here was Karl. Karl, who seemed to have blatantly started an affair with my ex-girlfriend behind the back of his unwitting fiancé.

Charis.

My Charis.

The reason I gave a fuck.

"You thought wrong. We're done, Aura." When she flinched, I gentled my tone. "You are exquisitely desirable, you've got a face and body to make any man sweat, there's nothing wrong with your appearance or your fuckworthiness—and I hope you finally see it one day. But it won't be me who convinces you. Accept that we're finished and move on. To Karl, to the King of England, to Joe Bob, I don't care who."

That wasn't true. I don't wish my brother on any woman. But I was trying to drive home a point here.

"Then why haven't you given me my stuff back? Or asked for your keys back?"

Holy absentmindedness, she was right. "Give me the keys."

"I don't have them here."

"You can mail them to me. And you'll get your stuff soon," I promised.

Karl had been stopped by some people at the bar. Charis was lingering at his side. She hadn't seen me yet. Or maybe she was refusing to see me.

"I don't care if I get it back or not," Aura was saying tearfully. "You know what I want back. Who I want back. I'm not whole without you, baby. I'm nothing without you. Sometimes…sometimes I don't even want to live."

I pinched my nose, eying her. Luckily, Winnow had warned me she'd pull the can't-live-without-you card at some point. (Winona's a blogger and claims to be an expert at everything, from dating to cracking lobster to learning Hawaiian.)

Aura was continuing her end-it-all routine: "Oh, Asher, what will I do without you? I'm so afraid I'll do something I regret…I mean…I don't know what I mean…"

Charis and my brother were heading to the table. I shoved my chair back.

"Aura Renaldi," I said sternly, "if you do something as idiotic as off yourself, I'll grieve like hell and then I'll move the fuck on. Nothing will get you forgotten faster than taking yourself off the map. Now cut it out. You know you've got it going on, so find yourself another dude to fuck."

So now you know why I never offered my own services as Aura's therapist. I have zero patience for B.S.

She regrouped, putting on a brave smile. "You don't understand. Nobody can understand because nobody's been through my hell. I'm alone. I've always been alone."

"Only because you chose to be." I stood up as Karl reached us and cuffed his arm a little too hard for brotherhood. "You'll be glad to know the bruise on my shoulder has faded."

"That's nice." He surveyed the table I'd purposefully chosen over a more intimate booth. Charis was lagging behind him. She refused to meet my eyes and seated herself at his side.

I grabbed a chair and wedged it between them.

Karl coughed.

Charis skidded her chair as far away from me as she could. That put her next to Aura. Neither of the ladies seemed pleased about that.

Charis was still not looking at me. I was officially the pariah here.

Whatever. At least she'd showed up.

Wearing, I might add, the hottest outfit I'd ever seen her in—a pale green camisole that bared her arms completely over her tightest pair of jeans.

She looked sleek, her upper arms buff, her bangs combed back to reveal the bones of her temple. She was awfully pretty, but I don't think she knew or cared. Her eyes were sad and remote, her mouth flattened. She definitely did not want to be here.

Just seeing her here, so close but not reachable, hurt my heart.

When her eyes finally did lift and meet mine, they skittered away and landed on Karl, now touching distance from my ex.

My brother didn't notice Charis's panicky appeal his way—another cut for me, that she'd look to him for rescue from me—because he was grinning at me. I grinned back, with all my teeth.

"Right," I said, since nobody else seemed inclined to start things off. "You two still on for Saturday?"

"What's happening Saturday?" Aura sniffed.

"Karl and Charis are tying the knot," I said, glancing down at my menu. "I think this calls for an appetizer."

"Wait, what?" Aura turned in her seat and stared at Karl. "You're getting married? Married to her? Is this true?"

Charis said nothing, only crossed her arms. Karl inclined his head while watching me curiously.

Aura couldn't seem to decide whether to jump on the table and celebrate or cry. She directed a look I knew toward Charis. When women do that, whoa nelly. I made a mental note not to let them go together to the washroom. Fact: Double Xers get up to some vicious shit in public washrooms.

"Don't worry," I said with a big, fake smile. "It's a marriage of convenience. My brother has no intention of cutting off his dating life after they make it official. He's wide open for offers. Just don't take him seriously and you'll be fine."

Charis gasped. She stared at me like she couldn't believe her ears. I stared back without an iota of remorse.

Karl sighed. "Mama would not be proud, Asher."

"Sure about that?" I challenged. "Let's call her. I'll bet she doesn't know all the shit you're planning." I took out my phone. I was not bluffing.

Clucking his tongue, he swiped the phone from me as Charis spoke to me for the first time in days. "You are being such an asshole, Norrell. We're planning to tell your parents tonight after dinner."

Not exactly what I wanted to hear. Pursing my lips, I reclaimed my phone and stuffed it away.

"Well?" I demanded of Karl. "True or false? Let's hear you say it. Do you plan on being faithful to Sloane?"

"That is none of your fucking business." It was Charis who answered, her voice shaking. A feeling of sick misery washed over me. This was getting ugly, and I had only myself to blame.

The server came with our beer. I didn't notice what anyone ordered, including myself. Charis was all I could see.

She was more than pissed; I'd hurt her. Fucking hell, I hadn't meant to. But it was for her own good.

She had to see the truth of what she was letting herself in for. Forget for a minute that I wanted her; it was my job as her friend to make her see it.

She stood up after the server left. "Asher, I would like a word with you."

"Oh, yes, ma'am," I said.

I followed her into the hall outside the kitchen. It was loud back here, but it wasn't the restaurant staff that distracted me. It was Sloane's neck. Why hadn't I ever noticed that sweet spot right at her nape? I wanted to press my lips to it, suck on it and mark her up, stop her being mad at me.

She whirled around. "What are you on?"

"You." It wasn't a line. I felt foggy, like I knew exactly where my destination was but I couldn't ground myself enough to reach it. My emotions were drugging me, so yes, technically I was "on" her.

She rolled her eyes. "For real. What's gotten into you? I only came tonight because I intended to wake you up to the fact that Aura was playing you with your own brother. Now you go and pull a—what even was that? Why are you being so rude to us?"

"Rude to Karl, maybe, but—wait a minute, you intended to rescue me?" I staggered back, no lie. Charis getting involved in my love life was radical and very encouraging. "What were you going to do?"

"I'm not sure." Abruptly her face clouded with guilt. "I was gonna put Aura on the spot, make her admit she was leading Karl on so you would stop acting like a blind buffoon. Then you went and put Karl on the spot. I guess that makes me as bad as you." She seemed bummed at the realization.

"Wow, Sloane, I had no idea you were so conniving."

"I didn't either. It's not something to admire."

"Yes, it is, when applied to you. Do you know how impossible it is to get you to stop standing on the sidelines all the time? You did something bitchy. That's worth bitcoin right there."

To my delight, she reached out and punched my biceps—if only half-heartedly, while staring down at the floor. "She is playing you, Asher. She…she flirts. A lot. With other guys. Even when you were together, she did it. I never said anything because I didn't feel like it was my place, but…"

"I know, babe."

Her eyes flew up. Her cheeks reddened. I decided I liked the splotchy look on her. "Don't call me that, you dork."

"I didn't call you that, I called you babe."

"Why? Why? Huh? Tell me why you keep doing that."

"Because it feels good."

Her chin jutted out. "If you know she's playing you, if you know the way she is, then doesn't it bother you?"

"I'm not worried about it. I told you, we're done."

"Really? Because what it looks like to me is you're getting back together with her."

The unhappy expression in her eyes—I'm not gonna lie. The idea that Charis wasn't thrilled about this reunion warmed the cockles of my heart…or do I mean the heart of my cock?

Point is, I took it as a sign that my extreme yearning for us to be together might not be entirely one-sided.

I shook my head deliberately. "We are never, not ever, getting back together. When have you ever known me to change my mind about anything?"

Her shoulders abruptly slumped. "Yeah, okay, well, so…does she know that?"

"She does."

"Then why is she even here?"

"She's still trying to get what she thinks she wants—me. But she doesn't, Sloane. That girl wants a man she can wrap around her little finger, and I'm not that flexible anymore."

"She and Karl are sending each other flirty texts."

I narrowed my eyes. "You knew about that?"

"He told me."

All the gooey goodness filling my balls evaporated. I ground my teeth. "Do you still plan to marry him?"

She hesitated, then nodded firmly. "Yes."

My jaw tic started bothering me. "And it doesn't matter to you that he's sitting at the table right now liplocked with Aura?"

"He's what?"

"Look for yourself," I invited, but she was already turning.

She jolted back. "Wow. They're…wow."

"Pretty blatant, huh? You think that's not going to be your life after Saturday?"

A giggle bubbled out of her. A fucking giggle. "Ah. Well. Boys will be boys, or however the saying goes. He can kiss who he wants. Girls can be girls too."

My foggy vision grew red. "Charis, marrying somebody is not a joke. It should mean something. It's a fucking sacred union. It shouldn't be a lie on paper."

She met my eyes, and I saw her register my expression. "You're really troubled about this. I don't get it. Why is it so important that we don't get married? Do you have a problem with my being in your family?"

"I have no problem with your being in my family. I just don't want you to suffer a world of hurt. I know how seriously you take marriage, so the fact that you're even doing this is a problem." I also have certain blocks against boning my brother's wife.

"And…that's it?"

She fucking well knew it wasn't. "No, that's not it, but that's damn well enough."

"Hey, guys."

We turned to see Karl and Aura standing there, holding hands. Karl was smiling wryly. Aura was glowing. I'd never seen her looking so giddy.

Honestly, in the few minutes we'd been gone, her mood had done a complete one eighty. She looked like the sun had just promised her it was going to shine on her and only her for the rest of her existence.

I'd never brought on a look like that.

I had the strangest feeling…

Karl raised Aura's hand in his to bring her wrist to his mouth and simultaneously saluted us with his right. "You're off the hook, squirt," he said to Charis. "I've explained my problem to Aura, and she's agreed to marry me instead."

After dropping that bomb, Karl bent and kissed Aura right there in front of us.

This time, I was the one who threw the punch.