Chapter 2
“Come on! You promised you'd stay for a while. It would have been a waste of time to get here and look around for two seconds just to leave!” Flora whines as she grabs my arm, stopping my retreat.
“It's a waste of time anyways,” I mutter so she can't hear me as she drags me to get a drink.
We get our drinks and she looks around the clearing. She lets out a squeal so suddenly I almost drop my beer before she takes hold of my arm again. Annndd we’re back to dragging me. Sigh. Is there any way I can get out of this?
Doubtful.
“What the hell Flo?” I stumble after her, attempting to keep my beer in the cup.
“There's a huge ass log by the fire that only has one person on the very end! We can sit down,” she explains as we get closer to the fire.
“Whatever.” I sit down next to her and gaze into the fire, enjoying the warmth licking my skin.
I stay there for a while, sipping my nasty ass beer- I'll drink beer, just don't like it all that much. The cheap shit these guys bought is disgusting- and staring into the fire. I didn't even realize that Flora had left me to fend for myself until someone takes the spot she originally had beside me.
I can feel whoever it is staring at me, but I refuse to let them think I'm interested in conversation so I keep my eyes on the fire.
“I'm impressed with how you handled Nash today,” Asher says, breaking the silence after a few minutes.
Yeah, I'm not going to sit here and talk to Asher. That is definitely not on my to do list. I should probably get up and leave but I stay put, eyes glued to the flames in front of me. If I ignore him, he’ll just go away right? Right.
He chuckles softly. “You going to just ignore me?”
“Yup,” I reply and immediately groan. Damn it. Damn my inability to keep quiet when people are talking to me.
“You're trying to anyways. Why is that?”
I finally turn to glare at him. “Are you fucking kidding me? Why would I waste my breath talking to a grade A douchebag?”
His eyes widen slightly as he watches me but says nothing.
“You, your girlfriend and all your little fucking trolls - I’m not talking about the cute kind, I mean the kind that hides under bridges- made my life hell growing up. I thought I'd be able to get away with being at this school because I heard all of you were going to be elsewhere. From your own mouths because you never stop talking about yourselves. Granted you didn't join in until you moved here senior year, so at least you have that going for you. Doesn't mean I want to talk to you.”
I leave my beer on the ground as I stand up and walk away. I don't know where I'm going I just need to get away from him. I ignore everyone who tries talking to me until I’m finally in the woods, not deep, but not on the edge. Not far from the bonfire but far enough that I’m mostly out of sight and out of mind.
A branch snaps under someone’s foot from behind the tree I’m leaning against and I let out a deep sigh.
“Seriously, leave me alone.” My tone is tired, cluing in how sick of this crap I am. I look up when Asher moves in my line of sight. He looks relaxed, although a little confused. His hands are stuffed in the pockets of his dark jeans as he watches me closely. The scrutiny of his gaze making me squirm a little.
“Why’d you come to this party if you weren’t even going to talk to anyone or enjoy yourself?” He didn’t sound like he was trying to be rude, just curious.
I sigh. “If you must know, I was dragged here.”
“You didn’t want to come?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Give you one guess.”
He’s quiet as he thinks about it. “I honestly don’t know,” he admits with a shrug.
“Because if there is a party then your girlfriend and your entire little group is usually there and I deal with enough abuse from you assholes during the day, I don’t need to deal with it on a night out.”
He’s quiet for several minutes, digesting my words before he lets out a long sigh. “Carmen and I aren’t together anymore. I broke up with her yesterday.” He pauses, taking his hands out of his pockets before continuing. “I’m sorry for how I treated you in high school. There really isn’t a good excuse other than I was a dick. I’d like to think I’ve grown up a little since then.”
“Apology accepted,” I say quietly. “It doesn’t change my feelings about shit like this though.”
“That’s understandable.”
“So what brought on the break up?” I wasn’t going to ask but I’m curious and my filter is apparently nonexistent today.
He laughs. “Caught her in bed with my brother.”
My mouth drops open before I can stop it. “Well shit. I knew she was a bitch but I didn’t think she’d cheat on you when she was all over you all the time.”
“She tried claiming it was because she thought that he was me since we’re twins but we both know that was a lie. Told her it was over and she’s convinced that I’m kidding and we’re still together.”
“I don’t envy you that attention. Although I have plenty of her attention on me anyways.”
“Yeah, I noticed that.” He looks away from me, his expression thoughtful.
“What?”
“What what?” He asks.
“What’s with the face?”
“The face?” He chuckles. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Your expression smartass. What was with it?”
He watches me for a heartbeat before answering. “I think the reason she goes after you the way she does is that she’s jealous of you.”
I laugh. “Jealous I’m not a toxic poison probably. Other than that I don’t see what she has to be jealous about.”
His smile is soft and secretive when he shakes his head. “That’s one of the reasons she has to be jealous, that’s for sure. I doubt you’d believe me if I told you the rest.”
I give him a shit-eating grin. “Damn, good looking and smart. Who knew?”
He laughs. “It’s not that hard to figure out that you don’t care for me or my friends Melody. Not that much of a leap to assume you won’t believe a damn word I tell you.”
I shrug, still grinning like a fool. “Truth hurts huh?”
He shakes his head and chuckles softly before coming closer, brushing his arm against mine as he looks out into the darkness of the woods with me.
“If you hate these things why'd your friends leave you alone? I'd think they'd stay by you to make sure you don't leave.”
I close my eyes and let out a low groan. “Flora’s probably hoping I'll get laid. Who the hell knows what the woman thinks anymore.”
Asher chokes out a laugh. “I take it she says that often or you wouldn't have said that.”
I shrug. “She tells me I need to get laid almost every day at least once.” I pause and start walking out of the woods to get myself another beer. “I'm not anywhere near drunk enough to be talking about… well, much of anything with you.” Asher snorts as he follows me. “Sorry, not sorry.”
“No one can accuse you of not being honest,” he points out with a laugh.
“Damn straight.”
We get our beers and head back for the bonfire. I pout when I notice that there aren’t any empty spots by the fire anymore. I peek at Asher in the corner of my eye while he’s taking a drink. “You’re an ass.”
He chokes on his drink, making me snicker as he coughs for several seconds before he can breathe normally. “What the hell?”
“What? You drove me away from the perfect spot next to the fire and there’s nowhere to sit now. Ergo, you’re an ass.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “I didn’t drive you away, I spoke like two words to you and you essentially told me to fuck off.”
I purse my lips, narrowing my eyes on him. “So why didn’t you?”
He grins. “Because I’ve never seen the snarky side of you. It’s interesting and I never really know what you’re going to say. Keeps me on my toes. Just wondering where all this sass was when we were in high school.”
“It wasn’t there. The sass as you so affectionately call it isn’t actually sass or snark. It’s anger. Frustration. Sadness.”
He looks at me, questions written all over his gorgeous face. I shake my head and look away so I’m not tempted to tell him about my father’s death over the summer and all the anger and frustration I feel towards almost everyone around me since then.
To say I’ve been struggling with my dad’s death is an understatement. I think the main reason I struggle with it so much is because I feel like it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t needed a ride that night he would never have been on the road. He never would have been hit by the drunk driver and he would still be here. I’ve always been a daddy’s girl and when mom and dad divorced a few years ago I stayed with him. Mom and I aren’t close, we almost always fight whenever we see each other because I’m not doing what she wants me to do with my life.
“I’m sorry,” Asher’s voice breaks me out of my depressing thoughts. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
I shrug. “It’s not your fault. Let’s just avoid this subject please.”
He smiles softly. “You got it.” He takes my hand and leads me a little bit past the fire to where there are a handful of different pickup trucks parked, all with the backs open with several people sitting in the beds. He walks up to a black one on the end and tells the guys lounging there to get lost.
I raise my eyebrow at him and he smirks.
“This is my truck. I’m not just telling them to get lost to get you alone.” He helps me up onto the edge of the bed and hops up next to me. “Besides it doesn’t look like we’ll be alone for long anyways.”
“What do you mean?”
He points into a crowd on the left and I see not only Flora and Keegan but Carmen and her bimbo’s. It looks like Flora’s trying to get to us first but Carmen and her friends are too far ahead of them so unless Flora runs she won't beat them to us.
“Oh goody,” I mutter into my drink before downing it quickly. I need something stronger than beer. This shit’s just not cutting it.
“Don't worry about Carmen. I'll get rid of her.” Asher jumps down and intercepts the group of angry females before they can get close.
Flora bounces past them with Keegan trailing lazily behind her.
“What the hell?” Flora hisses. “Please tell me I'm just seeing things and you were not hanging out with Asher!”
“You aren't and weren't seeing things Flo,” Keegan says as he steps beside her, throwing his arm around her shoulders. “Our little Melody is growing up.” He sniffles.
“Fuckin’ smartass,” I grumble, kicking my leg out, connecting with his thigh.
“Ow! Son of a bitch Mel!”
“Quit being a dick.” I sigh and look at Flora who’s face is showing all kinds of conflicting emotions. She looks like she doesn't know whether to be pissed, laugh, or cry. “To answer your question, Asher’s a bigger, manly version of you. He wouldn't shut up and he dragged me over here.”
Keegan snorts and brings his cup to his mouth muttering to himself. Flora reaches over and smacks his stomach making him spit his drink out.
“Don't be a dick K.”
“You weren't supposed to hear that,” he says with a snicker.
“You're draped over me and your mouth is by my ear. I think you wanted to get hit,” Flora points out with a eat-shit-and-die smirk.
“What the hell are you guys going on about?” I ask, watching them closely. It could just be me but I’m suddenly feeling tension in the air surrounding my friends. Keegan’s always been touchy with us and usually one of us is holding the other in one way or another but this tension is definitely not normal.
“It's nothing.” Flora glances at Keegan before turning back to me. “Now explain to me what the hell is going on please.”
“How can you sound so rude but so pleasant at the same time?” I stare at her and have to fight my smile when she narrows her eyes at me. “Honestly? I have no clue what the hell is going on. He just started talking to me and then wouldn’t leave me alone.”
“Hmm.” Flora purses her lips together. We watch as Asher talks to Carmen and I have to admit that I give him props for not losing his shit. She’s almost screaming at him about cheating on her with me -HA that’s laughable. She's obviously not thinking straight- while she pokes him in the chest, anger all over her face. Her friends stand there watching with their standard angry robot faces, not speaking. Guess someone had need for some back up that won’t do a damn thing.
I’m speechless as I watch Carmen’s eyes fill with tears a second before she brings her hand back to slap Asher. A split second before her hand connects to his face, Asher grabs her wrist and pulls her close to him, whispering in her ear before letting her go and stepping away from her.
Carmen stays where she is, her teary eyes darting to me and narrowing in angry slits before she turns to leave, her friends following after her.
She turns and stomps away from him, her friends trailing behind her and he comes back to sit in his spot on the truck.
We stare at him until he finally breaks the silence. “What?”
Faye grins. “Impressive. I wish like hell I had that super power whenever we have to deal with her ass. You're my hero Asher.”
I roll my eyes fighting a chuckle while he gives her a bemused look. “Don't ask,” I tell him, grinning.
He arches a brow at me before shrugging and drinking from his cup.
“So Asher. What are you planning to do with Mel tonight?” Faye asks.
Asher coughs into his drink. I give Faye a look. “Subtle like an exploding mine Faye.”
She shrugs one shoulder to the side with a smirk firmly planted on her face. “I failed at subtle didn't I?”
“Admirably,” I admit, nodding my head and lifting my cup in a toast to her. “Crazy ass.”
“Hey, you love my crazy ass, don’t judge.” Faye grabs Keegan’s hand and starts dragging him away as she gives me a wink. “We’re just going to go hang out over here, let you guys have some time to yourselves.”
I groan when they disappear into the crowd. “What the hell is wrong with her?”
Asher chuckles, “I think your friend thinks it’s a good idea for me to be hanging out with you.”
I smirk. “Don’t sound so sure of yourself there Asher. I told you what her goal for me has been lately.” His lips curl up as an eyebrow raises. My cheeks burn when I realize that I didn’t say anything about me not sleeping with him. I mean, he’s hot as hell but I don’t really want to sleep with Asher. Do I?
I bite the inside of my cheek as I blatantly check him out, not caring if he notices, he probably already believes he’s getting laid tonight.
I definitely wouldn’t kick him out of bed for eating that’s for sure. Would it be so bad to take him home? He won’t leave me be, so might as well see if this will go farther than right now but no farther than tomorrow morning.
“What are you thinking?” Asher asks, breaking the silence.
“Hm? Oh, uh, nothing.” My face is burning and it takes everything in me to keep my eyes on his.
His expression doesn’t change from the knowing smirk and quirked eyebrow. “I don’t believe you, but I’ll let that slide.”
“Fantastic,” I say with a grin before downing the rest of my beer. I lift it to him and put on a sweet smile. “Get me another drink?”
He laughs, taking my cup from me. “Sure thing, Kitten.”
I lift a brow at him, trying to hide the smile and the fact that I like that he called me Kitten. “The fuck is with the pet name?”
He chuckles softly. “You remind me of an angry kitten sometimes.” I purse my lips as I think about it. I give him a shrug and a smile because I can’t deny that I can be kind of catty, especially lately. His lip twitches as he watches me, his eyes glowing with amusement. “I’ll be back with your drink.”