The past evening had been a blur of good feelings. I was so content that I’d dozed without meaning to. When I woke, my happiness lingered, looking over at Asher. After so long, he had finally kissed me on the mouth. I still couldn’t believe it. For so long I had thought that he was withholding f
I hated it. I could grasp how the parts of the body connected and how they moved, but retaining the names of things required so much memorization. Only a few of the names were easy or familiar. I struggled to retain it all. And there didn’t seem any way to study for it besides repetition. Aimee ma
“Chase,” Asher said, turning to his brother. “This is Cynthia.” “Ah, there she is. A pleasure to finally meet you.” Chase stepped closer. Despite their similarities in appearance, Chase was far more expressive than Asher. His smile came easy, and was wide enough to show teeth. For a moment, I ju
“What happens now?” I asked, my heart in my throat. This felt like the end before we’d even begun. “Now, things get more complicated,” Chase said with a sigh. More complicated didn’t mean finished. “The article can still move forward?” “Oh, yeah. Trust me, now I’m even more curious. They defin
We moved aside my studying notes, and placed the knifed helmet on the table. Immediately, Asher retrieved his phone and began taking pictures. “For Chase and his article,” Asher said. “Should we call the police?” Asher hesitated for a moment. “No. We should let Joseph believe for now that his
My heart leapt forward in my chest. Did Asher just imply that he was my baby’s father to these girls accosting me? “You can’t mean…” the cheerleader sputtered. “Surely you’re not…” Asher shrugged like it was no big deal. “Why not?” Aimee laughed. “Yeah, why not?” I rubbed my forehead. What w
Even so, I wasn’t sure what his relationship with me would mean for our baby. I really wanted him to be the father, but… I also wanted to be a family. Mom, Dad, and child. If Asher wanted a platonic relationship, I didn’t know what that would mean for my family dream. I wasn’t ready to make my d
Asher adamantly did not want me to go to see the Vice President of the Academy, despite being summoned. I understood his concerns. Fear itself was quaking through me. But I couldn’t just ignore it and hoped it all went away. We already knew it wouldn’t. Asher gave it some thought, and then d
“Please.” That all sounded so good. I wanted it. I wanted everything. He stood to kick off the rest of his clothes. I watched, my mouth watering as he exposed his dick. He was so big, so hard just for me. Carefully, he moved me how he wanted me, stretching out my legs farther, and then slipped
Asher guided me back into the bedroom. As I stood near the bed, he walked behind me and slowly tugged down the zipper of my dress. His knuckles traced the newly-revealed skin inch by inch, following down the length of my spine. When the zipper had lowered as much as it could go. He spread his hand
I held my breath as Dylan threw the first punch. Asher dodged back and Dylan’s fist flew through the open air. Asher then stepped forward, ready to retaliate. Dylan backpedaled, placing a few feet between them again. In a flash, Dylan moved close again. His speed was lightning-quick. I barely even
“’Might?’” He squeezed me gently. “It will be fine. Trust me.” I did trust him, with my life and more. But… this was my brother. My brother and the love of my life were about to fight a challenge with yet unknown terms that would undoubtedly involve me and my baby. I couldn’t help but be a b
I opened my mouth to begin to explain, but the truth seemed worse than even Dylan’s worst assumptions. No, Asher isn’t the father of my baby. The father is actually a terrible person who is now in prison. But Dylan wasn’t waiting for me to figure out a softer way to explain, and Asher was no hel
On the evening of the Academy’s winter dance, I slipped into my shining purple gown and checked myself out in the bathroom mirror. Gone were the days when I could pass as not pregnant. Now, my bump was a distinctive round bulge, pressing out the front of my gown – which I had bought in the materni
“I… um…” I had no idea how to answer Dylan. Panic set in, sending my heart into overdrive. Should I admit to Asher being beside me? It was getting late at night. Surely Dylan would have follow-up questions. Like, why was Asher in my room after dark. “Oh, shit, I have to go,” Dylan said suddenly.
Asher’s words stole my breath away. For a long moment, I simply stared at him, desire coiling inside of me. He stared back, his blue eyes deep as the ocean. I swallowed thickly. I couldn’t wait to go home with him and see all of his promises in action. Nancy cleared her throat from the doorway.
The real Asher was safely behind the line of fake wolves. He glanced back at me in concern. I understood his worry. Holding this many projections was a strain. But I was done running. I was done standing back. Joseph would lose. And I would help bring him down. In the circle, Joseph started to