"So am I forgiven now?" she asked as she handed him his coffee. Currently, they were inside her living room, having coffee. After spending a little time at the park Serena had insisted for him to come to her place for lunch. She knew very well that the pie was just a drop in the ocean for his large appetite. She hadn't made anything fancy, just the regular stuff but enough to sate his appetite. The look of satisfaction that appeared on his face after he was finished eating had brought unparalleled joy to her. "Whose idea was it?" he asked referring to the double date. Serena settled down beside him. "Shanice. She thought it would be fun to have double dates. But I should have asked you first," she replied. Asher gave a stiff nod in response. "Ask her how much it cost her. I will pay her back," he remarked, his voice suddenly adopting a stern tone. Serena straightened up. "I already asked her but she dismissed it saying we shouldn't worry about it," Serena told him. Asher clenched
Hot fury surged through Asher. He pushed forward to teach these scums of gutter a hard lesson but only to be stopped in his track by a gentle force bound around him. Upon glancing down, he found her hiding in his shirt. Her frail arms were wrapped around him and her face was buried into his chest. All he could see was her hair which was coiled into a top-knot. She had tightened her grip around him after sensing he was about to draw away. She needed him close to feel safe. Somehow her fear weakened his impulse and he stayed put. Asher looked around. It was only them on the street. They shouldn't have wandered about mindlessly at such hour. "Let us go," Asher negotiated, looking around and memorizing each face to the groove of his brain. The man with the knife came closer. "Give us everything you have," he demanded. Asher ground his jaw but complied. He reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. Keeping Serena close with his one arm, he threw it towards him with his other
Serena waited but Asher didn't come to the class today as well. She scowled internally thinking back to yesterday when he made her study continuously for three hours. Now he was skipping classes without a care. He doesn't seem serious for someone who keeps telling her to study as exams are approaching. As she was headed towards her next class, someone gripped her wrist and pulled her inside the room. Her back hit a hard surface. Before she could scream, a hand clamped down on her mouth. She bit down hard into the palm. "Ouch," Asher hissed, immediately removing his hand from her mouth. Serena recognized his voice and swiftly turned to see his face screwed in pain. "Asher? Why did you do that?" she scolded him. She clutched her chest, beneath which her heart was racing miles per second. "And where were you? You didn't even attend the class?" she demanded, sounding annoyed. "I went somewhere," he offered a vague reply. She furrowed her brows at him."Where?" she asked. Asher frow
Tom's palm met Asher's cheek in a resounding slap. A small pool of blood oozed from the cut on his cheek caused by his ring. Asher balled his hands into tight fists in an attempt to keep himself from returning the gesture. Initially, when his dad used to beat him, he would wrap around his legs and beg for mercy. He would apologize even when he wasn't wrong. The little boy just wanted his dad's affection. He wanted him to love him like he loved Ashton. But his dad never showed him mercy, much less love. He would beat him until he fainted. Sometimes Asher felt that his dad wanted him to die. Too bad, death didn't want him either. "I will not have you ruin my reputation," Mr. Carter asserted with another striking slap causing his face to whip the other side. His brows knitted as he heard a ringing in his ear. He wasn't allowed to dwell much on it as Tom seized his chin and jerked his face towards him. "Why did you mangle Clark's car?" Tom demanded in a venom-laced tone. Tom's
The moon above bore witness as the girl selflessly gave all her warmth to the boy and took in all his despair. She soaked up every drop of melancholy he oozed and glowed from within- brighter than the moon itself. She let him as he pulled her closer and closer- nearly suffocating her- greedy for more of her warmth. She possessed a healing aura. A soothing, calming aura like that of rain. She had the ability to calm the most frantic of hearts with her presence alone. And only she owned it in this whole world. Maybe that's why he came to her of all the places, craving her soothing aura. He could already feel the chaos inside him slowly receding. He felt all those demonic thoughts retreating to the obscured pit of his mind. He didn't wish to kill anyone anymore. He was basking in peace. She calmed his chaos- like rain to the wildfire. After a long while, he decided to release her. He appeared calmer now but embarrassed too for displaying his vulnerable side to her. When he finally li
"I showed your gift to my friends and they liked it too," Serena revealed to Asher as they walked together towards their class. "Really? What did they say?" Asher pried. "Mendy and Kim couldn't stop awing at it and Shanice...well, she was totally stunned. Her eyes nearly bugged out as though she had seen some ghost," Serena giggled as she recalled Shanice's expression. The girl had looked so comical. Asher smirked. So she recognized it. "Did she say anything?" Asher asked a perk in his tone now. "Yes. She said it's pretty," the guileless girl revealed. Asher nodded, smirking in triumph. .............It's staggering how quickly time flies. It felt like only yesterday when she had met Shanice for the first time and now she was helping her pack her bags. Shanice was leaving their small town for LA with Reed tomorrow. She was flying out to live her dreams. And while Serena was happy for her, she was a little sad too. She hated goodbyes. "I am going to miss you," Serena felt te
Serena assessed his appearance and couldn't help the line of concerns that creased her face. He was drenched in rain from tip to toe, his eyes bloodshot, jaw clenched. He looked like a mess. "What's wrong?' she asked in concern. He stared at her for a whole minute, debating internally. She was dying to know the cause of his condition. "Can I stay here with you for a few days?" he questioned, sounding embarrassed. Serena was taken aback by his request. It was then her eyes caught the sight of his backpack which he was holding in his hand. Her concern grew but she bit her tongue on it. She nodded and sidestepped for him to get in. Raindrops trailed behind him as he walked in with his head downcast. "I'll get the towel," she stated and disappeared inside her room to get it. Asher dropped the bag to the floor and raked a hand through his wet hair. Even the rain couldn't douse the inferno of rage hissing through his brain. Serena came back with a towel in his hand. "Here," she nudg
Serena set down the box on the study table in front of him. Asher paused scribbling in his diary. His gaze flickered to the box and then he glanced up at her in confusion. She was standing over him with a beaming smile on her face. She motioned for him to open the box. He reached out a hand and opened it only to find a pair of glasses sitting inside. It looked very much like his earlier glasses but with an expensive touch to it. "You liked them?" she asked in a hopeful tone. Asher raised his gaze to her. Her smile faltered upon seeing his bothered expression. "How much did it cost you?" he enquired with a frown on his face. "Not as much as you think. The storekeeper is a regular to our clinic so I had them at a discount," she lied with a shrug to not make him feel bad. Asher sighed."Serena, I don't want you to splurge on things..""It's not splurging, Asher. It's a basic necessity. You needed them.," she said with a reassuring smile. He would never say it out loud but she knew he