Chapter 10
Chapter 10:
Asher and I finally arrive at his house, his car pulling up in front of the mansion. He switches off the engine, and we step out in silence. Throughout the drive, neither of us has said a single word. I noticed him glancing at me a few times, but that was it.
I can’t help but wonder what is going on, but I don’t like this shift in energy between us. It feels like a heavy tension pressing on my mind. He opens the front door, and we enter the house.
When we reach the sitting room, I watch him sink into one of the long sofas. He bows his head, rubbing his forehead with one hand. I sit beside him.
“Hey,” I say softly. “Are you alright p>
“Yeah. I’m fine.” His voice is low and gentle, but there’s something strained in it that makes me anxious rather than reassured.
I want to press further, but before I can speak, Asher lifts his head. His emerald-green eyes lock onto mine, staring so deeply it feels as though he’s searching my thoughts through my gaze.
We’re sitting so close on the sofa, our skin brushing, and his silent stare sparks a fire of desire that burns in the pit of my stomach. My fingers tighten around Dominic’s card, its edges digging into my palm. I want to speak, but why can’t I form a single word?
“Isla,” his voice is soft as he calls my name, and I swallow. His eyes flicker down to my lips, lingering there, and I swallow again. briefly, I wonder if I’m imagining things. Do I love Asher so much that I’m starting to see illusions?
“Can I ask you something?” His question pulls me from my spiraling thoughts. I blink, grounding myself again.
“What is it?” I ask.
He looks away briefly, then turns his gaze back to my face. “Have you ever thought about dating anyone before? Like, you know, having an actual boyfriend? I’m not talking about your summer flings p>
I chuckle softly. His question is wild enough, but the way he adds in my “summer flings” makes it sound even funnier. Still, I can’t help but wonder where this question is leading.
“Asher, why are you asking me this?” I blurted out, hoping the nervousness crawling up my throat would stay buried in my stomach.
“It’s just… I saw you accepting Dominic’s card today, and it made me realize you’ve never actually dated anyone before. I wanted to know if maybe you’re thinking of having a real thing with this Dominic guy—if you’re considering giving him a chance p>
“Why do you want to know if I’m thinking of giving Dominic a chance?” I asked.
“Isla, come on, are you asking me that?” He scoffed. “Aren’t friends supposed to know stuff like that about each other?” He finished, raising his brows in surprise.
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I was surprised too at my own question. I didn’t even know where it had come from. Asher was right. Even if I vanished to the ends of the earth to date someone, Asher, Ethan, and definitely Sandra would flush me out, no matter where I hid in the universe.
They were my best friends. Of course they deserved to know whoever became my boyfriend.
“Well, Asher,” I shrugged, “to be honest, I don’t know p>
And truly, in my heart of hearts, I didn’t know. I let out a silent sigh. “It’s just… Dominic seems nice. He’s funny and interesting to talk to, and he has this easy aura about him. But apart from those things, I don’t think I like him enough to date him p>
“Date him? Isn’t that fast?” Asher asked, his voice pitched slightly higher than normal, with a noticeable edge to it. Something about the way he shifted on his side of the sofa made me feel like something was off.
“Asher, I didn’t mean literally dating him. In fact… what do you think?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
no.
I wanted to swallow the question back down. His answer could do one of two things: break my heart completely, or give me the faintest glimmer of hope that maybe, one day, we could be more than best friends.
“Well,” he shrugged, “that’s up to you, Isla. I can’t tell you who to date or who not to date. Dominic seems cool. It’s just… I didn’t like the way he stared at you, like some manwhore p>
I laughed, slapping him on the shoulder. “Well, it’s not his fault he stared at me like that. You know I’m too damn beautiful p>
A long silence followed my joke. A silence that wrapped around Asher and me as we stared into each other’s eyes. I felt my smile fade, and My throat tightened as the quiet grew heavier. The steady rhythm of our breathing, and for some ridiculous reason, I started counting it. Numbering each inhale and exhale, as if it could distract my heart from pounding so loudly in my chest.
I wanted to stand or say something, but the way Asher’s eyes were locked on mine had me frozen to the sofa, my lips sealed shut.
The air between us was heavy with a new, vibrating energy that churned my stomach with burning butterflies. Asher’s eyes shifted from mine to my lips, and I welcomed the fire it lit inside me. I was tired of holding in my feelings, and I didn’t know how much longer I could hide them with the object of my maddening desire sitting so dangerously close.
My gaze slipped to his lips, and I was so lost in their tempting fullness that I didn’t notice his hand rising until I felt it on my chin, tilting my face toward him. I didn’t resist.
His face was so close the warmth of his breath against my cheek. Heat shivered down my spine, my pulse hammered erratically against my chest. My head screamed at me to pull away, but Asher’s touch paralyzed me. Weakened me. Bent me to his will.
I felt his lips graze the edge of mine, and my eyes fluttered closed as they pressed firmly against me, stealing my breath away.