The Space Between Us(6)

"He gave you a nickname? That's cute," Reeve commented, turning back to  the mirror that was magnetically stuck to the inside of our locker as  she finished putting on some lipstick.

I began to blush, trying to think of something to say when Asher saved me.

"Name the last time you didn't think something was 'cute'," he said, using his fingers to make air quotation marks.

"What? It's sweet the way you treat Charlie. People who don't know you  probably think you have a massive crush on her, but I know better. She  just totally has a big brother idolization of you and you have some  weird need to be her bodyguard. You're going to have to get over that,  Asher," Reeve said, pointing at him. "This year boys are going to start  wanting to ask Charlie out, and they won't have the chance if you're  always giving them those death stares and maintaining a three-foot  bubble around her."

"He doesn't do that," I scoffed.

"Uh, yes he does. He has ever since seventh grade when Brady Collins told Asher he had a crush on you."

"Brady Collins had a crush on me?"

"No," Asher answered quickly.

"No?" Reeve challenged.

"No. He said he thought you were cute, not that he had a crush on you."

"And what is the difference?" Reeve asked with a smirk.

"Wait, he thought I was cute?"

"If he thought you were cute in seventh grade, he's gonna go crazy for  you this year, Charlie." Asher groaned and ran his hand through his  hair. That was something new I'd never seen him do before.

"What did you say to him, Asher?" I asked.

"Nothing. I just told him that you didn't date, that your dad probably wouldn't let you."

The idea that Asher had chased Brady off made me feel weirdly happy, but I knew I didn't want him to know that.

"You were probably right," I admitted. I wasn't even sure my dad would  let me date now in ninth grade. Reeve put her bag in the locker and  grabbed a notebook then slammed the locker door.

"All I'm saying is that Asher's got his work cut out for him this year  if he thinks he's going to continue this whole Protecting Charlie's  Innocence thing he's been doing for so long."

"I'm not protecting her innocence," he grumbled.

"Wow, look who filled out this summer! Charlie, my backseat's got your  name all over it." The offensive words came from a guy we'd gone to  school with before, but hadn't seen in a few years because he was older  than us. The words hadn't even made it all the way out of his mouth  before Asher pushed him up against the wall of lockers. His forearm  pressed into the boy's neck, and I heard Asher growling some words at  him, but I couldn't make them out. The boy against the lockers held his  hand up as if surrendering, and after a few moments Asher let him go. I  saw his shoulders moving up and down rapidly, and heard his breaths  whooshing in and out of his lungs quickly.

I was frozen where I stood. I had never seen Asher be even remotely  violent. I had no idea what I should do. Asher finally turned around to  look at me, but I didn't recognize the look in his eyes; it was nothing I  had ever seen from him. He held my gaze for a moment, then turned and  walked the opposite direction. It was all I could do to watch him walk  away. I wanted to go after him, but I didn't know what to say, and I,  honestly, was a little bit scared of him at the moment.

"What was that?" I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.

"That, my friend, was Asher claiming his territory," Reeve replied.

"What territory?"

"You."

"He doesn't think of me as territory."

"Well, that guy's throat begs to differ," she said motioning towards the  guy still trying to recover from Asher's outburst. Something in my gut  tried to tell me that this was huge. Something changed in the last five  minutes, something that was going to alter our friendship. I could feel  it.

"Come on. Let's find our classes."



I didn't see Asher for the rest of the school day. I looked for him  every time I turned a corner, every time I walked down the hallway.  During lunch I thought for sure I would see him walk through the doors  to the cafeteria, but he never showed up. This was not how our first day  of high school was supposed to go. I was sad he wasn't around for me to  talk to, to see how his day was going, but even more than that, I was  worried about him.

By the end of the day I was frazzled and anxious. Reeve stayed after for  an orientation, so I went to leave and started the walk home. Very few  times in the last four years had I walked home from school alone. Unless  he was sick, Asher always walked with me. His absence from the walk  felt deeper than it should have. Him not being there to walk me home  felt like I had lost him in another way completely. I pushed open the  heavy metal door that led to the side of the building that pointed  towards my house.                       
       
           



       

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Asher standing at the edge of the  school property, waiting for me. I tried to keep my pace steady and not  rush to him, but I couldn't help it. When I finally made it to him my  arms moved without my permission and wrapped around his waist and I  pressed my cheek against his chest. We never really hugged all that  much, and when we did it was simple, friendly, and over quickly. This  was different.

When his arms came around my shoulders and pulled me into him, I  breathed a sigh of relief. A peace and a calm that I had been seeking  all day in his absence flooded my system. I took a few steadying breaths  and couldn't help but notice that he smelled amazing. I might have  taken a few extra breaths just to make sure I got my fill of his new and  enticing scent.

"I was worried about you," I mumbled into his chest. I felt him pull  away, but not far enough that he had to let go of me. I looked up at  him.

"You're not mad at me?" I didn't understand why he thought I would be angry and I took a step back in confusion.

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"Cause I totally lost my cool on that guy." He sounded so angry with himself and I just wanted to make him feel better.

"He was a jerk." He looked down at his feet now, hands in his pockets.  "What he said wasn't cool and I'm glad someone was there to stick up for  me."

"I saw your face. When I turned around, I saw it. You were scared of me."

What was I supposed to say to that? Was I scared? Yes, a little. But not  really of him. I was afraid of the situation, that it was going to get  out of hand, that perhaps Asher was going to get hurt.

"I wasn't afraid of you. I was caught off guard is all." His eyes  snapped up to mine, the grey in them was darker, alluding to his  distress.

"I'd never hurt you, Charlie. Not ever. Not physically, not emotionally, not in any way."

"Asher, stop. I know that."

"I never want to see you look at me like that again."

"What happened, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he said something stupid and you kind of just lost your mind.  What happened?" He shook his head slightly then shrugged his shoulders.

"I heard what he said and, I don't know, something inside of me snapped.  The idea that he was thinking about you like that. The image of what he  said made a picture in my head. I just couldn't take it. Before I knew  what was happening, I had him up against the wall."

"What did you say to him?" He looked at me and I saw a moment of panic in his eyes, but it was gone in an instant.

"I didn't say anything to him." I cocked my head to the side and gave him a glare.

"I heard you say something to him, Asher. What did you say?"

"Honestly, if I said something, I don't remember. Maybe you just heard  the sound of my arms crushing his throat." He sounded disgusted with  himself. I felt terrible for him, but I also felt a tiny bit  responsible. Obviously I can't control what some random guy says about  me, but I couldn't help the feeling it gave me when I thought about the  fact that all this happened because Asher was trying to protect me.

"Well, I can guarantee you he won't be talking to me for the foreseeable future."

"Good." He said harshly.

"Where were you all day?"

"I left and went home. I was too angry at first to be there, then I just  decided to scrap the whole day and start over tomorrow."

"You didn't have to come back for me," I said, trying to hide the fact  that I secretly loved that he was here to walk me home. He gave me one  of the most beautiful smiles I'd ever seen.

"I'll always come back for you, Bit."





Chapter Four

It had been a few months since school started and things between Asher  and I were back to normal  –  almost. There weren't many more  uncomfortable situations between us. No more instances of touching  longer than usual or breathing him in just to keep his scent within me.  Guys at school were keeping their distance, although it was hard to tell  if it was just because of Asher's outburst the first day of school,  there still being some residual fear that if any of them spoke to me he  might go all caveman on them again, or if they had just gone back to not  noticing me like any other day. Either way, I didn't mind. It didn't  seem like my dad did either.