Asher(5)
The night his dad got drunk and crashed into our car, killing my dad and scarring me for life.
***
I fight my way through the crowd. My goal is to get away—as far away from Asher as possible.
That means leaving the party, and although it sucks because it’s still early and I’ve already decided to fit in, blend in, make new friends and a new life, there’s no way I’m staying with him around.
Only Tess is my ride back and she’s nowhere to be seen. Panic tightens my throat. I kept glancing back over my shoulder. No idea why I think Asher might follow me. Why should he?
I’m getting out of here, ride or not. I might even walk back. I head toward the exit.
“Leaving already?” Zane is wrapped around a beautiful girl with skin like coffee and cream, and his slanted eyes have that glazed look of the happily inebriated.
“Yeah.” I glance around but still can’t see Tessa.
“But it’s early. We’re having a good time,” Zane whines, “aren’t we, Meg?”
The girl he’s hugging pats him on the arm and laughs. “Yes, Zane, we are.”
“See?” Zane brightens. “Come on, don’t go.”
“Why’s Asher here?” The words come out of my mouth before I realize. Crap.
“Asher? Ash Devlin?”
God, why am I even talking about this? “I need to get going. I’ll walk. It’s not far.”
“Wait, Audrey.” Zane lets go of the pretty girl—Meg, is it?—and runs a hand over the shaved side of his head. “Look, I didn’t expect Ash to be here tonight. Normally he works evenings, but he came over yesterday and he’s crashing on the couch for a few days. I didn’t think you’d mind. It’s been some time since you left town, since the accident, and I thought—”
“It’s fine.” But it isn’t.
I should have expected it, I realize in retrospect. He and Zane have been friends from way back. Zane who started as an apprentice in a tattoo parlor since age thirteen, inked Asher’s tat and they did everything together—especially since Ash stopped being best buddies with me.
“He’s changed,” Zane says quietly. “He won’t bother you. He doesn’t drink or get into fights anymore. He’s not a bad guy, Audrey, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Leave it be, okay?” God, Zane’s seeing right through me, and it hurts. Asher is volatile, unpredictable and a heart-breaker, I’ve learned that lesson in high school, and I just want out of here. I can’t breathe. “Tell Tessa—”
“Tell me what?” She comes toward me, a glass in her hand. “Audrey?”
“I’m leaving.”
She opens her mouth, closes it. Opens it again. “Now?”
“Yes, now.”
Zane is gesturing and mouthing something to her over my head.
Enough. I turn and head toward the door.
“Audrey, wait.” Tessa runs after me, her high heels clacking on the floor, glass still in hand. “So what if Ash is here?”
I stop. “How can you ask me that?”
“I didn’t know you’d be so upset.”
Suddenly all my warm fuzzy thoughts about our friendship go cold. Nobody seems to understand. “It’s too much,” I say. “I need to get out.”
“Okay.” Tessa leaves the glass on a table and grabs her purse from the hanger. “Come on.” Grabbing my arm, she marches me outside. We go down the stairs and head toward her Jeep. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize.”
I nod, trying to focus. “I’m driving. You’ve had too much to drink.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’ll walk home from your place. It’s only a couple of blocks.”
She sighs and throws me the car keys. “Okay. Just don’t tell my parents I let you drive. Or that I got drunk. Kay?”
We walk to the Jeep in silence, shivering in the cool evening breeze. I unlock the car and we quickly slip inside. I start the engine.
“Must be hard,” Tessa says, not looking at me, rubbing her hands over her legs. “This mess.”
“It is.”
“For both of you,” she deadpans.
Whatever. I don’t know what she’s talking about, and quite frankly I’m not in the mood to try and find out.
Chapter Two
Asher
Audrey is here. Right here, in front of me, more gorgeous than ever, curvier, her red hair loose, her green eyes bright. Seeing her is a punch to my gut, like every single time—an ache sharper than that of any physical wound.
But there’s pain in her gaze, and fear, and anger. She’s changed in many subtle ways. Like the scar on her cheek. I notice because I expect it, and it only makes her more beautiful in my eyes.