Spiked by Love(4)
I side-eye her. “Ally.”
“What? He says he just wants to talk.”
“And get in your pants. He’s a douchenozzle. Find someone else,” I urge as I try calling my brother. He doesn’t answer. “You don’t need that shit. You’re too good.”
She shrugs. “It’s nice to be wanted.”
“There are plenty of guys out there who want you, Ally. Stop settling for trash.”
“I guess.” She pulls out of her parking spot and hits the highway. “I’ll cancel the date.”
No, she won’t. I’m not stupid.
“Good,” I say, hoping she’ll do it, but I know she won’t.
Since I have nothing nice to say, I send a text in my family group chat.
Me: HOME! Hanging with Ally. I’ll see you guys soon.
Stella: You chose Ally over us?
Me: You’re all working or have things to do. Remember? No one could get me from the airport? Ally could.
Emery: So? We still want to feel important, and we all know you’d rather be with her.
Stella: For real. Like, why don’t y’all just get married and have babies and shit?
Mom: Girls, leave him be. And please don’t have babies yet. I’m too young for that. I’m seriously buying boxes of condoms for Aiden and Shelli to remind them of that. But I love you, Asher. I’ve missed you and can’t wait to see you.
Me: No babies, Mom. Costco is having a sale, I heard. Not that I need them.
Emery: Not for a long time, I assume. Since your ex is a lesbian.
Stella: HA BURRRRNNNN!!! Maybe you need to buy some burn cream from Costco too, Mom.
Me: I hate both of you.
Stella: But you loooooveeeeee Ally.
Emery: Ally and Asher sitting in a tree… I forgot the rest.
Me: Stop. You guys know she’s like a sister to me.
Stella: Because you’re hurting for sisters?
Me: Sane sisters, yes. I am hurting for those.
Emery: Whatever. We all know Ally isn’t interested in you. You’re a big ole loser.
Stella: And you play Dungeons & Dragons. No girl wants a man like that. That’s probably why Jasmine was sleeping with a girl.
Dad: Girls, really? Be nice. Good to have you home, son. See you soon. Love you.
Me: Stella, you will die alone with your makeup. And Emery, you better hope Mom and Dad save up enough money to sell you to someone so he can deal with you. Love you too, Mom and Dad.
Aiden: Damn, are y’all on your periods? Welcome home, bro. Sorry I didn’t answer. Busy. See you soon.
Right after that text, Stella and Emery each send me the middle finger emoji, and I snicker as I tuck my phone into my pocket.
“My sisters are on a whole other level.”
Ally meets my gaze and rolls her eyes. “What else is new? Did I tell you that Stella was at Maxim’s house when Posey showed up?”
For the love of Pete. It’s always been Posey, Ally, and me. We were the group out of all the Assassins kids that hung out the most. Posey is the daughter of the famous Shea Adler, the legendary hockey defensemen, and she’s also Ally’s cousin in a chosen kind of way. Her sister, Shelli, is engaged to Aiden. Posey, we love her—though, again, I feel my girl best friends have the worst taste in dudes. She chased after this fuckface that didn’t love her and got her heart broken when he told her so. I’ll give it to her; it was the kind of thing she’d never do, chasing a guy like that, but I wish it had been a guy who would be good to her. Stella being there… Yeah, I’d expect that. The guys love her, and she loves the attention.
“Why am I not surprised?”
“Yup, Stella was there, and apparently they had been in a relationship for a while, she and Maxim.”
I never liked Maxim. He was the billet boy for the Adlers and acted like he couldn’t speak English, but I think he could. He would fake like he couldn’t to get girls into bed. I played Call of Duty with him once, and he cussed really well in English. He isn’t even that good of a hockey player. Not sure what Stella saw in him. She wants that hard-core, badass kind of player.
She tiptoes that line of puck bunny real close, but she actually knows the game.
“Really?”
“It was bad. I thought Posey would hate Stella, but I guess they patched things up. Stella broke up with Maxim when she found out he was stringing Posey along too, so that was cool of her.”
“My sister is a good girl. She just doesn’t have any impulse control.”
“Well, in her defense, she does have ADHD.”
I nod. “This is true. Impulse control isn’t a part of her chemical makeup.”
“Nope, and I’m just glad that she doesn’t suffer from anxiety or depression because ADHD can cause—”
“My brain hurts. I don’t want to talk about my sister’s ADHD.” I meet her grin. She’s a damn genius, Ally is, and the things she wants to do in the sports psychology field are downright amazing, but my sister is the last thing I want to talk about. “I know you’re all super smart, and that class, the one about chemical makeup and how it’s not just genetics that plays into who you are, tickles your pickle, but I’m exhausted and hungry.”
She laughs. “Aw, you listen when I talk.”
I scoff. “Like you give me the option not to.”
“True,” she agrees, and then she says, “Truth?”
“Truth.”
“You sure?”
“Hit me with it.”
She smiles with guilt swirling in her green depths. “I don’t want to eat at Brooks House.”
I glance over to her. “Me either.”
She grins. “Regular spot?”
I nod. “Regular spot.”
Chapter Three
Asher
I rub my eyes with my balled-up fist as I groan. “I hate taking out my contacts.”
When I look up, Ally is looking at me with such annoyance. “Here’s an idea. Don’t wear them.” She hands me my glasses case. “You look way better with these on.”
I scoff. “No, I look like a dork. Can’t pick up women when I look like that.”
She rolls her eyes. “If they don’t like you when you resemble a goofy Harry Potter, then they shouldn’t get you when you look like—” She pauses, looking me over as I open my case and get out my glasses. I grin, flashing her my white teeth. “A not-so-goofy Harry Potter who’s on steroids.”
That has me laughing from my gut. “You ass.”
“It’s true!”
“Whatever.” We get out of the car and head into our favorite sushi place. It’s a little late, but we have about an hour to consume my favorite meal. “You should have called Posey. What’s she doing?”
“Out with this new guy she’s dating.”
My brow perks. Posey isn’t one to date. Hence why I was surprised she ran after that idiot Maxim. “No shit?”
“Yeah, she likes him a lot, even though she doesn’t want to admit it.”
I hold the door for Ally. “Who is he?”
“Plays for the Assassins. Boon Hoenes?”
“Don’t know him.”
“Nor do I. I haven’t met him yet, but she seems pretty smitten. Lost her virginity to him,” she says with a wink.
My jaw drops. “About fucking time.”
She snorts. “Right? She was clutching on to that thing like a life vest.”
We laugh as we head to our table, but Ally stops suddenly, which causes me to run into her with an oomph. I look past her to see the very person we were just speaking of making out with a really huge dude. “Ew! Get a room!”
Posey looks over at us, but the guy continues to look at Posey. As if he is trying to consume her with his eyes.
“You’re just jealous,” she says, leaning on the table.
Ally snorts, and my grin grows. I love that little snort she makes. It’s almost a laugh but not quite. Like she’s amused, but she doesn’t find you hysterical. I think I’m one of the only people who’s ever really heard her hysterical laugh. Posey has too.
“Maybe. But look who I just picked up.”
She moves to the side, presenting me like she’s Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune, and I grin. I throw up my hands, wiggling my fingers, and Posey squeals. I haven’t seen her in almost two years; I missed her the last time I was here. She slides out of the booth and wraps her arms and legs around me as I hug her tightly. There isn’t a moment in my childhood where I don’t remember being with Posey. Sometimes, I was with her more than Ally. Mostly because Ally went off to play volleyball internationally when she graduated high school, which left just Posey and me to hang.
“Asher! I’ve missed you so much!”
“Right back at you,” I say, tucking her into my side. I drink her in features, and I’m blown away. She’s always been a beautiful girl, but something has changed. There is such light in her eyes, her face is full of color, and man, she’s gorgeous. Confidence. She has confidence. I squeeze her again and grin down at her, but then I make the mistake of looking up at the guy she was just making out with. If looks could kill, I would be dead about a million times. I want to laugh, but he’s so big and looks ready to rip off my head and piss down my neck. I hold my palm up to him in a wave. “Hey, man. Asher Brooks. Known Posey since I was born.”
I’m a tall guy, but this dude makes me look like a little person, and he’s sitting down. He takes my hand, shaking it extremely hard. If I could grimace and not look like a pussy, I would. “Boon Hoenes. Nice to meet you.”