"No reason why not."
"Don't you think it would upset him if you dated his ex?"
"Who knows?"
"You're kind of an ass sometimes, Karl, aren't you?"
He smiled. Karl was the opposite of a soap opera. Maybe that's why he and I had gotten on so well at Thanksgiving. I'd been deliberately steering clear of Aura, whose existence rippled up my pond, and Karl was all still waters and peace and calm.
I stared at a swirl of congealing cheese on pepperoni. "So what did Asher say about it exactly?"
"He was fairly grim. He said he had an idea and I should run it by you."
"Run it by me?"
"He thinks we should all double date."
Pizza suddenly flew all over my shirt. Grease and tomato were probably soaking through to my bra.
I brushed myself off frantically. "Let me get this straight. Your brother wants to go on a double date with us."
"Seems so."
"With Aura there as his date."
"Yeah."
"What about breaking up? Is he back together with her?" I murmured the question, but I didn't hear his answer. My head was spinning.
Then it hit me. Asher had gotten jealous! He caved! I knew this would happen!
"Karl, he's not over her, not by a long shot. Do you think she played him with you or … ?"
"Could be."
I flopped back down, my chest heaving, my belly feeling wrung out by cruel hands.
Fucking men!
Okay, maybe men was an exaggeration. My singular boyfriend had been nice, a real good guy-a little indecisive sometimes, like, for example, going out to eat was painful. But he made me feel good about myself, made me feel I was cute and interesting, and he admired my intelligence. We'd parted ways amicably when we graduated.
So I couldn't say I had any reason to be soured on men. Nobody had really done me wrong. But for whatever reason, right now I wanted to curse the whole lot of them.
I'd been so achingly tempted to believe Asher that he was over his relationship. When really, he was doing just what I dreaded-using me as a substitute for his girlfriend.
I felt humiliated, like I'd fallen for a line. Like he would really have a thing for me, Charis Sloane. He went for girly-girls, and I was about the most opposite of a girly-girl you could get.
Deep down, I'd known that was pure foolishness.
He was wiser, my ass. More like he was getting stupider every day since losing Aura.
And me, I'd lost a significant number of brain cells, too, to have let him engage me in those texts.
Now he wanted a double date. Probably for this go-round he'd gotten Aura to agree to make nice to me with the idea that we would all become one big happy family. We'd go everywhere together, him and Aura and me and Karl, holding hands and skipping along …
Okay, now I was sure I'd made the right decision to marry Karl.
His casual voice tore me out of my bitter thoughts.
"Whadya say, Charis? Tonight at seven, The Eatin'?"
"Is that when he wants to meet up?" I was about to inform him what Asher could do with his double date when I had a brilliant idea.
I should go. I should totally go and put a monkey wrench in his plans.
What an Evil Queen thing to do.
But, you know, Snow White pisses me off, running her smug little ass away to get involved in an MMMMMMMF relationship and then sending all those selfies to the Magic Mirror so it would know she's still a ten. It's like she has to have all the guys.
I'd for sure poison that girl's apple if I were a badass sorceress. I wouldn't be sneaky, though. I'd stick it in her face and be like, "Bite this, Snowgirl."
Yeah, I've given this some thought.
Aura's my Snow White. I still don't get all her issues, exactly, but Asher's loyal and true, he deserves better. He should know she's being fake here.
Look, I know it's unethical to step in, given my bias. Obviously my judgment is being clouded with clawing jealousy from the fiery pits of hell. I mean, it's what's held me back from saying anything negative about her all this time.
But maybe it's time to stop holding back. If I were his sister and I'd seen Renaldi flirting with other guys all over campus, I'd totally expose her for the wannabe-ho she is.
And then if the idiot still wants to make the same mistake twice, he can knock himself out.
CHAPTER 16
Two Years Ago-Seriously Now
Charis: If polygamy were legal, would you do it?
Asher: I'd fucking love a harem, are you kidding me?
Charis: Really? I wonder if I would.
Asher: Nah, you'd hate it.
Charis: Why do you say that?
Asher: You'd freak out with more than one man.
Charis: You think?
Asher: That's why I said it.
Charis: Hmm, I wonder. Okay, anyway, a harem I can understand, but that's not the same as multiple wives. What's the attraction for you?
Asher: Harem, wives, I'm not seeing a difference here.
Charis: Then it's the increased, uh, lascivious capacity that attracts you to the idea.
Asher: I love your tomato face, Sloane. No, actually I was just messing with you. More than one mate at a time loses its glow fast.
Charis: Ew. You sound like you speak from personal experience.
Asher: No comment.
Charis: You were a manwhore in high school worse than your brothers even, weren't you?
Asher: That's an ugly label. Listen, I prefer to look forward, not back. These days I'm all for the big M.
Charis: Mammaries?
Asher: Monogamy, brat.
Charis: So you were just being cocky before when you said you'd love a harem.
Asher: Yeah, pretty much. All I want is one woman you know inside and out, heart and soul. The one who's yours and only yours. Like my parents have.
Charis: That's so cool and mature. I think my parents sleep around.
Asher: That's unfortunate.
Charis: Do you think Aura is the one?
Asher: I hope so.
Asher
SHE WALKED INTO THE EATIN', and it was like I hadn't seen her in years. God, how I'd missed her. My cock didn't stir so much as blow up like a balloon on a helium high as she glanced around. She didn't see me. I raised my hand. She still didn't see me.
Here, beautiful.
I started to stand up.
"Asher … " The tug on my hand brought me back down to earth. I made myself relax in my chair and look across the table at Aura, her full lips pursed in an expression I knew well.
"Hmm?"
"Why did we have to do do this with them?" Aura gestured over her shoulder to where my brother and Charis were working their way through the crowd.
"They're why we're doing this. You said you're into my brother Karl, didn't you?"
She frowned. "Well, I said I found Karl interesting, but … "
"You said he seemed different, that his texts were strangely provocative. That was your word, provocative," I reminded her. "Now's your chance to do something about it, angel."
"But I thought … "
I was pretty sure I knew what she'd assumed. I was a heartless dick to arrange a double date like this, playing on her expectations of getting back together with me. Even if anybody with half a brain would have noticed from my clipped, businesslike manner that wasn't what I had in mind.
Ultimately this lesson would do her good, though. When she saw the lay of the land, her path would be clear.
Heading away from me, and toward her brighter future.
Accepting that we were truly over.
She'd been hounding me with messages, having convinced herself I'd give a fuck about her flirting with my brother. Granting her my blessing had backfired. She thought I was in denial.
Why were all women in denial about my being in denial? First Charis, then my sister, Ryanna-you should see the sad-faced texts she kept sending me-and now Aura herself. Since she should know very well by now I'm not a jealous person, it was really she that was in denial, to assume I was even here for her.
The truth was, the reason I was here was Karl. Karl, who seemed to have blatantly started an affair with my ex-girlfriend behind the back of his unwitting fiancé.
Charis.
My Charis.
The reason I gave a fuck.
"You thought wrong. We're done, Aura." When she flinched, I gentled my tone. "You are exquisitely desirable, you've got a face and body to make any man sweat, there's nothing wrong with your appearance or your fuckworthiness-and I hope you finally see it one day. But it won't be me who convinces you. Accept that we're finished and move on. To Karl, to the King of England, to Joe Bob, I don't care who."
That wasn't true. I don't wish my brother on any woman. But I was trying to drive home a point here.
"Then why haven't you given me my stuff back? Or asked for your keys back?"
Holy absentmindedness, she was right. "Give me the keys."
"I don't have them here."
"You can mail them to me. And you'll get your stuff soon," I promised.