Unfriended(Love in New Highland Book 1)(26)

"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.