He started the engine and eased out of the lot. The air between us was so thick with unsaid words I could barely breathe. My pulse hammered, echoing in my throat.
His fingers trembled on the wheel. At least he wasn’t as unaffected by our closeness as he pretended.
I toyed with a ring on my index finger. “What’s the family emergency, Ash? Did something happen to my father? Your mother?”
He stopped at a red light. “No. They’re okay, I guess. I just…” His gaze tangled with mine for a second. “We need to talk, and I couldn’t wait another minute.”
So he’d crashed my coffee date just to talk? The spell he’d cast over me cracked. Blood roared in my ears. Two years without a word, and now he wanted to talk—because he’d seen me with Kyle?
“Stop the car,” I said past the boulder in my throat. “I want to get out.”
“No,” Asher said. “No, peque, please. Just—”
“Just what, Asher?”
His knuckles blanched as he gripped the wheel. “Just listen, okay?” He licked his lips. “There’s a little coffee shop a minute away. Let’s have a drink and talk. I need to talk to you. Fuck, Kaia, I need to explain.”
I stared out the window, spotting a park ahead. “Stop here. If we’re going to talk, we’ll talk at the park.”
“The park? It’s cold, peque. You’re not dressed for—”
I glared at him. He exhaled. “Fine. Okay. Anythingyou want.”
As soon as he parked, I bolted from the car. Asher followed, his footsteps echoing on the pavement. Aside from a girl walking her golden retriever, the park was empty.
“You crossed the line.” I faced him, heat rising under the biting wind. “You can’t just appear out of nowhere and lie to me.”
“I didn’t lie,” he whispered.
“You didn’t?” I wrapped my arms around my middle. “Then what’s with the fake emergency?”
His chocolate eyes held mine. “Would you have left that asshole if I’d just said I need to talk to you?”
“Asshole?” An angry laugh ripped from me. “You don’t even know him.” Heat crawled under my skin, buzzing through my veins. “You… God, you’re so—I could slap you!”
Asher stepped closer. “Do it.”
I backed away. I couldn’t think straight with him so close.
“I’m not kidding,” he whispered, voice taut. “Do it. I deserve it for how much I hurt you. It’s been a really fucking long time, and if hitting me makes you feel better, go ahead. I hate myself for what I did to us too.”
My eyes burned. “Why are you here?” I didn’t want to hit him. I didn’t think I could. But I was mad. And underneath it, hurt.
“Because we need to talk. I need to talk to you, and I’m begging you to listen.”
“Now?” Traitorous tears blurred my vision. I blinked them back, but it was too late. “What gave you the impression you could disappear for two years and come back like nothing changed? What if I’ve moved on?”
“Have you, mi niña?” His voice barely carried. “Have you moved on from us?”
“If I have, it’s none of your business.”
“No, peque.” He brushed a tear from my cheek, his touch hurling me back to when I trusted him to always be there. “Everything about you will always be my business because I love you. You can slap me, yell at me, do whatever you want—I’ll still be here.”
“Then where were you when it mattered?” My voice broke. “You ended things, and I respected that. I accepted your decision. Two years, Asher. Who gave you the right to demand anything now?”
“I’m not demanding, Kaia.” His tone cracked. “I’m begging. And I’m sorry. Sorry for barging in, sorry for lying about an emergency. I just… I need you to listen. Please.”
His voice was gentle, his eyes full of warmth, but how could I forget the pain of him walking away?
