“I thought you were Miles! What are you even doing here? I told you I don’t want your help.” I cross my arms to keep the towel up.
“I had a feeling you’d come here anyway and I came to make sure you don’t do something stupid.”
I can see his split lip has almost fully healed and the burn on his neck is now barely more than a faint pink mark. I want to tell him that I’m more likely to do something stupid with him here. His eyes make a trail down my body, wrapped in the towel, and I might as well be standing here naked.
“You have to leave,” I tell him.
“I paid for this room, Sawyer. I’m not leaving. You can leave.”
“That’s not an option.”
“Then I guess we’re doing this together.” He gives me a wry smile.
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
“But you’re sleeping on the couch,” I add.
“Already planned on it.” He tosses his bag on the white pull-out couch and turns back to me. “Anything else, princess?”
I roll my eyes and stalk back into the bathroom to finish washing my hair. What the hell does he think he’s doing coming here after what happened in Vail? I had planned to continue on the way we originally started, which is me pretending he doesn’t exist and focusing on Wesley. But seeing his stupid face again makes me feel weird in ways I can’t explain.
I dry my hair and dress in another black cocktail dress. When I come back out, he’s dressed in a beige sweater and brown slacks. He looks... good. Dammit, he looks really good.
“Have you been talking to Wes?” he asks as he puts on his coat.
“Yes, he called a few times over break to see how I was doing.” Something you didn’t bother to do, I want to add. I bend down, trying to clasp my heels, but the dress is tight, and I struggle.
“Here,” he says. “I’ll get it.” He bends down before me to clasp my heels, and I don’t object. “What about your friends?”
“Annica isn’t speaking to me,” I say. She has blocked me actually. None of my calls and texts will go through to her. Dani says to give her time, and that she’s just hurt over the lie, but knowing Annica, there is no amount of time that will fix what I did in her eyes. And as far as the lying goes, Wes and I hooking up is onlythe tip of the iceberg. If they knew the full extent of what I wasn’t telling them, they would both block me.
Asher’s hands brush over my ankles and he seems to linger down there a moment too long. “We need boundaries,” I blurt out.
“Boundaries?” He stands and looks down at me now.
“Yes, no more touching or kissing or—”
“Licking or sucking,” he finishes for me with a smirk.
“Asher,” I warn, because he’s not taking this seriously.
“I’m just teasing,” he says, but we’re still close enough that I can smell his cologne and it makes my heart beat faster.
“Whatever happened that night in Vail was just... an accident. We both had too much to drink and there’s a lot at stake here.” That’s the lie I’ve been repeating to myself all December. But I need to hear it. I need the reminder. Because if Asher and I go all the way, I’m afraid there will be no going back.
Asher puts on his peacoat and picks up mine, holding it out for me to put my arms into. I step into it, and he leans into my ear from behind.
“I’ll be on my best behavior.” It sends chills down my arms.
I turn toward him so we’re face-to-face. “Good.”
“Great.”
It’s a twenty-minute taxi ride to the gallery. I squirm uncomfortably in my tight dress and take deep breaths in the back of the car. When the Uber stops in front of a square glass-paneled building, I step out and into a crowd. Graham managed to get a large gathering of people to come to this opening. It’s no surprise; he was quite good in college. I’m sure he’s only gotten better. Wefile in when they open the doors, and I’m already looking around for Miles.
Servers come around with champagne and I take two, downing one on the spot.
