“I wanted you to see it first. If it wasn’t for you I would’ve never even pursued it.” He’s looking at me like I’m the sun that rises each morning, and I can’t help but wonder if he has no idea what everyone is saying about me these days. I open my mouth to bring it up, to tell him everything, but he closes the space between us and kisses me with a passion that I would’ve crawled for—no,died for—at the start of the school year. And now this,thisis the Nicholas Sparks book scenario I’ve been wanting. So why does something still not feel right?
The kiss becomes deeper, and his hands move up my back, pulling me into him, and I realize where this is heading. I pull away from him.
“Sorry,” he says. “Sorry, was that... I just got caught up in the moment.”
“No, no, it’s okay,” I tell him. “I just wasn’t expecting it.” From outside in the hall I hear Asher’s door slam and it makes me jump. Wes doesn’t acknowledge it. “So I take it you and Marissa...?”
“Yeah,” he breathes. “I told her what happened, and we decided on a mutual breakup. I think we also just want different things after graduation.”
I nod.
“What about you and Asher?” he asks. “Are you guys still together?” Wes had asked me that over winter break and I told him then that I wasn’t sure. I guess I’m still not.
“I was actually going to talk to him tonight,” I admit. I’mshocked to know Annica hasn’t told Wes about my and Asher’s fake relationship yet. Or that I’m a murder suspect. Somehow he seems blissfully unaware of anything outside of his bed-and-breakfast.
“Oh.” Wesley’s smile quickly becomes a frown at the realization. “So you came here tonight for Asher.”
“Well, yes, but to officially end things,” I say, recovering. And that’s not completely true because I don’t even know why I came here. I thought maybe I’d see Asher again after I’d had a few days alone and I’d just know the answer.
Wes breathes what feels like a sigh of relief. “I know you obviously found something appealing about him... but I was honestly waiting for the day that you two called it off. The whole time I just felt like he didn’t even really know what he had. Like he didn’t even really want you...”
“Yeah,” I sigh, knowing I have to go upstairs and find out exactly that.
I climb the stairs to Asher’s room, half hoping he’s not really up here. But he is. Standing in front of his dresser putting clothes away.
“What do you want?” he says with his back turned.
“It’s me,” I say.
He turns around and I notice the bruise on his cheek and another split lip. He must have seen his dad at some point this week. “What do you want?” he repeats.
I want you to be happy, is what I want to say.
“It worked,” I say in a hushed tone, on the off chance anyone could be listening at the bottom of the stairs. “Wes has this whole plan drawn out for the beach house, and he’s so excited about it.He’s going to bring the plans to his dad and I think this really might work. I think you’re going to get the resort.” I wait for the smirk, or for some type of positive emotion, but Asher doesn’t say anything, just continues to put laundry away. “And he broke up with Marissa... and... then he kissed me.”
He looks up then and raises a brow. “Then why are you up here with me and not down there with him? Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“Yeah, I just...” I take a step or two closer, closing the space between us. “What you said the other night aboutthis.” I motion between the two of us. “I guess I just need to know if—”
He cuts me off. “There is nothing between us, there never was.”
I huff a laugh. “Well, we both know that’s not true.”
“How is it not? I feel like I’ve been clear about my intentions.”
I shake my head. He has been nothing short of confusing for months. “At the hotel, you said—”
“Guys will say anything for sex, Sawyer—you of all people should know that by now.”
The insult feels like a slap in the face and my cheeks heat with embarrassment. “You’re such an ass.” My voice betrays me when it cracks and tears well up in my eyes.
“And I always have been. It’s not my fault if you’ve forgotten that along the way.” He looks up at me again. “What, are you really going to cry?”
I stare up at the ceiling trying to hold back the tears.
Asher rolls his eyes. “Go cry to Wes. I’m sure he’d love to hold your hand while you cry over me again.”
I can’t stop the words that come out next. The overwhelming urge to cut him back, cut him deeper. “Maybe he was right, maybe you will turn out just like your dad. Bitter, mean, and alone.”
