Page 91 of Asher

“No shit.” I rolled my eyes, and he chuckled. “Now I just need to explain that to Haley.”

Rylie reached over and rubbed my back. “Don’t worry. Haley loves you. She’ll give you a chance to explain.” Hope broke through the huge boulder of worry that had formed in the pit of my stomach the second I saw Haley’s face. She looked heartbroken.

Destroyed.

I never wanted to see that look again and if I had any say, I never would.

“Do you know where she went?” Mason asked.

“She said she was going to meet her brother at her house after this. Probably there.”

Rylie shook her head, looking down at her phone. “She’s at our house.”

Mason’s brows shot up. “Our house? Why?”

Rylie smiled sweetly at him. “Because I texted her to go there so she could calm down in peace.”

“Daddy! I got dirt pie. Look there’s worms.” Phoenix called as she ran back into the room holding a cup of chocolate ice cream filled with Oreos and gummy worms.

“Where did everyone go?” Mom asked as she sat down next to my dad, surveying the empty room.

“They bailed,” Mason said.

My dad leaned over, whispering in my mom’s ear. No doubt giving her the rundown of everything that happened. Her eyes widened before they shot daggers in my direction. Standing up, she walked over and pulled me into her arms, hugging me tightly, surprising the hell out of me.

“Go get our girl,” she said and then whacked me on the back of the head. That was more of the reaction I expected. “That’s for not telling me.”

“Not telling you what?” Nix asked around a mouth full of ice cream. Chocolate covered her mouth and cheeks.

I squatted down and debated lying to her. But I couldn’t do it. She should know, plus I needed her for my next plan to work.

I needed all of them for my next plan to work.

“You know how I asked you if it were okay that I dated Haley?”

She nodded excitedly, shoveling another scoop of ice cream in her mouth. “Yeah, you guys kiss now,” she mumbled.

I chuckled. “Right. How would you feel if I married Haley?”

Her hand froze halfway to her mouth, and she tilted her head to look at me with wide eyes brown eyes that looked exactly like Carrie’s. “She’d be my mom?”

My heart squeezed in my chest at her question, and I wished in that moment Haley was here with me. That we were telling her together. “Do you want her to be?”

Her little face beamed brightly as she bounced on her toes. “Yes!”

I hugged her tightly, beyond happy that she loved Haley as much as I did. I couldn’t do anything without Nix being on board. “Alright. Here’s the plan.”

* * *

“She’s probably in the kitchen,”Rylie said as I stood in her driveway staring at the house. I hoped to God Haley let me explain, because I wouldn’t give her up easily.

I couldn’t.

She owned me.

She was my best friend. My everything.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and chuckled as I read the text she sent. Finally. I swear I was going to have pit stains from the amount I’d been sweating.

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