Page 162 of The Influencer

“On Asher or Adam?”

“Adam. Both of them, I’m sure, but Adam’s worried.”

“Adam needs to worry about fitting into his tux. Asher and I aren’t any of his business. Or yours, really. Like. At all.”

Gideon gives me a look I can only interpret as suspicious. “Do you really love him, Jade?”

I narrow my eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you’re just being nosy?”

“Reconnaissance and nosiness are two separate things entirely.”

“Well, Asher knows exactly how I feel about him. And that’s the only thing that matters.”

“Then why was he so upset last night?”

“How upset?” I ask, and I fucking hate myself for asking.

“Bad.”

I sit up. “Bad? That’s all you’re gonna say? Bad? Is he okay?”

“I don’t know. Jax and I left early so he could speak with Adam more privately.”

I shake my head, unwilling to let Gideon off the hook that easily. “Define bad.”

“He was—wretched.”

“What the fuck does that mean, you twat?” Admittedly, I’m getting a little shrill.

“He was weeping.”

“Asher wept?”

Gideon purses his lips and nods solemnly. “We were on the terrace while they were in the kitchen, and it could be heard from there.”

I swear, I can feel all the color draining from my face. “Is he still coming tonight?” I manage to whisper.

Gideon shrugs.

Fuck.

“Anyway, I wanted you to know…” His words trail off, but there’s clearly something more he came to say.

“Why?” I ask as my limbs go cold.

“I don’t know what happened, okay. But maybe it’s not the best thing for you to come to the party tonight.”

I recoil like he just tried to slap me. “I’m Asher’s date. And you’re right. You have no idea what happened, so I don’t understand why you’re getting involved.”

“Because tonight’s not about you and your relationship drama, Jade. It’s about Adam and Sawyer. And it’s my yacht.”

“You can’t uninvite someone you didn’t invite in the first place. I’m Asher’s plus-one. Are you gonna tell him he doesn’t get a plus-one anymore?”

“What I’m asking is for you to kindly back out.”

I stare at him in open-mouthed shock. I get that we’re not close, and I also get that Gideon is protective of his family and friends, but fuck. Does he hate me or something?

“Look, I’m not trying to be rude?—”

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