Page 25 of Wish You Were Mine

He led me out the exit and around the corner of the building, into the same alley where I’d once had the most excruciating conversation of my life with Asher.

“What are we doing out here?” I asked.

He raised his finger to his lips. “Wait for it.”

I cocked my head, listening carefully. A few seconds later, heavy footfalls pounded around the side of the building, approaching rapidly.

Asher appeared out of the dark, a scowl plastered across his face. “Blair, your sister is looking for you.”

Blair grinned, his eyes twinkling mischievously in the dim light. “I’ll be in soon.”

Asher’s scowl deepened. “She wants you now.”

Blair rested his hand on my hip. Asher’s eyes followed the motion.

“Five minutes won’t make a difference,” Blair said.

I shifted from one foot to the other as the two men stared each other down, not one hundred percent sure what was going on except that it was a giant pissing contest with me in the center.

Asher shifted his attention to me. “Do you really want to do this? He’s just going to leave in another week or two.”

My instincts screamed at me to push Blair away and reassure Asher, but where did he get off questioning my choices when he’d told me both through his words and actions that he didn’t want me himself?

“It’s my choice what I do and with whom,” I said firmly.

The corners of his mouth turned downward. “I just don’t want to see you hurt, and neither do your brothers.”

I softened toward him a smidge. “That’s sweet—although it has nothing to do with any of you, and again, it’s my choice. If you’re really bothered by the decisions I make, perhaps you should ask yourself why.”

His breath caught, and he looked stricken. He backed up a step. “I can’t.” He shook his head, as if reinforcing that fact. “I just can’t.”

With that, he turned and stalked away.

“Wait!” I called after him.

I hadn’t meant to upset him. Just to make him question why he cared so much about what I did. But he didn’t stop, and he didn’t return to the pub. Instead, he took off down the darkened street.

I was about to turn away when movement in the corner of my eye stopped me. I stared hard at the alcove where I’d seen the movement. I could have sworn there was someone there. But I couldn’t see anything.

I took a few steps toward the alcove, but halted when Blair touched my shoulder.

“Did you see that?” I asked, glancing back at him.

He frowned. “See what?”

12

ASHER

My head throbbed and my eyes were gritty as I dragged myself out of bed on Saturday morning. I couldn’t even blame it on a hangover. I’d made a monumental ass of myself last night, and then I’d run instead of facing up to the consequences of my actions when Summer called me on my bullshit.

Hopefully no one had noticed that I’d left just after Summer and Blair and never returned. The last thing I needed was for Liam to put two and two together and realize I was lusting after his little sister, or for some other good Samaritan to break the news to him.I already knew nothing could happen, so all that would do was create a ton of awkwardness.

Blair had definitely clocked my interest. His smug expression when I’d followed them out told me that. But I didn’t think he’d say anything. I suspected it was more a case of him using this opportunity to get back at me for being rude to his sister when she first moved back to Destiny Falls.

Cookie wound around my legs as I made my way to the bathroom, and she waited at the door as I finished up, washed my hands, and went to the kitchen. I poured cat food into her bowl, refilled her water, and switched the kettle on to boil. I needed coffee.

Coffee, and then exercise. Very little could distract me like hurtling down the mountainside on my bike.

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