Page 38 of Unwrapped

He’s genuine. In a world of fake people who only want one thing from him, he’s rare.

But as much as I try to stay positive, that small voice in the back of my mind starts to creep in. What am I doing here, really? How do I fit into this world? The women gliding around the room in their designer gowns, perfectly poised, perfectly polished… they all seem so at ease here, while I feel like I’m holding my breath, hoping I don’t trip over my own feet.

It’s high school all over again.

I sip my champagne, trying to shake the feeling, but then I notice something. A group of women standing not far from me, their gazes flicking toward me, then back to each other as they whisper and laugh quietly. One of them, a striking blonde in a sleek red dress, glances at me again, her lips curling into a smug smirk.

I immediately feel a rush of self-consciousness, the heat rising in my cheeks as I turn away, pretending I didn’t notice. But the doubt is already creeping in. They know who I am. They know I’m with Asher. Are they judging me? Do they think I don’t belong here? I try to brush it off, but the weight of their stares settles over me like a heavy blanket, smothering the excitement I felt when I first walked in.

I need a minute. Just a minute to pull myself together.

I head toward the restroom, my heart pounding in my chest. Once I’m inside, I lean against the sink, taking deep breaths, trying to calm the swirl of emotions threatening to overwhelmme. It’s just nerves, I tell myself.I knew this wouldn’t be easy. I’m doing fine.

But as I turn on the faucet and splash some cool water on my hands, I hear voices drifting in from the other side of the restroom, two women talking in low, conspiratorial tones. At first, I don’t pay attention, but then I catch something that makes my stomach drop.

“Did you see her?” one of the women says, her voice laced with amusement. “I can’t believe she’s here with Asher. She’s not exactly his usual type.”

“Right?” the other one replies, laughing softly. “Actually, she’s cute, I guess, but… seriously, her? I kissed him at one of these events last year and that man could not get enough of my actual curves.”

I look down at my body, my narrow hips and less than ample backside. I at least have a solid B cup going for me but that can’t compete with the rest of my body that never caught up. My stomach flips, all those stupid insecurities I thought I’d defeated rushing back.

“And I’m pretty sure you spent the night with him after that fundraiser last spring, right?”

My breath catches in my throat. My hands freeze under the water as their words sink in. They’re talking about Asher. About being with him. About kissing him. And one of them spent the night with him?

“Yeah,” the first woman says, laughing again. “It’s funny, though. He’s always with someone new. I wonder how long this one will last.”

My heart clenches painfully in my chest, and I turn off the faucet, quickly drying my hands as I try to swallow the lump in my throat. I know it’s his past. I know he had a life before me, before us. But hearing it like this, from the mouths of women who have been with him, women who are now standing just afew feet away, laughing about it like it’s some kind of joke… it hurts.

I push open the restroom door and slip out into the hallway, the noise of the party feeling distant now as I make my way toward a quieter corner of the building. I find a small alcove, hidden away from the crowd, and lean against the wall, pressing my hands to my face as I try to steady my breathing.

This is what I was afraid of. This feeling of being swallowed up by his world, of not being able to keep up. I told myself I could handle it, but standing here now, hearing those women talk about Asher like I’m just the next one in line… it makes me question everything. Am I just another temporary part of his life? Someone he’ll move on from when he gets bored?

I don’t know how long I’ve been standing in one spot, lost in my thoughts, but eventually, I hear footsteps approaching. I look up to see Asher, his expression full of concern as he steps into the alcove.

“There you are,” he says softly, his brows furrowed as he takes in my clearly upset state. “I’ve been looking for you. What’s wrong?”

I bite my lip, feeling the sting of tears behind my eyes again. I don’t want to make a scene, but the words spill out before I can stop them. “I overheard some women in the restroom talking about you,” I say quietly, my voice trembling. “One of them said she spent the night with you after some fundraiser last year, and the other one kissed you. And they were… laughing about it, like I’m just the next one in line.”

Asher’s eyes widen, his face falling as he realizes what I’m saying. “Ivy, I?—”

“I know it’s your past,” I cut him off, shaking my head. “I know it shouldn’t matter. But hearing it like that… it hurt. It made me doubt everything.”

He steps closer, his hands reaching for mine. “Ivy, I don’t know who those women were, but I promise you, I don’t care about anyone from my past. I only care about you. I only want you.”

I look up at him, the sincerity in his voice clear, but the doubt is still gnawing at me. “I’m not sure I can do this, Asher. I rushed into things because I wanted to believe I could handle being in your world, but now I’m not so sure. I feel like I’m constantly trying to catch up, and I don’t know how to compete with your reputation, with… everything. I thought I was stronger and I know this is my issue, my insecurity but I just?—”

Asher’s grip tightens on my hands, and his voice is steady but full of emotion. “You don’t have to compete with anything, Ivy. I don’t care about what anyone else thinks. I don’t care about my reputation or this world. All I want is you. I don’t want to lose you.”

I swallow hard, tears threatening to spill over as I meet his gaze. He’s saying everything I want to hear, but the fear is still there, lurking in the background. “I don’t know if I’ll ever fit into this life of yours.”

Asher’s gaze is unwavering, his hands gripping mine like he’s afraid I might slip away. “Ivy, listen to me. I know this is overwhelming, and I know it’s won’t always be easy. But I promise you, I will make it all worth it. I don’t want you to feel like you don’t belong. I’ll make sure you know how much you mean to me, how much this means to me.”

His words hit me hard, tugging at something deep inside me. I want to believe him, want to believe that we can somehow make this work despite the glaring differences between our worlds. But before I can respond, someone approaches us from behind, calling his name.

“Asher! Sorry to interrupt, but we need you for a moment,” a man says, gesturing toward the party. “The investors from London are ready to talk.”

Asher grimaces, glancing over his shoulder before turning back to me. “I’m so sorry. I’ll be right back, I promise. I just need to handle this, and then we’ll finish talking, okay?”

---