Page 140 of Deceit

Once Skyla is out of the room, he turns to me.

“There is more you need to know. For your ears only.”

I stand, gesturing for him to take the lead as he stands. We weave through his house before coming to one of the rooms on the other end of the house. When we’re inside, he begins walking me through the expectations from my end for the ceremony and what will occur after. I know I need to pay attention, but honestly, I’d rather not.

Chapter Forty Eight

Skyla

I’m quiet as Asher drives. My mind is racing, and it’s taking everything within me not to have another full blown panic attack. Forget the stalker, this, in front of me, happening tomorrow…it feels like a lead ball has been dropped into my stomach.

I don’t care that Ronan kept it to himself in order to not let me worry over it for weeks. That wasn’t his decision to make. I had a right to know what has been decided for me, what will be…done to me.

My eyes flick over to Asher, watching him out of the corner of my eye. From the beginning, it’s basically been heavily implied that Asher would have to be the one to take my virginity. At first I couldn’t imagine anything more awful, then I sort of started to come around to the idea. I mean, it could be worse. He could be much worse.

But like that? On display, like some kind of disgusting song and dance…my stomach threatens to empty its contents at the mere thought of it.

I do take a small amount of comfort that Asher was in the dark just as much as I was. I’m not just taking his word for it either. The look of shock on his face when Ronan began said it all. He was blindsided and didn’t know what to do or think.

Before I know it, we’re pulling up to a large pair of wrought iron gates. Asher enters in a code, and the heavy gates swing open revealing a long winding driveway with a perfectly manicured lawn on either side. Huge bushy trees adorning the sides, every fifty feet, in perfect line with the driveway.

When we pull up to the house, I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s not nearly as grand as Asher’s dads or as ostentatious as my father’s. Sure, it’s still a mansion but it’s clean from the outside, simple and it has a porch swing on the front. I don’t know why, but I’ve always found them to be so charming. I always told myself one day I would have a house with one.

I suppose the manifesting really paid off.

Asher parks the car, glancing over to me.

“What do you think? From the outside?”

I nod, as my eyes continue to roam the grounds.

“It’s beautiful. I love the land and that swing,” I say with a small smile.

Asher grins and nods.

“That’s why I picked this house out of all of the others. I could have put one on any of the houses, but this one just felt…right, you know?”

I nod my agreement as he opens his door, coming around to get mine as well. I smile in thanks as he slips his hand behind my back, ushering me up the front steps.

“I’m sorry you weren’t a part of the selection process. Whatever you want changed, consider it done. Money or time is no object,” he says in a way that drips sincerity.

Smiling again, I nod as Asher pulls out his key, unlocking the front door before stepping inside, quickly disarming the alarmand turning to face me. I take a small step inside, my shoes echoing against the hardwood floors. He wasn’t kidding when he said the place isn’t decorated. There isn’t a single picture, rug or piece of furniture in sight. The place is basically a blank canvas, but something in me kind of likes that.

The foyer is huge, unnecessarily so. There is so much empty space it almost feels awkward.

“What if we got a round table to go right here,” I say, as I gesture to the center of the room. “We could put a vase of flowers on it or something. I don’t know, it would eat up the space while still making it feel aesthetically clean.”

Asher nods, pulling out his phone, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

“What else?”

I frown. “What? Just like that?”

“Just like that, Princess,” he nods. “What else?”

My eyes skim around the house, landing on an empty space that I assume is intended as a formal living room. There is a large bay window in the corner that has a smile touching my lips as I imagine it.

“Can we have a piano? Right over there,” I say, as I point to the right of the window.

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