Page 62 of The Backup

Me: Says you.

Asher: Prove me wrong. Or better yet…don’t. Just get over here.

My stomach flips, and I fidget with the edge of the counter, glancing toward the stairs. Jacklyn would never notice if I left.

Resistance with Asher is futile. I hesitate for only a moment before typing back.

Me: Give me ten minutes.

Ten minutes later, I’m slipping into the same baggy sweatpants and hoodie I borrowed last time. The cool night air wafts through the slightly open window, and I shiver as I quietly open the front door, careful not to make a sound.

“Where are you going?”

I freeze, spinning around to see Jacklyn standing at the bottom of the stairs, her arms crossed and a suspicious look on her face.

“Oh, uh…” My mind scrambles for an excuse. “I’m going to study.”

Her eyebrow arches. “At midnight?”

I clutch the doorknob, trying not to fidget. “You know me. Can’t turn off the brain.”

Her eyes narrow as she takes in my outfit, her gaze lingering on the oversized sweatpants and hoodie. “Whose clothes are those?”

I glance down, feigning nonchalance. “Just some old stuff I found in my closet.”

“They look like guy’s clothes,” she says, her tone probing.

“Baggy is comfortable,” I reply, shrugging as casually as I can manage. “You should try it sometime.”

Jacklyn’s lips press into a line, but before she can ask more questions, I grip the doorknob tighter and pull it open. “Anyway, don’t wait up. I’ll be back later.”

Her eyes follow me, a flicker of amusement mingling with suspicion. “Sure,studywell.”

I flash her a quick smile and duck out before she can push further, my cheeks burning as I hurry down the block.

The walk to the frat house feels longer than it should, my heart racing with every step. When I reach the metal stairs by the side entrance, I pause, taking a deep breath before starting the climb. The clank of each step echoes in the still night.

When I reach the top, the door creaks open before I can knock. Asher stands there, leaning against the frame with that familiar smirk playing on his lips.

“Thought you might chicken out,” he says softly, his voice warm and teasing.

I shake my head, butterflies swirling in my stomach. “Not tonight.”

His smirk softens, his gaze dropping to my lips before flicking back to meet mine.

“Good,” he murmurs, stepping back to let me in. “Because I’ve been waiting all night for this.”

Asher steps back to let me in, and I take a hesitant step forward, my heart pounding as the door clicks shut behind me. The dim light from his desk lamp casts soft shadows across the room, and for a moment, it’s just the two of us in the quiet stillness.

His eyes lock onto mine, dark and full of intent, and I feel the butterflies in my stomach double in intensity.

“You’re nervous,” he says softly, stepping closer.

“I’m not,” I lie, my voice barely above a whisper.

His smirk deepens, and he tilts his head, closing the distance between us until we’re almost touching. “Then why are you shaking?”

Before I can answer, his hand slides to my waist, pulling me closer, and just as his lips brush mine?—

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