Page 94 of Even if It Hurts

And the square at the end of it was filled with large trees that had café lights strung throughout, lighting up picnic benches, food trucks, and the stage where live music played on Friday nights.

“It is,” I finally went on, then stole a quick look at Hudson and Mallory to see they were both still staring at Asher. Lowering my voice, I leaned closer to him and asked, “What happened with the break-in?”

“Not here,” he mumbled softly as he took a bite of whatever the fatal models had gotten. “Has Kaia had dinner?”

I instinctively reached for the bag behind me that held everything I needed for Kaia even as I said, “Just before Jackson showed.”

One of those infuriatingly attractive grunts left him as he took another bite. “You never told me what you wanted to do with your master’s.”

It was a simple, prompting statement—a genuine one, even if it was completely out of left field. But it had ice-cold hands gripping at my lungs because the second it left him, I knew what he was doing.

The way he’d reached for Kaia when he was usually handing her over to me. The easy, casual tone when nothing about Asher was easy or casual. The comments about the town I lived in and loved, and the career I’d tirelessly worked toward...

I spared a glance at Mallory and Hudson and knew from the way they were avoiding looking at me that they’d already come to the same conclusion. “Can?—”

“Yep,” Mallory said tightly and hurried to pull Hudson from the bench as if she couldn’t get away from the tension quickly enough this time.

“You just said you weren’t letting me go, but that’s exactly what you’re doing,” I whispered as soon as they were out of earshot.

My chest ached and burned until I was struggling to take a breath as I waited the countless seconds that seemed to last an eternity before Asher tilted his head my way. The pain and resolve in his dark eyes confirming everything without him ever needing to say a word.

Iignored the burning in my eyes and sat straight and still as I waited for him to speak. But internally, I was going through everything we’d said to each other just last night.

I wasn’t naïve; I knew this had to do with what’d happened to his office. But I knew enough about the man in front of me to know he would do what he felt was necessary to protect people.

“That’s just it,” he finally said, his voice so much more reserved than before, “I can’t be the one to let you go, but I want you to leave.”

I tried swallowing past the shards of glass in my throat, but even that felt like a struggle. Knowing the reason behind his words didn’t take away their sting. It didn’t reduce the fear and panic they created because—new and complicated or not—I knew with absolute certainty that I was supposed to have found Asher Briggs. I knew my life was supposed to lead me to those surprising meetings with him, and every moment after.

“To keep me safe, or for another reason?” I asked, the words strained. When he didn’t respond, I whispered, “Even if it hurts.”

His eyes subtly rolled before narrowing on me as if I’d insulted him. “You think it’d be for any reason that wouldhurtyou? Lainey, I haven’t been able to think past you for nearly a year. All I want is to protect you. But I’m worried you’ll try to prove you’re strong enough to stand by my side when you don’t know what you’re up against.”

“What happened with the office?” I asked softly, then reached for his arm when he shook his head. His hand curled around mine so abruptly, gripping me to him as if he needed my touch, that it forced a stunned breath from me. “Asher?—”

“I wanna be selfish for the first time in my life,” he began, words low and filled with longing that tore through me. “I wanna keep you forever because you make me want something else for my life. But I want you to take Kaia andgo, Lainey. I want you to live that life you were working toward before you fell back into mine.”

“No.”

“Lainey—”

“No,” I repeated firmly. “I have spent so long trying to make everyone else happy. I’ve spent just as long trying to meet their unrealistic expectations. But I’ve never had to do that with you—Ifound myselfwith you. Don’t start telling me how to live now too.”

“That isn’t—” A harsh sigh ripped from him before his hand released mine to curl around the back of my neck. “Never,” he vowed as he pressed his forehead to mine, his deep voice a breath along my lips. “I want you to be safe, and I wanna protect you, but I’ll never tell you how to live. The choice will be yours. Always.”

“And if I choose to stay?”

His head shifted just slightly against mine in a nod before he captured my lips in a soft, brief kiss. “Then I’ll consider myself lucky.”

I stole another kiss before leaning back with a sigh. “You’ll still have to let me go at some point.” I feigned amusement Icouldn’t quite feel yet after the heavy conversation when I said, “No kidnapping, remember? Besides, I think I found a place to live.”

Asher’s eyebrows lifted in bemusement. “You aren’t going back to your parents’?”

“No, I...I moved out after a day that just—” A weighted breath left me. “It was last Monday,” I explained and watched Asher’s expression darken. “I wasn’t sure I could be hurt by anyone else. I’d found out everyone had been lying to me, including my sister, and I just needed to get out. So, I packed up and left right then.”

“And now?” he asked when I didn’t go on.

“I ran into a girl I know when I got here with the deadly duo—Chloe. She’s a few years older than me, but...” I gestured around me with the coffee cup. “Huntley. Anyway, she’s been renting out a small house with her best friend for a handful of years, but her friend just got married, so she’s looking for a housemate.”

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