Page 79 of Restorations

Because we have each other, and it feels so perfectly permanent.

41

ASHER

“Isn’t she beautiful?” I smile at my mother, who’s looking over at Lola, dancing with her new husband, Hayden.

They’re married and oh, so fucking happy. And for once, looking around at my family, seeing the smiles on their faces and the happiness there, I’m happy too.

Insanely happy.

Viv and I are in love, and I've stopped being an asshole about it.

I tell her every single chance I get, which is often. We bought a house together. Of course, Linc sold it to us. Down the block from Lola and Hayden and Linc and Penelope.

We’re moving in tomorrow.

Viv thought it might be too fast, considering I just told her I love her a few months ago, but I reminded her I’ve been in love with her for a lot longer than that.

That sealed the deal.

I watch Baz dancing with Viv and smile. I hope this doesn’t fuck him up too much, but I can’t and won’t stop loving his mother.

Although right now, he’s thrilled. Vivienne has explained to him as clearly as she can that we’re together. But to Baz, we always have been.

Who knows, maybe the kid knew it all along.

“Yeah, Mom. She is.”

She looks into my eyes, and it nearly kills me because I can see the emotion there. I know she wants to talk seriously. And it seems it’s her turn. “I never wanted you to be him.”

I sigh and sway to the music, secretly wishing the song would end so I can escape, but knowing I need to be a man. “I know, Mom. You just missed him.”

“I’ll never forgive myself for how I acted after.” Her eyes fill up with tears. “I was so broken.”

“You should forgive yourself. I was a dick.”

“No. You weren’t.” Her voice is firm. “You were the strongest one. You faced it. You thought we all forgot about him, Asher, but we haven’t. We never could.” The song stops, and she stops dancing, brushing my cheek with the back of her hand. “If we had though, you would be there to remind us.”

I nod, so much emotion catching the words that are stuck in my throat.

And she only smiles because she knows. She nods to someone behind me and kisses my cheek before joining her husband. I feel someone approaching, and when she stops in front of me, dressed in a bright yellow sundress, I almost can’t believe it.

“Penelope?”

She just smiles and holds out her hand to me. “Dance with me, Asher.”

I take her hand hesitantly, not denying her but uncertain. We’ve known each other for a long time, but still . . . we haven’t spent a lot of time together.

Not alone.

I’ve spent years hating her, blaming her for Colt’s death but too chicken to actually ask her about it. I feel Viv’s eyes on us, gently nudging me to do just that.

“I don’t think this is the place.”

She laughs as she dances with me. “I think it’s the perfect place. Ask me, Asher.”

“I don’t want to.” It’s a quiet whisper. “Can’t we just move forward.”

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