Page 89 of If My Wishes Came True
“How’ve you been the past few days? I really miss you. I haven’t reached out at all, because you said you needed space—but I just want you to know I’ve been thinking about you.” He sighs. “A hell of a lot.”
“I miss you too.” It’s all I have time to say before Vanessa walks back into the kitchen, followed by her boyfriend.
He’s a few inches taller than Charlie—maybe 6'4"—and quite handsome. He looks like he could be mixed, too. His dark hair is buzzed short, and he has hazel eyes that pop against his light brown skin, even behind the pair of glasses he’s wearing.
He beams at us. A bright, kind smile that reminds me a little of Vanessa’s.
No—that’s not it.
His smile is familiar, but it’s unique. And when his gaze lands on mine, my forehead creases.
“Wait a minute…I know you,” I tell him.
Recognition lights his eyes. “You went to Beachwood Middle School.”
“I did,” I reply—but I still can’t place him.
“I’m Asher,” he says. “Asher Abadie.”
If I remember correctly, Asher Abadie’s dad was in the military, and was stationed near Beachwood for a couple of years. I don’t think I spoke to Asher once while we were in school together. He seemed nice, but he was shy, and mostly kept to himself. I always wondered if he had a crush on Sunny, though. He sat behind her in science class, and his gaze never drifted far from her, even though all he could see from that vantage point was her pretty hair.
“I’m Jenna Andersen,” I remind him.
“I know,” he says, exchanging a smile with Vanessa.
“On our trip, Asher mentioned he lived in Beachwood briefly, and we realized that you were in school together,” she tells me. “That’s why I invited him over tonight. I thought it would be a fun surprise.”
“Small world,” Charlie says to no one in particular.
“Tell me about it,” Asher replies, and the two men chuckle. “Good to see you again, Jenna,” he continues,reaching for my hand first, then my boyfriend’s. “And you must be Charlie?”
“Formerly known as Nico, yes,” he says with a sheepish grin. “Is it too soon to laugh about this?”
“I think you need a symbol. Like Prince,” Vanessa teases. Asher chuckles again.
“Guess it’s not too soon,” I answer Charlie.
“Why don’t we sit in the living room?” Vanessa goes on to suggest. “I’ll open another bottle of red.”
Charlie looks to me for guidance. “Sure,” I reply. “Sounds good.”
He takes my hand and leads me to the living room, then sits at the very end of Vanessa’s couch. When I’m seated next to him, he puts his arm around my shoulder, and I can’t help but melt into him. My mind may be full of doubt, but my body knows what it wants. I guess that’s not the worst thing. This double date is strange enough as it is without me advertising my inner turmoil. I lean into Charlie and delight in the warmth of his body against mine—for now, at least.
“So, Asher, what have you been up to since middle school?” I ask when he and Vanessa are settled at the other end of the couch, and the four of us are sipping merlot.
He chuckles. “Well, I made a few more moves around the country with my family, until I graduated high school. Then I studied psychology at Northwestern, and got my master’s in social work at The University of Chicago. I’ve lived here ever since. I run an agency that offers mental health services to military families.”
“That’s incredible,” Charlie says. “Sounds like a rewarding career.”
Asher nods. “I’m very lucky to be doing work I’m passionate about.”
My pulse picks up speed, triggered by the mention of job satisfaction, and I wonder if Charlie feels the same way. But his heartrate remains steady where I’m leaning on him. At the same time, his arm travels from my shoulders to my waist, and he pulls me even closer—like he can sense my apprehension and wants to comfort me.
“You remember Sunny, right?” I ask Asher, changing the subject for the sake of my nerves. “She went to Northwestern, too.”
He turns to Vanessa, who’s wearing an amused grin. “Yeah,” he says. “Sunny and I dated for a while in college.”
My jaw drops. “No way! I had no idea. Sunny and I didn’t keep in touch back then. We became closer recently.”
