Page 66 of The Consequence of You
“Yes,” she murmurs.
“Then she’d want you to live.”
“I amliving.” There’s a lack of conviction in her words.
“By denying yourself the things that make you happy, you’re just existing.”
“Stop judging me, Asher!” She spins away from me.
Fuck.
That’s the last thing I meant to do. This conversation is not going the way I’d hoped at all.
“What exactly do you think I should do? Live like you do? Not caring about the results of your actions? Just wanting to have a good time? Not caring if people get hurt or worse even?”
She yanks at the sleeves of her sweater, her breathing quickening. She’s right, of course. I’ve been living a half-life, too. I’d no idea what I’d been missing out on until Callie.
I’m a hypocrite, but before I can tell her, she walks to the bedroom door and opens it.
“Please go. Please leave and forget about us. Go back to doing what you do best. We both need to forget about this and pretend it never happened.”
“You’re making a mistake, Callie.” I don’t make an immediate move to the door, but I will, because I would never intentionally hurt her, and me being here right now, is doing exactly that.
“Please just go, I don’t want to see you again.” Her words hang between us, and while I know she loves me, I also know she means it when she says she doesn’t want to see me.
Striding to the door, I pause for a few seconds on my way out.
“I heard everything you said, and I’m leaving, but this is not over between us. Not by a long shot.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CALLIE
Love makes a person weak. So, I won’t do it. Despite how much I want it. Even though for weeks, months even, every time I’ve closed my eyes, all I’ve been able to see is Asher.
Dahlia warned me, but I didn’t listen.
I thought I was in love with Nico. I recognise it as teenage infatuation now, but the point is, I thought I was in love, and because of that, I made stupid decisions, and now my mother is dead.
I swore back then I’d never allow myself to get that close to a person again. I swore I would never let myself catch feelings, and for a long time, I was sure that would be easy enough.
But last night. When Asher said those words… I felt them, too. Everything he said and more, but it can’t happen.
It just can’t.
Climbing out of bed, I grab my robe from the back of my door. I’ve barely slept. After Asher left, the doctor Rossi called arrived and looked me over. She’d told me to rest, but it was a useless endeavour. I’d ended up tossing and turning for hours.
Every second I’m in here, I’m picturing Asher. Asher lying on my bed. Asher in my bathroom. Asher running me a bath. Asher taking care of me. Between thoughts of him, Mrs Hughes, and Carlo, there is zero chance of getting any peace.
Tugging on a pair of warm socks, I pad downstairs. As I get closer to the kitchen I hear my father’s voice. He must have managed to get a flight over night.
As I walk into the room, the conversation stops.
“Mia cara.” My father rushes over to me and leads me to a chair. “Sedere.” I follow his instructions and sit.
“Papa. I’m fine. I don’t need any fuss.” He turns to Luca and Rossi.
“How has she been?”
