Page 32 of Wrecked
Chapter Fourteen
---------------
Asher
She looks like she’sseen a ghost. Her face is pale, her eyes are huge and she hasn’t moved. Staring through me like I’m not even standing here. Something is going on. Since last night she hasn’t been herself. It makes me wonder if it’s the secrets she’s so unwilling to share.
I slowly approach her, likes she’s a wounded animal. My hand is out, as I walk toward her. “Payton, baby. I’m right here,” I quietly say.
Her eyes crash into mine and she takes a deep breath to fill her lungs. “Asher.”
Reaching her, I wrap my arms around her, holding her close. “It’s me. I’m right here.”
Her arms finally make their way around me and she inhales while her head rests on my chest. Holding her tight, I rub small circles on her back, trying to sooth her.
“Tell me what’s going on?” I whisper.
“Nothing, I’m fine. I just didn’t realize how much I missed you.”
She’s lying. I’ve seen her reaction to missing me before and it involves a lot less clothes. This is fear. Something is scaring her, I just need to know what.
“I missed you too, but why don’t you try being honest with me here,” I demand.
There is only so much I can stand. I fucking love her, but how am I supposed to help her, protect her, if she won’t tell me what’s going on. I’ve never pushed, never expected more than she was willing to give me, but it’s time I know. Keeping her happy is now my goal, and I sure as fuck can’t do that when she won’t be honest with me.
“I told you. Memories, they came creeping up on me last night. I guess I’m still thinking about them,” she admits.
“What memories, Payton?”
She lets out a sigh and pulls back to search my face. “Memories that are better left in the past, Asher. Let them stay there, alright. I’m fine. I’m here with you, that’s all I want.”
“Why don’t you go. Brett and I will work on your car and I’ll bring it over when we are done. Go rest, because when I’m done, we are going to talk, Payton.”
I can see the uncertainty in her eyes, but I’m done letting her hide. Tonight, she will tell me what the fuck she is hiding from me.
“Okay, I guess I’ll see you later,” she says, pressing a sweet kiss to my lips, before brushing past me.
I don’t even bother going after her. She’s not going to tell me what I want to hear right now, so it’s best I let her go. When I head over there tonight though, all bets are off.
“Hey, what the hell is wrong with Payton? You guys get into a fight or something?” Brett asks, coming up behind me.
“Something like that.” I spin around and motion with my head. “Let’s get this car working.”
For the next few hours, Brett and I pull apart the Chevy Impala. She hasn’t kept up maintenance on this car, christ. We’ve replaced spark plugs and wires, distributor cap, fuel filter, and given her a new coil. Even the brake pads need replacing, which is what we are working on now.
“Dude, you seriously need to teach your girl how to take care of her shit,” Brett says, for the millionth time.
“I fucking heard you the first ten times you told me. We weren’t together when this shit happened. No wonder she parked it here and took that old piece of shit she’s been driving.”
“Yeah, well now that you are together, keep on top of this shit,” he says, wiping his hands off on a rag.
I laugh, shaking my head. “Oh damn, are you giving out relationship advice? The guy who had one serious girlfriend in, what grade was that, third?”
“Hey, Tiffany and I were very happy until I found out she ate crayons,” he says, completely serious.
“You’re a fucking idiot.”
Sipping his water, he shrugs his shoulders. “Maybe I am an idiot, but I’m not hanging out in the garage, fixing my girl’s car instead of fixing whatever it was you guys were fighting about.”
