Page 51 of The Switch: A Friends To Lovers Romance

Ashanti followed her and stood in the doorway. She watched Luke’s mother clamor for her car and disappear inside. The vehicle didn’t move immediately, but a few minutes later she heard the engine turn over and saw the parking lights flash.

Ashanti took a deep breath of the fragrant air and didn’t let it out until Mrs. Zhang had driven away. As soon as the car disappeared around the curb, she wilted against the doorframe.

The chimes her grandmother had hung on the porch danced together, creating a fairy-like melody. She listened to the music and wondered what Grandma Flora would say if she were still here.

She’d probably stomp Mrs. Zhang down for insulting me.

A smirk climbed Ashanti’s face. Her grandmother was fierce like that.

Flora gave birth to her eldest, Jerry, at eighteen and raised him alone for five years before she met her husband, Frank—Ashanti’s biological grandfather.

In those days, being a single mother was frowned upon, but Grandma Flora ignored the haters. She did her best to feed and provide for her children and she never let the world get her down.

Man, she missed her grandmother.

Ashanti fell back inside the house and locked the door. Her phone was vibrating on the arm of the couch. For a second, she thought of ignoring it but figured it was Luke and rushed to scoop it up before she missed him.

Ashanti’s thumb smacked against the screen and she put the phone to her ear. “Luke?”

“Ash, I’m so sorry. I wanted to drop by but something came up.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. I took Weng home and my uncle wanted me to stay over and…” She heard laughter in the background and the distinctive sound of a man speaking Mandarin. “Don’t wait up for me, okay? I’ll talk to you later.”

“Sure, but Luke, your mother—”

Click.

Ashanti pulled the phone away and glared at it. Did he just hang up on her again?

Deep inside, she knew it probably wasn’t intentional, but it was also the second time he’d done it today.

Ashanti tossed the phone into the couch and fumed. That stupid dream meant nothing. She would never fall for Luke.

She would never want to be a part of his family and nothing would change her mind.

Chapter Fifteen

Luke checked his phone for new messages. There were none—not from his parents, Ashanti, or Michelle.

His mom’s silence was the most unnerving. She’d been blowing his phone up non-stop since he introduced her to Ashanti.

Now what? She’d suddenly accepted his relationship with a black woman? After putting up so much of a fuss?

Yeah, right.

Luke was curious to know what she was plotting, but he wasn’t going to approach first. Despite Eddie’s suggestion to meet with his parents, Luke doubted that would change anything. They were at an impasse. One that would last for a while.

With Michelle… Luke hadn’t really expected a response from her. He’d texted a few times, just to see how she was doing, but in the back of his mind, he knew he had to plan a big romantic gesture to get her back.

He was working on that.

In the meantime, he’d leave her alone and hope that distance made the heart grow fonder.

With Ashanti… Luke didn’t know if he was avoiding her or if she was avoiding him. Either way, he hadn’t seen or heard from her in a couple of days. Which made him wonder if she had remembered the kiss and was hiding in embarrassment.

But that didn’t feel like her. Ashanti would more likely hash things out once and for all than stuff her opinions inside and keep quiet.

---