Page 96 of The Switch: A Friends To Lovers Romance

“I didn’t cry,” she grumbled.

He smiled, his eyes lighting up from the inside. He took a step back. “You should head inside before your dad wakes up.”

“Mm.” Ashanti held onto his hand and pushed out her bottom lip. “I don’t want you to go.”

He mimicked her expression, pushing out his lip and blinking rapidly. “Me either.”

“I change my mind.” She let his hand go.

“Why?”

“Don’t ever make that face again. It ruins the mood.”

Luke laughed. “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye.” She wiggled her fingers and watched him while he got into his car and drove away.

Ashanti hated that Luke was losing so much because of her. Hated that she couldn’t give him every single thing he wanted. But he had made up his mind to love her, and she knew first hand… when Luke Zhang set his foot down, there was no one strong enough to move him.

Ashanti smiled despite herself. That… that right there made her want to love him more.

A few days later, Luke invited her to hang out with his cousins again, this time at James’s place instead of the bar they’d met last time.

“Here,” Luke said, dangling a grape between his fingers.

Ashanti eased up and snatched the fruit between her teeth, her eyes on him as she did so. The cousins were staring at them with various degrees of disgust, but Luke and Ashanti were completely oblivious.

Something rattled and Ashanti glanced over. It was Weng, slamming his beer back on the table. “Would you two stop it? Some of us are single here.”

“I’m not!” Harold raised his hand.

“I don’t mind.” James shrugged before taking a swig of his drink.

“What?” Weng’s bravado faltered. “It’s just me?”

“Sorry.” Ashanti scooted away from Luke and smiled at the guys. “We didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Weng.”

“But it’s not fair,” Weng whined. “Why did you two get together? I thought you were into Michelle!”

Luke shot him a glare. “Really, man?”

“The kid’s out of the loop.” James cuffed Weng in the back of his head.

The teenager glared at his older cousin. “I can sue you for that.”

“Try. I’m a lawyer. I’ll get myself out.”

Ashanti chuckled and raised her own glass. “I heard you two were responsible for getting us together. I know it’s been a while, but I still want to thank you.”

“No problem.” James tipped his beer toward her.

“Enjoy this lovey-dovey season. Soon, the person you thought you could never get enough of won’t go away. Ever. And you’ll wish you were single.”

“I don’t think so.” Luke and Ashanti said together.

“Ugh,” Weng spit.

James laughed.

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