Page 16 of A Touch of Heaven

Never.

Not for one second.

Oh, Asher, where do I even begin?

He’s drop-dead gorgeous, and many people fear him. He has this dark side to him. He seems angry a lot of the time but never with me. I’m not scared of Asher, though, like others are. I have grown up around him, despite him being a few years older than us, but there is always a darkness in his eyes.

He isn’t angry like everyone thinks, though. He’s sad, a little broken. Even when he smiles, I can see it. But that night, something happened between them, and now something is broken in my best friend, and I’m determined to find out what happened this summer.

“Asher.” She swallows as a sneer appears on her face. “He’s being himself, as usual. I can’t.” Her voice breaks, and I step back.

“I’m going to kill him. Where is he?” I say, rage shooting through my body at how he could do this to her. Harper doesn’t deserve this. She laughs again.

“I don’t know. We had an argument, and he drove off.”

“Harper, what’s going on between you? Ever since that party, you both have been…I don’t know…off?” She sighs, pushing her hair out of her face.

“I made a mistake, Brooke. That party…it was insane. We were both drinking, and I lost you coming back from the bathroom, and I…”

At that exact moment, Chase walks around the corner. He sees us both and knows something is wrong.

“I can come back?” he says softly.

Harper shakes her head gently, offering us both an apologetic smile. “No, it’s fine. I’m good. I’m not wasting any more energy on this, on him. The past is the past, and Asher can stay in it for all I care.”

I watch Chase take a beat before walking over to her and pulling her into his chest as he strokes her hair.

“Hey… Don’t waste tears on him. Asher is…complicated, and if he doesn’t see what he’s got in front of him, Harper”—he pulls her back and tips her chin to him—“then he’s an idiot and doesn’t realize how dumb he is.”

She smiles up at him, and he’s looking deep into her eyes, smiling right back. They’re sharing a secret, and I feel like I’m forced to watch this moment.

My heart clenches, and I swallow hard. The kiss from last night comes flooding back, and I wonder if he likes Harper. She looks a little like Chloe. Blonde, beautiful. The only difference is that she doesn’t have that bitchiness to her beauty. “Thanks, Chase,” she whispers. He nods, pulling back.

“Me and Brooke, we’re going out…but will you be okay? You can come with us? Or we can stay?”

She looks at me, shaking her head, and grins like a dope, giving me a look as if to say, “Don’t mess this up.”

“Hell no, go enjoy yourselves. Our friends from college messaged me this morning to say that a group of them were here, too. You picked a party town during the summer, so I’m sure we will see a few people we know around over the next few weeks. So, I’m going out to have fun and forget this whole thing.”

“You sure?” I ask her.

She nods. “One hundred percent, Brooke, I’m fine, I promise.” She walks over, gives me a quick hug, and whispers, “Have fun, and Brooke, just tell him how you feel. I can’t stand the sexual tension anymore.”

I swat her away, laughing a little manically myself. If only she knew she wouldn’t be saying that. She walks away giggling to herself, and I wish I could pull her back and tell her the truth over a tub of ice cream.

Chase throws his arm around my shoulder so casually. “Ready Princess?”

I tip my head to him and smile back.

One day, I’m giving myself this day to pretend, and then after that, I’m done.

I raise my hand, threading my fingers through his.

One day, Brooke…just one day!

“Let’s do this!”

CHAPTERSEVEN

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