Page 61 of Forever Yours

“I’m in,” David said, shocking the hell out of me.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about. A man who isn’t afraid to manscape,” Ash said cheerily.

David lifted the hem of his shirt to show off his hard abs. Jesus, the guy was ripped.

“I don’t manscape. This is natural beauty.”

I’d seen his bare chest at the beach and could attest to that. All muscle, no hair.

Ash got settled on the floor between David and me. Taking my hand, he went to town with the nail clippers he’d also brought with him.

“There’s a Japanese superstition that cutting your nails at night brings death closer to your door.”

David and I turned our heads at the same time to look out the window. The late afternoon sun was on its descent toward the horizon.

“My nana said to ward off the devil, drill a hole in a dime, spit on it three times, and wear it around your neck.”

Ash and I laughed.

“It’s a Louisiana thing,” David stated.

“Are you originally from Louisiana?” I asked since he said he grew up in Durham.

He crossed a bent knee over his other leg, flip-flop dangling from his foot.

“My dad, Nana, and Grandpa.”

“Creole?” Ash guessed.

“On my pop’s side. My maternal grandmother is Malian. What about you guys?”

“Japanese, of course. I’m the first kid in my family born in the States.”

I pointed at my blond hair. “Irish, German, English, with a little Norse god thrown in.”

David’s eyes flicked over me. “I can see that.”

At that moment, highly doubtful. I had a black, swollen eye, bruised cheek, and a whole heck of a lot of other bruises everywhere else. Not to mention a large goose egg on the side of my head.

Ash tapped my hand. “Stop twitching or I’ll cut your nails wonky.”

“I’m not used to people touching my hands.”

“Julien touches your hands.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Speaking of your man, where is he?”

Finished with the clippers, Ash shook the nail polish and opened the blue one.

“He had practice. Didn’t you have practice today?” I asked David.

He grabbed the silver polish and twirled it with his fingers. “Asked Coach if I could leave early.”

He let it hang, but I heard what he didn’t say loud and clear. He left practice so he could come check on me. He cared.

Our eyes met. That’s when I knew Ash was right.

And if I wasn’t very careful, I could find myself in way over my head.

CHAPTER 18

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