I watched each of his movements as he unlocked the door, stepped inside with my hand still encased in his, and switched the hallway light on. I followed him inside, not letting go as he locked the door behind us, then led us into the living room. My nerves slowly dissipated now that we were back inside, and once Asher closed the blinds to the window, which overlooked the driveway, I was even more relaxed.
I’d done it. I’d gotten out of the car, and nothing had happened to me. It was the second big step I’d taken today.
“You hungry?” he asked, standing in the middle of the living room with my hand still attached to his. I didn’t want to let it go, but I knew I had to at some stage.
“I could eat,” I whispered, slowly letting my palm graze over his. My stomach dipped as if I’d been on a roller coaster, but after a couple of seconds, I was still standing, which was a positive in my eyes.
“Chinese?” Asher asked, and I nodded. “Okay. I’ll order the food. You want to go take a shower or something?” He stepped into the kitchen and pulled a drawer open. “You can have my room, and I’ll take the sofa.” I knew I should have told him he didn’t have to sleep on the sofa, but I wasn’t ready to be in the same bed as him—not yet. The first night he’d been let out of jail was a blur, but each night after that, he’d slept beside me in the chair, making sure I felt safe. I appreciated it more than I could vocalize. It had taken weeks for Asher to touch me and not flinch, and although the nightmares were waning, I didn’t have the strength to sleep next to him. It would come, I knew it would, just…not yet.
“I…” I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, so I nodded and took a step toward the door. At the last second, I turned. “Asher?”
“Hmm?”
I waited until he looked up at me, his dark eyes swirling with something I couldn’t quite place. “Thank you.”
He smiled, the kind of smile he only ever gave me. The same smile that had butterflies swarming in my stomach. “You never have to thank me, sweetheart.”
“I know, but…” I shuffled on the spot and gripped my hands in front of me. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.” I swallowed, trying to keep my emotions at bay, but it was getting harder to put a front on with Asher because he saw right through it.
His eyes darkened as he stood, his muscles tensing. “You’re stronger than you think you are, Elodie.” He pushed his hand through his hair, and I frowned. He only ever did that when he was stressed out. “You can do anything you put your mind to. Remember that.”
I nodded, not sure if I believed the words he said, but there was something different about the way he said them. Something I couldn’t put my finger on. “I’m not sure I can,” I whispered, confessing my fears to him. “But thank you.” I didn’t move from my spot for several seconds. I stood there, staring at him, wondering what was bothering him. Asher may have been able to see through the cracks in my facade, but I could also see through his. “I’m gonna go get in the shower,” I said slowly, hesitating, hoping he’d tell me what was on his mind, but the relief flashing in his eyes had me even more on edge.
Was he hiding something? Or was I imagining things? I blew out a breath. I was probably thinking something was there when it wasn’t. My body was tired, but my brain was exhausted, so I turned around and headed up the stairs, hearing his voice order food a couple of minutes later.
Today was a fresh start. A new beginning. Yet I couldn’t quiet the small voice in the back of my head telling me I hadn’t imagined the way Asher had reacted.
ASHER
I stood in the doorway of my bedroom, watching Elodie’s chest move up and down with each of her breaths. Her eyes were closed, her face so peaceful. I’d never get tired of seeing her like that—like she didn’t have a care in the world. But I knew as soon as she woke up, all the bad things would come rushing back, and the stress on her face would be plain as day.
We’d been home a couple of days, and although I wished I could stay here with her all the time, I had to get back to the shop. It had been closed for nearly six weeks now, which meant I wasn’t getting paid, and neither were Lara and Jez. We’d come home to get back to normal, and now we had to actually do it.
But I was scared. Scared she’d be lonely. Scared she wouldn’t be okay on her own. I took a breath. Maybe I could leave it another couple of days? Maybe I could—
“You just gonna stand there all day staring at me or actually go to the shop?”
My heart raced in my chest, and I darted my gaze back to her face. I hadn’t realized she was awake, but I should have known better. She was hyperaware of everything around her, even during sleep. “Sorry.” I cleared my throat and stepped inside. “I was just thinking I could leave going back to the shop for another few days and—”
“Nope.” She shook her head and sat up in the middle of the bed. “You need to go back, Asher.” Her shoulders tensed, her body telling a different story. “I’ll be fine here.” She shrugged, acting like it was no big deal, and rubbed her eyes. “Your mom said she’s gonna come over anyway.”
“She is?” It was the first I’d heard of it.
“Yeah.” Elodie pushed the comforter aside and stood. “She went to my school yesterday, so she’s bringing over more work for me today.” She paused, her gaze flitting away from mine for a second, then coming back. “They said I don’t have to start back until after Christmas. But I don’t want to fall behind.”
“Right.” I hesitated, moving forward. “But I could stay until she gets here—”
“Go.” She smiled and closed the distance between us. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”
My stomach swirled with nerves. The last time I’d left her alone—
No, I couldn’t think about it. I couldn’t keep living in the past. She wasn’t scared to be here without me, so I shouldn’t have been either, right?
“Okay, but call me if you need anything.” I placed my palm on the side of her face, relishing in her soft skin. “And I mean anything, Elodie.”
“I will.” She lifted up on her tiptoes, and I bent at the knees to meet her halfway. Our lips touched, fire igniting between us, but it was over all too soon. It was a see-you-later kiss. The kind of kiss I’d never thought I’d have but relished in.
“I’ll call you,” I told her, stepping away from her but not turning my body. I wanted to take in the sight of her, standing in the middle of my bedroom with one of my T-shirts on and her hair a mess. She looked every bit as beautiful as she did when her hair was brushed, and she was in her own clothes.
“Have a good day,” she whispered, her chest heaving.
“You too.” I was prolonging it, not wanting to leave, but at this stage, I wasn’t sure whether it was because I didn’t want to leave her here alone until my mom turned up, or if it was because I didn’t want to be away from her. Maybe it was both. “I’ll see you later.”
I didn’t wait another second as I spun around, walked down the stairs, then left the house. I made sure to lock the front door behind me, and I stared up at my bedroom window as I pulled my car door open. The blinds parted a little, and I saw her face. I lifted my hand in a wave, waited for her to wave back, then pushed inside my car.
My mind was on overdrive as I backed out of the driveway and drove to the shop. I’d told Jez, Lara, and Mav to meet me there, so I really didn’t have a choice but to go in today. But as I didn’t have any clients booked in, maybe I could finish early. Fuck. I was already regretting leaving her. Anything could happen while I was gone, just like it had last time.
I pulled up in front of the shop, seeing movement inside, and debated turning around. It was too soon. I’d tried to run before I could walk and—
My cell buzzed in my pocket, and I yanked it out, seeing a message from my mom.
Mom: I’m at your house with Elodie. Stop worrying.
Asher: How did you know I was worrying?
Mom: Because you take after your dad. I’ll stay here until you get home. Just concentrate
on what you need to do today. Okay?
I blew out a breath. She was right. I needed to concentrate on the shop. I needed to contact all of my clients and rearrange the appointments I’d canceled. More importantly, I needed to give Elodie some space. I couldn’t be with her every second of the day, no matter how much I wished I could. She had to regain her freedom, even if it was only through baby steps. And this was the first step since we’d been back.
Asher: Call me if you need anything.
I pushed my cell back into the front pocket of my jeans, got out of my car, then walked into the shop. The door had been replaced, and the inside had been put back to how it was. It was almost exactly the same, apart from a few new shelves scattered around that my dad had put up because the old ones had been broken.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” I turned my head toward the voice. “Long time no see.” Lara pushed up off her seat and moved toward me, slapping me on the back in greeting. “We weren’t sure if you’d actually show, but here you are.”
“Here I am,” I replied, my tone clearly stating I hadn’t thought I’d be here either. “Mav here yet?”
“Sent him out for coffees and breakfast,” Jez announced, moving toward Lara and me.
My stomach rumbled. “Good call.” I glanced around the shop, my gaze halting on the back hallway. “Wanna fill me in on what’s happened while I’ve been gone?” I walked toward my station and sat in the tattooing chair.
“Nothing much,” Jez started, wheeling his stool closer to me. “The door got replaced. We tried to put everything back to where it was before.” His gaze roved around the inside of the shop. “Got some new shelves.”
“And your dad and brother emptied the apartment upstairs.” My breaths sped up. “They said you wouldn’t want to go back up there.” Lara shrugged. “How’s Elodie doing?”
“She’s…” I trailed off, not sure what to say. She was doing better than she had been, but I knew it would be a long road until she was back to her normal self. I wasn’t even sure she knew what her normal was anymore. So much had happened. She’d been fighting for so long. But now she didn’t have to, at least, not for a while anyway. “As okay as she can be.” I stood, wincing as I got closer to the hallway. “I need to contact my clients and—”
“Mav already did it for you when you messaged to say you were coming home,” Lara supplied, following me toward the back of the shop. “He’s put them all on the system starting next week.”
I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t, not while I was focusing on the back of the shop. I wasn’t sure I could spend my days with the door leading to the stairs of the apartment right there.
“We could block it off,” a new voice said from behind me. I spun around, coming face-to-face with Mav. His hands were full of four coffees and a white paper bag. “It’d only take some woodwork, then you could rent the space above and not have to see it every day.”
I didn’t take my attention off him, working his idea around in my head. He was right, we could block it off. It would still be there, but I wouldn’t have to see it. And the income from above the shop would mean I’d be able to work fewer hours, at least until Elodie was fully back on her feet.
“That’s not a bad idea,” I said, taking the coffee he held out to me. “You know anyone who could do it?”
“I could.” He shrugged and handed Lara and Jez their coffees too. “My dad is in construction. I used to work with him during the summers.” He sat on one of the rolling stools and opened up the white bag. “It’d only take me a couple of days.”
“Do it,” I told him, not taking a second to think his plan through. I needed the memories to be blocked off, not just for me, but for Elodie too. That was if she ever decided to come back here. I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. “Take the measurements and make a list of supplies we need.”
“On it.” He shot past me into the back office, and I sat back in my seat, blowing out a breath. I’d only been here thirty minutes, and already, I was exhausted. I hadn’t thought how it would be coming back here. All I’d been thinking about was how Elodie would be without me by her side, but now my own memories of that night were taking over. The way the glass was smashed in the front door, the sounds I heard as I walked up the stairs to her apartment. They were a constant echo in my mind.
“Bring me my laptop!” I shouted to Mav, closing my eyes, and scrubbing my hand down my face. He appeared a couple of seconds later, and I opened the laptop, checking on my schedule and seeing nothing booked in until Monday. It meant I had nearly a week to get back into the swing of things until I had a proper client back in my seat.
I closed my laptop and took a swig of the now lukewarm coffee. Part of me wondered whether I should have just closed the shop altogether. If my lawyer couldn’t get the DA to bring the charges back down, I wouldn’t be a free man after April. I’d be locked inside a cell for god knows how long. And Elodie wouldn’t have me by her side. She’d be alone again. Fuck. I couldn’t let that happen. I needed to find a way to figure all of this out.
I pushed to the edge of my seat, about to see if Mav had finished measuring up, but the door to the shop swung open, and a panicked Aleste darted inside. “You’re here,” she breathed out. Her head turned left and right as she looked around the shop. “Where is she?” Her voice was panicked, and it had me rushing out of my chair. “Where is she, Asher?”
“Oh shit.” Lara cleared her throat. “I forgot to tell you about Aleste.”
“Tell me what?” I asked, not taking my attention off Aleste. Her face was pale and panicked. She had her dance clothes on as if she’d rushed out of the middle of a lesson.
“She’s been looking for Elo—”
“Where is she, Asher?” Aleste stepped forward, her eyes wide. “I heard what happened and—” She made a choked sound. “Is she okay? I tried calling, but there was no answer.”
“She’s okay.” I took another few steps toward her. “She’s at my place with my mom.” I swallowed, trying not to let the emotions take over. Being back here was harder than I’d thought it would be, and although my skin was crawling and my heart was telling me to bail, my brain refused to give in. If Elodie was seeing through coming home, then I could spend the day here and put plans in motion.
Aleste blew out a breath and swiped at her face. “Has she been dancing?” I shook my head. Elodie hadn’t mentioned it once. “Tell her…” She placed her hands over her chest and sighed. “Tell her the studio is here for her when she’s ready.”
“I’ll tell her,” I whispered, but I knew Elodie wouldn’t come back here. Not yet, anyway. She had more healing to do, more steps to take, and being opposite the shop wasn’t one of them. “I’ll get her to call you.”
“Thank you,” Aleste sighed out. “Thank you.” She took another breath, waited a second, then twirled around and left the same way she’d entered. I watched as she crossed the street, took one last look at the front of my shop, then headed back inside her studio.
“She’s been leaving notes under the door nearly every day,” Lara said from behind me. “Think she was close to calling the cops if you weren’t back by next week.”
“That’s good,” I commented, blinking several times to get out of my own head.
“Good?” Jez laughed. “How’s that good?”
I turned, facing the entire shop and the three people who worked here. “Because it means there’s someone else who cares about her.” I left that hanging in the air, not willing to say more than that. “Come on, Mav. Let’s head to the hardware store. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can relax in my own fuckin’ shop again.”
Chapter Eleven
ELODIE
Leo: Can’t wait for you to be back at school. It’s so boring with no one to talk to.
My stomach bottomed out at Leo’s text. I’d told him a few days ago that I’d be back at school after Christmas, but I wasn’t sure I’d be ready. Time felt like it was whizzing by at a pace I couldn’t keep up with.
We’d been back from the lake house for over a week, which meant it was only a couple of weeks until Christmas. Each day that passed was a day closer to me having to go back to that school.
Elodie: Same.
It was a lie. A lie I knew he’d be able to see through, but I wasn’t willing to tell him I was nervous about going back. Lola had been in to speak to the principal, and they’d told her Knox wasn’t allowed back at the school due to his bail conditions, but that didn’t mean he still didn’t have friends there. I had no doubt they’d make it known how they felt.
It didn’t matter though, because both Knox and I knew the truth, no matter what lies he’d spun to his friends. All I needed to do was attend my classes and let each day pass by uneventful. It was a temporary situation, one that would be over before I knew it. I hoped.
Leo: You’re a liar lol.
Leo: Want me to come over after school, and we can study?
I glanced at the time at the top of my cell screen, seeing it was already one in the afternoon. School would be out in a couple of hours, and Asher had his first proper day back tattooing with clients today, so he wouldn’t be home until around six.
Elodie: Yeah. Bring snacks.
Leo: Always.
I grinned and switched to a game on my cell. I’d completed all my work for today, and I’d get a head start on tomorrow’s when Leo came over, so I deserved a break for a little while. I settled back on the sofa, determined to get to the next level, and just as I managed it, several knocks on the door rang out.
Deep Burn: (Asher & Elodie: Easton Family Saga) (Burned Duet Book 2) Page 13