Burned Duet: Asher & Elodie: Fast Burn & Deep Burn (Easton Family Duet Boxsets Book 4)

by Abigail Davies

  It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and it was me that had caused that. I’d been the one to make him lose himself.

  Our breaths slowed, but we didn’t look away from each other. We both knew this was about more than sex. This was about us getting back to what we were before. This was about building the last piece of the bridge to becoming a normal couple.

  This was about me becoming part of us again.

  ASHER

  “I wish we could have stayed in bed,” I groaned as I pulled up outside my mom and dad’s house. Elodie and I had spent every moment possible over the last two weeks alone and in our bed. We’d gotten to know each other on a level I hadn’t realized was possible. I learned how she liked to be touched, how she fell asleep quicker if I held her hand in mine but didn’t overcrowd her. I learned how she snored lightly when she was in a deep sleep, and how she tossed and turned if she was having a nightmare.

  “We’ve got to come out sometime. I haven’t seen your mom in nearly three weeks.” Elodie turned in her seat as I switched the engine off. “Besides, she said if I wasn’t here by three o'clock, she was gonna come over and get me herself.” She laughed, the sound carefree and light.

  “I don’t doubt she would.” I reached over, pushing some hair behind her ear that had fallen forward. “Your smile is mesmerizing.”

  She dipped her head but kept her gaze connected to mine. “Asher,” she warned. “Stop it before I give in and tell you to take us back home.”

  I shrugged. “I’m not opposed to the idea.”

  “Stop it.” She laughed again, but this time she didn’t stay where she was. Instead, she opened up the passenger door and walked toward the house. Her jeans gripped her hips and ass and I couldn’t look away from it. I was getting hard just watching her walk away from me. Fuck. I had to try and keep myself under control, at least until we ate and could leave.

  Elodie knocked on the door twice and waited for it to open. By the time I was halfway there, Mom had her wrapped in a hug. “What have I told you about knocking?” Mom pulled back and smiled down at Elodie. “You walk right on in. None of this knocking nonsense.”

  “Sorry,” Elodie murmured. “I forgot.”

  “That’s because you haven’t been over in way too long.” Mom glanced at me as I halted behind Elodie. “Asher’s been keeping you all to himself.” She narrowed her eyes. “He never was good at sharing.”

  I spluttered. “What? I—”

  She waved me away and pulled Elodie inside. “Come on, I’m not letting him hog you while you’re here.”

  “Seriously?” I raised my brows as I followed them inside and closed the door behind me. “Don’t I get a hug?”

  “Nope.” Mom smirked at me and wrapped her arm around Elodie’s shoulders. “Come sit out back and tell me what you think about the college applications I sent over to you.”

  I couldn’t help but smile as they moved through the house and into the backyard. They’d become closer and closer as time went by, and although I knew my mom would be there for me always, I knew Elodie was her favorite. If it wasn’t obvious by the way she’d practically given me the death stare, then it was obvious as she steered her to one of the chairs, not allowing anyone else to say anything to her.

  “You ever gonna stop smiling, son?” my dad asked from beside me. He was grilling burgers and steaks as I turned to face him.

  Nothing could wipe the smile off my face right then. I was happier than I’d ever been, and it was all because of one person: Elodie. She’d overcome so much. She’d shown a strength I hadn’t known possible. And now she was laughing and joking with my mom and Belle.

  “She’s doing better, then?”

  “Yeah.” I winked as Elodie glanced over at me, loving the blush that appeared on her cheeks. We’d left it until the last minute possible to get dressed this morning, and I wondered if she was thinking about what we’d done in the shower, and then the bed, and finally on the kitchen counter. I was like a man possessed, not able to get enough of her.

  “How about you?” Dad asked, closing the top of the barbecue. “How are things with you?”

  “Good.” I didn’t tear my gaze away from Elodie. “Shop is getting back to how it was before everything. I’m booked solid up until April.”

  “And after April?”

  My heart sank at his words and my smile started to drop. I knew what he was asking without him having to voice the words, but I didn’t want to do this here, not in front of everyone else. I glanced at him, silently telling him to drop it, but from his raised brow and the straight line of his lips, I knew he wouldn’t. I’d been keeping everything to myself, not wanting to focus on anything but making sure Elodie was okay, but it was only six weeks until my court date. Six weeks, and still, nothing had changed. I had a plea deal on the table, and I had no choice but to sign.

  “Not here,” I told Dad. I tilted my head toward the house and walked through the sliding doors into the kitchen. Everyone was outside, so I knew no one would be able to hear us, but I continued into the living room, needing even more space between us and them. “I need you to…” I trailed off and huffed out a breath. I wasn’t sure how to tell him what my options were. “I need you to promise you’ll take care of Elodie.”

  “That goes without saying,” Dad replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “But you’re gonna have to explain why, son.”

  I ran my hand down my face, trying to bide time to figure out how to tell him, but there was no good way to vocalize it, so I blurted out, “The DA has offered me a deal.” Dad stared at me, his expression not giving away a single thing. “Twenty years with the chance of parole after eighteen.”

  “Twenty years?” Dad’s eyes widened. “Twenty fuckin’ years?” His chest moved rapidly, and he started to pace across the living room floor. “What the fuck they tryin’ to charge you with?”

  “Attempted mur—”

  He ground to a halt. “Your lawyer hasn’t gotten your charges lowered?” He yanked his cell out of his shorts pocket. “We’re getting you a different lawyer because this one obviously doesn’t know a fuckin’ thing.”

  “Dad.” He ignored me and swiped at the screen of his cell. “Dad.” My voice was louder, finally gaining his attention. “I don’t need a new lawyer.”

  “You fuckin’ do.”

  “I don’t.” I leaned against the wall, needing something to hold me up. I’d tried to push everything to the back of my mind. I’d tried to live in the moment, but the closer my court date got, the harder it was to do. “He’s tried everything he can, but there’s nothing else he can do.”

  “I don’t believe that for second, Asher.” Dad stepped toward me, his gaze searching for something. “What are you not telling me?” I inhaled a breath, trying to push the truth down, but it was no use because he could see I wasn’t being completely honest with him.

  “He wants Elodie to give a statement. He says it’ll make the DA lower the charges.”

  “Okay…” Dad tilted his head to the side. “But that means she’ll probably have to testify if it goes to trial.”

  “Exactly.” I let the back of my head press against the wall. “I can’t do that to her, Dad. She has her own court case in May, and they’ve already told her she’ll need to take the stand there. I can’t make her do it twice. She’s healing, but I’m scared this would push her right back.” I swallowed and met my dad’s stare. “I can’t do that to her.”

  “Have you asked her?”

  “No.” I clenched my hands by my sides. “And I’m not going to ask her either.”

  “Son—”

  “No.” I pushed off the wall and rolled my shoulders back. “Elodie doesn’t need to know about any of this. I’m not making her give a statement just so my charges can get lowered. I did the crime, not her. She’s already been punished enough.”

  “I’m not sure she’ll see it like that.”

  “Would you let Mom do it if it was you and her?” I didn’t look
away from Dad as I witnessed the understanding cross his features. He’d protect Mom until his dying breath, and I’d do the same for Elodie. “Just promise you’ll take care of her, Dad.”

  He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “I promise, son.” His lips turned into a frown, telling me he wasn’t happy about any of this, but he understood. I just wasn’t sure anyone else would. “What about your house?”

  “It’s all paid for—” The sound of footsteps interrupted me, and I darted into the kitchen to see who it was, but the room was empty. My heart hammered in my chest and I glanced outside, trying to see if anyone was walking back out there, but they were all sitting around the table talking. “Did you hear that, Dad?”

  “Hear what?”

  “The footsteps.” I looked at him, but his face was blank, as if he had no idea what I was talking about.

  “Belle’s dog was probably after food again. I swear that tiny thing eats as if she’s a Doberman.” He shook his head. “Come on.” Dad tapped me on the back. “Let’s get back out there before the humans start a riot for food too.”

  I didn’t answer him as he walked back outside and headed right for the grill. I waited to see how everyone would react, but not one person glanced at him. They were all consumed by the conversations they were having.

  “Food’s ready!” Dad shouted, and I blinked, trying to pull myself out of the daze I was in. For weeks I’d been trapped inside a bubble with only me and Elodie, but now we were around the people who cared most about us, I was paranoid they’d be able to see through the veil I’d created. They couldn’t know the secret I was keeping because they wouldn’t understand, not like my dad. I was limited with the time I had left as a free man, and I wanted to make the most of it. I didn’t want to spend it arguing what the right thing in their eyes was to do. I’d made my choice, and they’d have to deal with it.

  ELODIE

  I’d always been good at keeping secrets. I was an expert at not telling the people around me things I didn’t want them to know. But I was starting to understand I wasn’t like that anymore. I felt antsy, like I needed to blurt out what I knew, but every time I opened my mouth to say it, nothing came out.

  It had been two days since we’d gone to Lola and Brody’s house for a cookout. Two days since I’d overheard Asher and his dad talking. Two days of my mind swirling, trying to make sense of what they’d been saying. But it was no use. Every single time I came to the exact same conclusion: Asher was prepared to take the fall for something he did to help me.

  I clutched my hands in my lap and tried to keep my concentration on the teacher at the front of the class, but nothing I did helped. All I could think about was what would happen when Asher turned up at court. I’d heard what Asher said loud and clear: Twenty years. He’d go to prison for twenty years, and all because he’d protected me.

  I couldn’t let it happen, no matter how much of a fight Asher put up. Maybe I was being selfish wanting Asher beside me every day. Maybe I was doing this more for myself than him. But I couldn’t let him do it. I needed a plan. I needed to figure out what I had to do.

  “Elodie?” Leo whispered from beside me. “You okay?”

  I turned to face him and opened my mouth to tell him what was on my mind. I was desperate to tell someone what I’d heard. It was on the tip of my tongue, but something stopped me. Something halted me from voicing my thoughts. It was Asher I should confront, but I didn’t know how he would react. Would he be mad? Would he sign the deal? My eyes widened. What if he’d already signed the deal? Shit. I hadn’t thought about that.

  “I…” I stood, my chair scraping against the tiled floor. “I have to go.” I grabbed my bag, threw my book inside it, not bothering to zip it up fully. I had to help Asher, even if it meant going behind his back to do it. I sprinted down the hallway and toward the main entrance, pumping my legs as fast as I could.

  “Elodie!” Leo shouted after me. “Stop!”

  I didn’t listen, just kept on going, knowing I needed to confront this situation as soon as I could. I slammed my hand down on the bar of the doors and they whooshed open. I practically jumped down the steps and didn’t stop moving until I was at my car.

  My shaking hands caused my keys to rattle, but it only took two attempts to get the key in the lock. As soon as I was inside my car, I clicked my belt in place, and turned the engine on. I’d already made my mind up to where I was going, so sped out of the lot.

  It only took me minutes to pull up outside the house, but my heart was racing so fast I thought it was going to explode out of my chest. I darted up the driveway and opened the front door. “Brody? Lola?” My feet carried me through the living room and into the kitchen where they both sat at the table with cups of coffee. Lola was still dressed in her pajamas, but Brody was fully clothed in jeans and a T-shirt. “I need to talk to you,” I gasped out.

  Lola stood, her eyes wide and face panicked. “What’s happened?” She reached for me and pulled me toward the table. “Sit down, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  I shook my head. I didn’t have time to sit. There was an urgency to the situation. Asher hadn’t confided in me about his case, and I understood why now, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t upset with him. I’d leaned on him more than anyone else I ever had, yet it was as if he didn’t feel like he could do the same. But deep down I knew it wasn’t the case. He’d told me things he’d never confided in anyone else.

  “I heard you talking,” I blurted out to Brody. “I heard you and Asher talking the other day.”

  Brody’s shoulders dropped, his gaze flicking to Lola who was still standing next to me. “I thought you had.” He leaned back in his chair and pushed his hand through his graying hair.

  “I need you to take me to his lawyer.”

  “His lawyer?” Lola asked, her attention swinging between me and Brody. “Why do you need to go to his lawyer? What’s going on?”

  Silence consumed us as neither Brody nor I looked away from each other. I didn’t want to be the one to tell her, not only that, but I’d only heard enough to understand what was going on. I didn’t know the ins and outs of it all, but I had a feeling Brody did.

  “The DA wants to charge Asher with attempted murder,” Brody told her, but he didn’t look away from me as he said it. His dark-brown eyes that looked so similar to Asher’s held a pride I’d never seen before. “He’s been given a plea deal.” He paused. “Twenty years.”

  “Twenty years?” Lola gasped, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. “What the…how can they…” I felt her gaze on the side of my face, but I didn’t give her my attention. Brody knew what I was going to do without me having to spell it out to him. “But he was defending Elodie.”

  “He doesn’t want her to give her statement,” Brody confirmed what I’d overheard.

  “But how can the same DA who is prosecuting Knox do this to Asher?”

  “It’s not the DA,” Brody told her. “The two cases are under different assistant DAs. They either haven’t shared their files, or don’t care.”

  “That can’t be right.”

  “It’s not,” Brody gritted out. “But it’s the way it works in an office that big.” Brody glanced back at me, his eyes softening. “He thinks he’s protecting you.” He stood slowly. “He doesn’t want to make you have to relive it over and over again.”

  I chortled. “He doesn’t understand that I relive it every time I close my eyes. Every time someone knocks on the door. Every time someone gets too close to me.” I heaved a breath, trying to calm myself. “I don’t get to pick and choose when I remember what Knox did to me.” I wrapped my arms around my stomach, trying to protect myself from what I was saying, but it was no use because it was all trapped inside me. “If telling them what happened that night means he doesn’t get charged, then I’ll do it. I’d do it a thousand times over for Asher.”

  “I knew you would.” He pulled his keys out of his jeans pocket. “I’ve been in touch with his lawyer.”<
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  I tilted my head to the side and felt my lips lifting. “You knew I’d do this?”

  “Didn’t doubt it for a second.” Brody sauntered around the table and halted in front of me. “I see the way you look at my son, Elodie.” He smiled down at me. “It’s the same way he looks at you: like the world starts and ends with this one person.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “It’s exactly how I look at Lola, and I’d move heaven and earth if it meant protecting her.”

  Lola rolled her eyes. “Even in your old age you know exactly what to say to make me swoon.”

  “What can I say?” Brody shrugged and took hold of Lola’s hand. “Even after all these years, you’re the only one who impacts what happens here.” He patted his chest over his heart. “Always and forever.”

  They stared at each other as if they’d only just fallen in love, and my stomach dipped. I wanted that with Asher in ten years. I wanted it with him in fifteen years. But I wouldn’t get it if he’d already signed the deal. Twenty years of our lives would be taken away in the blink of an eye, and all because of Knox’s decision. He’d already tried to ruin everything in his path, and I’d be damned if he did it all over again.

  “I erm…” I shuffled from foot to foot. “I don’t mean to rush you, but…can we go?” I bit down on my bottom lip, feeling uneasy. “Asher doesn’t know I know, which means—”

  “He could sign the deal at any minute,” Lola finished for me. “Go. Go.” She shooed us. “Go do what you need to do.” She pulled her cell out, her brows furrowing. “I’m going to call Asher and give him a piece of my mind.”

  “No!” I threw my hand in the air. “Don’t. Please. I don’t want him to know what I’m doing.” I hated the way my skin crawled when I said that, but it was the only option I felt like I had. “He kept this a secret from me for a reason, and if he knows what I’m about to do, he’ll try to change my mind.” I took a step toward the living room. “And I’m not letting him change my mind. I’m doing this, whether he likes it or not.”