Unexpected

When he nods, Mom adds, “At least let me send some home with you. Your mother used to love my lasagna. That is, if you think she’ll take it.”

Asher smiles sympathetically. Mary Anne, Asher’s mom, is a sore subject. Before their falling out, Mom was closer to Mary Anne than she was Rayna, Liam’s mom. I never figured out why she chose Liam’s mom over Asher’s. It’s a shame because over the last year, Rayna began to avoid us. Sometimes to the point of crossing the grocery store to get away. Now, we never see her.

“Mom is working the graveyard shift tonight and our fridge is on the fritz. Even if I did bring some home for her, it would probably go bad. Thank you anyway.” Asher reaches out and touches Mom’s arm. If he has any hard feelings towards her about the way things went down, he hides it well.

“Thanks for the ride.” I quickly step towards Asher and hold my arms out for a hug.

I’m doing him a solid, saving him from any more awkwardness from my mother. Asher smiles, his eyes twinkling like stars in the sky as he leans in. I expected our embrace to be one of those awkward side hugs, but Asher goes all out. He squeezes me tight, with both arms around my waist, while pressing his lips to a tender spot under my ear. When he pulls back, I find myself wrestling with a strange, unwanted case of longing. I like the way it feels, being in his arms.

Asher puts his helmet on and pushes the faceplate up, exposing his amethyst eyes. “See you tomorrow, Ellie. Bye, Mrs. Walker.”

Asher slides the face shield down again and brings his bike to life. Mom and I watch as he drives away and eventually disappears out of sight. I’m glad he’s gone. I need some space to figure out how I’m going to make Liam come back to me without needing Asher’s ridiculous plan. For some reason, I can’t think straight when he’s around.

Mom shakes her head, still thinking about Asher and mumbles, “He looks so much like his father did at that age, it’s scary.”

It’s hard to picture Derek Heiter as a teenager. The man is so uptight, if you tried to shove a stick up his ass, it would break. I bite back a laugh but then remember, I’m not supposed to know the secret of Asher’s father. “You know who Asher’s dad is?”

“What?” Mom jumps and looks at me wide-eyed. “No. Of course not. Mary Anne never told any of us who he was. Why?”

I shake my head. I can’t imagine Asher would lie about Derek. It would be too weird, but it’s still hard to believe that Derek and Mary Anne had a secret affair. I didn’t expect Mom to tell me the truth about Asher's dad, but it would have been nice if she could shed some light on the situation. “No reason, but you looked at Asher like you’d seen a ghost.”

Mom chuckles and throws her arm aroun

d me, pulling me in for a hug. “It felt like it. The last time I saw you two together, you were waist high with pigtails. I vote you stop growing. I don’t think I can take much more of it.”

“Mom.” I roll my eyes and pull out of her embrace. “You say that every year.”

“And every year I mean it more.”

We walk up the front steps and into the kitchen. I settle onto a stool while she goes behind the counter and pulls dinner out of the oven. Dad is working late again, as usual, so it’s just me and her until about eight.

Mom sets a plate of lasagna in front of me, then leans against the kitchen counter with her own in hand. “Why didn’t Liam give you a ride home? He picked you up this morning. Didn’t he?”

I shrug, shoveling a forkful of noodles into my mouth. How do I explain to her what happened without spilling the beans that Liam and I have been hooking up the past five years in secret? I can’t. I have no option but to lie. “I think he and his girlfriend were going dress shopping for prom.”

Mom chokes on the food in her mouth. She sets the plate on the counter and opens the cabinet behind her. After grabbing a cup and filling it with water to wash it down, she gets her bearings again. “He can’t be serious with that Corah girl, is he?”

I shrug and stab at my plate. Corah is the last person I want to talk about. She’s going to prom. Stab. She got Liam to break up with me. Stab. Stab. She ruined everything! Stab. Stab. Stab.

“Are you going to the dance?” Mom asks, in a tone that implies she’s up to something.

“No,” I say, flatly. “I need a date to go to a dance.” I’m not making the same mistake I made at homecoming. Being the third wheel with Maggie while watching Liam dance with another girl from my loser table for one is not my idea of fun.

Mom smiles again and picks up her plate. Like Mr. and Mrs. Heiter, she's always known Asher goes to school with us. Everyone just likes to pretend he doesn’t exist and avoids asking any and all questions when it comes to him. Until now. “Asher is cute. You could go with him.”

“Not if I plan on staying friends with Liam,” I say, more to myself than to her. I slide off my stool and walk around the counter to put my plate in the sink.

Mom reaches out, taking my hand in hers. “Liam is a great guy, Lainey, and a good friend, but that’s probably all he’ll ever be. Don’t let a man who doesn’t see how great you are hold you back from finding happiness.”

“Mom—”

“No, Laine.” She shakes her head. “Don’t ‘Mom’ me. I know you have a crush on Liam. I’m old, not blind. You’re eighteen and have never had a boyfriend, and I think that’s because of him.”

She’s right, but I don’t want to admit it out loud. Liam and I may have only started sleeping together sophomore year, but I’ve been giving him all my other firsts since I was thirteen. Knowing he never cared for me the way I care for him is embarrassing. “Guys don’t see me like that, that’s all.”

“Bullshit. You’re a beautiful young lady and I saw firsthand how Asher looked at you.”

Mom didn’t see anything. Nothing is going on between Asher and me. We’re friends. Barley. And yet, my stomach flutters to life. “How did he look at me?”