Fast Burn (Burned Duet 1)

“It’s okay,” Asher murmured. “I get it.” He leaned against the doorframe. “This is your home now, though. You never have to live in a trailer again.”

“Never ever,” Belle continued, her eyes glassing over with unshed tears. “Damn. I think I have allergies.” She fanned her hand in front of her face. “I need a tissue.” She opened the door to the left to reveal a small en suite, and I couldn’t stop my grin. I’d never had my own bathroom either.

Asher stepped forward. “Do you like it?”

I blinked and glanced up at him, trying to decipher what he had hidden behind his eyes. “I love it.” I took a step toward him but halted a couple of feet away. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“You don’t need to,” he grunted. “Knowing you’re safe is thanks enough.”

I stared at him, not able to look away as his eyes darkened. The tension between us was building, and I wasn’t sure if I could stop the way I was feeling. He made me want to run away but also run to him all at the same time. I was scared to get closer but petrified to stay away.

“Wow. That escalated quickly,” Belle announced, stepping out of the bathroom. “I think this calls for takeout.” She turned to me. “Elodie’s pick, Asher’s treat.”

“I…I have to work in an hour.” I cringed as I said the words. She had no idea what my job was, and I didn’t want her to know. It was yet another secret I was keeping. But Asher knew. He knew my secrets whether I wanted him to or not, and he still looked at me the same. He didn’t judge me about things I had no control over. He simply took me as I was.

“We better eat quick, then, huh?” She winked and barged past Asher. “My favorite is Chinese, by the way, just so you know!”

I chuckled at her antics, already feeling more at ease. “I guess we should have Chinese, then?”

“Only if you want it,” Asher said, pulling his cell out the front pocket of his jeans. “I like Chinese. Pizza is my favorite but—”

“No pizza! Pizza is banned!” Belle shouted from the living room.

Asher shook his head, but his lips lifted into a grin. “Sore loser!”

“Am not!”

Asher glanced at me, his brown-eyed gaze meeting mine. “You sure you want Chinese?”

“Yeah.” He nodded and turned, but I darted forward and grabbed his arm. His muscles locked at my touch, but I didn’t let go, not until he was looking at me again. “Thank you for this, Asher.” I swallowed. “Seriously, thank you.”

“Anytime,” he responded, his voice rougher than it was moments ago. “I’m here whenever you need me, got it?”

My fingers tensed on his arm. “Got it.” I didn’t want to let go, but I knew I had to, so I slowly let my hand drift away from him. He stared at me for another beat and then left the room, leaving me wondering what the hell was going on and why I didn’t want it to stop.

Chapter Fourteen

ELODIE

I’d never realized how much difference having a safe place to go home to made. I didn’t want to leave my little apartment, and if it wasn’t going to school, work, or dance practice, I stayed there. For an entire week I’d made little adjustments to my space and added medals and awards I’d won from my competitions. I’d even created my own little corner where I could do my hair and makeup. Not that I had many supplies to do it with, but it was a work in progress.

Picking up an extra shift this week meant I already had next month's rent saved in an envelope under my mattress, so I only had to do two shift this week, and I’d decided to keep my Saturday night as that was always the best night in the club. I hadn’t seen Asher since I’d come home after dance practice on Tuesday and walked through the shop to get to my apartment, and part of me missed seeing his face.

The tension between us was almost too much at times, so I’d pulled back a little. Everything was happening all at once, and I just needed space to breathe. I needed to take it all in and figure out what I was doing. And besides, it wasn’t like he’d reached out to me either. Leo had come over last weekend, and Belle had even brought me some home-cooked meals to put into my freezer. I was making a home for myself, yet something felt missing. No, not something, someone.

“Girl, you are so far in your own head you haven’t even heard me shouting your name for the last five minutes.”

I whipped around on my stool in front of my station backstage and nearly fell off it. My arms twirled to try and get my balance back, but if it wasn’t for Reign reaching out to grab me, I would have face-planted the floor. “Shit. Sorry.” I sat up and pushed my hair out of my face. I’d curled it with Reign’s curling iron and borrowed her red lipstick to finish off the new look I was trying out. I was so used to doing the same thing over and over again, but I felt different now. Something inside me wanted to switch it up, so I’d pulled out my black lace bra and thong and decided to go all out tonight.

“You’re up in ten,” she said, tying her long, dark-brown hair on the top of her head. “You look…different.” She turned her head left and right. “More grown up.” She narrowed her eyes and flicked her gaze down to my feet where I was wearing a pair of strappy black pumps. “Sexier than usual.”

“Do you think I look okay?” I asked, placing the red lipstick in front of the mirror of my station and standing up. I opened my robe to show her. Reign had been here the longest out of everyone, and she was Jax’s go-to girl. He liked to act like we all didn’t know, but we did. We could go to Reign whenever we needed to, and although I hadn’t told her about my situation, I knew Jax would have confided in her.

“Damn.” Her eyes nearly pop

ped out of their sockets as she reached out to trail her finger along the edge of the triangle-shaped material covering my chest. “Holy shit, you look smokin’ hot, girl.”

My cheeks reddened at her words, and I quickly closed the robe back up. I’d never been afraid to get on stage, not since my first night working here, but tonight, my stomach was dipping and diving, acting like I was on a roller coaster with no end in sight. “I wanted to do something different,” I told her, hearing the last beats of the song currently playing. As soon as it ended, it would signal my dance on stage.