Asher’s jaw turned tight. “Thursday,” he clipped, though he looked like he wanted to say something more.
I searched my mental banks. “Thursday,” I repeated, knowing there was something important about this day. A light bulb dinged.
“Nope,” I said finally. “I’m at work tonight.”
“Work?” he repeated with a hard jaw.
“The thing people do to make a living.” I surprised myself with the sarcastic answer.
Asher didn’t seem amused. “Didn’t know you worked so much, flower, what happened to college?” His voice was hard. During all of our phone conversations, I’d managed to escape this particular topic.
My stomach flipped. “Well, I’ve been on a … break from school for the past year and a half,” I said slowly, wincing at the pain the heart-wrenching pain that was coming back. “The bar meant I had days free for Mom. It paid the bills, still does,” I shrugged.
Asher’s brows drew together as something worked on his face. He didn’t say anything, but he looked pissed. Not pissed at me exactly, but something far away. His eyes went back to mine.
“Okay. Text me the address. I’ll pick you up when you’re done,” he said firmly. “No more buses,” he reminded me. And before I could argue, his mouth pressed onto mine and he straightened, giving me one more look before he left the room.
I stared at the closed door for a long while.
What had I gotten myself into?
Something I knew I couldn’t handle. Something I wanted to get out of if I was to keep swimming in the ocean of grief that had no end. Something I also wanted to drown in.
But then that was dangerous. Those feelings are not okay.
Luckily, I didn’t have time to inspect this. To think too hard. My door opened and to my surprise, Bex poked her messy head through it. She was grinning as she rushed into the room, jumping on my bed.
I was jostled slightly, belatedly realizing I was naked, so I quickly yanked the covers on top of me. She wasn’t fazed at my nakedness, I shouldn’t be surprised considering what she did for a living. I was surprised at the mere fact she was conscious.
“What are you doing up at,” my gaze flickered to the clock on the wall, “eight am? That’s equal to dawn in your world.” My realization that she’d been sleeping less than I was lately didn’t have time to come to fruition.
She moved onto her side, her head resting on her hand. “You were dragged off by a biker last night, Lil, I need to know the deets, like as soon as … I wasn’t in the proper state to get the lowdown yesterday,” she said as if it was obvious.
I struggled to sit up without puking. “How are you all … chirpy? I feel like someone hit me with a car,” I exclaimed, rubbing my head.
Bex waggled her eyebrows. “I bet you do, you saucy minx. If that kiss last night was anything to go by, I’m guessing that biker ruined you,” she said mischievously.
I screwed my nose up at her wording. “Yeah, well, he may have ruined me for all other men.”
“I need to know everything,” she ordered. “Positions, length, girth, width. Everything.”
I gave her a look. She knew I didn’t like talking about that kind of stuff, it just wasn’t in my nature. I may have been transitioning into a party girl, but I wasn’t going to change everything about me.
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, nana. Just tell me one thing, did he take care of you?”
I nodded slowly. “Oh, yes.”
She grinned.
“How about you?” I asked, needing to change the subject. “Any lucky man reel you in last night?” I remembered the men with Asher, thinking Bex would have loved them.
“Dylan’s asleep in bed still. I was the one who ruined him last night,” she winked at me.
I held my tongue at this. It was hard. Bex may have disapproved of Aiden because her character did not gel well with someone like him, but Dylan was different. He was a bad guy. Period. He and Bex had a turbulent on again off again relationship. I called it toxic. Bex called it passionate. I was worried about the fact he was in our house again. I knew that he was shady. He hung in circles I didn’t have anything to do with, and I’m pretty sure he had connections to a street gang that caused trouble around here. I didn’t know much about them, but I knew they were bad news.
Bex liked her men bad, the badder the better. I just hoped it wouldn’t bite her in the ass.
“I’ll have a shot of tequila, and one for yourself too, sweetheart,” the guy in front of me winked.
I cringed on the inside. “Sure thing,” I replied with a bright smile. One I perfected over the years to hide whatever anxiety I had from social situations.