“Please don’t spare our feelings,” I say, but he doesn’t laugh.
“Yeah, plus, none of us miss you anyway,” Emery teases, and I snort as I point at her. Though, Asher doesn’t find any of us comical. His eyes are on Mom, and he seems pretty serious.
My smile drops as I ask, “What’s going on?”
He doesn’t look at me. “I came home to get the family engagement ring.”
A silence falls over the table. Through the years, my dad has bought my mom many upgrades to her wedding set. The engagement ring Asher speaks of is the very first one. I remember picking it out with my dad. It’s a huge heart-shaped single diamond that is set on a band engraved with “I love you and you love me.” It almost exactly matches the tattoos on Mom’s and Dad’s wrists.
Asher looks so damn sure of himself as he says, “I’m very much in love with Jasmine, and I want to ask her to marry me.”
Along with the rest of the table, I just blink. I don’t believe what I am hearing. I’m envious of him for knowing what he wants, but he’s a kid! Mom is the first to recover. “Asher, baby, I’m so happy that you’re in love, but you’re only nineteen.”
Thank you, Mom!
“I’m aware, but she’s all I want. And like Dad always says, when you know, you know.”
I look back to Mom, who nods slowly. “Well then, wow, that’s so amazing. Jasmine is wonderful. I adore her.”
“She is great,” Stella says, and Emery nods.
“She’s crazy strong.”
“I’m sure the more we get to know her, we’ll fall in love with her too,” Dad says, and I make a face. Am I the only one who hasn’t met her?
“Yeah, I’ve got nothing. I haven’t met her, but congratulations. I’m sure she’s great if you like her.”
Asher looks over at me. “Love her.”
I nod. “Yeah, that.”
He shakes his head and doesn’t look excited as he holds my gaze. He looks kind of pissed. “I’ve wanted you to meet her plenty of times, but you never made the time.”
Oh, so he is pissed. “And I regret that. I hope I can meet her before the wedding.”
Asher shakes his head. “None of that matters right now. You’re supposed to get the family ring.”
I blink, unsure where he is going with this. “Okay?”
Stella makes a face. “But I want that ring!”
“Me too. It’s the prettiest and means the most!” Emery says, but Dad shakes his head.
“That ring is for Aiden. He helped me pick it out.”
Mom nods. “Daddy has updated my ring four times. There is one for each of you. You know that, Asher. I have yours if you want it.”
He shakes his head. “I wanted the first one. Like Emery says, it’s the one with the most meaning.”
Everyone then looks at me. “What?”
“I want the ring,” Asher says, and I shrug.
“Okay?”
“Okay, I can have it?”
“Okay, good for you. But, no, it’s mine.”
Asher’s face fills with color, and his eyes narrow to slits.
“I don’t know why you’re so upset. We all know who gets that ring. I was there. I picked it out.”
“Why? You won’t use it. Hell, you won’t even admit to loving her!”
There are audible gasps from my sisters, and I feel everyone’s stares as I glare at my brother. “Shut up.”
“No, it’s not fair. You won’t use it, so let me.”
“No,” I say simply. “I may be a little confused now, but if I decide one day to use it, I want it.”
“Why? You don’t even believe in love, Aiden. They fucked you up!”
Dad’s voice fills the kitchen. “What the hell is going on?”
“Asher, what in the world?” Mom asks, her gaze flicking between us. “Are you dating someone?”
I watch as Asher looks away, shaking his head. “It’s nothing. Just let it go. Give him his ring, and let it be.”
“It’s bullshit, and you know it.”
“Ash, let it go,” I warn, but his eyes meet mine once more.
“If you could look at me and tell me you’d honestly use the ring, I’d believe you. But you’ve been with her for months now, and you won’t even accept that you love her—and she sure as hell loves you. You have no plan to commit to anyone. Right now, it’s easy ’cause no one knows, but when they do, you’ll bail.”
“That’s bullshit. You don’t know shit.”
“I know you. I know what they’ve done to you.”
He jerks his thumb at my parents, and Mom smacks her hands together. “What the hell is going on? Why do you keep saying we’ve done something? What have we done?”
I don’t say anything, and neither does Asher. But then, there’s my father. “Please say this has nothing to do with she-who-must-not-be-named?”
I close my eyes as another gasp comes from the girls.
“Aiden, really? You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re not an idiot. Come on!”