Fast Burn (Burned Duet 1)

My hammering heart sped up for a different reason. I wasn’t scared anymore, well, not in the traditional sense anyway. Slowly I reached for my door handle, flicked the lock, and opened it up.

“Erm…hi, Asher.” If it wasn’t so dark, he probably could have seen the redness taking over my entire face, but thanks to my broken interior light, he couldn’t. I was embarrassed, and not only because of the car I now called home, but because Asher was standing a couple of feet away from me.

“What are you doing, Elodie?” he asked again, but this time his voice was softer, his tone more concerned, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.

“Just…chilling out?” I sounded unsure, I knew that, but I didn’t know how I could get out of what was clear to his and everyone else’s eyes.

I heard his long low breath as he lifted his hand and scrubbed it over his face. I still couldn’t see him clearly because of the darkness, not until he crouched down next to me. “You’re not chilling out,” he murmured, his stare meeting mine. His eyes swirled like they always did, but this time I could tell it was concern flashing behind them. I was starting to figure his looks out, and I kind of loved how I could decipher what he was feeling and thinking.

“I watched you come out of the studio and followed you back here.” His gaze flicked to the back of my car and he lifted his cell, clicked on the flashlight, and shined it inside. “You’re sleeping in your car.” He turned back to me. “What the fuck, Elodie?”

“I…” I wasn’t sure what to say, so instead, I kept my mouth shut. I could have lied to his face and denied it, but he wouldn’t have believed it.

He stood and demanded, “Get your shit. You’re coming with me.”

My head reeled back. “What?” I choked out, sure I’d heard him wrong.

He took a step closer to me and slowly demanded, “Get your shit.” His gaze connected with mine. “You’re coming with me.”

I snorted. “No, I’m not.”

“Yeah, you are.”

“I’m not.”

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ.” He crouched down again, this time closer. So close, I could reach out and touch him. The wind whipped around him and caused his aftershave to waft closer to me, and I inhaled a deep breath. I’d never smelle

d anyone like him before, and I couldn’t get enough of it. “Listen.” He waited until my gaze moved back to him. “I’m not leaving you here to sleep in your car. It’s as simple as that.”

I frowned and leaned back in my seat. “Why not?” I didn’t give him the chance to answer as I continued, “I don’t need someone to look after me. I can do it all on my own.”

“Never said you did,” he murmured, but he didn’t look away. He was standing his ground, but I was stubborn too.

“I don’t even know you!” I shouted, throwing my hands up in the air. I was agitated, but I didn’t know if it was because I was fed up with being told what to do, or if it was because it was Asher who had caught me. Why was it he always seemed to be there when one of my secrets was being revealed? He knew things about me I didn’t want anyone to know, and yet, he was still here telling me he wasn’t going to leave me to sleep out here alone.

“Really?” His brow rose. “I think at this point, I’m the only person who knows you.” I opened my mouth to respond, but he didn’t let me. “Who knows about your job? Your ex-boyfriend? Your druggie mom? How about that you’re sleeping in your car? Huh?”

My shoulders drooped the longer he talked. When he put it all together like that, it made me seem…I didn’t know. I didn’t like it. But it was who I was. There was no changing it, and I was done being ashamed. I was done letting everyone’s opinions dictate what I wanted to be.

“I’m still not going with you.” I crossed my arms over my chest as if it would make a difference.

Silence stretched between us. We were at a stalemate, neither of us willing to give in. And then Asher stood. My stomach dipped, and I wanted to reach out and tell him not to go. Outwardly I was demanding I stay, but inwardly I didn’t want him to leave.

“Okay,” he whispered, and slowly, he closed my door.

I stared with a pit in my stomach as his shadow slowly backed away, and tears sprung to my eyes. I’d been offered help. I could have slept in a nice warm bed, but instead, I’d tried to be dignified, and now he was walking away from me, just like everyone else did.

Chapter Twelve

ASHER

She thought I didn’t see the sadness in her eyes.

She thought I couldn’t see the pain shadowing in each part of her face.

She was wrong.

I saw her, whether she wanted to admit it or not. And the moment I realized she was sleeping in her car, I knew I couldn’t walk away or back down. I’d let her slip through my fingers so many times, and I was done letting her go and hoping she’d come back to me. She wouldn’t reach out for help, no matter how much she needed it, so if it meant I had to force it on her, then so be it.