I’m scared to find out what Asher will think. What he’ll say. I know he’ll be supportive; that’s Asher. He’s the best when it comes to me reaching my goals, but will he be with me through it? Will he come with me? Can he come? So many questions and my stomach hurts thinking of them. As I sit here, staring at him, I don’t want to leave. I want to stay right here, under his hooded gaze, feeling like he sees nothing but me.
I want to shake him. Scream at him to tell me he loves me. Scream back that I love him. But I just don’t think doing that will help. I’m on his time, and I agreed to that. But a part of me just wants to say it and let it out into the world. Maybe then it’ll help him get to where I am.
But it could also scare him off.
I need to change the subject.
“Emery picked out the fuzzy white jacket thing, huh?”
He grins as he nods. “Yeah. Do you like it?”
“Oh, I love the whole outfit.”
“Good,” he says. “Do you like the shoes?”
I press my lips together, shifting them back and forth because of the gloss I’m wearing over my dark red lipstick. “I love them, Ash. They’re amazing.”
He grins. “Stella said you needed them.”
I’m breathless. “You bought them for me?”
“Yeah. Can’t have a hot dress like this without shoes to match.”
Why do I feel like I’m about to cry? Wait. Is he going to tell me he loves me? “I’m overwhelmed by all of this, honestly.”
“Just how I wanted you,” he says, leaning toward me and pressing his lips to mine. “I want you to know how special you are to me.”
I gaze into his eyes, and the words are there. Come on, Ash. Say them. He cups my face, running his thumb along my jaw, and he’s going to say it. I know it.
“Mr. Brooks, your table is ready.”
I can’t stab a hostess, right?
He sends me another wink before getting up and helping me off the barstool. He takes my hand as I grab my wine, and together, we head toward our table in the back corner. Like the gentleman he is, he pulls out my chair for me. “You look really good in those shoes, Ally.”
I beam over my shoulder at him. “Stop it. I can’t with you.”
He grins. “Want to take the fuzzy thing off?”
I nod, and he helps me out of it before putting it on the back of my chair. Before I can sit down, though, he snakes his arm around my waist, pulling me to him, and he kisses my shoulder. Even the hostess is swooning at this point. I gaze up at him as I sit down and take the menu from her. As he lowers himself into the other chair, he unfastens the button to his jacket, and it’s basically porn for me. For the love of all things holy, this dude isn’t playing around tonight. I don’t know what is wrong with me, but I want him more than I’ve ever wanted him in my life.
I’m also falling so totally in love with him, that it’s almost torture.
But maybe tonight is the night he tells me.
Or I tell him I’m more than likely going to move when I graduate, and he dumps me.
The possibilities are endless at this point.
I lick my lips as we both look over the menu, and then we order our entrees. We’re both ravenous, not only for food, but for each other. I hand off the menu to the waitress and reach for my wine. He takes a long pull of his water, and our eyes meet over the candlelight. His face glows from the low lighting, and I can’t help but smile.
“What?”
“This is really nice,” I admit, and he sends me a quirky grin before lacing our fingers together. I take a deep breath and beg for a conversation topic to come to mind so I don’t jump him. “So, you told your sisters about me?”
He nods with a rueful grin. “Funny you ask. Apparently, everyone in my family knows but my mom.”
I’m confused. “I’m sorry?”
He rolls his eyes. “Aiden told my dad to get back at me for telling everyone about him and Shelli—”
I laugh. “Oh yeah, when you were trying to get your mom’s ring for Jasmine.”
Something shifts in his eyes, and for once, I don’t know what it is. “Yeah. And good for him, it was a nice burn.”
“Such a nice burn. You threw him to the wolves like a little crybaby.”
He holds up his palm. “Whoa, please spare my feelings. I was young and stupid.”
“It was like nine months ago. You’re still young and stupid.”
He squeezes my hand, and we laugh together. “Anyway,” he sings, and I grin. “Emery overheard my dad and Aiden’s conversation. I wasn’t going to tell them when I asked for their help today, but Emery doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut.”
“Oh no, that’s not her way of life.”
He nods. “It was interesting, to say the least.”
“I bet. Those two are a hoot.”
“That’s one way to put it. They’ve grown, like, a lot.”
“Yeah. That’s how I feel about Journey. One minute, he’s a snot-nosed brat, and now, he’s still a snot-nose, but he’s taller than me.”
He grins. “He’s a good kid.”
“Yeah,” I say softly. “The girls are wonderful too. They just demand attention.”
“God help the guys they trick into relationships.” He eyes me with a teasing gleam in those gray depths. “But I do tend to surround myself with women like that.”
I laugh as I reach for my glass. “Hey, don’t act like you don’t like that about me.”
He strokes his thumb along mine. “I’m not. Just stating facts.”
I side-eye him. “Sure.”
He grins as he looks down at our hands. “I think I need to go talk to your dad. With everyone knowing on my side, my mom will find out sooner rather than later, and she’ll tell your family. I don’t want Jakob to find out like that. I want to tell him.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“We can go together.”
I smile. “Okay. Or we can start making out and just call him into the room.”
He blinks. “I thought you liked me? Are you trying to get me murdered?”
I giggle, shaking my head as his face lights up across from me. Lord, he’s so beautiful. When his phone sounds, he makes an annoyed face before he pulls it out of his pocket. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
He reads the message and then rolls his eyes, tucking it back into his pocket. “Stella, being dumb.”
I bring in my brows. “Huh?”
He shakes his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Tell me.”
He meets my gaze, and his lip quirks at the side. “Don’t laugh at me.”
I shake my head. “I will not promise that.”
“Then I’m not telling you.”
I scrunch up my face, thinking really hard if I can contain myself. Usually if he says that, I can’t. “Fine.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
He lets out an embarrassed laugh, and then his eyes capture mine. “We sat in the car before we went into the mall, looking for songs to send you.”
There is no laughter in me. Mainly because my heart has exploded. “Really?”