I break the eye contact between us and focus on slowing my heart rate. I can only imagine how red my face is, but judging by the smirk plastered on Asher's face, my reaction is enough to boost his ego. Not like he needs an ego-boost. I look over at him again and catch him staring at me. I watch his eyes scan my body, taking me in. Now, it's my turn to smirk. Play it cool Makayla. I notice he is still only wearing a towel and clear my throat before speaking.
"So, are you just gonna stand there staring at me or are you going to put some pants on? We need to start working on our project. We have barely scratched the surface in the research." He stares for a second more, before blinking, shaking himself out of whatever daze he was in.
"Right." He coughs awkwardly. "Well, to do so, I'm going to have to drop the towel, so unless you want a free show, you might want to look away."
I widen my eyes before quickly turning around, feeling the heat rise to my face once again. He laughs to himself, before I hear him moving to open his drawers. For the next few moments, silence hangs in the air, as he gets dressed and I try to control my reactions. If I'm going to keep it cool between us, I can't keep blushing like a damn schoolgirl.
"Alright, you're good to turn around," he finally speaks up. I turn, only to roll my eyes. He took me literally when I said put pants on, conveniently forgetting a shirt. I try not to stare and am successful this time around. The need to investigate my mom's case trumps Asher's abs. For the moment, at least.
"Seriously? Put on a shirt Asher."
"What? I figured it would save you the time later in taking it off," he says, while shrugging. The cheeky bastard. I laugh and shake my head.
"Nice try. I'm here for our project, okay? That's it." I put down my bag, pulling out my laptop and a notebook. I fall back onto his bed and power on my computer. The bed dips, as Asher sits, fully clothed now.
"Is the project the only reason? Nothing else?" he asks unsurely. I glance over and see him scratching the back of his neck, waiting for my response.
"Well, what else did you want to talk about?" I really do not want to be the one that brings up the almost kiss. He wanted to talk the other night so bad; ball is in his court.
"Makayla...c'mon. You know what I want to talk about. Don't make me say it."
"Say what, Asher? You're the one who wanted to talk. So, talk."
"God, has anyone ever told you how annoyingly frustrating you are?" He groans and shakes his head in annoyance.
"Yes. Your point?" I ask bluntly. He looks at me in disbelief. After a moment or two, he sighs.
"Alright fine. I want to talk about what almost happened last Friday night," he says.
"You're gonna have to jog my memory Asher. A lot happened last weekend." I have to bite back a smile. I know he's starting to get frustrated, but I am having way too much fun making him squirm. He looks at me and laughs.
"You're such a pain in the ass, Makayla." I finally break and burst into laughter. He looks at me like I'm crazy before laughing too. We both keep laughing in a fit of hysteria. It's not even funny. I mean, not really. It's just one of those times where his laughter is making me laugh and vice versa. It takes a minute or so before we can finally stop laughing. I take in some deep breaths, trying to calm my laughter.
"Okay." I speak up, watching him focus his attention back on me, "I'm assuming you're talking about the almost kiss." I state. He nods, waiting for me to continue. I take a few more breaths, while I think over exactly what to say. "Look, Asher, I-"
"You want to forget about it," he interrupts me. Wait, what?
"I didn't say I wanted to forget it. I figured that's what you wanted. You know, since you texted, claiming to have lost your mind that night." I point out. My heart is in my throat, as I wait for his response.
"Right. I did claim insanity, didn't I?" he asks, chuckling. When he sees me nodding my head, he continues. "When you weren't answering, I panicked and just started making up excuses to save face. Then, when you blew me off the other night at your apartment, I figured you weren't interested," he replies.
"I didn't blow you off!" He gives me a look before I think back on Sunday night. "Okay, so maybe I did, but it really wasn't about you." I reassure. He rolls his eyes before getting up from the bed. He stands over me now, and I can't help but feel nervous as my heart races.
"Ah, 'it's not you, it's me card'. That's one of my go-to methods on how to get rid of a girl. Could've just told me all this the other night, saved yourself the trouble of coming over now." Asher shoots back, his words laced with sarcasm and anger.
What the hell is he upset for? I stand up; our bodies are so close, but I'm too confused and angry to really take notice.
"Are you serious? Look, I know this is a new concept, but I'm not going to drop everything when you decide you want attention. When I say it wasn't about you, I mean that it wasn't about you! It's not a line. So, please for once, don't be a jackass! I have bigger things to worry about than whether or not I bruised your ego." I'm yelling now, but I don't care. Here I was spending my entire week stressing over this talk, and within a matter of minutes, Asher picks a fight. Unbelievable!
"Oh, so I'm the jackass? What about you?" he shouts right back.
"What about me?"
"You want to talk? Let's talk, Makayla! Let's talk about how you don't even know me, but you have made your opinion of me after what? Five minutes?" I go to speak, but he doesn't let me get a word out. "How about if you actually paid attention, you would notice that I haven't hooked up with another girl in the last month. I barely notice another girl who isn't you."
"Oh my god! Do you want a medal or something? Good for you Asher. I'm so proud that you haven't fucked some poor girl just for your own selfish reasons! I'm serious. I'm in awe of you right now." I reply, holding back laughter.
"That's not what I was getting at," he responds, stepping closer, our bodies filling the last remaining space between us.
"Well, what were you getting at then?" I ask, glaring up at him.
"You have no idea the effect you have on me, and I'm not just talking about this past month. You have been the one girl I can't shake from my mind for years. I noticed you freshman year orientation. You were standing with Charlotte and a few other girls. You were wearing that dorky t-shirt the university handed out to all the freshman and laughing at something Charlotte said. I couldn't look away. You were so beautiful without even trying. I wanted to go up to you, but you left before I had the chance. After that, I got so caught up in football, but I never stopped trying to get your attention."
He can't be serious.
I would call him on it, but I'm afraid to speak and interrupt. When he notices I'm not going to respond, he continues.
" I'd see you around on campus or in classes, but I never could work up the nerve to just walk up to you. Then, last year, we were paired together for the group project, and I thought "Hey, maybe this is my chance', but you didn't give me the time of day. You know, I never even slept with those girls in our group. We went on a few dates, but that was it. I was trying to make you jealous, and yeah, looking back on it, that was stupid. I mean, here I am hung up on this girl I barely know, who couldn't be less interested. You know what really sucks though? You based your opinion of me off my reputation, and I can only be mad at myself for it. Everyone thinks I'm this huge man-whore on campus, so why wouldn't you assume the same? Everyone holds me to a certain standard, and it's just easier to play the part they cast me in," he finishes talking and I'm stunned.
"Asher, I don't know what to say. I mean, like you said. We hardly know each other. How can I trust that you're telling the truth and not playing with me?" I'm at a loss. I thought that Asher had all the power over me, but if he's telling the truth, I was wrong. I've held all the power this whole time without even knowing it.
"I can't make you trust me overnight, but I want to earn it. Just give me a chance to prove it to you?" he asks, grabbing a hold of my hand. His hands are rough and calloused, evidence of all his years of football, but I can't think with him standing so close. Loosening my hands, I start to try and process everything he just told me. It wasn't until I hear him sigh, drop our hands all together, and step back, that I realize I hadn't answered his question.
"Look, I get it. You don't see me like that, and it's fine. I'll get over it. I still want you in my life, even if it's just as friends."
He softly smiles, trying to mask the hurt he's feeling. I feel my resolve melt at his words. God what's wrong with me? He just poured his heart out and is still willing to just be my friend, if that's what I want. What do I want? Maybe, I have had it all wrong. I have a habit of not giving people the benefit of the doubt, choosing to play on the safer side, not wanting to risk getting hurt.
Asher is worth the risk.
When I see him start to move away from me entirely, I panic and do the first thing I can think of. I grab his arm and pull him back to me. I take in his confused expression, before leaning in. His eyes widen, as I softly place my lips against his. It's a short kiss, but long enough for me to realize he isn't kissing me back. His lips are frozen against mine, and I instantly pull away, embarrassment flooding throughout my entire body.
"I'm so sorry. I don't know why I just did that. God, I didn't even ask if that was okay." I apologize. If the situation was reversed and he hadn't asked for my consent first, I would've slapped him so fast. His confusion grows, but only for a second. I look away, too mortified to make eye contact. I only look back up when I hear him chucking.
"Makayla, you don't have to apologize. You just caught me off guard. I'm also used to being the one to make the first move." I roll my eyes at his cockiness, playfully slapping him on the arm. He stops laughing, as we lock eyes. With neither of us being able to look away, I feel Asher gently grab a hold of my chin, pulling me as close to him as possible, barely leaving any space between us.
"Is this okay?" he asks. I don't speak; only nodding my head in response. Time seemed to slow down. There is no way he can't hear my heart beating now. He leans in; I close my eyes, as his lips press against me softly, sending chills down my spine.
My knees nearly give out as he wraps one arm around my waist, pulling me flush against him. The kiss is short-lived, as he pulls away. I stare into his eyes, getting lost in the vibrant blue that reminds me of waves crashing in the sea. Without any hesitation, I lean back into him and press my lips against him.
The second kiss had been short and sweet, but this kiss was different. It was intense and filled with more need and passion than I have ever felt before. Our lips moved in sync, as I threaded my fingers into his hair. Asher let out a groan, and I smiled against him. My lips parted slightly, allowing him a chance to deepen the kiss. Every nerve in my body felt like it was on fire, as his tongue brushed against mine.
After a few moments, Asher broke the kiss, and we took a second to catch our breaths. Asher played with the ends of my hair with one hand, as the other was still wrapped tightly around my waist.
"Wow. That was-." I start to speak, still trying to grasp what just happened.
"Yeah, it was." Asher grinned, before pressing his lips against mine. Before it got too heated, he drew back.
"Makayla, I know you don't want to be just another girl to me, and I need you to know you're not. But I understand words don't mean anything if I can't back it up. So, I will take it slow, if that's what you want. If it takes days, weeks, months, I don't care. I'll show you that I'm serious about you. About us. I just need a chance to prove it." I smile at his words, surprised at my own giddiness.
"I'd like that. To take it slow, I mean. Let us get to know each other more." I say. The grin on Asher's face is so wide that I can't help but to smile back. The smile falls for a moment, though, as I know what I'm about to say is going to dampen the mood. "But you need to know that I really wasn't blowing you off. There's a lot going on in my life right now that I just couldn't take another emotional talk that night."
Asher frowns, as he takes in what I said. "Why? What's going on Makayla?" he asks, his tone laced with concern.
"I think we might have to look at my mom's case through a different lens. I don't think it can be classified as an unsolved murder case anymore." I start. He furrows his eyebrow in confusion, not understanding where I'm going with this.
"I don't think she's dead, Asher. I think she's missing."
And I'm going to find her.
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Author's Note: Asher being a simp all along.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it! As always, thank you all for reading! â¤ï¸