~ Asher's POV ~
She might as well kill me with those eyes.
Asher found himself staring down at her, and he was caught in a trance. Her eyes were bright purple and blue, her cheeks rosy pink, and her lips looked so damn inviting. And now, her lips began to part as Asher leaned closer and closer...
"Zoie!"
A loud voice was heard and Asher and Zoie pulled apart instantly. Asher turned around and saw a guy with sleek blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
"Oh my gosh, Landon!" Zoie leaped in an instant, shoving past Asher to get to Landon. "I haven't seen you in ages! I missed you!"
Landon was smiling from ear to ear as he received Zoie into his arms. She jumped straight at him and he staggered back a little, but he held her tightly still.
"I missed you too, Zee!" Landon said as he patted the back of her head.
Zee?
"When'd you get back?" Zoie asked. Her eyes were fluttering at him.
"This morning. I came here straight from the airport," he replied. His eyes were also warm and tender toward her.
"Oh, I'm so happy you're back! I thought you won't make it in time before I go to Stanford!"
"Of course, I'll make it back in time! I promised I'd see you off,"
As Landon and Zoie were having this heartfelt exchange, Asher stood on the sidelines with his hands in his pocket. He studied Landon's face for a second longer before letting out a smirk.
That little boy's all grown up.
"You came straight here and you haven't even seen mom yet, bro?" Asher spoke up finally. Landon turned his eyes to him and his jaw fell to the floor.
"...Ash?"
"What's up, 'lil brother?" Asher beamed and came closer, stepping right in between Zoie and Landon. "It's been a while,"
Asher gave Landon a quick dab and a side hug. Zoie was forced to move back. Asher had nothing but love for Landon, but since it had been a while since they'd seen each other, they looked rather awkward.
"Damn, it sure has!" Landon chuckled dryly. "The last time I saw you was what... ten years ago?"
"Yeah, your voice didn't even break yet," Ash sneered.
"Dude, I was twelve!" Landon laughed back.
Asher felt a tinge of warmness in his chest as he heard his little brother's familiar laugh. He remembered he used to make Landon laugh so hard as a kid. Landon was always following Asher around everywhere. Any trouble Asher got into, Landon was always one step behind.
Landon was the golden child. He was the good egg while Asher would get into all sorts of trouble. And though Landon never knew why his half-brother left ten years ago, one of the reasons was to protect him. Asher was becoming a bad influence on Landon. Even his dad said so. Asher overheard Liam and Talia talking one night about it. And so, taking matters into his own hand, Asher decided to go to boarding school at fourteen. Since then, Landon was free to become his own man. He's done so well that last Asher heard, he even went to Yale law school.
"You still race cars?" Landon asked. "The twins told me they saw you one time at a race, a couple of years back,"
"Yeah, but I'm taking a short break for now. I'll be back at it," Ash replied as he threw a glance at Zoie.
"Cool," Landon nodded. "So, what brought you home?"
"Well, you know, duty calls,"
Ash threw another glance at Zoie and she just rolled her eyes.
"Duty?"
"This kid's going to college and apparently, she needs a bodyguard," Ash nodded at Zoie and Landon followed his gaze. Zoie scoffed and turned to her heels, circling around Asher to get to Landon.
"What?" Landon stared at Zoie in confusion.
"It's a long story, I'll tell you later," she said as she took his hand. "Now come on, you need to tell me all about Yale. How was New Haven? What do I need to worry about as a freshman in college?"
Zoie kept going on and on as she pulled Landon away. Landon gave an apologetic look to Ash as he walked off. It was as if he was saying, "we'll talk later". Asher nodded his head and waved goodbye.
And as he was standing there watching Zoie walk away with Landon hand in hand, he couldn't help but feel a slight pang in his chest.
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These two seem awfully friendly with each other, don't they?
Later that night, the family convened at the dinner table for a big family dinner. Asher sat across the table from Zoie and Landon and he couldn't take his eyes off of them. She was laughing and giggling at practically everything Landon was saying. And she was touching his elbow every chance she could. She did it so often, Asher even lost count after fifteen.
"...So then I told him, your honor, with all due respect, your fly's open," Landon finished his story and the whole table erupted in laughter. Zoie was leading the pack.
"I can't believe you did that in a court of law," Zach interjected.
"Imagine if that was one of us?" Zane said.
"We'd be dead right there!" Zander replied.
Landon and the Van Zandt brothers were talking and reminiscing about their college days. Zach graduated two years ago and the twins and Landon just graduated this year. They studied business and economics at Harvard, and they were on track to continue Damon's many businesses. At the table was also James, Dylan and Ivy's son, and he went to MIT to study computers. And then there was Landon, of course, who followed Damon's footsteps and went into law and politics. Damon was so pleased with that, he brought Landon into his team right after he graduated.
Everyone at that table was full of achievements. Zach told stories of how he went to Africa and built a floating hospital his sophomore year. The twins won a business competition held by the UN a year ago. James was recruited by Facebook and Google right after he graduated. Everyone was going places, all except Asher. Even Zoie, the youngest one of all, was going to Stanford. Meanwhile, all Asher was doing was being a bodyguard for a couple of years for some trust fund money.
Guess everybody grew up except me.
Asher kept quiet throughout dinner as his brothers tell stories after stories. After Zach, Zander, and Zane had their turns, now it was Landon's turn. Landon was updating everyone on his last year of Yale law. Apparently, he interned for some hotshot lawyer who once worked for the President of the United States. Impressive? Yes. Everyone was impressed, especially Zoie. She kept staring at him with wide, glimmering eyes. Asher couldn't help but scoff.
"So, Ash," Zach called out as Landon continued entertaining the adults at the table. "What's the deal with that car you're building-"
"Are they always this close?" Asher blurted under his breath, referring to Zoie and Landon across the table.
"Those two?" Zander interjected. "Pretty much,"
"We always joke that Landon's Zoie's actual brother and not us," Zane added. "She's way closer to him than to any of us,"
"That's because you guys were always mean to her," James interjected too, snickering at the Van Zandt brothers.
"Us?" Zach, Zane, and Zander said in unison.
"When did we ever?" Zander scoffed sarcastically, then he proceeded to throw a piece of a green pea at Zoie's face.
The pea hit her cheek and her smile dropped to the floor. She quickly shot a deadly glare in Asher's general direction. Zane and Zander, who were sitting next to him, were snickering incessantly.
"Ugh! Grow up!" she spat and stuck her tongue out.
Asher had nothing to do with that, but Zoie was already giving him the stink eye. And just a second later, she turned back to Landon and her face changed instantly. She was sweet again. Her purple, blue eyes shone brightly.
God. Those eyes.
For a split second, Asher was taken back to that night in the garage. It was dark and her eyes were the only thing that shone against the moonlight. She had this look on her face-she was scared and excited at the same time. Asher felt his heart racing as he drew closer to her. He thought she'd back away from him, but instead, she did the most unexpected thing ever. She pulled her dress above her head and threw it to the floor. Left in her black bra and underwear, she lay flat on the hood of that car with her elbows propping her head up.
"Shit. I want you so bad," he said.
Asher was caught in a trance. Her body was so sexy and divine. He couldn't wait to touch her and feel the warmth of her skin. He remembered the way she tasted, the feeling of her skin. And if he closed his eyes for a second, he could almost picture her lying down on that table like she did on the hood of his car.
"Take me then," she said.
And suddenly, Asher was hard! Right then and there. At that dining table, with Zoie, all her brothers, her mom and dad, and Asher's own mother sitting all around-a strong bulge formed under his pants.
Shit! I really need to fúcking control myself!
"Ehem, everyone, I'd like to propose a toast!" Talia, Asher's mom, chirped as she raised a glass and clinked it several times with a knife.
Everyone's eyes turned to her and Asher adjusted his position, making sure the tablecloth was covering his pants.
"...As you all know, after the kids grow up and one by one they start leaving the nest, it's not every day that my two sons can be here having dinner together. And it's not every day that this family can get together like this. The Van Zandt family, the Carvey family, and of course, The Grimaldi family. And so, I just wanna make sure that we don't take this moment for granted. I love all of you and I thank my two sons every day for making me the happiest mother on earth..."
Talia smiled at Landon and Asher. Landon beamed back at his mother and Asher gave her a quick smile.
"To family," she said.
"To family!" Everyone else joined loudly, raising their glass.
Asher was late in joining, mainly because his hand was busy with the tablecloth. But still, he managed to grab his wine glass and joined the toast.
Family, huh?
Asher sipped his drink and looked around the room. All these people... all these faces... they seemed foreign to him. Even his own mother. After he left at fourteen, Asher never looked back. He wasn't a Van Zandt, or a Carvey, or a Grimaldi. He was a Luciano, son of Adrian Luciano. But since his dad passed away and his mom remarried, it almost felt like he didn't belong in this family anymore. Everyone seemed so happy and successful, meanwhile... here he was in his dirty converse, ripped jeans, and a boner hidden under the tablecloth.
So pathetic.
"Oh, you know what, I just got a brilliant idea!" Violet, Zoie's mom, exclaimed suddenly. Now everyone's eyes were turned to her.
"There's only one week left before Zoie's leaving for California. And while we have everyone here, why don't we do a family trip before the summer's over?" she continued.
"That sounds like a great idea, Vi. What do you have in mind?" Dylan, her brother, replied.
"I don't know," she shrugged and turned to her husband. "Maybe we can use the yacht?"
Of course, they have a yacht too.
"That sounds like a good idea," Damon agreed. "We can do an overnight trip this weekend, maybe sail to Fire Island?"
"Oh, yes! We can hit the beach, have a barbecue, and everything!" Violet beamed eagerly.
"What do you think, Zee?" Landon turned to Zoie.
"Mmyeah, I think it'll be fun," she replied. "Besides, I just got these new pair of bikinis I've been wanting to wear all summer,"
A bikini? Shit.
"Alright, that settles it!" Violet clapped her hands in excitement. "Everyone, we're going on a family trip!"
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- - - - - - To Be Continued - - - - - -