~ Asher's POV ~
"Can I stay here tonight?"
Asher froze for a moment, trying to decipher if this was real or if this was his imagination. Meanwhile, Zoie stood at the front of the door, waiting for his response.
"Sure," he said finally.
Zoie closed the door shut and walked over to the bed. Asher put his phone away and scooted to the side, making room for Zoie. He thought she might just sit down on the edge of the bed, but no. She went straight to the middle of the bed, sitting right next to him.
"I don't know if it's the bed or what, but I can't sleep," she huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Ha," Asher chuckled. "Same,"
"What were you up to?"
"Just watching some race highlights,"
Asher pulled his phone up to show her what he was watching. He was Youtube-ing Formula D stuff, keeping himself in the loop.
"Check this one out," he said, showing her a video of two cars racing side by side and being so nail-bitingly close to each other. After a skillful turn, one of the cars came out on top.
"Oh dang, that's cool!" Zoie's eyes lit up when she saw the move.
"Yeah, right? I can't wait to practice this move when we get back!"
Going back to California was the only thing in Asher's mind. Don't get him wrong, spending time with the family was great, but having all that freedom to just live life with Zoie, now that's something to look forward to.
"Hey, Ash,"
"Hm?"
"You and my dad were talking for a while back there. What did he say?"
Asher paused for a beat. He put the phone away and thought for a moment. Damon was asking him all the details about their life out there. Asher tried to give him as much information without incriminating themselves too much.
"You know, the usual," he shrugged. "He's just wondering how you've been and everything,"
"Why can't he just ask me that himself?" Zoie huffed and rolled her eyes. "What did you tell him?"
"Just what a good little girl you've been," he replied, winking playfully.
Zoie's lips curved into a smile. That made Asher smile too.
"You were talking to my mom for a bit too," he said. "What was that about?"
Asher's tone was light and cheerful, but he noticed the air in the room suddenly turned serious.
"Ash... Can I ask you something?" she said cautiously.
"Shoot,"
"Why did you ask to get sent away?"
"What?"
"I heard from your mom that you asked my dad if you can leave? You could've stayed here, but you didn't want to..."
Asher fell silent. He wasn't expecting this question to come up.
"Do you not like our family?" she asked again.
Asher shook his head instinctively.
"I love our family," he said defensively. "I'll do anything for our family,"
"Then why did you leave?"
Asher fell silent again. His body grew tense. He sat back and left a gap in between him and Zoie. Meanwhile, Zoie was just staring up at him, waiting patiently.
"I didn't think... I was good for this family," he said finally. His voice was low.
"What do you mean?"
"There was an incident..."
Asher was reluctant to speak. It was almost painful for him to recall this. But one way or another, Zoie deserved to know the truth. So he spoke up.
"I just turned fourteen and Landon was twelve or something. I was a young kid watching a lot of car races on TV and I got really into it. So one day, when the parents weren't home, I snuck into the garage and stole one of Liam's cars. I started driving and learning how to drift. Landon came with me one day because he was curious. He wanted to know what I'd been up to. So I took him with me and we started driving and I was showing him how to drift and everything. Things were going great until suddenly, I lost control of the brakes. We hit a tree. The car was totaled, the airbags came out and everything. We had to be rushed to the hospital. I got away with some broken bones, but Landon... he had a concussion. There was a time when the doctors thought that he wasn't gonna make it,"
Asher's voice cracked slightly, so he stopped talking. He remembered that day so vividly. One minute, he was laughing with Landon in that car, and the next minute, everything was a blur. Landon was lying in between glass shrapnel, bleeding out into the ground. Asher remembered standing in that hospital hallway, listening to the doctors talking about Landon's condition. He remembered the horrified look on Liam and his mother's faces when they heard it. He almost killed his own brother. It was only by the smallest margin of luck that he didn't.
"Ash, whatever happened, that wasn't your fault," Zoie said suddenly, as if she knew what he was thinking.
Somehow, that made Asher's chest ache harder.
"I knew I was bad," he said through gritted teeth. "I made you cry a lot too when we were kids,"
Zoie shook her head and sighed.
"You were just a kid, you didn't know any better," she said.
"So I left 'cause I just... I just wanted to run, you know? I just wanna be someone else,"
Asher threw his glance to the floor. Not only that this was painful for him to say, but it was embarrassing as hell. He never felt more vulnerable. He didn't know what to do with himself.
"Ash," Zoie said gently, her hand reaching for his face. She tilted his face to her and said, "You can't be who you're not. And you can't keep running away forever,"
"But I can try," he scoffed a laugh, trying to ease the tension.
"Asher," she scolded him.
"What?"
"You're a good guy," she said firmly. "You're a great guy,"
Asher didn't know what to say to that. Maybe she was just saying these things to make him feel better, but... it really got to him. It struck a nerve. Asher couldn't say another word and he just stared at her.
"So, please," she said again. "Don't run away from your family forever, okay?"
Asher found himself smiling a little.
"Okay," he said.
"Good," she smiled back. "Because this family loves you,"
Asher cocked his head instinctively.
"And you?"
"Huh?"
"Do you love me too?"
The question just came out without his control. But he really wanted to know. Even though this was pushing it and he probably shouldn't have asked it. He just wanted to know.
Zoie stared at him for another second and Asher swore, there was a spark in her eye. She was quick to hide it, though. She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Don't make it weird,"
Asher scoffed out another laugh. Zoie nudged his arm with her elbow and her lips twitched into a smile. Asher's heart was swelling in size. Her cheeks were blushing pink, and she hid it by leaning her face into his shoulder.
Damn. What is this feeling?
Zoie was leaning her head onto his shoulder and he opened his arm for her. She leaned closer and he wrapped her in his arms. Asher could feel her breathing and he was breathing to the same rhythm. None of them said anything else after that, but they didn't have to. He felt the utmost peace just sitting there with her.
And so, he held her. All night long. Until they fell asleep together. He just kept holding onto her.
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"Bye mom, bye dad, bye everyone!"
The big, black car was sitting on the driveway, filled with Asher and Zoie's things. Ash had finished putting all their stuff in the trunk, so he closed it tightly. Meanwhile, Zoie was saying goodbye to her family. She was hugging everyone, from her brothers to her mom and dad.
"Asher," Suddenly, Damon stepped closer to him.
"Yes, sir?"
Damon gave his hand out and Asher shook it. Damon held his hand rather tightly and came even closer, whispering into Asher's ear.
"If you need anything, anything at all. Don't hesitate to call,"
"Yes, sir,"
Asher and Damon exchanged a look. Actually, it was more than a look. It looked more like a stare-down. Asher felt a little nervous. Does Damon know something?
"We ready?" Zoie's voice cut through the tension in the air. She slipped in between Damon and Asher. Damon finally pulled his hand away. Asher let out a breath of relief.
"Bye, daddy," Zoie went and hugged her dad. "See you at Christmas!"
Damon hugged his little girl back and kissed the top of her head.
"Don't get into trouble and listen to Asher," he said.
"Yeah, yeah," Zoie rolled her eyes and pulled Asher to the car. "Bye everyone!"
Zoie was waving to her family and they waved back. Asher saw Talia in between the group and he smiled at her. She smiled back.
Asher and Zoie got into the car, sitting in the backseat. They had a driver that was going to drive them to the airport. Zoie was still waving her hand at her family as the car was pulling out of the driveway. Once they were finally out of sight, Zoie closed the window and sat back in her seat.
"Ahh!" she let out a long sigh. "And we're back to the real world!"
Asher turned to her. He noted the breath of relief she just let go.
"How do you feel about that?" he asked.
"I feel good," she said, turning her eyes to him. "You?"
Asher nodded his head.
"I feel good too,"
The two of them were just staring at each other, smiling. They didn't have to say the words, but they knew exactly what each other was feeling. Asher never knew a feeling like this before. Understanding someone and being understood by someone. It felt really good, and all he wanted was to get closer to her.
God. I wish I could touch her right now.
Asher and Zoie were sitting back with seatbelts around their bodies. In the front seat, the driver was silently driving. Slowly, Asher's hand reached closer until his finger touched hers. Zoie didn't pull away. She didn't react at all and just stared blankly into the front. Asher reached further and laced their fingers together. Zoie still didn't pull away. In fact, she held his fingers back. And for the next hour or so, even though they weren't looking at each other or saying anything else, their fingers did all the talking.
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- - - - - - To Be Continued - - - - - -