~ Asher's POV ~
- - - - - Three Days Later - - - - -
"Damn," Mikey laughed as he shoved a pint of beer to Asher's face. "You must be the most miserable millionaire I've ever seen,"
"Shut up," Asher groaned and grabbed the glass. He had his face down on the bar's countertop and he only lifted it up to drink his beer.
"Man, seriously," Mikey rolled his eyes as he stood up straighter from behind the bar. This little dive bar was his proudest achievement. He built everything in here, including the race car themed decor, and he called this place Sour Diesel.
"You've got a check for a cool one million dollars!" he hissed under his breath, making sure no one else in the bar heard him. "That's plenty of money for us to start the team!"
Asher only let out a sigh and drank the rest of his beer.
"Look, so what if your family disowned ya, big whoop. You disowned them already too!" Mikey was trying his best to hype Asher up, but Asher couldn't feel anything. He was just numb.
"Bro," Mikey said again, realizing that there was more to this story than what Asher told him. The story was that Asher came to him two days ago after taking a bus all the way from New Jersey. He looked tired and disheveled like he hadn't been sleeping for days. And so, Mikey gave him the couch in his apartment and let Asher crash. He slept for an entire day, and when he finally woke up, he told Mikey he was out of the family business for good. Damon paid him one million dollars for a deal he made, but he was out now. A free man.
Mikey was immediately ecstatic. He brought Asher down to the bar to celebrate. But instead of being in a celebratory mood, Asher was moping around. He'd drink himself to sleep and barely said one word to Mikey about anything else.
"Is there something you're not telling me here?" Mikey asked again.
Asher kept quiet and shoved the empty glass of beer back to Mikey, asking for another round. But instead of complying, Mikey took the glass and put it under the counter.
"You can answer me now or I'll find out myself later," he pressed.
Asher let out a frustrated sigh. He couldn't underestimate Mikey and his spying skills. Being a bartender in this dive bar was only his hobby, his real line of work is hacking and finding out dirt in people's lives. That was what he did to Miles after all.
"It's kinda stupid," Asher said finally. His voice was low and weak.
"Try me,"
Asher and Mikey were locked in a staring contest.
"Are you in trouble?" Mikey guessed.
Asher shook his head.
"Is that blood money?"
Asher shook his head again.
"Dirty money?"
Asher shook his head harder.
"Then what's the problem?!" Mikey groaned.
"It's about a girl!" Asher snapped, yelling a little, causing the three other people that were in the bar to look at him.
Mikey smiled at the other customers like it was nothing. The three other men went back to drinking and playing pool.
"What girl? What are you talking about?" Mikey whispered back to Ash.
"Zoie,"
Mikey's mouth formed an 'o' as he realized what happened. He didn't know much about Zoie except that she was Damon's daughter, Ash's employer, and Ash was supposed to be her bodyguard. She dated that asshole Miles and Mikey helped Ash put him away for good.
"Something happened to her?" he asked.
Asher shook his head slowly.
"I, uh, we kinda had a slip up..."
"Slip up?" Mikey narrowed his eyes, and by studying Asher's face, he knew what happened. "Bro!" he yelled. "You did not sleep with your boss's daughter?!"
This time, the three men turned around again and Asher glared at Mikey. Mikey quickly flashed them a grin and pulled Asher to the back room behind the black curtains. The back room was set up as this cage where he usually hosts fights. This time, however, it was empty and quiet.
"Man, you're seriously telling me you that fúcked your uncle's daughter?!"
"It's not like that!" Asher groaned and raked his hair with his hand.
"Then what?"
"I love her!"
Mikey was taken aback. Asher never used this word before. Not even for cars or anything.
"...And she loves me too," Asher continued, pausing for a beat before adding, "Or loved,"
Asher threw his glance to the ground and swallowed hard. It stung him to know that Zoie's probably upset with him right now. He left without saying anything to her. She must be so confused... so angry... so heartbroken.
"We had a thing going on. We were doing it for a while, but it was a secret. We didn't wanna tell anyone... And then... in her dad's office, he has this playroom..."
"Playroom?" Mikey narrowed his eyes. "You mean like a...?"
Asher didn't have to answer him. From his expression, Mikey knew what it was.
"We'd sneak out at night to use it. Usually by midnight, everyone was in bed already. But that night..."
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- - - - - Three Days Ago - - - - -
Asher sat in the family dining room with so many thoughts running through his head. It didn't matter to him that the whole family was there, he was lost in his thoughts. Just to sum it up, he came home this morning to the news that Landon intends to marry Zoie and Damon approves of it. And not only that, Damon wants Asher to get Zoie on board with the idea. Then, as he walked into her room, he saw Landon and Zoie kissing. Zoie looked awfully apologetic about it, she said that it didn't mean anything. Landon corroborated the story, saying that he went for it without her consent, pretty much.
But then... his little brother started baring his soul out. Asher was mad at him at first, but now he just felt bad. He started feeling bad for everyone. Damon was gonna be disappointed if he knew Zoie was so tainted already by him. Landon probably will too. And Zoie's mom, and her brothers... everyone would be so mad. He was supposed to be her bodyguard. He was supposed to be protecting her, but instead, he was taking advantage of her. He ruined her chances for a real marriage with a real good guy.
While Asher sat with these thoughts, suddenly he felt his phone buzzing.
Zoie: Meet me in the playroom at midnight.
Zoie: We must talk.
Asher looked up and Zoie was already on her way up to her room. He gripped the phone tightly in his hand and shoved it back to his pocket.
She's right. We need to talk.
Something must be done. And from where he's at right now, Asher saw three options. Option one, they pretend like nothing happened and carry on. This means that they can buy more time, be in denial of the world crashing down around them and be together just for a little while.
Option two, they stop whatever it is they were doing. They've had a good run, but it was time to grow up and be an adult. Asher should let Zoie go to be with someone like Landon. That's what everyone else would've wanted too.
But... is that what she wants?
Then, there was option three. They come clean to everyone, profess their love and hope that people will understand. Asher knew he didn't have the best track record, but he was changing. Even Damon could see that, otherwise he wouldn't have given him this deal with China.
Maybe that's it... maybe that could be...
After ruminating about all of his options, Asher decided he would go with option three. Yes, it might break some hearts, but all the other options will too. And at least, this way, he and Zoie can have a shot at being together. That's what he wants.
And I think that's what she wants too!
Asher couldn't wait until midnight. He was too excited to see her and tell her all of this. He came to the playroom fifteen minutes earlier, thinking that he might as well just wait in there. But, to his absolute shock, once he stepped into the playroom and turned the lights on, he saw someone else was already in there. He couldn't tell who it was at first, he only saw the top of someone's head, dark brown hair, and they were sitting behind the big chair.
"Zoie?"
The person stood up and turned around. Asher's face turned pale like he'd seen a ghost. It was Damon.
Asher couldn't do anything but froze in his spot. Meanwhile, Damon was staring at him with a fierce, intense gaze.
"Huh," Damon scoffed. "I never thought it would've been you,"
"U-Uncle Damon... I was just..."
"Coming here to use my playroom?"
Asher swallowed hard. He didn't dare move or say anything else. Meanwhile, Damon took a powerful step forward.
"While I've relieved your duties as Zoie's bodyguard the past two weeks, I've learned some interesting stuff from the new guy. He said that Zoie went to the doctor and got a birth control shot. It was surprising to me because I wasn't aware that my daughter's sexually active..."
Damon kept taking steps forward and Asher couldn't move. He was like a deer caught in headlights.
"...For the past few weeks, I've also noticed that things in my playroom aren't where they're supposed to be. It's like someone else has been using it, other than my wife and me..."
Damon was standing right in front of Asher now. He glared daggers into Asher's soul.
"I thought it might've been my daughter and Landon, or maybe one of my sons and whatever girlfriends they have, but you? I never would've guessed,"
Damon looked mad. It was a scary sight. Even Asher had to look away in fear.
"I trusted you, Ash. I took you in like you're my own son. I gave you one job, which was to protect her. But this is how you repay me?"
"Uncle Damon, I love-"
"Don't call me that!" Damon cut him off sharply. "You're no nephew of mine and you're not my godson anymore!"
Asher's entire body froze as Damon leaned closer with that forceful stare.
"I would've killed you right now but I can't do that to Adrian. Your dead father is the only reason why you're still alive this very second, you understand me?"
Asher had never felt so threatened his whole life. He swallowed hard and nodded his head.
"I don't wanna see your face ever again and don't even think about contacting my daughter!"
Damon didn't have a gun in his hand, but he might as well. Asher could only look down and nodded his head again.
"Now leave!"
"So I left," Asher said, recalling that moment back to Mikey. "I left without saying goodbye..."
Asher turned his face away as his eyes went glassy. Mikey didn't have any words for his friend, so he just held Ash's shoulder and looked down. Both of them were feeling the hopelessness that a one million dollar check held. Ironically.
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- - - - - - To Be Continued - - - - - -