My Grumpy Valentine (Hope Peak Valentine’s Day)

3. Asher

3

Asher

Danny dropped the fucking ball big time. He let her go.

The one fucking woman he never deserved. He let her go.

The impact of those words, uttered moments before by her, caused my grip on the wheel to tighten, my knuckles stark white. Sitting at a stubborn red light, I have plenty of time to register news I never thought I’d hear.

Five years away from Hope Peak didn’t heal me in the way I wanted it to. Until today, I have been managing each day one at a time. I found a fulfilling career, consistently earned a paycheck, and lived as I was meant to. Alone . It took years to get her off my mind, to return to a state where my heart didn’t ache in my chest every time I saw something that reminded me of her.

For the entire first year, I checked her social media and kept up that way. From a safe distance, I couldn’t risk ruining what those two had together. On the worst nights, I looked at their wedding photos to remind myself why I’d left in the first place.

While I wasn’t pretending the white dress was meant for me, I focused on Danny’s happy smile. I was his best man, for fuck’s sake. In half of the pictures, I’m there. Smiling like an Oscar-winning actor.

And he let her go.

Balling my fists up, I thump them against the wheel and accidentally honk. The poor older couple strolling down a nearby sidewalk jerk in surprise, and the best I can offer is a lifted hand as an apology.

I’m an asshole. All this time away has only soured my outlook. After accepting that I would never meet ‘the one’ because she was already married, I gave up on the whole idea of love. I decided to banish it entirely from my life.

Before I met Pen a solid seven years ago, I didn’t believe in it then, either. She gave me hope, even if it was impossible.

To think I’d run into her again so quickly after all these years. Or that I convinced myself that I would be okay if we ever saw each other again.

Groaning in the back of my throat, I pull into August’s Auto Body & Repair and take my usual parking spot. Tearing into the bag of food, I attempt to fill this forming hunger.

I’d never have run into her if Trenton hadn’t suggested the place.

If I’d stayed at that little joint and tried to enjoy my meal, I’d be too busy eating with my eyes. My burger would be as cold as the winter temperature, keeping everyone frozen. I’d run out of time during my break because I’d stare too long. From the soft-looking, pastel pink of her uniform to the rosy flush on her cheeks, kissed by the brisk, chilled air, she looked as adorable as I remember.

However, one thing has changed.

Once a ray of sunshine, her fire has been doused by whatever is going wrong in her life.

Not wanting to ruin her recommendation because of my soured thoughts, I put Danny at the back of my mind. After leaving them both behind, I shouldn’t go thinking freely.

If I’m going to be honest with myself, I shouldn’t return to that little drive-in. Staying away from her has saved me from making a lot of mistakes. The mention of her divorce should’ve made my chest ache. Instead, that bastard whispering terrible things in the back of my mind encourages me to swoop her up and show her what true love means.

What it means to know she’ll never be let go.

Cursing under my breath, I chomp at my food. It’s delicious. At least if I cave and go back, I have an excuse to return.

I should ask her out for a coffee or something. Not a date or anything of the sort. A friendly outing. An excuse to catch up over the missed years. Whatever I have to call it, to push me toward Penelope. Take an hour or two of her time. It’ll itch this little scratch forming, and I’ll have what I need to move on.

I made a mistake by trying to cut her from my life cold turkey. Even if I had a conversation worth only a few words, the damage is done. What I truly need now is a gradual and thoughtful withdrawal, allowing me to ease back into a state of solitude and find the peace I long for once again.

Once I finish up my lunch, I sit and collect myself. If I go back into the shop now, one of the guys will notice something is up and start poking. Can’t go unraveling myself.

My phone vibrates and I thank whoever is on the other side for the distraction. Checking out the notification, my heart feels like it stops and falls into the pit of my stomach. The food is now threatening to come back up.

Is this Asher?

She kept my number. After all these years, she never threw me out of her life. Not like I had tried to do to her.

I pause, hesitating over the letters. Wondering what to say first, I’m tempted to let everything spill out. Holding onto my feelings for what feels like a lifetime, I’m ready to explode.

The option to delete the message and pretend it doesn’t exist is an option. It’s the right option, and the one I should pick if I want to be smart.

Instead, I type in yes and hit send.

* * *

With each gentle tap of my fingers against the polished surface of the table, I fight the restless urge to shift in my seat.

I’m nervous . When in the hell did that become a thing?

Willow Hope is packed, and it’s a Thursday night. What has come of this world? Don’t people have to work or have families to hang out with?

I can’t remember the last time I came out here to enjoy the environment. I might have my share of a beer or two on a day off, but it’s typically alone and up at the bar. The bartenders leave me as I am most of the time, chatting about boring topics like the weather, whenever it’s too quiet.

Looking around at all the unfamiliar faces, I grimace behind the next sip of my beer. Starting to regret this place as our meeting point, I sputter when I see the woman who scheduled this meet-up.

“Old habits die hard.” My frown lessens when Penelope appears in front of me, flushed and out of breath. She must not have worked today because the smell of fried meat isn’t clinging to her outfit. She’s currently wearing a snug turtleneck that beautifully accentuates her curves. The fabric hugs her figure closely, showcasing her silhouette in a way that makes my mouth water. A braided design cascades down the front, artfully tracing the contours of her chest.

I have to close my eyes to avoid staring. She looks good. Beautiful as the day I met her. Just as frazzled, too.

“I’ll have you know, it was the weather to be blamed this time. Those roads get awful at night.” She claims the seat in front of mine, taking up my entire view. Now I have all the excuses in the world to stare. “Should’ve considered it before.”

“I can give you a ride home if it’s too bad,” I offer without thinking. I don’t know where she lives, and for all I know, Pen might want to keep it that way.

Surprising me with a laugh, her grin is like a punch to the chest. “Have you taken a look at what you drive? Sorry, but I think I’d rather take my chances.”

Okay, ouch. “She’s gotten me through the last handful of years, thank you.”

Well, this is no good. Watching how her eyes light up, I struggle to focus on anything else in the room. At this point, I don’t think the distance would’ve made too much of a difference. She’s all that matters.

“I’m sure I’ll be okay.” Reassuring me softly, she signals down a waitress to snag us an appetizer and asks for tea with lemon. Watching her squeeze the juice into her drink, I try not to focus on her mouth as she takes her first sip.

I’m not here to jump at the opportunity to make her mine. The gaps in the information I have received have been bothering me. Why did her marriage with Danny end? I need to know before I start to slip.

Penelope deserves a friend and nothing more. The truth may put me back in my place.

Silence passes us for a moment, and I try to figure out what I should ask first. What all have I missed out on over the last few years? What has she done to pass the time? Has she found any new hobbies, or grown passionate over anything?

We both try to speak at once, and her cheeks grow pink. I encourage her to go first.

“So, you’re a car man now?” Lowering her gaze, she stares at my fingers. No matter how often I scrub at the stains, my nails always have a ring of black. “When did that happen?”

“Needed to make a living. Luckily for me, the shop that hired me had a great owner. Taught me everything I know,” I explain as I rub my thumb against my nail as if it’ll make a difference. “August, my new boss, has a shop here in town, and it had an opening, so I threw myself at the opportunity.”

A lot about me has changed, and she can tell. I used to spend so much time fooling around as a distraction away from the freshly married couple until I couldn’t take it anymore. Now, I’m focusing on changing tires, replacing brakes, and seeing how deep my arms can fit in an engine.

The ice in her glass clinks as she swirls her straw around. “What made you come back?”

Her voice is quiet, almost like she’s afraid to hear the answer.

“Got a house handed to me through inheritance. Thought about fixing it up and selling it off to someone else,” I explain as I cradle my bottle. “Haven’t decided what to do with it yet. It’s enough to give me a place to sleep over the last couple of months. This time of year kind of slows everything down.”

That’s even more true now that everything has changed. The divorce. My heart returned to life as if it hadn’t been put under. Originally, I only planned on sticking around Hope Peak for a few months, a year at most. Now, I don’t have a clue. I’m no longer thinking about meeting a deadline.

“You know, I tried to call you after you left,” she explains as she joins my stare at her drink. “You never picked up, so I thought I did something wrong.”

My body moves on its own, and I reach out to squeeze her hand. “It wasn’t you.”

How long did I allow her to blame herself? I remember every time her number appeared on my phone. I never had the strength to block her. My heart wouldn’t allow it. Danny got the same treatment. I disappeared on both of them. Might as well have faked my own death for all they knew.

Her fingers curl beneath mine, and she lingers for seconds before sliding both her hands beneath the table. If I have to guess, she’s wringing her fingers together. It’s one of those habits she always did without realizing whenever she felt nervous.

“It was me,” I assure her after a beat of silence. “I wasn’t happy here. I needed to get away.”

“You said the same thing back then.” Recalling the past, she sits up straighter, and her smile looks less natural. “We both missed you. Danny constantly talked about you like you were still here with us. Up until–” She catches herself, and her brows lower.

“What happened?” Aching to know how such a beautiful relationship unraveled in my absence, I nudge her foot with my boot beneath the table when she looks pained thinking about it.

Penelope isn’t in a rush to talk. I don’t ask again. Instead, I let the passing seconds encourage her to open up without the weight of pressure on her shoulders.

“We grew apart,” she slowly explains. “I think we got married far too quickly. The excitement we felt, that honeymoon phase of ours didn’t last, and to be honest…” She blows out a laugh, and her arms shift. She’s definitely tangling her fingers together. “I think he didn’t like being tied down. He missed being free. That’s why he…” She chews on her lip and shrugs a shoulder. “I caught him talking to a few women, and I knew there wasn’t any need to fix our marriage.”

My teeth grind at the information. Maybe I should track Danny down to hear him give me his side of the story. I want him to be the one to tell me how he cheated on this woman and broke her heart. Then, I’d want to grab him by the scruff of his shirt and knock some fucking sense into him.

If I’d stayed, would this have played out, anyway? Could I have been there to console her through the divorce?

As if sensing my anger, she sighs softly. “I don’t hold it against Danny, not when we were both unhappy. He made the whole thing pretty easy.”

I want to console her. I’d do anything to make a smile return to her lips. Even if it means offering her my shoulder.

Penelope sucks down her drink to avoid talking for a minute to collect herself. “Anyway, what’s done is done. He left Hope Peak, and I stayed. Instead of giving me the house as we parted ways, he was a dick and sold it off before heading south with some woman. Now, I live in an apartment with loud neighbors who keep me up all night. Wild how life turns out.”

Wild indeed.

“Okay, enough sad talk about the past.” She swats her hand and straightens up. “Explain the beard. You’re looking wild out here. Like you should live up on the mountain instead of in town with us normal folk.”

Her smile is returning, and if I have to talk about my new look to amuse her, then so be it.

I’m going to have to take my sweet time because I’m in no rush to put an end to this get-together.