Chapter 7
Despite waiting anxiously all day long, Asher did not respond to the snap video. I plopped myself down on the couch, worried not just about what he was thinking but also about my birthday. Danny was coming. Of course it had to happen now.
“Cosi? What’s going on? Don’t you still need to vacuum?” Sydney asked, jumping onto the couch in her yoga outfit. Man, to be as carefree as she was.
“Guess who showed up to school today?” I began and twisted my features to mirror Danny’s snooty attitude. “For a courtesy warning.”
She furrowed her brows. “What warning did dumbass Danny have this time?”
“He’s going into business with my dad!” I flopped back against the couch cushions.
“What does that have to do with warning you?”
“He’s coming to my birthday party,” I groaned.
“Why? Can’t he just let your parents be for a few days while they’re here?”
I shook my head. “Apparently not. I asked the same thing.”
Sydney sighed, leaning back against the couch, and pulled my feet up into her lap.
“Syd, what is he thinking? Does he figure that if he helps my parents out financially, I’ll get back with him? The last three attempts to win me back haven’t worked. Obviously. This time it seems a little less direct and a little more manipulative.” I closed my eyes, frustrated.
“Is that what he’s doing?” she asked, and I shrugged my shoulders. “You’re right. Knowing him, it probably is. Do you think he’d screw your parents over if you don’t get back with him?”
“I hope not. He’s not sadistic like that. At least I don’t think he is…” I mumbled, and she suddenly sat up straight.
“Cosi, my dearest, lovely best friend,” she began, and I cracked open my eyes.
“Yes?” I knew she was about to ask me something that I typically said no to.
“Sooooo, I know that you will never accept money from me.”
“Obviously, which is why you pretend like I haven’t figured out how you get me to come to things like the concert this last Saturday.” I opened my eyes all the way and watched as she twisted a strand of blonde hair around her fingers.
“Can I please use my money this one time for you? I’ll keep your party at my parents’ house so that won’t cost us extra, but like, I kind of want to rub it in his face that you’re just fine without him!” She batted her long, straight lashes at me.
“How are you going to do that?” I asked.
“I’m going to make him jealous. Now, leave everything to me!” She clapped her hands and shoved my feet off her lap. “Oh, and after vacuuming, do you mind refilling my allergy prescription, please?” Leaving no room for any protesting, she took off down the hallway and into her bedroom.
I chuckled, not entirely upset that in this one instance, she was going to help put on the best birthday blast to rub things in Danny’s face.
Though I had no idea how she was going to do that, I didn’t care.
This was Sydney we were talking about. Whatever I could come up with wouldn’t be right to her anyway.
The weekend came way too quickly, and Sydney was off, not to a concert, but to a party with a couple of our girlfriends. I was home for the evening, once again working on work now that I had finished laundry. This did need to be done because I was behind, and the semester was coming to an end.
My pen worked furiously at the table as I tried to plan my schedule for the next week as well as get some grading done. My parents would be here soon, and my birthday with Danny was inching closer and closer.
And my stomach rolled with confusion—Asher hadn’t contacted me since opening that fateful Picsnap.
While I felt a twinge of relief, there was a part of me that was disappointed.
I thought he’d at least try a little harder to stay in contact with how persistent he’d been the day after.
But then again, maybe that had been all out of mere curiosity.
My phone vibrated, and I glanced at it; Sydney was calling. Clicking the answer button, I put it on speaker phone and nearly fell out of my seat from her scream.
“Whoa, calm down, Syd. What’s going on?” I asked.
“Did you see? Please tell me you’ve seen it? I know you listen to Void’s music now,” she gasped in a hurry. I could hear the rest of our friends giggling in the background.
“Seen what?” I furrowed my brows, pausing my work.
“The Dark Banshee’s Vizgram story!” she squealed.
“No? You know I don’t use social media.” I heard her tapping the screen on her phone.
“Good thing I took screenshots!” She giggled, and then a couple message notifications popped up on my phone.
Tapping the icons, I stared at them in shock. “What is this?” I whispered.
“He reposted some of Tera’s pictures!” She squealed again. He did repost them, the ones where he was staring at me. You could barely see me as the camera was focused on him, but I knew. And the captions on them made my heart sink into my stomach.
Can’t get it out of my head.
Scrolling to the next one, I pulled my lip between my teeth.
It was another picture, an absolutely incredible shot of him with those intense, hungry eyes.
Narrowed in on me as he gripped the mic tightly.
I wanted those hands back on my body. Damn, I’d gone almost a week without feeling that desire that was now crashing through my body.
His caption on this one was definitely to throw suspicion away from his previous story.
An incredible concert last weekend! Thanks for having us, we will be back soon!
I also shouldn’t be reading into his posts. Even if I knew who he was truly staring at and what had happened afterwards, it had been a great concert, and there was nothing wrong with them wanting to come back.
“Would you look at that!” I excitedly said, though I wasn’t smiling.
“Right? They were amazing pictures of him! I just can’t believe he reposted them! Anyway, we will see you later. You’re still coming to pick us up, right?” Sydney answered with a sigh.
“Your DD is waiting.” I giggled as the line went dead.
The moment the call ended, I slumped forward, bumping my head against the tan kitchen table. What a fool I’d been. I should’ve stuck to my guns when I told him the first time that I wasn’t that type of girl. Now, every time a student at school mentioned Void, all I could think of was him.
Was his taste.
Every time Sydney or any of my friends mentioned the concert, all I could think of was him.
Was his touch.
His voice. His desperation during our time together.
“Cosi, snap out of it,” I grumbled as my phone vibrated again. Without looking up, I rammed my finger against the answer button.
“Syd, are you trying to back out of the—”
“It’s not Syd,” a deep voice cut me off. Adrenaline pricked at my skin as I snapped my head off the table.
Silence. My gaze drifted toward my phone beside me as I stared numb in shock. “A”. That’s what I put his contact in as, just in case Sydney ever accidentally saw it. What was he doing calling me now? What did he want?
“Cosette,” Asher said, his voice low and dark.
“Are you drunk?”
“Why the hell would you think that?”
“You haven’t said anything since opening my Picsnap that I accidentally sent you on Monday,” I whispered.
“Well, I’m not drunk,” he grumbled. “Come outside.”
“What?” I shoved my glasses higher up my nose, confused.
“I said come outside.”
“Outside? Like my house?” I pushed back from the table and crossed the kitchen floor. Sliding the curtains apart, I peered out front into the dark evening sky. There was a shadowy figure outlined in silver moonlight sitting on a motorcycle.
“Hey, muse,” Asher said. He was dressed in a black leather outfit, the helmet shade down and covering his face. “I like your glasses.”
Squeaking, I let go of the blinds and stepped away from the window. “How are you here? And don’t call me that.”
“Your phone’s location is on,” he answered. “And why not? I liked your choice for a safe word.”
“Because it’s the safe word. And you remember I said I live with my best friend, right?”
“I waited until she left the house with your two other friends.”
I tugged at the sleeve of the large, oversized sweatshirt I was wearing. It covered my shorts and made it seem like I didn’t have pants on. Of course. Goosebumps erupted across my exposed skin.
“Asher,” I cautioned.
“It’s just a ride. That’s all. Especially since my security will eventually catch up with me,” he replied, and I dropped the phone from my ear for a moment.
Only a ride. That was it. On a motorcycle, a sport bike. I’d always wanted to be someone’s backpack, even just for a moment. Plus, he owed me an explanation as to why he hadn’t spoken to me all week and just now showed up at my house.
Taking a deep breath, I placed the phone back against my ear.
“Give me a second to change.” I ended the call and ran down the hallway.
What does someone wear when being a passenger princess on someone’s bike?
A very nice bike too. Even though I didn’t know much about bikes, you could tell that this sport bike was definitely worth a pretty penny.
Blacked out, and I heard the rumble of the engine over the phone.
Tossing clothes around in my closet, I desperately searched for something. Anything. Finally settling on a pair of black yoga pants, I pulled them on and paired them with a long-sleeved, forest green spandex top.
I wouldn’t be out all night if it was just a quick ride, so I snuck into Sydney’s room and snagged a pair of black combat-style boots from her shoe collection.
Tugging them on, I dashed back through the hallway and out the front door.
The rumble of the bike echoed through our neighborhood, and I hoped it didn’t wake anyone else who lived around us.