24. Asher
Chapter 24
Asher
T his is going to be our first date.
I exhale, trying to steady myself, straightening my shirt as I glance at the clock.
Almost time.
The doorbell rings, breaking my concentration.
Who could it be? Does Isla need something?
I open the door, but instead of Isla, I’m met with Conner’s signature cocky grin and Xander’s usual stony expression. Xander looks like he was dragged here against his will. Probably because he was .
“Well, well, well.” Conner steps inside without an invitation, taking his time and giving me a once-over. “You clean up nice.”
Xander moves past me, his gaze flicking over my outfit before the corner of his mouth twitches. “Someone’s dressed.”
I shut the door behind them with a sigh and cross my arms. “What are you two doing here? I’m heading out soon.”
Xander drops onto my couch, stretching his legs and picking up the fitness magazine on my table.
“We know.” Conner grabs a sports drink from my fridge, twists the cap off, and downs half of it in one go.
“Know what?” I eye him suspiciously.
“Couples’ Bingo Night. The whole town’s talking. Kind of weird seeing you dress up to impress my little sister.” He finishes off the bottle like it was his all along.
I shake my head. “I’m putting that on your tab.”
Conner smirks, tossing the empty bottle onto my counter. “You might want to hear what we found before you charge me.”
Something in his tone shifts.
“What is it?” I straighten.
Xander leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his Rolex catching the light. “Kyle.”
My jaw tightens. “What about him?”
Conner crosses his arms. “Turns out he’s been working with Diane Mills. Xander’s team dug into it.”
“Elaborate.” My voice comes out clipped.
Xander sits back, adjusting his cufflinks with slow precision. “They’ve known each other since college. Kyle reached out to her six months ago, offering to manage her digital marketing. He also convinced her to expand to Frosthaven—where, conveniently, he’d get a bonus every time someone signed up for her service.”
“All while he was still dating Isla.” Conner scoffs.
“I wonder why he never did that for Isla’s business.” Xander’s fingers tap once against his knee.
“I remember Isla turned him down when he asked her to promote his services to her clients. Said matchmaking was about helping people, not selling them.” A slow burn spreads in my chest. Kyle didn’t like that answer.
“That makes sense.” Xander nods slowly.
“So he found another way to make money.” Conner runs a hand over his jaw, shaking his head. “Explains why he’s been working so hard to sabotage her business. Thought it was just out of embarrassment, but this is business. And revenge.”
“What about Diane?” I flex my fingers, my hands itching to hit something. “Is she in on it?”
Xander pulls out his phone, scrolling through whatever his people sent him. “From what I’ve gathered, Diane doesn’t know the full extent of Kyle’s game. She trusted him because of their history. When he told her Frosthaven needed a better matchmaker, she believed him.”
I start pacing, jaw tight. “Does Isla know?”
“Not yet,” Conner says. “We weren’t sure if we should tell her.”
I think of Isla’s face when she talked about Kyle, the hurt in her eyes, the way she squared her shoulders like she could carry it alone. “She told me she doesn’t want revenge. She just wants to fix what she can and move forward.”
Conner lets out a breath, rolling his shoulders like he’s trying to shake off irritation. “Yeah, that sounds like her. But he’s actively screwing with her livelihood.”
“So what’s the plan?” I stop pacing.
Xander and Conner exchange a look.
Xander shrugs. “My team is already looking into legal avenues. Turns out Kyle’s got some questionable business practices. False advertising, misleading clients, and possibly fraud. I’ll handle it.”
“And none of this will trace back to us,” Conner adds quickly, noting my expression. “Just . . . making sure the right people notice what Kyle’s been up to.”
“And I suppose his digital marketing business might suddenly have some very unfortunate technical difficulties?” I exhale, a slow grin forming.
Xander is rubbing his fingers, tapping his thumbs together. “Computers are so unpredictable these days.”
“You guys are terrible.” I shake my head, but the tension in my chest eases.
Conner checks his watch. “Speaking of my sister, shouldn’t you be picking her up soon?”
“Elaine’s at her place.”
Conner squints at me. “Don’t need to know that.”
“Smooth, Ennis.” Xander flicks an almost nonexistent speck of dust from his pant leg.
I let a slow smile spread across my face. “Roxanne’s there too. Helping Isla get ready.”
Xander goes still. His grip tightens around his phone for half a second before he stands abruptly. “We should go. Let you finish getting ready.”
I raise an eyebrow. “And what exactly are you two doing tonight?”
Conner shrugs. “Hitting The Iron Tap. Maybe catch the game.”
“You two could try asking out the girls you’re clearly overreacting about and come to Couples’ Bingo Night together.”
“That event’s for people who are shamelessly in love. Like you.” Xander shoots me a flat look.
Conner watches him, smirking as he follows. “Good luck tonight.”
“You two are hopeless.”
Xander pauses at the door. “Says the guy who’s been in love with the same woman for fifteen years.”
“At least I’m doing something about it.”
I pace outside Isla’s door, adjusting my cuffs. This isn’t our first outing together. We’ve spent half our lives side by side, but tonight is different.
A text from Conner lights up my phone.
CONNER
Don’t screw this up.
ASHER
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
I knock, hearing female voices shriek and scramble inside. Something crashes. Classic Isla chaos.
“Wait for a second!” Elaine’s voice calls out. “Just making your girlfriend presentable!”
“No rush,” I answer, leaning against the doorframe. My heart hammers against my ribs like I’m sixteen again, waiting to take Isla to prom after her date bailed. Except this time, I’m not the backup plan.
I’m the plan.
“Alright, Romeo,” Roxanne announces as the door swings open, “Your date awaits—”
And then I see her.
The mint dress clings just right at the waist before cascading down in soft, flowing waves, swaying with every tiny shift of her body. The sweetheart neckline dips, teasing just enough skin to make my pulse thunder in my ears. She looks like she stepped out of some dream. Soft, glowing, untouchable. And yet, all I can think about is touching her.
Her auburn hair tumbles in loose waves, framing her bare shoulders, skin smooth. My fingers twitch at my sides, a hunger curling deep in my gut. I want to trace the line of her collarbone, feel the warmth of her skin under my hands, pull her in, and crash my lips on hers, finally tasting what I’ve wanted for years.
She shifts slightly, and the fabric catches the light, highlighting the curves I’ve spent years forcing myself not to notice. Years wasted.
She’s gorgeous. Too gorgeous. And every ounce of self-control I’ve built around her feels like it’s about to snap.
I’ve seen Isla in everything from formal wear to those ridiculous SpongeBob pajamas she refuses to throw out, but I’ve never seen her like this.
Like she dressed for me.
I swallow hard, trying to find my voice. Her eyes are wide, uncertain, searching mine for a reaction. I need to say something, anything, before I do something stupid like pull her against me.
“I, uh—” She shifts her weight, smoothing her hands over the fabric of her dress. “Is it too much?”
Too much? Peachie, you have no idea.
“Too much?” Elaine mutters behind her. “Girl, I think you broke him.”
She is right.
“You look . . .” Beautiful doesn’t cover it. Gorgeous is too generic. I run a hand through my hair, stalling while my thoughts go sideways. “Beautiful,” I finally managed, the word inadequate but safe.
“The mint was the perfect choice,” I grin. “Much better than the SpongeBob pajamas.”
She laughs, and the sound loosens something in my chest. “You’re never letting me live that down, are you?”
“Never.” I can’t help the smile that breaks across my face. I could listen to that laugh all night. See her like this. Happy, comfortable, glowing in something she loves. And knowing I had a part in it? Yeah, I’d take that any day.
“Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?” She presses her palm against my arm, then my chest, with just a little extra pressure. Testing. Feeling.
Is she trying to figure out what’s underneath?
I arch a brow, smirking. “Let me introduce you to your boyfriend.” I give a slight bow, playing into it.
“Fake. Fake boyfriend.” She clears her throat. “Nice to meet you. Please excuse any first-time awkwardness.”
I bite back the urge to correct it, to remind her that this isn’t just some passing act for me. But for now, I let it slide. For now, I’ll settle for this.
“First time for everything, Peachie.”
I pull out the small velvet box I’ve been carrying all day. The necklace inside cost more than I’d planned to spend, but she’d been looking at this exact necklace online for weeks, never buying it for herself.
“Here. Got you something.”
“Asher—”
“Open it.” My voice comes out rougher than intended. I clear my throat, watching her face as she lifts the lid.
Her fingers freeze on the velvet. There’s something in her eyes. A flash of wonder that transforms her entire face. The tight lines around her mouth soften, and her lips part slightly like she’s about to speak but can’t find the words. Her eyes widen, catching the light in a way that makes the flecks of gold in her hazel irises dance.
“Do you like it?” I ask, my eyes fixed on her face, cataloging every micro-expression.
She reaches up to touch her necklace. “I—yes.”
Relief floods through me. The corner of my mouth lifts. “Turn around. Let me help you with that.”
“It’s too much, I can’t—”
I step closer, lowering my head to her ear. “Turn around, please.”
Her lips part like she wants to argue, but she doesn’t. Instead, she swallows and slowly turns.
“Good girl.”
Her sharp inhale is almost inaudible, but I feel it more than I hear it. She snaps her head back, eyes flashing, but I catch her chin gently, guiding her gaze forward again.
I gather her hair to one side, fingers threading through the soft waves. S o soft. The sight of her exposed neck makes my mouth go dry. I step closer, close enough to catch the scent of her perfume—vanilla and something floral. My hands are steady as I remove her old necklace, years of training my body not to betray me around her finally paying off.
The new necklace slides around her neck, and I focus intently on the clasp, using the task to ground myself. My knuckles brush against her skin, and I feel her slight shiver.
“There,” I murmur, turning her back to face me.
“Perfect fit,” she says, looking down at the necklace. Her voice is barely a whisper, warm breath grazing my chest.
“Always has been.” My fingers trail down to her shoulders as she looks up at me. The space between us feels charged, alive with something neither of us is brave enough to name.
Her hand goes to my suit, smoothing the slight wrinkle out. The touch is light, but it sends a slow, steady heat curling through my chest.
Her big hazel eyes lock onto mine, searching like she can see straight through me, straight into the parts of me I’ve never said out loud.
We don’t move.
I can hear her breathing, slightly uneven, matching my own.
“Oh my goodness,” Elaine whispers not so quietly to Roxanne. “Should we leave?”
“I think so.” Roxanne scoops up Mochi. “Don’t worry about Mochi, I’ll keep him tonight.”
Isla steps back quickly, a light flush creeping up her face. “Thank you, guys. See you in a bit.”
Elaine shoots me a thumbs-up, while Roxanne pats Isla’s shoulder, her smirk saying you’re on your own now as they step out of the doorway.
I clear my throat, but my eyes refuse to move from hers. “So, promise me you’ll keep the necklace?”
“Yes.” She presses her fingers lightly against the delicate chain. A small, bright twinkle lights up her hazel eyes. “Thank you, Collybear.”
I’ve spent years memorizing every expression she makes, but this one? Seeing something she wants and allowing herself to want it? This might be my favorite yet.
I swallow past the tightness in my chest. “Ready to go?”
She nods, reaching for her purse, but stumbles slightly. I catch her, then offer my arm with an exaggerated bow, falling back on gallantry to mask how badly I want to pull her close.
“Rule number three,” I murmur as she slips her hand into the crook of my elbow. “Always escort your date properly.”
“You actually memorized my matchmaking rules?” A blush creeps up her neck as I cover her hand with mine, keeping her close.
“Every single one.” I drop my voice lower, just for her. “Though I might have some suggestions for . . . amendments.”
I feel her tension. Her fingers give a tiny squeeze on my arm. “Stop looking so nervous, Peachie. Unless you’re having second thoughts?”
She straightens at the challenge in my voice. “About bingo? Please. I was born ready.”
I guide Isla toward the elevator, my hand firm against the small of her back. I’m ready to show her what we could be.
Don’t screw this up, Conner’s text echoes in my head.
Too late. I’m already in too deep.