Chapter 30 #2
As my brain starts to clear from the haze of arousal, I look up and see that Daniel’s car is still outside.
It hits me in a rush that he could easily have walked over to the window and seen inside. The curtains are open, the living room fully visible from the front yard. The thought makes me flush, the daringness of what we just did sinking in properly and making my heart pound.
He’s also still here, probably still standing on my front porch, which means he definitely heard me. There’s no way he didn’t. The cabin isn’t that well insulated, and I wasn’t exactly quiet.
Asher pulls out of me carefully, and I feel the loss of him immediately. He unties the ribbon with deft fingers, then takes my wrists in his hands and rubs gently at the light pink marks left behind by the pressure.
“Are you okay?” he asks quietly. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No.” My voice comes out raspier than usual. “I’m good. Really good.”
He pulls me in for a kiss, and when we separate, there’s satisfaction in his gaze. Pride, even.
“Now he’s gotten the message,” he says with a smirk.
I laugh breathlessly, still a little stunned that we actually did that. There’s another knock at the door, louder and more aggressive this time.
Asher glares at it, his jaw tightening. “Jesus, take a fucking hint.”
But we scramble to get dressed anyway, both of us moving as quickly as we can.
I pull on my underwear and jeans, then clasp my bra into place and yank my sweater over my head.
Asher’s already dressed by the time I’m smoothing down my hair, and I know it’s a lost cause.
There’s no hiding what we just did. My face is flushed, my hair is a mess despite my attempts to fix it, and I’m pretty sure my lips are swollen from his kisses.
I take a breath and head to the door, Asher close behind me.
When I open it, Daniel is turning away, clearly about to give up and leave. He stops when he hears the door, looking back at me over his shoulder. The way his gaze sweeps over me makes it clear that he knows exactly what just happened.
“What do you want?” Asher asks bluntly, his voice hard. “We’re kind of busy.”
Daniel’s gaze snaps to Asher, and I see anger flash in his expression before he smooths it out. His jaw is tight, a muscle ticking there, but he puts on what’s probably meant to be a pleasant smile.
“I can see that.” There’s an edge to his voice that bleeds through his polished facade.
An awkward pause follows, where nobody seems to know what to say. I’m still trying to get my breathing under control, and Asher is standing close enough behind me that I can feel the heat radiating from his body.
“I came to invite you both to something,” Daniel finally says, his tone carefully polite in a way that makes it clear he’s annoyed but doesn’t want to show it. “Maya and I are having an engagement party at the country club this coming weekend. Saturday night. We’d love for you to come.”
I blink at him, caught completely off guard by the invitation.
I didn’t even know they were having a party, and I definitely wouldn’t have expected to be invited.
After everything that happened between us, after the way he treated me when we broke up like I was an inconvenience he needed to dispose of as quickly as possible, why would he want me at his engagement party?
“Oh,” I say, because I can’t think of anything else. “That’s… nice of you.”
Nothing about it is nice. It’s weird and uncomfortable at best.
“Since you’re in town for the holidays, we figured we should invite you,” Daniel says with a shrug that’s trying way too hard to look casual.
“We’ll check our schedule,” Asher cuts in smoothly. “Kat’s been busy with work lately. She landed a big book deal recently, so she’s got a lot on her plate.”
I can’t help but grin at that, at the way he’s managed to both talk me up and give me an out at the same time.
Daniel nods, but I can see the frustration in the tightness around his eyes.
He’s not used to people not immediately agreeing to what he wants.
“Of course. Just let me know by Thursday so Maya can give the caterer a final headcount.”
“Sure thing,” Asher says, his hand finding the small of my back.
Daniel pulls out his phone and I feel mine buzz in my back pocket as he sends me a text with the details. The address, the time, what to wear. It’s all very organized, very Daniel.
“We’ll let you know,” I tell him, forcing something that probably resembles a smile.
“Perfect.” Daniel steps back from the door, but not before taking one more look at our disheveled appearances. His gaze lingers on my messy hair, my flushed cheeks. “Sorry again for the… interruption. You two should get back to whatever you were doing.”
There’s something bitter in the way he says it, as if the words taste bad in his mouth.
Asher pulls me closer, his arm sliding fully around my waist now. “Oh, we intend to.”
The casual confidence in his voice, the complete lack of shame or awkwardness, makes Daniel’s expression sour. He turns on his heel and leaves without another word, and I close the door behind him.
As soon as I hear the sound of a car starting and tires crunching over snow, I lean against the door like that will somehow keep him from coming back. I blow out a breath, the forbidden thrill and adrenaline of what Asher and I just did fading a little as I grimace.
“Why would he invite me to his engagement party?” I wonder out loud.
Asher shrugs, snorting. “Why does Daniel do anything? To be a dick.”
I huff a laugh at that, because he’s got my ex pegged pretty well for not having known him long.
“I don’t know if I want to go,” I admit quietly.
“Then don’t.”
The simplicity of his answer catches me off guard. “What?”
“Don’t go,” Asher repeats, stepping closer and running a hand down my arm. “Daniel’s clearly an ass, and you don’t owe him anything.”
His bluntness makes me smile in spite of myself. All my life, I’ve been the accommodating one, the person who goes along with things to keep the peace. I’ve spent so much time being agreeable that I sometimes forget I have the option to just… say no.
“I don’t know.” I chew my lips. “I don’t want to seem rude or petty.”
“Fuck that.” Asher scowls. “You don’t have to be polite to someone who doesn’t deserve it. Daniel never worried about being rude to you when you were together, did he? Never cared if his little comments hurt your feelings or made you doubt yourself. Your comfort matters more than appearances.”
“I know.” I swallow. “I’ve just… never been good at disappointing people.”
“Practice.” There’s humor in his voice now, but I can tell he’s still serious underneath it.
He cups my chin, tilting my head up a bit.
“If you decide you want to go to this party, bright eyes, I’ll be right there with you.
I’ll hold your hand and have your back and make sure you have an escape route if you need one.
But you should go because you want to, not because you feel obligated or worried about what other people will think. ”
The simple promise means more to me than he probably realizes. Having someone in my corner, supporting my choices instead of questioning them or making me feel guilty for putting myself first, is something I’m still getting used to.
“Thank you,” I whisper, my throat feeling tight.
“For what?”
“For making me feel like my feelings matter. Like I matter.”
“You do matter.” He brushes his thumb over my cheekbone. “Your feelings, your comfort, your happiness—they all matter. They always will. And you should never have to thank someone for treating you well. That should be the bare minimum.”
His words settle into some hollow place in my chest that I didn’t even know was empty. I don’t trust myself to speak without my voice breaking, so instead I wrap my arms around him in a hug, closing my eyes as I let myself relax against the solid warmth of his chest.
He holds me close, one hand rubbing slow circles on my back, and for a moment I just let myself be held. Let myself feel cared for without worrying about whether I deserve it or if I’m being too needy.
I still don’t know if I’ll go to Daniel’s engagement party. The thought of walking into that country club, of facing him and Maya and everyone who knew us as a couple, makes my stomach twist.
But I do know one thing with absolute certainty: I’m not the same woman Daniel left behind. Not the one who apologized for taking up space, who twisted herself into impossible shapes trying to be what he wanted. Not the one who accepted crumbs of affection and called it love.
I’m different now. Stronger. More sure of myself.
And no small part of that is because of Asher.