15. Asher
Asher
Ignoring all traffic rules, I speed as fast as humanly possible on my bike to get to the campus. It’s not far from the shop—ten minutes if I’m walking—but this drive seems to stretch on for hours.
All I can think of is how scared she has to be. How I’m not there by her side.
I promised I would take care of her and that means protecting her. By any means necessary.
Finally, her building comes into view. I push my bike a little more, adding a few RPMs and cutting through the lawn. Fuck their landscaping. People jump out of my way, dodging to either side, but I don’t give one shit. I just want to get to Jade as fast as possible.
Dirt and grass fly around me as I skid to a stop by the front door. People scream at me, cuss me out, but I don’t hear them as I kick off the bike, cutting the engine and pulling the keys out.
“Man, you can’t park there!” A security guard comes yelling at me, running as fast as he can with his beer belly. Honestly, I could walk faster than he’s running.
“Try to stop me,” I growl, throwing the words over my shoulder, not even pausing to make sure he hears the vitriol I’m spewing.
The security guard screams at me, telling me to stop and that I can’t go in, but if he wants to stop me he’s going to have to catch me. And from the way I can hear his panting followed by the jingling of tools and keys on his utility belt fading, it means he’s already so far behind me that I don’t need to worry.
I pass through the lobby; my age, tattoos and fuming anger attracting a lot of attention from onlookers. I see fucking Pamela clock me and start making her way towards me, but I can’t deal with her right now.
“Excuse me?” she asks in her overly friendly way.
“Fuck off, Pam,” I snap, pointing my finger at her and continuing my way to the café.
“You can’t just barge in here; you have to check in!” she cries, figuratively clutching her pearls.
“Do I look like I give a shit?” I snap loudly the words echoing throughout the room. I quicken my steps and push both doors open to the café, resounding bangs drawing everyone’s attention to me as I scan the room, looking for Jade.
Everyone is looking at me—some with interest, some with fear, some with confusion—but there is only one gaze looking at me with relief and adoration.
Jade.
She picks up her backpack and pushes through the tables, past the people around us, and I do the same. We meet in the middle, and she collapses in my arms, sobbing against my chest.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper against her hair, holding her tightly to me. “I’ve got you. Let’s get out of here.”
“Asher,” she cries against my chest softly.
I shush her softly and push us towards the door. Where fucking Pam is standing. Fuming. She goes to say something, but I throw her a dirty look and shake my head.
“Not the time.”
“We’ll be talking about this later, Jade. Jade’s brother,” she snaps, almost like it’s a threat, but I could care less. Let her throw Jade out; I’ll take care of her. Rushing towards the front door, people are no longer trying to hide that they’re watching us.
Fucking assholes, just staring at us.
I cover Jade as much as I can. The last thing I want is for others to feel they can talk to her about this later.
The security guard is standing by my bike, writing down the license plate number in his little notebook, and talking into his radio when we get there.
“Your helmet is in the saddle bag,” I say to Jade and nudge her towards the back seat. Her eyes widen slightly when I mention that it’s her helmet. Hell yes, I got her a helmet. I’m not taking any chances with her safety. Not even one.
I don’t let her out of sight as she stumbles towards my bike, and I go to handle the rent-a-cop.
I rip the little notebook out of his hand, pull off the page he’s written on, and hand the book back to him. “I get that I fucked up, but I promise you, it’s for a good reason,” I explain.
“If you had stopped and we had talked?—”
“That girl over there,” I step closer to him and speak quieter. “That girl on my bike is my life. And she felt threatened by one of the fuckers who lives here. I wasn’t going to stop and have a conversation while she could’ve been in danger.”
“I understand, but?—”
“No, I don’t think you do.” I glare at him pointedly, and actual understanding dawns in his eyes.
“Ah.”
“Yeah. So, if you could kindly not report my license number and get me banned from campus, I’d appreciate it.”
Rent-A-Cop looks from me to Jade, sees her blank expression and the slight shake to her hands, and he nods. “I have a daughter that goes here. If you hear any specific names or descriptions, you let me know.” He hands me a card with his name and info on it.
I nod curtly and pocket the card. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”
“Get her out of here. She looks like she’s been through enough,” he says softly and walks inside the building.
So maybe there are good people here.
“Come on, baby girl.” I buckle the helmet under Jade’s chin and close the visor before kissing her masked forehead. “Let’s go home.”
* * *
“Jade, please talk to me,” I whisper. Since we arrived back at my place, she’s been silent. I pull a Coke from the fridge, something I’d picked up for her on my last grocery run, and open it for her, placing it in her hand. “Do you want this, or maybe some tea? I know you don’t like coffee, but hot chocolate? Baby, tell me how I can help you.” I’m speaking to her as calmly and as gently as I can.
But she doesn’t say anything. Just looks dead ahead.
“Jade?” I try again, putting my hand on her knee, but she jolts. I pull my hands back abruptly, raising them both to show that I don’t mean any harm. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t… I… I can’t right now,” she stammers and her tone breaks my heart. Her eyes fill with unshed tears and I slowly move to sit beside her on the couch. Jade brings both of her legs up and wraps her arms around her knees, tucking herself in.
“It’s okay,” I say softly.
“It’s not!” she cries, breaking in such a vulnerable way. “It’s not okay. I’m freaking out. I’m alone. I’m terrified to go back to the dorms. Even if I could break the contract and move out, I’d never get the rest of the money that I’ve already spent for the year back or have enough money to rent somewhere. I feel so bad that I had to call and pull you away from a client, but you’re my person, Asher. You’re the only one I feel safe with. But you can’t even touch me, I can’t even ask you to hold me, because I saw someone across the room and now I feel like my skin is on fire. How is any of that okay?”
Her beautiful eyes sparkle with tears as she pulls her knees tighter to her chest, and I slowly move my hand to hold hers.
“Jade,” I murmur softly, “You’re not alone. You’re not. I’m so glad you called me. So fucking glad. I wish I had been there to keep you from feeling this way. I wish you never had to see his face again. I wish I had been there to punch the fucker’s lights out.” Not a word of this is a lie. I wish I had been there to take away her fear, to keep her space safe.
To go back to that night and kill the asshole that did this to her.
Jade shakes her head against her knees and sighs another sob. Watching the woman I’m quickly falling in love with break down like this, especially when I can’t do anything to help, breaks my heart. I want to wrap her up in my arms, whisper in her ear that I’m here and that I won’t let anything happen to her. But all I can do right now is tell her. Tell her everything.
“Whatever you want, Jade, I’ll make it happen. You want to break your contract? We’ll do it. You want to move to an apartment? We’ll find one. I’ll lay the world at your feet.” I move in slightly closer, wanting to make sure she’s comfortable, so I look for any sign that she needs me to back off. Finding none, I hold my hand out, giving her the choice. She can take it or not, no hard feelings. But the choice is hers.
Jade sniffles, turning her face to look at me. Her eyes are shining so desperately with hope from my words. Her cheeks are wet and shiny from her tears, and her normally creamy skin is red from crying and frustration. My heart lurches. I just want to take all the pain, fear, and sadness from her. I’d do it gladly if that meant she didn’t feel it.
She doesn’t say anything, but she softly places her hand in mind and threads our fingers together.
“Will you stay with me tonight?” I ask. “I’ll order pizza and we can just cuddle on the couch while we watch something. Does that sound okay?” Jade nods, trying to smile but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “You take as long as you need,” I stress, “and remember—you owe no one anything.”
Jade sits up, looking me straight in the eye, searching for something. I don’t know what she’s looking for, but I do everything in my power to keep from changing my expression in any way.
If she needs to make sure I’m telling the truth, I’ll do whatever she needs to show her I’m being honest.
She nods again, looking slightly more comfortable.
“But I’m not watching The Office one more time, baby,” I scoff. “You’ve already made me watch it like three times. There’s only so many times you can make me watch Dwight and Michael fuck around,” I tease, nudging her knee with my fist.
Jade chuckles with a watery voice and launches into my arms. Wrapping her arms around my shoulders and her legs around my waist, she clings to me tightly like a koala bear.
“Asher,” she breathes into my neck, saying my name like I’m a tether holding her together.
“I’m right here, baby girl. Nothing can hurt you now.”