27. Asher
Chapter 27
Asher
I kissed Brooke like my entire life depended on it. She smiled into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around my neck, and I picked her up from the ground. She giggled as she pulled away from the kiss.
The boys in the back cheered, and I couldn’t help but hug Brooke tightly against me.
“ I fucking missed you,” I whispered as I pressed a kiss on her cheek.
“ Then why didn’t you come?” she asked when I put her down, and I kept my arms around her. “ Where you scared?” she teased as she poked my cheeks, and I nodded.
“ Fucking terrified; I thought you would reject me,” I whispered, and she smiled.
“ I thought you were going to reject me, too,” she spoke softly, and I shook my head.
“ I would never reject you; you’re perfect.” I pressed my lips on her forehead, and my friend’s laugh made me roll my eyes as I tightened my hold around Brooke . He slapped my back.
“ Look at you love birds,” he laughed as he stood beside us and placed his hands on his waist, looking at us with a stupid grin. “ I believe I deserve some thanks?”
“ Fuck off,” I said as I kept my arms wrapped around Brooke because I knew Jax was itching to hug her because he was unable to keep his arms to himself.
“ Come on, if I hadn’t given her the talk or sent you the picture, you wouldn’t be here right now,” he rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“ Can you just give us a moment to catch up?” I gritted, and he scoffed.
“ There would be no catch up if it wasn’t for me, but okay.” He waved his hands as he walked out of the building, and Brooke giggled as she looked at me.
“ See what I meant when I said that you’re terrible?”
“ He’s just annoying.” I still remembered the pictures he sent me of him and Brooke when they were at the bar.
“ But he did kind of help. I doubt I would’ve made the decision to come here without him,” she told me as she held my hands, and I knew that was true.
I wouldn’t have realized just how much I loved Brooke .
“ I love you,” I mumbled as I pressed a soft kiss on her lips, and she smiled.
“ I love you, too. Do you need to get back to work?”
“ Yup ,” I rolled my eyes. “ But I don’t have the night shift today.” I raised my eyebrows in a suggestive manner, and she smiled.
“ Alright , give me your key,” she whispered as she put her hand out, and I smiled and pressed another kiss on her temple.
“ I’ll be back with the key.” I quickly ran to my locker to get the key for her. Everything felt so dreamlike. I wasn’t expecting Brooke to come to my place of work, and I was feeling a bit embarrassed that it took her coming to get me for me to realize just how much I wanted her in my life.
I had hesitated because I was afraid that she would reject me if I approached her, and that might be an excuse because I was a coward, but I was so fucking happy right now, and I wanted—will—make sure that Brooke stays with me forever.
“ Someone seems happy,” my captain commented as he leaned against the lockers, and I nodded. It was incredibly difficult to keep my smile at bay because it felt like I was genuinely happy for the first time in a long time.
“ Yeah ,” I agreed as I pulled my apartment keys from my bag and clutched them, feeling incredibly enlivened because I knew when I knocked out of work and went back home, I’d find Brooke waiting for me.
For me!
“ Thank God she’s back; you were unbearable,” he said. I laughed. “ Also , Maya wouldn’t stop raving about how you messed up everybody’s live, so she will be exceedingly glad to find out that the two of you are back together.”
I hadn’t realized just how much Brooke had affected my world and became part of my life so easily because I was always concerned with myself and just how much I was having a hard time while she was working effortlessly to make her place in my life and be loved by everyone around me.
“ Maybe we should have a gathering soon,” I suggested, and he lifted his eyebrows, surprised.
“ Fuck , yeah; hey, make sure you keep Brooke around. You’re suddenly a changed man.”
I laughed as I walked away from my captain who continued to express just how happy Maya will be that Brooke was back. According to him, Brooke turned me into a person who seemed like he wanted to be around others, but really, I was just glad that Brooke was around me.
Her presence was endearing, and it felt warm being around her. I hardly had to think about everything that troubled me. I always thought it was kind of stupid and cliche when people would say that someone brought light into their lives. But fuck, now I knew it was true.
Brooke was the embodiment of everything that was light and love in my life; she had invaded my life at such a time where I had been thinking of giving up, and what she did was beyond what any other person would do for a single father tortured by his past.
She loved and cared for my daughter, spent time with her and defended her as if Anne was her own. She loved and cared for me, as well, as if we had always known each other, but we had only known each other for six months.
She came in my life in the winter, and her carelessness and forwardness intrigued me beyond anything. She just as easily made the summer season brighter with her captivating aura. And here we were now in the fall, about to restart our lives together.
I couldn’t wait.
I got back to the entrance, and Brooke wasn’t there. I could hear her speaking in hushed tones with Jax outside, and I leaned forward, curious as to what they spoke about so quietly.
Jax lifted his vape to his lips and inhaled the flavored smoke as if his life depended on it as he listened to Brooke .
“ Have you guys talked?” Brooke crossed her arms over her chest, unintentionally causing her gorgeous breasts to form a cleavage at the top of her shirt, and Jax kept his eyes trained on her face.
His eyes never wandered, and I guess that was the reason why I was okay with them being friends regardless of his player ways. But Jax always emphasized just how he liked his women to have a whole lot more body.
My Brooke was perfect for me.
“ Not yet.” He shook his head, and I walked toward them, eager to know what the conversation was about, but I also respected their privacy. Jax looked at me and smiled as he pulled Brooke to his side and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “ Are you afraid?”
“ No .” I shook my head as I passed Brooke the keys, and she smiled as she placed them in her bag. “ Are you jealous?”
I pulled her toward me, and he clicked his tongue as he rolled his eyes.
“ Yes ,” he said with his chest pushed out. “ All this money and not even a loyal woman.”
“ It’s kind of hard for a woman to be loyal to you when you aren’t loyal to her, Jax ,” Brooke teased, and he placed his hands on his waist as he eyed us.
“ Oh , just because you two fixed things, you think you can judge the rest of us who are still single?” He whimpered, pretending to tear up. “ Fine ! Don’t ever think of coming to me again when you need counseling.”
He ran away incredibly slowly as he pretended to weep, and Brooke called out his name. He stopped for a second to look at us before he dramatically whipped his head and ran back into the station.
The drama.
“ Look at what you did; you made him cry.” She wrapped her arms around my waist, and I smiled as I held her face in my hands.
“ I believe you did that on your own.” I pressed a light kiss on her lips. “ I’ll see you soon.”
“ Make sure you’re not late,” she warned, and I smiled as I nodded. “ I should go, or you won’t get back to work.”
“ I love you.”
“ I know,” she grinned as she danced her way out of my arms. “ Asher loves me,” she sang as she shook her hips, dancing, and I bit my tongue to stop myself from laughing. “ Oh , I’m gonna tell everyone in your building!”
“ Brooke !” I warned, and she laughed as she ran across the street, yelling how everybody was about to know that I was a mushy, soft person rather a mean man. I was mushy for her. “ I love you!”
“ Ahh !” she squealed and cupped her cheeks as she ran up the road, and I laughed as I watched her run away.
“ Oh , Asher is in L - O - V - E !” some of the guys sang, and I stopped smiling as I turned to stare at them.
“ Don’t you have some equipment cleaning to do?”
“ Yes , sir!” They quickly ran back inside, and I shook my head as I followed behind them.
I am in love.
“ Dad , what’s the surprise?” Anne groaned again. She had been asking me what her surprise was since I had fetched her from day care, and I kept my mouth zipped.
“ You’re about to see it; can’t you be patient?” I asked as the elevator doors opened, and Brady took the lead by walking out of the elevator first. I had just fetched them from Elise’s apartment, and she seemed to already know what the surprise was with the grin she gave me.
“ Okay , just a hint?” she begged, and Brady stopped before the door and wagged his tail as he shuffled his feet. Here was another person who knew that there was a surprise waiting for him on the other side.
“ Hmm , you’ll be happy. That’s your hint,” I told her as I pushed the door open.
“ That’s not a hint, it always comes with a sur—“ she gasped when she saw her standing in the living room, glowing. “ Brooke !” Anne immediately cried as she ran to Brooke and jumped on her.
“ Hey , sweetie,” Brooke whimpered as she hugged Anne tightly, both crying as they reunited after an incredibly difficult month. “ I missed you so much.”
Anne responded by crying harder. I unclipped Brady’s leash, and he quickly joined the women in our lives. My heart ached both sadly and happily because our reunion could’ve been much earlier if only I had been braver.
“ You’re not going to leave again, right?” Anne whispered as she pulled away from the hug, and Brooke shook her head and wiped Anne’s tears away.
“ No . It sucks to be away from you.”
“ I was sad,” Anne admitted, and it broke my heart as I joined them on the floor. “ But now I’m happy,” she grinned, and Brooke cooed as she held Anne’s face and pressed a kiss on her cheek.
“ Baby , I’m happy, too.” She pressed another kiss on Anne’s forehead.
I was the most blessed man out there.
“ Are you going to move back next door?” Anne asked after she calmed down and sat on Brooke’s lap. Brooke and I shared a look, and she laughed softly.
“ I don’t think I can. There’s someone living there now, sweetie.” Anne pouted as she played with Brooke’s hands.
“ You could move in with us.” My heart stilled as I looked at Brooke , who was shocked by my offer.
“ Yes ! And then that way I won’t have to miss you,” Anne agreed excitedly as she wrapped her arms around Brooke’s neck and clung to her.
“ Are you sure?” Brooke whispered, and I nodded as I took her hand in mine and gently stroked her skin.
“ Positive . We all want you here, especially me.”
Brooke didn’t even seem to think about it before she nodded her head in agreement and smiled as she pressed her head against my shoulder.
“ Yes ! Let’s all live together.”
There was nothing in the world that could compare to the relief and happiness I felt in this moment as we sat on the floor of our living room, discussing all the things we could do together as a family from now on.
My life felt complete.
“ You know what I want right now?” I whispered, and Brooke turned to face me. Anne looked just as curious. “ The cookies you two bake.”
“ What ? Are we allowed to bake now?” Brooke laughed, and Anne got up from her lap, squealing as she jumped up and down.
“ I’ll go get the apron you bought me, Brooke !” Anne shouted as she ran to her bedroom, and Brady followed after her.
“ Yes , nothing will go wrong if you’re here,” I whispered as I pressed my lips against hers, and she smiled as she placed her soft hand on my cheek.
“ Oh , you’re so getting laid tonight,” she laughed as she got up and walked into the kitchen, picking up Anne , who had come running back with her apron.
It’s amazing just how happy Brooke made everyone.