Chapter Sixteen - Asher
Asher
Ihum along to the song on the radio as I wait for Luca in my car, drumming my fingers against the steering wheel and bobbing my head.
It”s a nice day out today, spring in full swing. The sun is shining, it”s getting warmer and I”m just in a hell of a damned good mood.
I should probably be feeling anxious.
Now that Luca and Millie”s relationship has been public for a few days, the end of Kayla”s and my charade should be looming over me—but it isn”t. Not at all. The topic hasn’t even come up yet. Maybe it”s delusion, maybe it”s hope, but I don”t think this is going to be over soon.
I’m especially sure because according to Kayla, Millie has found out about the real nature of our relationship. And yet, she has not broken up with me, although I think a few weeks ago she would have jumped at the chance to end our charade early.
And us breaking up would actually be a wonderful distraction from Millie and Luca, now that I think about it. I’m pretty sure if our relationship ended, that would be the media focus, not their newly discovered one.
So I”m definitely not bringing that topic up.
Something monumental has shifted between Kayla and me. After detangling her hair, I stayed over at her place for the night, even though I could feel something shifting between us, it cemented the later it got.
I didn”t want to leave her completely alone, and it was already the middle of the night when she felt well enough to kick me out of her door. Not that she did.
When she told me to stay, I was sure I”d be catching some sleep on her semi-comfortable couch; read to book a massage for my sore back the next day.
Before I could even propose sleeping on the couch, she demanded I just sleep in bed with her.
”We”ve done worse things in it,” she”d said with a snicker and scooted over to make space for me. Honestly, I was just thankful I didn”t have to fold my body into her too-tiny couch and deal with a strained back the next few days.
It was weirdly nice. We didn”t cuddle, because she’s apparently not a fan—I call bullshit on that but I wasn’t about to argue with her—and obviously we didn”t fuck. In fact, we didn”t touch again until I left the next morning and said goodbye with a quick hug.
But something shifted between us. Something that makes my heart flutter and my face break into a cheesy grin.
It finally doesn’t feel one-sided anymore.
And now, I’m sitting in the car outside of a TV building where Kayla and Millie have all kinds of interviews the whole day, waiting for Luca to come back to the car. He insisted on paying his girlfriend a visit at work today and demanded I drive him here.
I wish I could have gone inside with Luca, but we”re so late for training already that I don”t dare get caught up in her the way I inevitably would. It probably would have ended in bickering and us shooting the shit and I’m not taking a risk of being late today.
Rich is one scary motherfucker. I”m not trying to poke the beast by being late.
Instead, I scroll through social media. What can I say, I”m curious.
There are headlines over headlines about Millie and Luca. Fans speculating how long it has been going on, who initiated what and so much more.
At least they had a cute picture taken of the two of them. Thinking back about the kind of pics that made the headlines with my prior relationships . . . they”ve gotten lucky.
I can”t even say that any of the articles are negative but oh boy. The comments. The comments are a whole other beast. I”m not sure why everyone has such a dislike for Millie and I”m too afraid to ask, but the hate that people spew under the guise of anonymity on the internet is astounding.
My head shoots up when Luca pulls the passenger door open and jumps into the seat.
”Alright, let”s go.”
Kayla: Why didn”t you come inside?
I stare at her message, a smile slowly spreading on my face. She wanted me to come in and that makes me giddier than I have any business being for a woman.
I’m finally starting to break her defenses. She’s finally starting to let me in and tell me what she wants from me. That’s seems huge for her.
Asher: Had to be ready to floor it. Sorry. Next time?
My eyes remain glued to my phone as I wait for her reply, my heartbeat quickening and my face breaking into a smile when I see the three little dots appear. It seems more monumental than it probably is, but her admitting to wanting to spend time with me is like a new high I want to chase.
Finally, my phone buzzes in my hand with her answer.
Kayla: I think I would like that.
Yes! I punch the air, causing Luca to look at me confused. He raises his eyebrow, an unspoken question, but I shake my head and look back at my phone, thumbs flying over the screen to answer.
Asher: Are you free tonight?
”Hey, Van,” Luca says and lifts his hand for a friendly wave as our manager appears around the corner to the cafeteria, walking towards us with intent.
”Luca,” he greets him back with a nod and turns to me. ”Asher.”
I make a two-finger salute at him before I return my eyes to my phone. That is until Van shares some news.
”Luca, I”ve got to tell you before you see on social media.” My head shoots up, now alert and the hair on my neck standing up at his tone.
What the fuck is happening? He sounds more serious than I”ve ever heard him in all the years we’ve worked together. Did someone die?
”There”s been an incident at a coffee shop. Millie”s been attacked.” Both of us take a sharp breath and Luca immediately jumps up.
”What?” Luca exclaims, his face white as a sheet, already reaching for his bag, ready to storm off and rain hell. I cross my arms over my chest anxiously, my phone forgotten.
”She’s fine,” Van immediately adds reassuringly. “Her bodyguards were with her and jumped in immediately. Nothing really happened, besides shock. I just wanted to loop you in before the internet brings it out of context and exaggerates.”
”She”s alright?” Luca asks, worry painting his face and his hands still fidgeting with his bag.
”She”s alright.”
”I”ll call her anyways.” He reaches for his phone then all but runs outside to find better reception.
Van stays where he is and shakes his head, his shoulders sagging with a heavy sigh.
”What is it, boss?”
Van seems exhausted and I get it. He never had that many media requests to handle for us, going from zero to ‘dating the Sirens’ level must be a challenge.
”Nothing. I”m just a bit worried, that’s all.” He grimaces and takes a seat, rubbing his hand over his jaw. ”It”s probably nothing but I don”t like what”s happening out there.”
”Is there anything you can do? We can do?” I raise my eyebrow at him.
I get what he’s saying. Something is off about . . . well, everything. I have a bad feeling in my gut and I just hope it’s a false alarm.
”Nothing that would help.” He sighs and rolls his shoulders, leaning back his head to have a contemplative look at the ceiling. ”Let me rephrase. Nothing that wouldn”t be the equivalent of a child running to their parents to tell on someone and the parents proceeding to scold the bullies, which makes everything even worse in the long run. Does that make sense?”
”It does,” I admit and sit back down next to him. My fingers are itching with the urge to call Kayla and make sure that she’s feeling alright. I’m sure the whole situation is scary for her as well. ”I”m sure it will be fine.” I’m telling this more to myself than to Van, but he gives me a nod.
”I”m going to have a talk with their manager or label or whoever is responsible.” He stretches his arms over his head. ”I”m sure we”ll come up with something. Then again, I guess they have their reasoning for letting all of this play out.”
”What if their reasoning is ”we are dicks and don”t give a fuck?”” I wonder aloud, making him look at me with a worried wrinkle between his eyebrows.
After all, that’s what Kayla is assuming their reasoning is and I don’t find that a reach, looking at what they’ve been doing. No wonder she wants to get away from them. ”What? Don”t tell me that”s such a far-fetched assumption.”
”I guess it isn”t.” He scrunches his nose, annoyed, and sighs. ”Anyway. The Sirens are part of the fam now, so I”ll go and see how to best deal with it.”
”Thank you, Van.” He nods at me, then gets up walks and leaves as well. Meanwhile I finally get to check the reply Kayla sent.
Kayla: Come over around six?
I look at her message. Why didn’t she mention the incident? Does she not trust me?
I take a deep breath. Maybe she just wants to distract herself. I should stop reading so much into every little thing she does or wording of messages she sends me.
Asher: Got it. Food?
Kayla: Let”s order. That carbonara was bomb. Off now, got a situation.
Ah, there it is. It makes me feel a bit bad; of course I wish nothing happened to them, but a bit of weight falls off my shoulders, knowing that she trusts me enough to mention those kind of incidents to me.
Asher: I heard. Good luck. See you tonight.
Kayla: 3
She sent me a heart. She fucking sent me a heart. I know some people just use it to communicate, but I can”t fucking stop grinning. And I know how much of a hypocrite that makes me when I tease Luca about it, but I still can’t stop that giddy feeling in my stomach.
I”m getting there!
I”m embarrassingly nervous as I ride up the elevator to Kayla”s flat. Luca stepped out on Millie”s floor, and I think the two of them are going out to eat somewhere.
A stupid idea if you ask me, considering their fans feel it’s okay to verbally and fucking physically to attack Millie, but what do I know?
I have no idea what our plan for tonight is besides eating, but I”ve stopped at the restaurant we ordered from the last time and brought enough food to feed an army. There’s no way I would have waited long enough to get to her place and then order it. I’m fucking hungry.
When I step out of the elevator, Kayla comes into view immediately as she”s standing by her open apartment door.
Her eyes light up when she sees me, then she schools her face to a more neutral expression, but it lights up again when she notices the boxes I”m carrying and the scent of our food hits her.
”So good that you”re here, I”m fucking starving,” she says and comes closer to take one of the boxes that”s dangerously close to falling and carries it inside, closing the door behind me once I walk past her.
”I”m also happy to see you,” I tell her with an eye roll and low chuckle, and immediately head for the kitchen where I put all of the food on her kitchen island. I really brought a mountain: Two plastic bags filled to the brim, plus various pizza boxes containing pizza rolls and the like.
Did I mention I’m hungry? Ordering at a restaurant hungry is even more dangerous than ordering.
”Yeah. That too.” She grins at me. “Hi.” She comes to a stop on the other end of the kitchen island, setting down the one container she’s holding in her hands and looks at me with wide eyes. Then she clears her throat. ”Let”s eat at the table.”
”Sure.” I carry some of the stuff over and grab some cutlery while I”m at it, grinning to myself. Eating at the table seems damned sophisticated compared to the last times I was here.
We sit down and she immediately reaches for the box containing the carbonara to heap it onto her plate, not leaving any for me. I chuckle as I reach for the spinach-cheese-garlic rolls.
Good thing I saw that coming and got us two.
”So I heard you had an eventful day?” I ask her before popping one of the garlic rolls into my mouth.
”That doesn”t even begin to cover it,” she says with a deep sigh, exhaustion washing over her face as her shoulders sag and she closes her eyes for a moment, leaning her forehead against propped up hands.
”Seriously. Today was a shitshow. First, we had to do interviews, and for some reason, as soon as I get with a guy, it discredits all of my work and becomes all that reporters ask about.” I bite down a grin at the ”get with a guy.” It sounds so real the way she says it. ”Then my best friend gets fucking attacked in a coffee shop and our label and management are doing jack shit. As expected.”
Another heavy sigh, then she reaches for her water and takes a big gulp. ”Seriously, I”m sick of it. I”ve talked to Millie, and we”ll be exploring our opportunities of breaking our contract after the match. Because I’m not staying with Starlet Sounds any longer than I have to. There”s no way I”m going to continue let these dickheads make money off Millie and me when they do absolutely nothing to protect us.”
”You mentioned being wary of your label a few weeks back,” I remember and tilt my head. ”I get it. So what”s your plan?”
”What makes you think I have a plan?” I raise my eyebrow at her. Please. She’s probably the most level-headed person I’ve met in the industry. She has a plan.
She blushes, averting her gaze with a soft chuckle. ”Okay, I might have a plan.”
”Tell me about it.”
She lowers her fork and picks at her food. ”I hate having to depend on a label or management company,” she admits softly, turning the spaghetti with her fork. ”I really, really want to launch my own company if I’m being honest.” Her voice becomes quieter with each word, until it”s finally just a whisper, and she quickly puts the fork in her mouth as if that takes back what she said.
”That”s a cool idea,” I tell her, and she looks at me through her lashes, her cheeks flush. ”Does it seem manageable? What do you need to do? Can I help?”
Her eyes grow wide, and she gulps down the food in her mouth, then takes a sip of water.
”We”d have to break the contract so there”s probably a huge fine. Nothing we wouldn’t be able to handle but it”s still a lot. I’m not sure it would leave the kind of funds we would need to start our own company.”
”Honestly, I think you should comb through your contracts again first. Or have someone more versed with the law do it for you,” I tell her and reach for my phone. ”See if they”ve adhered to all of their responsibilities before you throw your hard-earned money at them. Want me to ask my dad?”
”How would your dad help?” She tilts her head, looking adorably confused. “He’s not a lawyer.”
”Well, he”s kind of a big deal in his company, which has some cutthroat lawyers. I”m sure he”d be thrilled to help.”
”That would be amazing.” Her face lights up and she straightens her spine, her eyes darting from my face to her food excitedly as she scoots around on her chair. ”Honestly, I”d resigned to just forking up the money, but if there”s a way around it, I”d be more than happy because those assholes don’t deserve another cent in my opinion. Now hand me one of those garlic rolls.”
”Why am I suddenly handing you a garlic roll?” I laugh and open the box to retrieve one.
”Because I could kiss you and I”m not doing that if you ate garlic and I didn”t.”
I freeze, my eyes shoot to her and meet a wide grin, then she winks at me and I shake my head at her, a grin tugging at me lips.
Fuck. The effect this woman has on me is unreal.
Before she changes her mind, I all but launch one of the garlic rolls at her. She catches it with ease and bites into it as I squirm in my seat, fighting the urge to adjust myself. She doesn’t need to know that a fucking flirt, grin and wink are enough to have me rock hard.
”I think we should talk about the other elephant in the room,” she says with a full mouth that she covers with her hand as she’s chewing on that roll.
”Oh yeah?” I raise my eyebrow at her and lean my chin on my hand, giving her my full attention. ”Which is?”
Is this the talk? The one where she breaks up with me because Luca and Millie are already public?
”I”m horny.” A relieved sigh escapes me when she says it. “But we”re doing this whole exclusive thing. And we fucked.”
”That we did,” I say noncommittally and lean back, crossing my arms in front of my chest, as to not get up and throw her over my shoulder again. ”And it was incredible.”
”See, I think so too.” She lowers her hand as her eyes stay on my bicep, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. ”We should totally do that again until the three months are up.” She bites her lip and looks at me with wide, pleading eyes. Holy fuck, that woman.
I groan and rub my hand over my face. ”You”re going to be the death of me.”
”So, what do you say?” She stands up and starts to pull up the hem of her t-shirt. My eyes burn into every inch of skin that she reveals until I can”t take it anymore and jump up, stalking toward her like a starving panther.
The food can wait.
”I say you better take it off before I rip it off,” I growl and already reach for the fabric. She giggles and lets go of it.
Fine with me. One quick movement later and it’s a torn heap of fabric on the floor and I bury my hand in her hair to pull her close and smash my lips against hers in a kiss that makes my cock so hard I”m afraid it”ll burst out of my goddamn jeans.
”Fuck, Asher,” she moans and pulls the tie out of my hair to bury both of her hands in it as I ravage her mouth, walking her backwards until her back hits the kitchen counter. Her hands lock in my neck, and I lean down to grab her thighs, lifting her onto the counter, just as her hands start clawing at my shirt to pull it up.
Then suddenly, both of our phones start buzzing at the same time and both of us freeze.
I have a mad sense of deja vu as I reach for it, and to my horror, it”s the same exact reason. Both of us are tagged in story after story, posts, and even articles.
”Millie”s been attacked again?”
Kayla is downstairs with Millie as I try to cheer up my best friend. Luca looks like shit. I can see all the self-doubt running through his head, even though from what he’s telling me, there was nothing he could have done.
Apparently, they went out to dinner in another one of Philly’s fancy restaurants that pride themselves on their privacy for celebrities like us. It went south when Millie was physically attacked in the woman’s bathroom. Of course, with no security nearby.
From what I’m seeing online, that particular group has spread a lot of hate about the two of them being together. Some hardcore Millie fans found their profiles within minutes of pictures from the restaurant releasing, as the women were carried off in handcuffs by security guys and police.
All of them had posts on their profiles about how she doesn’t deserve him and something should be done. So why did their label not pay more attention?
Now Luca is pacing the living room, almost running into Kayla’s couch, his mind anywhere but here.
”How are you holding up, bro?” I hand him a glass of water. He looks up at me, confusion etched into his face, but he lifts the glass to take a sip.
”I”m not the one any of us need to be worried about right now, Asher.” I take a deep breath and count to three. Then I slap the back of his head. Kind of hard, actually.
”Fucking hell. You”re my friend, you”re always someone to be worried about. Idiot.” He looks at me with his eyebrows scrunched in anger before he rubs the spot where I just hit him and his hands fidget like he wants to throw the glass at me.
”Well, I feel like shit,” he spits and sets down the glass instead before his pacing makes him turn his back to me. ”I can”t believe that happened.”
”Neither could we when we saw it online.” He freezes, then turns around slowly.
”That”s how quickly you see stuff on social media?” he asks in absolute disbelief, and I freeze. Does he seriously not know?
The clueless look on his face tells me he really doesn’t.
”Oh, sweet summer child.” I rub my hand over my face and squeeze the bridge of my nose.
He”s dating one of the goddamn Sirens and you”re telling me he still doesn”t understand social media? I know he doesn’t have accounts, not even anonymous ones for snooping, but someone needs to give this man a reality check of what his girlfriend is dealing with, holy shit!
”Listen, I have a hunch that you have no idea what the two of them are actually dealing with online. And I mean directly, the messages people actually send them, not some random news outlets. So sit your ass down, I need to show you something.”
I can”t believe he doesn”t know.
Good for him that he”s not using social media, but holy fuck, especially since he”s started dating Millie, he should have gotten some tutoring. Well, he’s getting a crash course now. Whether he wants it or not.
Pulling up social media, I type in Millie’s name and hand my phone to him. I only glanced at the first posts, but that should be more than enough to sum up what’s going on.
”Look at it, bro. I know you don”t use social media, and probably never will, but that doesn”t mean you can just stay oblivious to what”s happening and what the two of them are dealing with on a day-to-day basis.”
”What the fuck?” he mutters under his breath, lifting his second hand as well to hold onto the phone with both as he scrolls.
Suddenly, the door bursts open and Kayla enters like a storm.
”Gentlemen, we”ve fucked up massively.” She starts pacing the living room and I pity the folks living under her. She”s really fucking angry and her steps show it. Maybe next time she should get an apartment with a carpeted floor. ”We shouldn’t have let it get this far. Millie is talking to her parents right now, but we need to come up with a plan. I”m not waiting around for Naroa and Starlet Sounds to fix this anymore.”
”Alright. But how can we fix it?” Luca looks completely lost, still clutching my phone in his hands.
I look between the two of them, wondering how long it will take them to come up with an idea. There”s only one solution I can think of for this mess and frankly, I’m surprised they haven’t come up with it yet.
”You two are idiots, you know that?” I pull together all my acting knowledge and pull my hair in the most dramatic way possible. ”Seriously. Bunch of oblivious idiots.”
”Well then, share your grand plan with the class, why don”t you?” Kayla crosses her arms in front of her chest, and I shoot her a glare at the sass.
”It”s nice that you two are there for Millie privately, but did either of you have the balls to stand up for her publicly yet?” I shoot her a share glare back and she sinks into herself. I know she didn”t because I follow her on social media and have seen no such thing.
It makes sense, as a celebrity the motto is usually ‘remain silent until a new scandal pops up and everyone forgets,’ but the fans haven’t forgotten for years already. Because the media is really fucking good at keeping the Millie hate train alive.
But they can’t sit around and whine at the label for not doing shit when they can’t get their asses online to defend Millie.
Luca also draws back.
”See? There”s no use being her shoulder to cry on, telling her to ignore the haters, because let”s be honest, that”s pretentious as fuck coming from you two, who are not bombarded with this insanity. We”ve got to do something to put people in their place. Give me my fucking phone, Luca.”
I tear it out of his hands and type and swipe until I”ve pulled up Adam”s contact, rolling my eyes at the two of them remaining still and staring at me. I have no idea what the two of them are waiting for but let me go ahead and try to salvage Millie”s image that their label fucked up.
”Hi there, Adam? Can you do me a solid?” I get right to the point when he answers.
”Miss me already?” He chuckles on the other end of the line and I hear a bit of rustling as I assume he”s walking somewhere more private. ”What can I do for you?”
”You”ve probably already heard of the attacks on Millie?” I turn to face my back at the two of them as I talk.
”Of course, they”re hard to not hear about.” A door opens and I can hear the Philly traffic in the background.
”Listen, we”re trying to change the public perception of her on our own; would you mind doing a quick post and telling people how awesome she is? It”s way past time we rally around her.”
”I mean she has always been lovely when I ran into her,” he admits and seems to catch a particularly nasty wind. ”Yes, of course, I”ll do that in a minute. Don”t bother calling my brothers, I”ll let them know.”
”Thank you, Adam. Have a good one.”
When I look up, both Kayla and Luca look at me with wide eyes, like they can’t believe it’s actually that easy. Well, spoiler alert, it fucking is.
”You”re a fucking genius,” Kayla says, her eyes sparkling with something I can”t quite place.
”Say it again?” I ask her and hold my phone in front of her, recording app opened. ”This time on record.”
”I will do no such thing.” She pushes my hand away from her face, but I can see a smile tug at her lips. ”I”m telling you that it”s a great idea, take it or leave it.”
”I”ll take it,” I chuckle and shake my head before shifting my focus to the phone in my hand again. ”Now, you two take your damned phones and call up the most famous people in your contact lists. We”ve got an online campaign to put in motion. I’m no professional, but fighting fire with fire seems a good idea when ignoring it doesn’t work.”