Chapter Forty-Five
Max
Unknown: This is Asher. We need to meet up.
I stare at the text in confusion. I gave him my number months ago, and now he wants to hang out? Maybe it’s a slow day at the gym.
“Is it Tera?” Trevor’s tense voice asks from the couch, and I shake my head. “Who else would be texting you?”
“Ash,” I shrug.
“Your mediator?” He sounds taunting.
I want to hit him. If he would actually listen to me for one goddamned second, my life would go so much better. I should go to his next therapy session in his place.
“He wants to meet up,” I scowl back at him. He turns to me with a dark expression.
“Alone?”
The question has an angry tone that gives me goosebumps. Having him be visibly jealous without trying to hide it is a nice stroke to my ego. It’s still new, and I’m excited that the firm control he usually keeps himself under is slowly loosening. He’s more possessive than ever, and I’m appreciating the results.
“I don’t think he’s into guys, mi rey. If it makes you feel better, I’ll tell him not without you.”
His eyes narrow on me, but I’m being completely serious. If he wants to meet up with me outside the gym, Trevor needs to be there. I haven’t given up on my idea. I want Asher to get a feel for Trev’s asshole personality. He can finally see what I deal with daily.
“Tonight is our only night off together,” he reminds me, and I roll my eyes.
“It’s not going to take all night. I’m texting him back.”
Me: Tonight? Trevor mandatory. No getting out of it.
Asher:Good.
“He’s fine with you coming,” I say with a smirk. Trevor reads over my shoulder with a frown as I retake my seat next to him on the couch.
“He’s not one for words.”
“He’s got this whole Zen dickhead vibe. I want his attitude to rub off on you.”
“Brat,” Trevor grumbles and changes the channel.
Trevor wants Asher on home territory for some reason, and I let it go, telling him to meet us at the bar. Asher has no idea we work there, but the way the waitresses are acting toward us after Tera’s blow-up, he’ll figure it out pretty quickly.
We settle at a table next to each other, facing the door a little before ten. I feel keyed up for this meeting. I want everything to go right and have no idea how to accomplish it. My leg is bouncing under the table, and Trevor is giving me curious looks.
“Are you sure you aren’t into this guy?” Trevor asks suspiciously.
“I’m not. He’s for Tera only, man. He’ll treat her like a queen if I can get them both in the same room.”
“It’s your night off,” Emily interrupts with a smile and presses her arms together so her breasts are close to falling out of her top as she stops at our table.
I ignore her to watch the door. I’m surprised she has the guts to come over here after she took her top off in front of us in the break room. Why can’t they just get the memo that we aren’t interested?
“Any particular reason you’re both here?” She cajoles.
“Just meeting up with someone,” Trevor smiles his polite mask smile and orders us both a beer.
“Oh,” she pouts but quickly rallies. “Anyone I know?”
I give her an ugly sneer that doesn’t faze her at all. I must be losing my touch.
“A friend of Max’s,” Trevor shrugs and turns his attention away from her. When she hurries off to fill our order, Trev sighs and rubs his face.
“Just give my idea a chance, Trev. We’re getting nowhere on our own,” I frown at his lack of intuition. He needs to get out of his own head full of regrets. Asher will not put up with that bullshit at all. I can’t wait. But I will give him a warning so I don’t feel too guilty when this is all over with. “Try to remember that this guy could probably dismantle you in five seconds, ok?”
His brows furrow with disbelief as he says, “Now you’re trying to piss me off.”
“Your funeral,” I mutter. I’ve been tossed around by the guy too much to ignore the threat. Maybe I can convince him to beat the shit out of Trevor. With Trev’s current attitude, it might not take much.
When Asher walks in with his hands in his pockets, I point him out, and Trevor looks at me with disbelief. “That scrawny kid could kick my ass?”
“He’s my age, asshole.”
I can understand where Trevor is coming from, though. Asher’s muscles aren’t flashy, and he’s not as tall as Trevor or me. With the flower tattoos and his current dressy outfit, he looks more like a straight-laced college kid who has no idea what a bar is and wandered into the wrong place. It doesn’t help that his hair always looks like it needs to be brushed. Looks really are deceiving when it comes to him.
He glances at the seat yourself sign and scans the crowd for us. I raise a hand for his attention, and he jerks his chin, showing that he sees me, and walks over. He’s never in a rush, so it takes a minute, but I watch as he looks everything over with a practiced eye. I knew he was a street kid, and this cements it for me. I mean, after I got over the tattoos.
“Is he part turtle or something?” Trev mutters and chokes on a laugh.
I frown at him. I knew he was going to be an ass, but to start off before he even sits down is above and beyond.
“Max,” Asher nods in greeting, and I nod back as his eyes slide to Trevor and narrow. “You must be Trevor.”
“I am,” Trev gives his fake smile and offers his hand.
Asher hesitates, looking down at it before he shakes. I watch Trevor’s knuckles blanch and bite back my cursing. Stupid toxic male bullshit. Asher doesn’t respond, leaving his clasp light with a smirk.
“Have a seat, man,” I gesture across from us and ignore the way Trevor’s eyes have narrowed at Asher’s blasé response to his threat.
His ass has barely touched the seat before Emily is back, all smiles for the new guy in our midst.
“Hi,” she says breathlessly, expression surprised as she drops off our drinks. I don’t know why. There have been a lot of guys roll through here that look like him. “I’m Emily. What can I get for you?”
She leans down so he has a good view of her cleavage, but he doesn’t look away from the menu on the table.
“What they’re having, thanks,” he says calmly as he leans back, ignoring her presence while somehow still managing to be polite.
“Of course! I’ll be right back with that.” She says it and then lingers, but when he doesn’t look up, she hurries to the back.
“That was well played,” Trevor smirks and slides my beer over to me.
“What do you think the next angle is going to be?” I ask Trev with a grin.
“Where I get my tattoos done,” Asher inserts and pulls his wallet out to flip a business card onto the table.
“Nah,” I frown at him, “Whether you live around here because she hasn’t seen you before.”
“It’s Emily. She’s going to flat-out ask if he’s single,” Trev glances at me like it should be obvious.
“She isn’t after me.” Asher shakes his head as he resumes looking at the menu. “She wants one or both of you and will try to see if I can angle her in. Use me to show you how friendly and nice she can be. I guess she’d take me too if I was into it.”
That shuts Trevor up as he looks at Asher again, this time really looking. I can’t control the smug smile that crosses my face. When Trev catches it, his eyes narrow.
“So, what’s up?” I ask and take a sip of my beer. Before he can answer, Emily is back with his beer and wants to know if he would like something else. Her eyes pass over the three of us in speculation. She starts to slide into the seat next to him, but he leans over to put his hand there, blocking her. Not put off, she leans towards him as if she’s going to whisper in his ear.
His eyes flash up to me, and he gives me a smug smirk before he reaches for the card and hands it to her.
“Oh!” She looks at it in surprise and takes it, tapping it on her hand. She looks flustered, as if he just cut her off before she could get a good conversation going. It doesn’t stop her from trying to flirt again. “So if I show this card, do I get a discount?”
“She doesn’t do discounts,” Asher doesn’t come off as rude with the way he says it, but it’s clear that this is the end of that conversation.
“Hmm,” Emily eyes him like he’s an enigma and goes back to her other tables.
“Bullshit,” I laugh, and Trevor smiles his regular smile this time. Not the fake polite shit, but the devil may care grin I fell in love with.
“I want to know how things are going with Tera,” Asher jerks his chin at me as if he’s giving me permission to speak, and Trevor’s smile drops.
“You can’t be serious,” he looks between me and Asher with disbelief. “You really conned a stranger into giving us advice? I thought you were kidding!”
“You should start paying attention,” I look back at him grimly, and he frowns at my tone. “If anyone can help us, it’s Ash. He’s grounded and stable, unlike our dumbasses.”
Trevor looks almost betrayed as he glances away. His jaw works as he clenches his teeth. He can’t argue with that one.
“We can’t keep going like this, Trevor. We’re going to lose her for good. Is that what you want?”
“You know it isn’t,” he snaps back.
“Then what do you want?” Asher pierces him with a sharp glare that surprises me. “You haven’t made any effort to fix the situation with her, and you don’t really seem to want to, either.”
“Because you know me so well,” Trevor’s tone lowers as he leans forward threateningly. I lean back and watch the both of them warily. I’m not sure what I was expecting when they met, but this sure as fuck wasn’t it. Not within the first ten minutes, that is.
“I don’t know you, actually,” Asher leans back and twists the bottle around as he stares at Trevor. “Fill me in.”
Trev leans back with a scoff and drinks his beer, clearly having no intentions of answering.
“Trevor,” I snap under my breath, and he glares at me. “He’s trying to help.”
“I know you think we need this, but there are better ways, babe. We do not need a stranger coming into our lives being nosy just to entertain themselves. He’s a dick.”
I blow out a heavy breath and shake my head. “What if you’re wrong? What if we do need him and you shut him down? Then what? Bye, Tera? Because you want to keep doing this the same way when we both know it doesn”t work?”
“We can’t lean on him to fix our lives,” Trevor insists. “I’m sure he’s a good guy, but what can he do? Give us advice that we’re too stubborn to take?”
“Maybe you won’t take it, but I’ve been taking it for months now.”
He sighs and wipes a hand down his face wearily.
“Why did you push her away?” Asher asks grimly.
Trevor’s lip curls in an ugly snarl as he refuses to answer. I don’t feel comfortable telling Asher about the issue. This is Trevor’s main demon, and he has to face it himself.
“Do you even regret it?” Asher’s hand tightens on the bottle so hard I’m afraid it’s about to break. Something is wrong here. I don’t want this to get physical, no matter how many times I’ve laughed at the thought. Asher really could hurt Trevor. Badly.
“Asher, stop,” I blurt out, watching that hand tighten down more and more.
At my words, his grip loosens, and he glances at me.
“You’re never upset, but you’re upset now. I don’t want you taking that out on Trevor, ok? Maybe we should just talk about something else.”
“Now we’re bullshitting again?” Trevor asks me with disbelief.
“I can’t do that, Max. I’m sorry,” Asher frowns slightly as he stares at the grain of the table.
“You can”t do what? Mediate?” I ask in confusion.
His eyes meet mine grimly. “I met her.”
My heart drops at the look on his face. It’s so serious, just like it was last Friday.
“You met Tera?” Trevor asks in surprise. He looks at me with exasperation. “Did you set that up? Babe…”
“I didn’t,” I frown and sit back as I try to think it through. Holy shit. “Yoga. You teach yoga, and she started a class weeks ago. That asshole Blaze got her a membership at a gym. It was your gym. What the fuck, man? You didn’t tell me?”
“I didn’t believe half the shit you told me about her,” he defends himself as my anger rises. “I thought you put her in my class to force me to get in the middle. I wanted to fucking strangle you.”
“What did you do to her?” I spit out through clenched teeth. All of my fear wipes out as if it never existed, and I’m ready to break this beer bottle over his emotionless head.
“Nothing,” he snaps back. “She’s a fucking angel, and I’ll kill anyone that touches a hair on her head, you dumb fuck. That includes the both of you.”
I stare back at him, stunned. He’s not so emotionless now. In fact, he looks ready to throw tables and break necks. My anger dials back a notch at his vehemence, and I’m knocked sideways. Then elation starts filling me, along with hope, raising my heart from the dead.
“Are you in love with her?” I demand in a choked voice. “Please say yes, and not just because I’m going to hold this moment over your head for eternity.”
“Fuck you,” he sneers and drinks his beer.
“The man of icy barbed wire has fallen!” I crow in delight.
“Wait a second,” Trevor swipes a hand through the air to get both of our frowning attention. “You’re telling us that you’ve known her for a few weeks, and now you’re what? Are you going to try and manipulate her? Fuck her?”
“I’m not you,” Asher says flatly, and Trevor bows up in rage.
“What the fuck does that mean?” Trevor quickly turns on me, and my heart falls back down into my stomach. He jabs a finger in Asher’s direction. “You don’t need this asshole, and neither does Tera.”
“You lost her trust, mi rey,” I remind him as gently as I can. “Asher is a clean slate, and he’ll treat her like a queen, I know it.”
“You don’t know that,” he snarls back stubbornly. “We trusted Andi to be a friend and take care of her. Look how that ended.”
“I know it just like I knew Tera was perfect for us. Are you going to make me waste another goddamn year trying to get to her? Wait for more shit to hit the fan and leave her vulnerable? Let her run and not do anything about it?” The last part is a low blow, but I’m fucking tired of him not getting with it. “Do you even want her, or is what you said to her true? Is she supposed to be my toy?”
“No!” He slams the bottle of beer onto the table as he yells. “I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks. I’m in love with her. I’m not walking away or letting her run again. I just don’t know how to fix it!”
I feel my jaw drop in surprise, and Trevor freezes as if he’s just realized what he admitted. Out loud for once. Damn, I knew Asher could break him out of his funk. If only he had met him earlier!
“Fine, then help us fix this,” Asher breaks into my thoughts with determination. “She’s interested in me, but I don’t have a real foothold yet.”
“How do you know she”s interested in you?” Trevor asks suspiciously, and I scoff.
“Look at the fucker, Trev. Chicks probably throw their panties at him.”
“I don’t see why,” Trevor sneers as he looks him up and down.
Emily happens to pass by and offers to get us another round. When we both say yes, she leans closer to Asher, displaying her breasts again as she asks if he needs anything in a seductive tone.
“No, thank you,” Asher deadpans back, not even sparing her a glance. “I’m a lightweight, and I don’t want to get tipsy on the first date.”
Emily blinks and snaps upright, her mouth falling open and closed again in quick order. She glances between us all and backs away slowly.
Trevor glares as I start laughing. “You know how to shut shit down so fast, man. Where have you been all my life?”
“Louisiana,” he says with the faintest trace of an accent that disappears when he continues. “You know her?”
“We work with her,” Trevor says, feeling him out more. “You’re not even tempted? She’s pretty hot.”
“Fuck off, Trev,” I glare as a twinge of jealousy pierces me. He doesn’t even apologize as he waits for Asher’s answer.
“She’s not my angel. She can take her tits elsewhere.”
“What would your sisters say about this behavior?” I give him a smug grin at his easy acceptance that Tera is it for him.
“To grab Tera and never let her go, that’s what,” he looks at me like I’m an idiot. “She’s the right one. Unfortunately, she comes with two guests.”
“Don’t be a dick.” I snap. “We aren’t going anywhere.”
“That’s why we’re sitting here like fucking saps trying to compromise,” Asher leans forward with a glare.
“This is how you compromise?” Trevor scoffs in disbelief.
“If you knew how bad I want to murder you on her behalf, you’d have less doubts,” he returns without pause.
“Oh yeah?” Trevor pushes it and leans forward with his evil grin. “Then why am I not dead yet?”
“Because hurting you will hurt Tera, and I’m not doing that shit to her,” Asher looks like he’s fighting himself over that decision a little too hard right now.
“Let’s get on the same page then. What’s next?” I ask eagerly and try to stop the head butting going on at the table.
“I have to tell her that I know you,” Asher winces and drops back in his chair.
“You don’t have to do that right away,” I panic. She’s going to run. “Are we supposed to block the exits when you tell her?”
“No,” he shakes his head with a tired sigh. “I’m not starting this off with lies between us. She needs to know that I’m aware of the problems and still willing to stay. She’s convinced that she isn’t worth the attention I’m giving her. She’s trying her best to get me to change my mind.”
Trevor and I exchange confused stares. He’s the one who breaks and asks what we’re both thinking. “Why?”
“Because her self-confidence is at rock bottom,” Asher snaps back with a baleful glare. “She’s waiting for me to run first and is trying to make it easy on me because it will supposedly be all her fault.”
“Bullshit,” I whisper, praying he’s wrong. When her bubble popped, it left shards of glass in her that I haven’t seen yet.
Asher gives me a flat stare, and I swallow hard. “If I had to guess, I’d say that’s why things are still rocky between you two. She starts to feel comfortable and remembers how bad it hurts to get burned. You already have someone to fall back on when you get hurt,” he waves a hand at Trevor. “She doesn’t know she has me waiting right here for her yet.”
“That’s how you’re going to angle yourself in?” Trevor scowls at the thought, and my heart breaks a little more. If Asher can be her fallback, I’m all for it. He’ll never let her down, I’m sure of it. With a sturdy foundation like that, she’ll come back swinging.
“Don’t wait. Get in now,” I hurry to get out. My throat is closing because I thought I saw everything she had wrong, and I’ve only gotten the tip of the iceberg. She doesn’t tell me everything like she used to, and I’ve gotten stuck in the thought that she still was.
Asher takes in my advice and nods in agreement.
“Fuck,” Trevor mutters and looks around the bar with a grimace. “Just don’t fucking hurt her. I may not have some martial art shit going on, but I know how to use a gun.”
Asher smirks at him and salutes him with his bottle.
The sudden turnaround shocks me into staring at Trevor. “You’re in mi rey?”
My voice is desperate, and he grips the back of my neck in a tight hold as he looks back at me. “I don’t like how much maneuvering is going on right now, but if this blows up, you can blame me for it. Don’t argue with me. I’m in.”
Asher frowns at us and says, “Nobody is falling on a sword here. It’ll be rough, but we can get through it. I’m not letting it end any other way. Stop being dramatic dicks and have another round.”