“Like a date? When did you plan this?”
“Well. . .I. . .” I stuttered as I tried to come up with a lie, but my pause was too long and it was clear Asher knew that it all occurred after he left yesterday.
“Shit,” he mumbled, running one of his large hands through his thick dark locks. “Addison, you have to know-” he began but was cut off by the server asking if he wanted something to drink. Asher quickly declined.
“Look. You have to know that I didn’t mean for that to happen last night.”
“Which part, Asher? I whispered, leaning across the table. “The part where you gave me two orgasms or the part where you left me without a backward glance?”
“Fuck, I don’t know.”
Abruptly his face clenched and he tucked his hands under the table just as my phone chimed on the table. At first, I wasn’t going to answer, but I glanced at the screen and saw a message from Bradley without unlocking the screen.
Bradley: Decided not to make the drive better plans came up. Sry
“Asshole,” I growled and pushed away my phone.
“What?”
“Nothing.” I gestured for the server and told him that I wasn’t going to be staying, then handed him a ten-dollar bill to cover my drink and his time.
Standing from the table I was surprised when Asher did the same.
“Where are you going? What’s going on?” he asked as he followed me out of the restaurant, keeping up with my quick pace as I made my way back toward the market. I ignored him and continued onward, power walking down the sidewalk.
I’d hoped that I would lose him along the way, but just as I crossed the street, I felt his hand tug at my elbow, twisting me around to face him.
“Addison, stop. Please tell me what’s going on.”
“Gah. Fine. You’re exasperating.”
“I know.”
“Right after you arrived, I got a message from Bradley saying that he wasn’t coming because something better came up.”
“So? Did you already figure you were stood up?”
“That’s not the point. I had the. . .ugh. He was the hottest guy in school. I had the biggest crush on him and I was just like. . .a nobody.”
“Really? With your parents?”
“Yes, really. My cousins were my best friends, so no one ever made anything about it. I mean, I went to school with literal princes and princesses. I was just. . .nobody. This was my chance to show him that I was somebody.”
Admitting to him, a rock star, that my childhood had been excruciatingly awkward was bone-numbing. But Asher surprised me when he reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“Addison, you could never be a nobody. Even when you’re standing in the middle of a crowded room you stand out.”
I wanted to believe that he was just saying that because he was a friend of my father's, but the way he was gazing down at me said something more. That he would see me.
“And he’s incredibly stupid if he gave up the chance to go out with you.”
I huffed out a breath and mumbled, “I know.”
“Do you, Addison?”
“Do you, Asher?” I countered. “You made it very clear last night what kind of chances you were willing to take with me.”
“Don’t be like that, Addison. I’m sorry.”