Page 99 of Billionaire Unbroken - Asher
I knew the loneliness of PTSD, but I’d never had to be completely withdrawn to protect myself.
My heart ached every time I thought of a very young Asher trying to protect his little brother by taking the brunt of his father’s abuse.
It was hard to even think about the torture he’d been through and how he’d endured that at such a young age.
He’d probably felt so defenseless and probably very lost.
After the torture and physical abuse, it was a miracle that Asher had come out of the situation with any kindness or empathy.
Yet he was probably the most empathetic man I’d ever known.
People probably didn’t notice it, but Asher was watchful and observant.
He could sense the pain of other people, whether he wanted to admit it or not.
“Ready to go eat?” he asked.
I nodded as I took the hand he was offering, knowing I was going to cherish these moments and the experience I’d just shared with Asher.
The bat show was about over, and I was hungry.
Since it was late, we were eating at a Mexican café that was one of Asher’s favorites for casual dining here in Austin.
The place was within walking distance, and I followed behind Asher as he plowed through the people to get off the bridge.
I kept my eyes on him, trying to discern whether or not he was still tolerating the crowd.
I breathed a sigh of relief when we finally exited the bridge and the wall of people started to disperse.
“Okay?” I checked in with him.
He nodded. “I’m good.”
“You said things went well at your meeting today,” I said as we walked toward the restaurant. “Was it really that easy?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t say that. But it was tolerable. I think that’s probably the best I can ask for right now. I don’t feel like I’m about to lose my shit in a full boardroom anymore, and that’s something for me. I can be in a crowd without desperately needing to get out of it.”
I nodded, understanding why that meant something to him.
He had his control back, and he was able to master his emotions.
That was a lot to someone who once felt like they were panicking every time they were surrounded by people.
He might never be unaffected by crowds, but being in one didn’t rule his life anymore.
Exposure would probably help him become less and less sensitive to those situations.
“Did you finish your project?” he asked.
“I did,” I told him. “It was something I was doing as an experiment. I’ve been writing my own story when I have the time. I’m finally done. I’m going to publish my own book, Asher. I never thought I was a writer, but I enjoyed writing and illustrating this story. I used your ranch as my inspiration. I knew that spot by the river was going to end up in a story and it did. It’s in my own book.”
“That’s fantastic,” he said enthusiastically. “Am I going to see this book?”
“When it’s printed,” I promised. “I’m going to self-publish, so it won’t be long before you’ll be able to see it. I’m not sure if I can sell my own books, but I’ve gotten my social media pretty active again and it’s growing as I do more projects. I’d like to think I can sell a few books on my own.”
“I think you’ll sell a lot of them,” Asher said confidently.
God, I loved this man who always made me feel like there was nothing I couldn’t do.
