Page 50 of Asher Black (The Five Syndicates)
Xavier snorts beside me.
I glare at him. “I’m not having sex with Asher. Drop it.”
“Fine.” She sighs like she’s thinking it’s not fine at all. “So, how is this going to work?”
I hesitate. “That’s the thing. I’m moving into his place.”
She sits up straighter. “But…” A pout crosses her red lips. “What about the dorms? You’re my roommate! You can’t leave me!”
“I have to! It won’t make any sense if I don’t live with him.”
“But what about me? What about our friendship?”
“We’ll be fine! You’ll still be my best friend, and I’ll be walking distance from you. Asher’s home is right next to campus.”
“Your home,” she corrects.
“What?”
“It’s your home now, too.” Her eyes roam over my tense form. “If you’re going to move in together, at least call it your place, too.”
I sigh and sit beside her on my bed. “This feels unreal.”
She wraps an arm around me. “Please, tell me you’ll be sharing the same bed.”
I cover my face with my hands. “I don’t know. I think we actually will be. Hell, we almost did the first night until he got up and slept on the floor. I think he did that for me. We haven’t slept together since.”
She stands up, rummages through her closet, and then hands me something. “Here. Keep it. He won’t know what hit him.”
I glance down at what she gave me. It’s a slinky negligee, cute and sexy all at once. No way am I wearing this anywhere near Asher.
“Thanks,” I say, because I know she’ll fight back if I decline her gift.
She narrows her eyes in suspicion, but she doesn’t call me out on my bullshit. “I guess you’re here to pack up your stuff, huh?”
I nod. “He wants me out of here by the end of the day.”
She stands up. “Come on. I’ll help you.”
I astound us both when I stand up and wrap my arms around her in a hug. One she honestly deserves. She really is a great friend.
We spend the next half hour packing with Xavier’s help. It doesn’t take long, because as an orphan, I don’t have much. It takes Xavier only two trips to carry all of my possessions to the car. While he’s making his last trip, I change out of the LBD from two nights ago, which I threw on again before I left Asher’s. I didn’t want to wear his shirt down the hall while I did my walk of shame. And the evening gown would have drawn way too much attention.
I pull on a romper I put aside while packing earlier and throw my dress into my backpack with the rest of my schoolwork. Then, I’m hugging Aimee goodbye like it’s the last time we’ll ever see each other. I don’t know why this feels so final. I mean, we already agreed to meet at an off-campus restaurant for lunch later next week.
But my gut is telling me that this is the end of something.
I just don’t know what.
Chapter Fifteen
Courage is doing what
you're afraid to do. There
can be no courage unless
you're scared.
