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“Yes, thank you!” I wrapped my arm around his waist because he was such a good friend when he wasn’t being loud and trying to flirt.
“Girl,” he laughed when we reached the sliding door that opened to the patio. “If you don’t remove your hand from my waist, your boyfriend is going to snap my body in half.” He quickly tapped on my shoulder and told me to look at Asher.
Asher stared at us, and we quickly separated as if we had been caught. Jax and I quickly did a bro shake, and then we walked away from each other. I approached Asher, and he wrapped his arms around my waist and stole a kiss.
“He wasn’t bothering you, was he?” Asher asked as he motioned to Jax with his head, who called the children and other guests to the patio table and placed Anne on the middle chair.
“No, he was actually saving me from the ladies,” I whispered as I fixed his shirt, and he pressed his lips on mine again, squeezing my ass as he kissed me possessively. “What was that for?”
“They were watching.” He smirked as he smacked my ass and let go of me. When I turned to face them, they all pretended not to be looking at us, and Natalie gave me a knowing look that my fears were just that. Fears. We seemed to be good; I think?
“Come on, go help Anne cut her cake,” I nudged him toward the patio table, and he pulled me along with him. Even though he was affectionate, I couldn’t get rid of the gnawing feeling that reminded me that there was still an unspoken wall between us.
We sang the happy birthday song for Anne, and she cut the cake with her father. It was truly beautiful, and everybody laughed when she smeared some frosting on her father’s face. I helped cut up the cake and ensured that everyone got a plate; Marie softly touched my back and pushed my hair over my shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she whispered, and I knew she had seen through my act.
“I don’t think so,” I sniffled.
“Do you want to take a break?” We walked back into the house, and I felt like I had been blowing the whole thing out of proportion, but I couldn’t shake off how I felt. “What’s wrong, Brooke?”
“I’m being dramatic, aren’t I?” I laughed when we sat in the kitchen, and she passed me bottled water while I sat beside her.
“You can’t help what you’re feeling; don’t be so hard on yourself,” she spoke softly, and I sipped my water.
“I know, but sometimes I just feel like there’s this wall between us. Yes, he can be affectionate, but that’s where it ends. We don’t talk or do anything together, and it’s confusing me.”
“Have you spoken to him about this?” she asked. I scoffed and rolled my eyes.
“Whenever I try to talk to him, he always has some sort of excuse for how busy he is. In the beginning, it was okay, you know...I don’t know. Maybe I’m just expecting a bit too much from him. Should I even be expecting anything?” I leaned in closer to her, and her eyes slightly widened as she looked behind me, trying to warn me with her eyes.
“Can I borrow her from you for a while?” Asher asked as he lifted me from the chair as if I didn’t weigh much. Marie smiled as she got up from her chair.
“She’s yours; I’ll go ahead and find mine.” That traitor! She left us in the kitchen.
Asher carried me over his shoulder, and I raised my middle finger at Marie when she turned around, smiling at how she had just left me with the man I was crazy about and yet super anxious to talk to.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked as he walked up the stairs, and I was curious to see what was upstairs.
“My room.”
“Why do you have a room at Jax’s place?” I asked curiously, and I smiled mischievously when I smacked his butt.
“Jax is attached to me.”
“Oh, you mean after you guys have your night-long parties and hookups?”
“I don’t party,” he grumbled, and I laughed softly.
“But you do engage in hookups?” I asked as I took in the charcoal gray walls contrasted by the oak veneer boards. “Did Jax inherit this house or something?”
“He built it. Do you like it?” he asked, and I hummed as he finally put me down in his bedroom. I looked around and noticed the framed windows that led out to the balcony.
“Yeah, it has so much character,” I smiled as I looked around the bare room. Even though it was Asher’s bedroom, you could easily see that Jax had been the one decorating it. “It’s a good house for a big family, don’t you think?”
“You want a big family?” he asked as he pulled me back to him and kept his arms securely wrapped around my waist, his hands resting on my ass.
“I don’t know,” I smiled, and he pressed his lips to mine. “But it wouldn’t be so bad,” I whispered as I slipped my hands from his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck.
