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“When?” He smirks, then he looks back at Asher with disgust. “Let me guess,friend.You used my sister as some pretend girlfriend to buy yourself some more time with your old man. She was an easy option because you knew she’d say yes. You know how she’s always felt about you.”
I’m not surprised he was able to guess the backstory of Asher’s plan but he’s not entirely right.
“It wasn’t like that,” Asher replies.
“I was helping him out,” I cut in because Josh needs to know the important details before he jumps to conclusions. “Asher paid a debt I owed some dangerous loan sharks Nick got me mixed up with.”
Josh glares back at me, now knowing I hid that loan from him before he left.
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry,” I add in a shaky voice.
“So you chose to do this? What the hell is wrong with you?” He’s never spoken to me like that before.
“Josh—” Asher attempts again but Josh holds up his hand.
“Don’t talk to me. I can’t believe I was so stupid as to believe you wouldn’t touch her. My sister is not one of your fucking women.”
“You need to listen to me and stop it. I love her.”
“The only thing people likeyoulove is money and power,” Josh snarls. “Harper, get your things. We’re leaving.”
My God. He’s talking to me like I’m a child he’s come to collect from a playdate gone wrong.
“I’m not going anywhere, Josh.” I shake my head at him, shocked by his request.
“Yes you are. Get your things now.”
“This is ridiculous. You can’t come here and demand that I leave. I’m not a child.”
“You say that after your disastrous track record with men? Nick almost killed you. You lied about him, too. Every time you told me you were fine, you lied! Now he’s behind bars for murder and all kinds of other shit. Someone needs to take charge of your life before you get yourself killed.”
My cheeks burn with hot embarrassment and I can’t argue because he’s right. I did lie about Nick when I shouldn’t have but Asher is not Nick. “I’m safe with Asher. It’s not the same thing. You know that or you wouldn’t have left me with him.”
“Asher will use you and he won’t care how badly he hurts you. He’ll check out when you need him most.”
“That’s not true,” Asher cuts in. “You know me better than that. I wouldneverhurt Harper. I have always been there for her when she needed me.”
“You believe that but you forget that Idoknow you.” He shoots Asher a death glare. From the sharpness in his tone I know he’s referring to the past. To the girlfriend who died. Had Asher not told me, I would never have picked up on that. “I know you’re a selfish motherfucker when you need to be. You throw women away when you get bored and all you think about is yourself. You’re not going to do that to my sister. She’s been through enough.”
“I told you I’m not going to hurt her.” Asher walks up to him.
The moment he gets close enough Josh throws a punch in his face. And another.
“Stop it, Josh. No!” I scream and rush toward them but Asher places me behind him so I’m not in the way.
“You fucking asshole. How dare you lie to me?” Josh gets up into Asher’s face. “You have everything and you can have anyone. Why do you want her?”
“I told you. Iloveher.”
“Fuck you.” Josh throws another punch and Asher just takes it, not fighting back. I know he can but he won’t because it’s Josh.
“Josh, stop,” I cry out again but he ignores me.
Josh grabs Asher’s t-shirt and rips it. I see another punch coming and just about manage to move away from Asher’s protecting arm and slip in between them.
“Stop it, Josh,” I cry out louder. “I’ll go with you. I’ll go. Just let him go.”
Going with him is the only thing I can think of that will stop this madness.
