6. Leslie

CHAPTER 6

LESLIE

As Asa drives away from the diner, the tension in the truck feels suffocating. I’m still reeling from the very public argument with my mother, and it was all over the monthly employee meeting, which they don’t really need me for anyway.

“You okay?” Asa asks, glancing at me sideways as he steers the truck down the narrow, tree-lined roads of Silver Spoon Falls. His concern is palpable, and my heart is still beating double time from the way he stood up for me.

“I think so.” I’m not really sure. There’s only one thing I am certain of—it’s time for me to stop hiding behind this good girl image. I glance over at Asa and realize one of the things I love about him is he really doesn’t give two shits about what other people think of him. He lives his life and to hell with anyone who doesn’t like it.

Determination fills me as I glance at my watch and see my parents should be done with the employee meeting soon. Since they’re creatures of habit, they’ll be back at their home to get ready for Saturday afternoon Bridge Club. Now’s the perfect time for me to meet with them and come out of my good girl closet, and then I can work on winning the perfect bad boy.

“Could you drop me off to get my car?” I ask as he turns down the road leading to his home in Midnight Falls. “There’s something I need to do today.”

Asa glances over at me, and I can see the indecision swirling in his eyes. “Sure, if that’s what you want.” He turns around and heads back in the direction of the theater.

As Asa pulls up in the deserted theater parking lot, I can hardly fathom how much has changed since our date. I’m no longer happy with my boring safe life, and I’m ready to jump into a new life with my bad boy. But there’s something I need to do first.

He parks the truck right next to my little blue car and turns off the engine.

“What do you need from me?” Asa asks, turning to me.

I don’t even know where to start since there’s so much I need from him. “Can I let you know after I deal with my parents?”

“I’ll be at my house, waiting,” he tells me, and then hops out of the truck and walks around to my side, opening the door for me. When he reaches for my hand, my heart races while my girly parts tingle from his closeness.

He wraps his arms around my waist as if the world outside doesn’t exist. The warmth of his body against mine creates a cocoon, and for a split second, I forget everything and focus on him.

And then he kisses me. As his lips move over mine, sparks ignite, leaving my knees weak. In that moment, I can’t remember anything but him and the way he makes me feel. The kiss deepens, and there’s a sense of urgency filling the air, heightening every nerve in my body.

When we finally pull apart, I’m breathless, and I realize I’m clinging to him to keep from wobbling like a newborn deer. Asa lays his forehead against mine. “Fucking hell, you’re potent.”

“You definitely know how to steal a girl’s breath,” I whisper, trying to regain my composure as he helps me into my car.

As I slide into the driver’s seat, he leans over and hooks my seatbelt for me, his fingers brushing against my tit in the process. I swallow hard, feeling not only the usual butterflies but the desire to jump his bones right here and now. But first, you have something to do , I remind myself.

He leans in just enough to plant a soft kiss on the tip of my nose, and my heart does a somersault. “I’ll be waiting for you at my house,” he says, his voice low and sincere, a hint of promise threading through the words. “You know you’re strong, gorgeous, and goddamn perfect just the way you are, right?”

“I…” I start, but the words dry up, choked by the surge of emotion swelling inside of me. “I do.”

“And don’t let any motherfucker tell you otherwise,” he adds, tilting my chin gently to meet his gaze. “You deserve to embrace who you are, the real you. The girl I love.”

And just like that, everything that’s been swirling around in my head crashes to a halt. The gravity of his words sinks in, cementing my determination to set things straight with my parents.

“I’ll see you soon,” I manage, pulling in a shaky breath.

He steps back and closes my door, and I realize I didn’t return the words that have been sitting on the tip of my tongue since last night. Oh well, there will be time for declarations once I straighten a few things out.

As I start the engine of my car, I watch Asa walk back to his truck, and a wave of resolve washes over me.

I pull into the long driveway of my parents’ large white colonial home, feeling the weight of the world pressing on my shoulders. After parking the car, I take a deep breath and allow the adrenaline from my earlier conversation with Asa to settle into a steely resolve. This isn’t going to be easy, but it’s necessary and long overdue.

I step out and make my way to the front door. The familiar scent of my mom’s favorite vanilla candles wafts through the air as I enter, transporting me back to childhood. The comfort, however, is short-lived as I remember just what I need to confront.

“Leslie! There you are!” My mom’s voice calls from the kitchen, and I hear her heels clinking on the ceramic floor. As I walk in, she turns to face me, and I can already see the tension blossoming in her features. “We need to talk about what happened earlier.”

“That’s why I’m here.” I sigh, the seriousness of the moment settling like a heavy blanket over us. “I actually want to talk to both you and Dad about it.”

“Good,” she replies, wiping her hands on a towel and setting it aside. “Your father will be in shortly.”

I nod, knowing exactly what I want to say, but also feeling a tight knot forming in my chest. It’s time to finally break free and show them who I really am.

Mom leans against the counter, arms crossed, her expression firm but anxious. “I hired the matchmaker,” she mutters quietly. “And asked her to make it seem like you’d won it as a prize, so you didn’t refuse.”

“What the hell?”

She takes a deep breath and presses on. “You have to understand. I’ve seen how unhappy you seem lately as all the girls your age find significant others, and I thought it might help you come out of your shell.”

“So, you treated me like a child and made the decision to find a man for me?” I should be really pissed at her, but a small part of me is grateful her interference brought Asa into my life.

“Yes.” My mother stands up straight and stares at me with determination shining from her steely blue eyes. “Now, I know it was the wrong way to handle it, but I thought I was doing the best thing for you. Until I realized you wanted to date that thug.”

Oh, hell no. It’s time to clear this up and freaking fast. “First off, Asa isn’t a thug. He’s an intelligent, caring man who served his country. Just because he isn’t some country club-loving jerk doesn’t mean he isn’t right for me.”

“Everything alright in here?” my dad asks as he walks into the room.

“Your daughter and I are just having a discussion,” my mom says, her tone clipped. “Leslie, why don’t you share what you need to say?”

“I’m here to let you know I’m not the sweet, little good girl you thought you raised,” I reply, slicing through the charged atmosphere with newfound confidence. “I like beer, sappy reality television shows, and walking around my house without makeup or my hair done,” I throw out and watch as my mom’s eyes widen. “I hate the theater, I hate getting my nails manicured, I hate having lunch every freaking Sunday with you at the country club, and I hate dressing up for regular old dinners. You only know the version of me I thought you wanted me to be,” I say, my voice shaking with a mixture of anger and desperation. “I’ve felt like a puppet all my life, dancing to everyone else’s expectations. I’m tired of pretending to be a good girl. I’ve always done what was expected of me, but now? Now, I want to live my life and make my own choices!”

Dad steps forward, ready to intervene, but Mom holds up a hand. “Alfred, let her talk,” she says with surprising firmness.

I turn my attention back to them, my heart racing as I press on. “I’m a twenty-five-year-old woman who has every right to define her own path. And that includes a relationship with Asa! I know you don’t approve of him, but I don’t fucking care.”

“Well…” my mother stops and clears her throat, “maybe you should bring him by for dinner so we can get to know him.” I blink several times as her words take the wind out of my sails. “And maybe you can show us the real you.”

“Oh…” That’s not what I expected her to say, and I’m not sure how to respond.

“Leslie,” my dad walks over to put his arm around my mother’s shoulders, “we just want you to be happy. That’s all we ever wanted. If you don’t like the same things we do, you should’ve told us.”

“I’m telling you now.” I draw in the first deep breath I’ve taken in forever as the band around my chest loosens. “I love both of you, but I’m not just like you, and a relationship with Asa is what is best for me.”

“If you’re certain he’s what’s best for you.” My mother walks over, and her delicate perfume wraps around me as she hugs me close. “We’ll give him a chance.”

“But if he ever hurts you, I’ll make sure they never find his body,” my dad adds, shocking me.

“Alfred.” My mother glances over and chuckles. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“It seems like there’s a lot for our family to learn about each other.” He shrugs.