19. Asher

NINETEEN

Asher

“ H ere.” I slid the caramel latte across the table, which made Luke’s eyes light up.

He even sat straighter. “The cream’s golden?”

I chuckled, sitting opposite him in the café at the motorway services station—the one close to western Brinecrest’s junction.

He leaned closer, those stunning azure peepers examining the fluffy gold cream decorated with golden stars and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Way too sweet for me. I liked my coffee black, no sugar. But whatever made my mark smile like light was good with me.

“Enjoy, Luke.”

“Thank you.”

I glanced out the window, the day still clear and beautiful. I’d messaged Carissa and Eden, telling them where we were. My sister offered all the support, while Carissa ordered us to stay here and wait for back up.

Not wanting to lie to him more than I already was, I told him the situation.

He attacked the cream with a spoon, nodding. “Tom will be livid he missed this beauty.”

I watched him enjoy the sickly beverage, my guilt back to jab at me.

Should I lay the truth on the table right now? He deserved it. But this café and its customers didn’t deserve to be the epicenter of his rage. With no potion inside him, I only had his assurances that things were under control on his end.

And you’re my anchor…

I trusted him. Bollocks to the thorn of doubt. Look at him keeping it together, promising he had a grip on everything. That his darkness was actually a source of strength, part of what made him powerful.

When I’d arrived at the park, he’d exuded an aura of menace. Every hair on my body stood to attention watching him, the world on pause. Now he made googly eyes at a caramel latte, all sunny and sensual.

Safe. With me.

Mine and capable.

“This is incredible,” he said, golden cream on his upper lip.

I reached forward, wiping it with my thumb.

“Oh.” He crossed his eyes to watch me. “Thanks.”

Man, he gave my smiling muscles a workout. Whatever he was, no matter the dangers, he would always be the human I…

…shit. I couldn’t say it. I didn’t deserve to say it.

I sank back in my chair, the minutes chiming down in my head. What next after this? What would Seth do to him?

“Shit…” I rasped, jaw tight. “I can’t stand this.”

Luke dabbed his mouth with a napkin. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything.” I fiddled with my rose quartz.

He took another sip, avoiding a cream mustache this time. “This is Seth’s fault.” He spoke in a clear, calm voice. “Him and Luna wanted to take me there, so it’s on them. Any word on their status?”

“No.” I knew Billy had been there too, but I left him way on the back burner. “Carissa didn’t say.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “There’s a shock.”

I took his hand, stroking the knuckles. “I’m sorry I let you down.”

He tilted his head, brows pinching together.

“I’ve been a total screw up,” I continued. “This ain’t good. I’m gonna be better. I want…I’m just so sorry. So, so sorry.”

He placed his hand over mine. “Don’t do that.”

His touch winded me. “Luke…”

He gave me the biggest, heartbreaking smile. “Don’t even go there. You’re awesome, Asher. In so many ways. You didn’t ask for this. Since the day we met, I’ve brought chaos into your life. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

His words were as sweet as his coffee. “Luke…”

He brushed his foot against my leg, his eyes radiant sapphires. The one guy in this entire universe to disarm me, to make me truly believe in the better side of life.

“Never apologize for being you, Asher. I love having you around. You’ve given me all the yellow.” He giggled. “Yellow really suits you. You’re the brightness I crave, the extra slice of happy I’ve been missing. You know, the part friends can’t provide.” He blushed, smiling, giving his bottom lip a bit of a nervous chew. “If you catch my drift.”

I reached for him with my free hand, stroking the side of his face with the back of my hand. He closed his eyes, rubbing against me.

“If it was up to me, we’d be flying away from here right now.” I traced the tip of my pinky finger along his jawline. “Just us out in the big wide world. Whatever us is. I’m not sure.” Butterflies stirred, before I landed the next line. “I want more of you, Luke Garland.”

He looked up, killing me with those wide eyes. “I want…I want the same.” He pulled down part of his T-shirt, showing me the mark. “Not only have you marked me here, but you’ve marked…” A nervous breath. “You’ve marked my heart.”

I shouldn’t be falling for him. But when he said stuff like that…whoa. He sent me into a giddy spin. He had me. Man, did he have me. But confusion forced me to sit back. My right foot tapped as my apprehension rose, my eyes on the cars whizzing by on the motorway and the comings and goings of the humans stopping to rest here.

Motes drifted past the café, doing nothing, the day ticking by normally, people living their lives. Like Luke should be doing, not encumbered by this shit.

“Say something,” he said.

“I feel the same.” More than you know.

My heart called to me, ribbons binding us together.

“But I don’t know what to do about it,” I added.

Those ribbons frayed, his eyes lowering to the latte. “Oh.”

“Right now, I mean. In this café.” Shit. I reached for his hand again. “I know I want to…to be more to you.” Gods, the lightness in my chest was totally alien to a guy like me. This was what falling hard really meant. “I’m a tad scrambled. I can’t stop thinking about handing you over to Seth again.”

Luke patted my hand and gulped down half his latte, my coffee barely touched. He appeared relaxed, no hint of nerves.

It shook me up.

“I get it,” he finally said.

I leaned forward again, back to stroking his face. “What’s going on inside your head?”

He looked at me for several beats before turning his head to the side, facing the window. “Dreams of better days.” He sighed, sorrowful lines crinkling in the corners of his eyes. “I really should’ve gone to the library in Oxford.” He sat back, folding his arms. “I’m the failure here, Asher. I’ve really fallen by the wayside, letting Finn down, stumbling from one situation to the next. I’m caught in a loop with no exit. And soon I’ll be whisked off to the tower, yelled at, poked at or whatever, treated like a lab rat.” He groaned. “Sorry. Moan, moan, moan.”

His indifference gave way to fatigue.

“Seth won’t stop until he gets what he wants from me,” he added. “Whatever that is. It certainly doesn’t end with changing the world.”

Anger rumbled in my chest, hungry for a few violent rounds with the fur-wearing knobhead. “I’ll make sure he backs off.”

“How?”

“I’ll figure something out. He doesn’t get to have unchecked power. No pissing way.”

The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile as vehicles thundered down the motorway, making for the service station turnoff.

“Here goes,” he whispered, picking up his latte.

Shit. Here came the cavalry.

“Let’s do this quietly,” Luke said, resting his chin on his fist. “In a minute. I want to sit here until I’m forced to move.”

A minute later, he was forced.