37

"And it was all yellow."

Sawyer

I stirred from my slumber as the soft morning light filtered through the window. I'd forgotten to close my blinds last night. A sense of anticipation tugged at my heart. Today is the dreaded day. Valentine's Day. It was expected that I'd never had a Valentine, but this year should be different. I had Josh.

A knock on my door startled me. I beckoned for the person outside to come in. My mother entered, holding a bouquet unlike any I'd ever seen. A book bouquet. My eyes widened in delight as I expected a bear or something cliche, but Joshua went above and beyond.

"That boy has it bad." My mother said.

She placed it in my hands and winked at me before closing the door behind her to give me privacy. With trembling hands, my fingers traced the spines of books. I reached for the attached card, my heart soaring.

Each book reflects the love between us. I want to be the guy you read about.

Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes. This was my first Valentine's with a boyfriend, and he was off to an amazing start. What a morning. I hugged the bouquet to my chest as my heart overflowed with happiness.

??

As the soft glow of the fairy lights illuminated the interior of Ava's house, I felt a sense of warmth rush over me. Couples swayed to the music, as the room was alive with laughter. Josh told me that Ava hosted a Valentine's party at her house every year, but I wasn't in the mood to be in the presence of her or Elsie. So, I plastered on a phony smile and allowed him to usher me into the living room to greet all his friends. He kept his arm around my waist and squeezed my waist, but I couldn't help but feel something was amiss. I stood on my tiptoes to reach his ear.

"I'm going to get a drink."

I made my way to the refreshment counter and grabbed a can of Red Bull, but I didn't open it, just tapped the can with my nail as I collected my thoughts. Stella beckoned me over as she caught my eye. The stars of Marshtown sat with her, excluding Asher.

"What's bothering you?" Stella questioned, never afraid to address the elephant in the room.

I sighed, and my gaze drifted to Joshua, noticing the hesitancy in his smile as he engaged with his friends.

"I'm not sure." I admitted. "Joshua seems… off. It's as if he wants to tell me something, but keeps backing out."

"Maybe he doesn't want to ruin the night." Benjamin chimed in.

I breathed, avoiding any fuss. When Joshua was ready to tell me, he would. Keeping that in mind, I leaned back and savored the moment with my friends. However, Asher interrupted the moment as he stumbled onto our table. His face was flushed. I rose from my seat, my eyes narrowed with concern.

"Careful, Asher."

His eyes blinked, his gaze unfocused, as he struggled to stay upright.

"My bad." He said with a lopsided grin.

With a firm but gentle hand, I guided him to my previously occupied seat. I handed him my glass of water.

"Have some of this."

He grabbed it out of my hand and downed it, before pulling a face as if he'd chugged pure lemon juice.

"This isn't vodka."

I rolled my eyes and urged him to drink more. His cheeks regained color, but his eyes remained glazed over. He leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes.

"Thanks for looking out for me." He said, his words slurred but filled with sincerity.

I offered him a reassuring smile.

"Of course," I said. "That's what friends are for."

"Friends." He repeated, dropping his head to the side to look at me. "My brother is lucky to have you."

A blush swept across my cheeks. My heart warmed at the unexpected compliment.

"We're lucky to have each other."

He scoffed.

"He's not that great."

"You seem to not want to give him any credit."

"He gets enough of it from everyone else," He mumbled. "Don't want to get his head any bigger. It's already off balance."

I snorted and folded my arms across my chest.

"You're not fooling anyone, you know."

He turned to me with one eye open.

"What are you talking about?"

"This facade that you don't give a damn about, Josh." I said. "I know you have everyone else fooled, but not me."

There was a shift in the atmosphere as Joshua approached us. His expression darkened as he saw us sitting together.

"Are you drunk again, Asher?"

Asher peered at his twin with hooded eyes and raised his hand, almost pinching his thumb and pointer finger together.

"Only a little." He said. "Sawyer nursed me back to health."

Before I could react, Joshua approached me in swift strides. He leaned down and placed his lips against mine in a passionate kiss. When he pulled away, our eyes locked with an intensity that made my heart race.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to steal my girl." Joshua said to Asher, but kept his gaze on me. "It is Valentine's Day, after all."

Asher stood up and grabbed his patented leather jacket. His eyes flickered back and forth between us with pursed lips.

"I know when to take a hint." He said before stumbling off.

"We shouldn't leave him alone in that state." I said, but Josh brushed it off.

"He does it all the time. He can take care of himself."

He reached down to join our hands together, grinning like a kid on their birthday.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Put your coat on." He said. "I have a surprise for you. I'll be right back."

I tugged my coat on and reached into my pocket for my gloves, halting as my fingers brushed against something delicate. That wasn't in my pocket before. I came face-to-face with a beautifully crafted bracelet nestled in the palm of my hand.

I examined the bracelet, pondering how it ended up in my pocket. My gaze wandered, then found Asher by the wall. From a distance, his unreadable expression suddenly revealed a moment of clarity. The bracelet was from him.

My stomach clenched with a mixture of surprise and gratitude as I considered the depth of his thoughtfulness.

"Are you ready?"

Josh appeared from behind me, and I tucked the gift back into my pocket as warmth fluttered through my chest.

"I'm ready." I said, turning around to face him.

He placed his hand on my lower back and steered me toward the exit. I stole a subtle glance over my shoulder, my eyes meeting Asher's in a silent exchange of gratitude. He closed his left eye in a cheeky wink before I exited the party with his brother.

??