I watched Asher, fear gripping my heart. How much had he heard me say? Did he hear me say I loved him? How would he react now? Would he be repulsed? His face was carefully neutral. He continued walking toward us and sat down in his seat beside mine. “Asher, I…” I knew I probably should have taken back what I said, but I couldn’t. Not even to save face. But I could still apologize if I had made him uncomfortable. He gave me a look, and in his eyes was an unexpected softness. An unusual smile curled his lips, making him seem something between very pleased and outright smug. My heart picked up speed. As he looked back to Chase, he threw his arm around the back of my chair. His thumb brushed against my shoulder. I leaned into the touch. Suddenly I didn’t feel the need to apologize any

