Chapter 115: A Flash in the Snow

Katty's POV

The fire in the stone fireplace was going out. The air inside the cabin was getting colder every minute. Landon, Cassian, and Daphne were already sleeping on the couches because they were so tired from the freezing weather.

Kieran had his eyes closed on the other side of the room. He was still trying to act like my boyfriend to fix his name, but I knew it was just business to him. My eyes moved to Asher Carter, who was sitting quietly in a chair. He looked completely sad.

I saw my chance. I walked over and leaned over the back of Asher's chair. I spoke in a quiet whisper.

"Hi, Asher. The fire is almost dead. Come outside to the back porch with me for a minute. Help me bring in some extra wood from the bin. The boys are all asleep, and it is freezing in here."

Asher looked over at Kieran, then nodded slowly. He stood up quietly and followed me through the kitchen to the back door.

The moment the door shut behind us, I looked toward the dark trees. I knew Theo was out there in the cold. If he saw Asher kissing Kieran’s girlfriend, he would help me break up Asher and Kieran’s friendship.

Everyone is stupid for not seeing how Theo acts around Asher. I was going to use his obsession to get what I wanted.

I turned around and put a sweet smile on my face. I lied straight to his face.

"Asher, thank you so much for coming out here," I said in a soft, kind voice. "Kieran told me how worried he is about you. He thinks the team drama is too hard on you, and he asked me to always check on you. I really want us to be friends."

Asher looked confused. "Kieran said that?"

"Yes," I lied, stepping closer. "He cares about you so much. And honestly, so do I."

Before Asher could say anything, I moved fast. I slammed my hands against his chest and pushed him hard against the wooden railing of the porch. I gripped his winter coat so he could not move. Before he could push my hands away, I leaned in and forced a hard desperate kiss onto his lips.

FLASH!

A bright light cut through the dark for a second and then went away.

I pulled back fast. I wiped my lips with the back of my glove and looked down at Asher's pale, shocked face. I kept my voice sweet and fake.

"Oh my god, Asher!" I gasped, pretending to be shocked. "What did you just do? Why did you kiss me? You know I am with Kieran!"

I did not wait for his answer. I threw the back door open and ran straight into the cabin to finish my plan.

"Look at this, Kieran!" I screamed loudly, waking up the whole room. I marched over to the couch and pushed my phone right into Kieran's face. "Your precious little teammate could not keep his hands off me the second we were alone in the dark! He just tried to kiss me!"

The whole cabin woke up fast. Landon sat up and blinked, while Milo looked over from the kitchen with wide eyes. Milo had just posted online that the old video was a prank to protect Kieran, so this new drama made his jaw drop.

Right then, the back door opened. Theo stepped into the living room with snow on his jacket. He had run back inside to save Asher from a fight, but when he heard me screaming Asher's name, he froze in shock.

He looked at the phone, then looked at Asher. His face went completely white. He realised I was using what happened to make his best friend look bad.

The whole room was completely quiet.

Kieran stood up slowly from the couch. The dim light from the fire hit his face, and he looked angry. His chest was moving up and down as he stared at the photo of my face pressed against Asher's.

But Asher did not hide. He took three big steps forward, right into Kieran’s space, and grabbed Kieran's sleeve.

"Look at my hands in the photo, Kieran!" Asher cried out, his voice shaking. "Look at them! I did not touch her! My arms are flat at my sides! She dragged me out there and lied to me just to make up a story!"

Asher turned around and pointed his finger right at my face. "She is just using you for fame, and she wants to turn the team against me! I am loyal to you, Kieran, and I won't let her win!"

My fake smile went away. I stepped back, looking between them. I realised my trick was not working. I looked over at Theo. He was not saying a word about what he saw but his eyes were moving fast between Kieran and Asher, his jaw tight.

Kieran did not look at me. He did not look at my phone. He looked straight past me, his eyes locking onto Asher's face. He looked at Asher and saw the truth. Their stupid bond was too strong.

Kieran reached out, grabbed my phone right out of my hand, and threw it straight into the burning fire. The plastic cracked, and the screen went black.

I gasped. "Kieran! Are you crazy? That is my phone!"

Kieran ignored me. He stepped right in front of Asher, using his big shoulders to hide Asher from me like a shield.

"I know," Kieran whispered, his deep voice shaking as he looked down at Asher. Then he turned a cold look to me. "The photo means nothing to me. We are supposed to be fixing my image, Katty, not making up another fake drama to ruin my team. The second the storm stops tomorrow morning, you are leaving this cabin."