Chapter 81 Part 81
Asher
Mary Stuart was not happy when Asher confessed that he’d gone looking for Maggie. For the next two months, he saw her once a week, working through the trauma of being held captive, mourning the life he’d lost, and accepting that he had been saved. The future was his for the taking, and he had to make a choice. He had to live his life, move on from the past, and open himself up to the chance that there was someone out there for him.
Asher finally felt he could breathe again after another two months, and Mary said he’d made enormous progress with his therapy. He still had flashbacks to that dark cell, but his nightmares were better, and he didn’t flinch at every little sound anymore.
It was near dinnertime when Asher drove into Two Bear Meadow, parking his truck in front of the diner. He took a seat at the counter, and ordered a burger and soda.
“Hey, Asher.”
“Mandy,” he said, watching as she clasped her hands together.
“We’re having a little get-together at Lou’s in a few minutes. It’s Joey’s birthday tomorrow,” she said, smiling. “Do you want to join us?”
Asher thought about what Mary had said. He had to get out there and live. “Sure, sounds fun.”
“Great! Joey will be so happy to see you,” she said, and for a few seconds, Asher felt bad. He hadn’t gone out at all. He hadn’t seen his old friends or talked to them. He had avoided life, in general.
Mandy left with a few of her friends, and he finished his burger. Ashley wiped the counter, and shook her head as she smiled. She was beautiful, Asher realized, wondering why he’d never noticed before.
“Something funny?” he asked her.
“With you back on the market, I’m pretty sure tonight there will be a catfight,” she said.
Asher laughed. “There’s a market?”
“Oh yeah, a big old man market, you guys just don’t know about it. We discuss all of you to decide who’s worth it, or who’s just good for a few dates.”
“Do we get ranked, at least?” He placed some money on the counter, looking thoughtfully at her. “Though, I’m not sure I want to know if I’m not in the top 10.”
Ashley laughed and took the money to ring up his bill. “Oh, you feature, Asher Fitzgerald.”
“And my brothers?”
“They feature, too, though Colt might be labeled a bit of a player,” she said.
“Our Pops will beat that trait right out of him,” Asher said.
“You might just want to let Lorelei know you’re back on the market. She calls you off-limits, but not everyone cares what she thinks.”
“Maybe I should date you to get her to back off a bit,” Asher said, with a grin.
“Oh, no. I’m not getting involved in that catfight. No, thank you. Besides, Asher, I might have my eye on another Fitzgerald.” She looked down, and her cheeks colored a little.
“Ashley Zartowski, which one of my degenerate brothers is worth your time?”
“It doesn’t matter; I doubt he even knows I exist,” she said.
Asher’s expression turned serious, and he leaned over the counter. “I’m sure he knows exactly who you are. Don’t ever think that you’re not worth noticing. You are.”
“Thank you, Asher, that really means a lot,” she said.
“It’s the truth. You’re an amazing person, so don’t let anyone ever make you feel that you’re not. If they do, they’ll have to deal with me.”
Ashley smiled. “Good to know.”
“I have a party to get to. Pray for my well-being,” Asher said, heading for the door. Ashley laughed loudly, the sound fading as the door closed behind him.
He tried to picture each of his brothers with Ashley, but he couldn’t decide between Dylan, Colt, and Finn. He doubted she had her sights set on Blair, but he could be wrong; he’d been out of touch with reality for too long. It was something he had to change, and now was as good a time as any to start.
Lou’s was packed, and Joey shouted his name from a booth in the back when he saw him. He grinned as he made his way toward his old circle of friends.
“I can’t believe you’re here!”
“Of course, I’m here; it’s your birthday tomorrow. Come on, the first round’s on me,” Asher said.
The atmosphere in the bar was contagious, and soon Asher was laughing and joking with his friends. They danced and played darts, then Asher lost 20 dollars on a pool game. He couldn’t remember the last time he had that much fun.
After buying another round of shots, Asher headed to the bathroom. He stood in front of the urinal when the door behind him opened, and he clenched his teeth when he recognized her perfume.
Zipping up his jeans, he turned to the basin, and washed his hands. Lorelei was leaning against the bathroom wall, her arms crossed over her chest, emphasizing the low-cut top she was wearing.
“Is this how it’s going to be? Are you going to ignore me every time you see me?” she asked him.
“Yeah, until you stop telling people that I’m off-limits. It doesn’t matter what you think, or what you say, we’re over, and we’re not getting back together. I don’t want to hurt your feelings or be mean to you, but you have to stop this.”
“I can’t help how I feel, Asher. Do you have any idea what it feels like to see you dancing with every woman in the bar? It’s disgusting how they flaunt themselves, hoping you’ll notice.”
“Maybe I am noticing; maybe I’m finally ready to get out there again. You think you know me, but you don’t, anymore. I’ve changed, and so have you. We can part ways as friends, or I can go on pretending that you don’t exist. The choice is yours.”
“Fine, I’ll go out there right now, and go home with someone else. Is that what you want?” she asked him.
“Yeah, it is. Make sure to use protection,” Asher said, walking out of the bathroom.