Chapter 16: Asher
The steering wheel creaks under my grip as I turn another slow corner, my eyes sweeping the darkening sidewalks, the cold toit of ang tightening deeper in my gut.
This is stupid.
This is beyond stupid.
ave had
I shouldn’t be here, wasting my night cruising through half–abandoned streets, looking for a girl who should have had someone looking out for her already.
I curse under my breath, a sharp, vicious sound that fills the cab of the car, and tap the brakes to roll through another empty intersection.
If Tyler had half a brain–or half a heart–he’d be here instead of mo.
He’d be the one punching the gas and muttering curses and s
scanning every shadow for a glimpse of blonde hair and stubbornness wrapped up
in too–thin clothes.
But no.
Tyler’s MIA
As usual.
Probably still glued to his is couch or off with his friends or doing whatever else seemed more important than the girl who, whether he realizes it or not, deserves a hell of a lot more than being treated like an afterthought.
1 grit my teeth, the anger burning hotter the longer I think about it.
Penny had sounded okay on the phone.
Carefully calm.
Bright, even.
Hut I know better.
I know the sound of someone putting on a strong front, trying to make it easier for the person on the other end.
I’ve heard that voice enough times in my life to recognize it instantly,
And I know this area.
1 looked it up
Remote.
this morning, out of pure curiosity, wondering what kind of place hosted that many auditions for a city–wide gala.
Sparse,
Not exactly unsafe by definition, but remote enough that if something happened…
There wouldn’t be anyone nearby to help
When she hung up on me, I sat back down on the couch, staring at the muted football game flickering arross the TV where my dad had nodded
off in his chair.
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Chapter 16: Asher
lasted maybe ten seconds.
Before the anger pushed me to my feet.
Before I grabbed my keys.
Before I punched the accelerator and got on the highway, heading to the other side of the city.
And now here I am.
Driving through dark streets littered with groups of drunk college kids and early bird har crawlers, scanning every damn face, every patch of sidewalk, searching for a pissed–off ballerina who has no idea how stupidly dangerous it is to walk alone right now.
I tap the wheel, eyes flicking left, right, lest again.
Where the bell is she?
And then-
Finally-
I see her.
A small figure moving fast down the sidewalk, her blonde hair catching the last shred of daylight, her sneakers slapping the pavement in a quick, determined rhythm.
Relief crashes into me so fast I almost miss my turn.
I pull up beside her, rolling the window down, the engine rumbling low.
She doesn’t even notice.
My jaw tightens painfully.
A black car pulls up next to her in the dark and she doesn’t even flinch.
What the hell kind of safety lessons did her parents give her?!
1 lean over and call out, sharp and loud, “Penny.”
She jumps a full foot into the air, a strangled scream tearing from her throat as she whirls toward me, clutching her chest like she expects it to beat right out of her body.
Her eyes are wide, terrified, and she’s already stammering. “A–Asher?” like she’s not sure if she’s hallucinating me or not.
I stare
at her, feeling the low, slow burn of anger surge hotter.
“Get in,” I say, voice clipped, leaving no room for argument…
She composes herself, dragging a hand through her messy hair, her checks burning pink with embarrassment.
And then-
She frowns.
“How did you even find me?” she demands, suspicion lighting up her face like a struck match
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Chapter 16: Asher
1 raise an eyebrow. “Really?”
She presses her lips together, then mutters under her breath, “light Navy SLALA!
It wasn’t even hand.
The city only has a handful of venues that could host hundreds of dancers on a Sunday:
And his parents had said what side of the city it was of
It wasn’t rocket science,
“Get in,” I say again, more impatient now,
But instead of obeying, she straightens her shoulders and says, “No,”
I blink at her, the shock slamming into me like a brick wall.
She turns on her heel and starts marching away, her sneakers scuffing hard against the pavement, her bag thumping awkwardly against her hip.
For a second, I just sit there, stunned.
Then I curse under my breath, slam the car back into gear, an
and pull up beside her again.
“Penny, get in the damn car, I grind out, leaning across the seat
She glares at me, her mouth a tight, furious line, and keeps walking
I watch, incredulous, as she veers off the sidewalk and starts cutting across a scrappy patch of empty lot, away from the road, away from the only damn source of light and safety she’s got
My hands clench the steering wheel so hard the leather groans.
I lean out the window, my voice hard and loud, sharp enough to slice through the dark
I’m asking one more time,” I snap. “And then I’m gone.”
She doesn’t even turn around
My blood boils, the fury a low, steady drumbeat under my skin.
Fine
Fine
1 wrench the wheel to the side, cursing violently, and punch the gas, driving off down the street, the lights blurring past in angry smears.
Stupid.
Prideful
I don’t owe her anything.
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She wants to be a martyr? Fine.
I’ll let her be one.
But even as the thought crosses my mind, even as I speed away, something beits ugly and sharp in my chest, rooting itself desp
Because it’s dark now
And this neighborhood isn’t safe.
And no matter how angry she makes me, no matter how much she drives me Insane, she doesn’t deserve to be left out here alone.
Islam my hand against the steering wheel, growl under my breath, and swerve into a U–turn, tires squealing against the cracked asphalt.
When I get back to the spot where I
She’s gone.
I last saw her
I throw the car into park, yank the door open, and jump out, scanning the sidewalks, the alleys, the shadows
Nothing
My heart kicks hard against my ribs, the anger rising again, hotter, harder, mixing now with something darker underneath.
Where is she?
I start walking, fast, cutting through the nearest alley, my boots crunching against broken glass and loose gravel.
And then I hear it.
A voice.
Thin.
Scated
“Please stop.”
My
blood turns to ice.
I move faster, feet silent now, instincts kicking in without thought, every muscle coiled tight.
I round the corner into another alley and see her.
Surrounded.
Three guys–maybe college–age, maybe older–towering over her, crowding her against the brick wall.
One has his hand on her arm, rubbing slow circles into the fabric of her sleeve.
Another has s her dance bag dangling from his wrist, smirking like he just found a new toy.
The third stands behind her, too close, breathing down her neck.
1 catch the tail end of their ugly laughter, their words slurring together.
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‘C’mon, baby… what’re you to scared of? You’re in toft..
**You’re out here alone… what were you expecting?”
Penny’s face is pale, her mouth trembling, tears glassing over her wide eyes
And something inside me
I move before I think.
Before I breathe.
Before anything else matters.
Three steps and I’m there, towering over them, my body a wall between her and them.
They all turn, startled, sizing n
me up with the cocky confidence of drunk
k idiots who’ve never lost a fight they didn’t pick fair.
One of them–hag still dangling from his hand–steps forward, sneering
“Get lost, old man,” he says, laughing
I crack my knuckles,
“You have one chance,” I say, voice low and lethal, the calm before a storm.
“Or what?” the one touching Penny sneers, squeezing her arm hard enough to make her flinch.
It’s the last thing he does.
In a flash, I grab his wrist, twist it back sharply until h
The second one funges-
he cries out, the bag dropping to the ground with a clatter.
I dodge easily, plant a fist in his gut, watch him crumple like paper.
The third besitates too long-
I shove him hard against the wall, the
, the breath leaving his lungs in a startled wheeze.
In less than ten seconds, all three of them are on the ground, groaning, clutching themselves, wide–eyed with the kind of fear that only comes when you realize too late you picked a fight you were never going to win.
I turn, planting myself between them and Penny, during them w
every inch of my body to try again.
They don’t
They scramble to their feet and run, cursing and tripping over each other, disappearing into the shadows.
I stand there for a second, breathing hard, hands clenched at my
And then I turn.
Penny stands frozen against the wall, shaking so hard I can see it from here, her hands trembling, her lip quivering, tears spilling over onto her flushed checks.
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Chapter 16: Asher
My chest twists, hard and painful.
I step toward her, slow and careful like approaching a wounded animal, but she doesn’t move.
Just stands there, shivering, small and breakable and so much braver than she should ever have had to be.
And 1-
I don’t know what the hell to do next.
