An Agent's Love

21

21 | drunken confessions

I barely left my room, in fact, I locked the door and put in my earphones as I blasted music in my ears while I numbly completed the tasks for my internship that wasn't due until after the New Years. I threw my hair up in a bun and only realised that it has been half an hour since I caught Asher with another girl on his arm, groaning as I wondered why time went so slow when I was suffering. 

I felt a tap on my shoulder, making me jump in surprise as I found Ashlynn behind me who looked genuinely guilty as if she had been caught doing something illegal. I raised a brow at her and was about to ask me how she got in when she held up a key, chuckling nervously. 

"Cato thought you were in danger or something," Ashlynn said, biting her lip as she tucked the key back inside her pocket. "I'm sorry you had to see that. Asher wanted to go to a bar and drink but-"

"You don't have to explain," I cut her off with a shake of my head as I took out my earphones so I could hear her properly. "He has the freedom to do whatever he wants." 

Ashlynn opened her mouth as if to say something but quickly closed it before she grabbed my hand and dragged me out of my room. I was utterly confused until I realised that Cato was nowhere to be seen and instead, Asher was on the sofa as he stared off into the distance, his dress shirt unbuttoned. 

He still looked attractive, his brown hair dishevelled and his legs perched up on the armchair. I couldn't help but stare at him for a split second before remembering how and who he had stumbled in with. 

Ashlynn sent me a soft smile. "Cato is waiting outside with the blonde woman so we're going to take her home."

Before I could say anything, Ashlynn skipped away, closing the front door behind her. I groaned, shaking my head as I walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a towel and a tub of warm water. I had taken care of Everlace every night when I had still been living back at my father's place when she would come home every night from the club late. She had vomited on my bed once and I couldn't even be angry because I was more concerned about her livers. And yet, she did not stop.

I placed the tub of hot water on the ground and soaked the white towel before placing it on Asher's forehead. His eyes slightly moved to mine, his eyes lighting up at the sight of me as he grabbed my hand and kissed it gently. 

"Evelyn?" he whispered, his voice raspy but it reeked of alcohol and it took all of me to not move away from him. 

I nodded once, sighing before taking the towel off and began to dab it gently around his face. "Why did you drink?"

"To help me forget that you are not mine," he answered almost immediately, his brown eyes softening at the sight of me. "I want to hold you every night, kiss you good morning and it fucking hurts that I don't get to do that because of the no strings attached motto and rules that I now have to abide by."

I was stunned when I noticed actual tears forming in his eyes as my heart began to palpitate, the ice quickly melting away and the walls that I had tried to solidify half an hour ago was now useless. I wiped away his tears with my index finger, softly smiling at him. I began to frown when the last few words fully comprehended inside my head. "What rules?"

Asher blinked at me, shaking his head. "This is why I want to stop this 'friends with benefits' thing, Evelyn. But at the same time, I don't want to because it gives me an excuse to hold you but my boss wants me to get rid of my feelings for you and-"

"Wait, what do your feelings with me have to do anything with your work?"

Asher was about to open his mouth when the front door, Eli stormed inside with a look of anger on his face. I haven't seen him angry but shivers crawled down my spine as Eli approached Asher, picking him up before punching his face. "Go take a shower."

Asher was now standing upright, a look of confusion and anger contorted into one before he pushed Eli back, causing Penelope and I to gasp. In a blink of an eye, Asher and Eli began to punch each other, dodging each other's hits as Asher swerved Eli's fist before pushing Eli roughly to the ground.

Penelope shrugged. "They'll forgive each other in about...five minutes. Let them punch it out."

I stared at her in bewilderment as if this was normal between the two of them. Penelope dragged me away from the scene but I swear Eli had whispered something in Asher's eyes that began to sober him up.

When Penelope and I walked out of my room fifteen minutes later, Eli and Asher were punching each other's arms with a laugh. I frowned, realising that Asher had a shower was now only wearing a pair of grey sweatpants, his back muscles flexing when he tried to dodge Eli's punch. 

"Glad to see you boys back in your normal habitat," Penelope said, a chuckle released from her lips as she went over to the sink and began to wash some dishes.

"Sorry P, I know how much you value your fiance's face but I think there might be slight bruising on there," Asher confessed with a smirk, causing Eli to poke his tongue out at him. 

"It's fine, he saved your ass anyways," Penelope replied and as if realising what she had said, her smile faded and continued to wash the dishes. 

I bit my lip and picked up my purse, clearing my throat as I grabbed my car keys and began to walk to the front door. 

"Where are you going?" I heard Asher ask, my movements freezing in place as I remembered his confession to me less than half an hour ago. 

I turned around, facing him with a blank expression as he met me with his own blank expression. "I'm going over to my father's. I have questions for him."

Asher's eyes slightly widened and Eli almost fell out of his chair as he quickly caught himself. "Let me come with you."

I raised a brow. "No."

Asher cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms over his chest as he approached me with two strides before I found myself looking up at him. "Someone's still out there for you. Let me come and keep you safe, please."

"No-"

Asher bit his lip as he picked up my hand, caressing the back of it which made it even more suspicious but at the same time, I saw the genuineness in his eyes. "I want to be there for you. I wasn't there last time and it almost racked me up with guilt so please, let me have a piece of mind."

I sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to let it go so I simply nodded before his eyes lit up. He excused himself to get dressed, Eli following behind him as Penelope shot me a small smile before offering me a cupcake that I had declined. 

This was the time I get to have Asher alone and ask him about what he had meant earlier when he had spilt out his drunken words without anyone interrupting.