Saturday 14th
I stood above my bed, in only my underwear, staring down with judgemental eyes at the two outfits I'd plucked out of my wardrobe. Going back and forth between the two, I found the struggle too decide hard.
On my dressing table, my phone pinged as a message came through and distracted me from the task at hand. I strolled away from the bed and picked the phone up.
Ash's name blared onto the screen, a message written beneath it.
Are you sure?
It was the eighth time he'd asked me today and the eighth time I'd had to assure him I was. Instead of finding it irritating like I might with any other person, I actually found it quite amusing. It meant that he was nervous and that was one side I'd yet to see off Ash. Angry, bored, smug but never nervous.
I reassured him one last time, texting him back.
Yes. You've left right?
I waited for his response, hovering over my dressing table as my fingers tapped against my phone. Impatiently, I huffed, shifting from one bare foot to other.
It took him over a minute to send his reply, the sound of the receiving text exciting me. I swiped across the screen and opened his message.
Half way there. See you in a bit.
A faint smile pressed against my lips. As the nauseating sensation erupted in my stomach I tried to focus on getting instead of the sudden nerves. I dropped the phone back onto the table beside my perfume bottles and fell into the stall.
I spent the next twenty minutes getting myself ready, applying my makeup and wrapping my hair up into a tight neat bun on top my head. When I'd finished at the dressing table I wandered back over to my bed.
Deciding on my short silk blazer dress, I picked it up and shuffled into it. The fabric was a dreamy white that matched my nude heels and gold teardrop earrings perfectly. I slipped into the heels, stalking in my new-found height over to my full-length mirror.
I wanted to say I hadn't put in the extra effort because I'd be seeing him and that it was all down to the fancy restaurant Oliver had chosen. But then I'd be lying.
Another text rung my phone and broke me away from my thoughts. Walking away from the mirror I picked my phone up and checked the message Oliver had sent to tell me that he and Grace were on their way. Ready myself, I dug a small bag out my wardrobe, shut my phone inside and left my room.
As I made my way down the stairs, hand skimming the railing to protect myself from an accident in these heels, I called out into the apartment, "Mum?"
We hadn't spoken since I'd got home from school but I knew she was still in. Her designer bag by the living room entrance told me as much. She'd never be seen without it.
It was the living room from which she called back to me, "In here."
"Mum, I'm going out now," I told her, walking up to the open archway that was attached to the living room. As soon as I looked inside, my feet came to a stop and my mouth dropped open, "Oh."
Sat on the largest couch in the room were both my mum and Robert, Mr. Young. There was a reasonable distance between them but I was sure that would be closed the second I left. My mum was dressed in a reasonably casual in a loose beige dress but Robert looked as though he'd just come from work. Suited up, he'd thrown his grey jacket over the back of the couch and had loosened his tie.
All I could think when I looked at them was that it should've been my dad in that spot.
"Alessandra," Mr. Young chimed politely, "How nice to see you."
"Yeah," I said through gritted teeth, voice strained as I forced my lips to curve in a smile, "Nice to see you to Mr. Young."
"Robert," My mother jumped in, correcting me with a pointed stare, "Darling it's Robert outside of school."
In both their hands were a glass of white red. Robert placed it gently down on the glass table in front of him, but my mother's drink stayed glued to her hand. She swirled it around, taking a tiny sip. Her bright eyes still watched me over the rim of the glass.
"Right, sorry Robert," I said, feeling more uncomfortable by the second.
He must have sensed it because he straightened up, and cleared his throat. The arm he had slung over the back of the couch, retracted and rested in his lap. He smiled at me again, "It's fine, you can call me which ever you prefer."
"Thanks," I said, managing to compose a half-hearted smile in his direction. My eyes left him as soon as they could, turning back to my mother, "Well, I just wanted to let you know I was leaving."
Lowering the glass to her lap, she furrowed her brows and asked, "For dinner with your brother?"
"Yes, him and Grace," I confirmed, my hand holding onto the frame of the doorway as I hovered in my towering heels.
"She is a lovely thing that Grace," she cooed, drifting back and forth between me and Robert. An adoring smile touched her lips, "Good for Oliver I think, don't you?"
"Yeah," I agreed for the first time in a while. I was glad that she could be happy for at least one of her kids, considering he was in the exact position in life she wanted him to be. The way she was smiling now, it was the way she smiled when she told people about me going to university.
"Send them my love," She instructed.
"I will," I nodded, leaning off the doorframe and walking in the opposite way from the living room, "Night."
"Oh wait, Andra?" she called out to me through the apartment again.
"Yeah?"
"Don't forget Savanah Hollis and I are away for the weekend for a spa retreat so you won't see me till Monday," She reminded me, her voice still raised as we communicated at a distance.
"Ok," I replied, picking up my keys from the side table and putting them in my clutch, "Have a good time. Bye."
"Bye," Was the last night I heard the two of them say simultaneously before I disappeared out the door and slammed it close behind me.
*
Brad pulled the car right up to the front of the restaurant, allowing me to slip out of the car easily. A light shower of rain bothered the city tonight and my hands shot up instantly to cover the top of my head.
"Andra," My name was called to the left and my eyes run across the street until I saw Oliver through the moving crowds of people. Him and Grace stood directly to the right of the restaurant doors, covered from the rain by the large canvas attached to the building.
"Oliver," I sighed in relief, rushing towards them. My heels clicked against the pavement as I manoeuvred myself the best I could through the rushes of people.
When I approached them, I drew my hands down from above my head and used them to reach out for Oliver. He responded by embracing me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and squeezing me tight.
"Andra," Oliver smiled, pulling away and gesturing towards the beautiful red-head beside him, "You remember Grace?"
I did remember her but not as pretty as she was now. With silky auburn hair that framed her slim face and delicate features, there was no wonder how she'd caught Ollie's eye. Together the pair made one of the best-looking couples I'd seen.
"Hi," she said, opening her arms to hug me gently, "It's so nice to officially meet you."
"You too," I beamed, hugging her back, "I know we bumped into each other at the Peterson's engagement but I never got the chance to speak to you properly. I've been on at Oliver to let me meet you for weeks."
"Oliver," Grace scolded, "You should have said."
"I didn't want to share, what can I say?" He shrugged, exchanging a boyish smile with his girlfriend as we pulled back from each other, "I knew once you meet Andra, she'd never give you back."
"Take that as a good thing Ollie," I told her. As soon as my arms left Grace, his were back around her, his hand nesting itself snugly on her hip. Smugly I teased, "If I don't give her back it means she's been completely accepted into the family."
"No completely," Oliver laughed, pressed up closely to her, "I think dad has final say."
"I still haven't met him," Grace explained to me, worry creasing into her forehead.
Oliver's hand left her hip and found her arm, rubbing it in a gesture of reassurance, "He'll like you, I'm sure."
"There's not many people he doesn't like," I insisted, sharing a comforting smile with her, "Don't worry."
Grace beamed back at me, gratitude twirling in her easing expression.
With the introduction settled, Oliver gestured towards the door of the restaurant, "So should we go in? Ask to see if the table's ready yet?"
"Erm, actually," I stumbled to stop them from moving, my smile faltering as I remained stuck to my spot on the pavement, "Oliver, I invited a friend to come tonight."
Oliver's brows shot up in surprise, a questioning thought threading into his expression, "You did?"
"Yeah," I nodded, rocking back and forth on my agonising heels, "You don't mind, do you?"
"No, course not," He assured shaking his head, "Who is it we're waiting for? Vic?"
"No," I explained, ignoring the nerves that were eating away at me, "Actually it's someone you haven't met yet."
"Oh," Oliver frowned, no doubt confused with my mysterious behaviour, "Ok. Well, do you know when they'll be here?"
My lips opened to say no, my eyes rushing across the street to search out for him. But a flash of Asher's face amongst the crowd stopped my head from shaking. I watched him as he walked down the street towards, my finger pointing in his direction, "Right now."
"Ash," I raised my voice like my brother had and called out to him. My hand held itself above my head, waving in order to gain Asher's attention.
Once I caught his eyes, a smile touched his lips and he jumped out of the crowd and made his way to me. Having listened to my advice earlier, he'd dressed up smarter than usual. It wasn't him but I appreciated the effort he'd made. He donned a white dress shirt and a pair of black slacks that I bet never saw the light of day, only the inside of his wardrobe. He looked smart and sharp, like the son you'd expect Jonathan Hollis to have.
And if it wasn't for the khaki bomber jacket he'd thrown over it all I might have lost sight of the Asher I knew. The one who wore ripped jeans and old band t-shirts. The Asher I preferred.
When he caught up to us, I breathed out my own smile, "Hey."
We didn't hug. Instead Ash's hand grazed my elbow, then found my back. His fingers pressed gently into the material of my dress, searing through the fabric and lighting my body up in warmth.
"Hi," He grinned, his eyes drifting between me, my brother and Grace.
"Ollie this is Ash," I introduced him, gesturing between them, "Ash this is my brother Oliver and his girlfriend Grace."
"Hi," Ash said to my brother, reaching his hand out for Oliver to shake, "Nice to meet you."
Ollie hesitantly put his hand forward, fitting it into Asher's and shaking it. While it wasn't awkward, it was tense as I'm sure Oliver didn't quite understand who Ash was and why I'd asked him here.
"You too," My brother nodded as they began to pull their hands away. The two's eye contact remained sturdy, Ollie watching Ash under a sceptical lense and Ash staring back confidently.
They only broke apart when the waiter popped his head out the door and called for us, "Royale?"
Grace twirled round in her gorgeous looking white heels, smiling up at the waiter, "Yes?"
"Your table is ready miss," The waiter explained, gesturing with a tip of his head to the inside of the restaurant.
"Great," Grace exclaimed. The waiter pushed the door open wide, standing back against it to keep it open as we all one by one entered the restaurant. Grace headed in first but Oliver quickly overtook her, grabbing the waiter's attention as he closed the door behind us and made for the tables, "One more has joined us, is that a problem?"
"No sir," The waiter assured him over his shoulder, leading us past foyer and into the main part of the extravagant restaurant, "Your table is fit for four anyway."
"Perfect, thank you," I heard Oliver say up ahead as we continued to walk through the building. Grace and Oliver walked a few paces in front of Ash and I who slowed down, our arms brushed up against each other's.
As the waiter guided us to a set of stairs, I titled my head sideways and spoke lowly to Ash, "I'm glad you came"
"I bet you are," He smirked coyly, taunting me by staring ahead as we trod up the stairs, "All that nagging you did this morning to get me to come."
A small scoff fanned from my lips, my elbow nudging into his arm, "I was not nagging."
Asher didn't respond and instead threw me a sly grin, eyes sparkling when he spared me a short glance.
I didn't get the chance to say anything else before we were finally at our table. The waiter rounded the circular table, putting an extra menu down before briskly pulling my chair out for me like he'd done for Grace.
"Thank you," I nodded appreciation in his direction as I lowered myself into the chair. Ash did the same beside me, placed opposite my brother and me across from Grace.
The waiter hovered above us quickly taking our drink order before leaving us to settle in. With him gone, we got comfortable in our seats, a string of small talk falling form Grace's mouth as she attempted to set the mood.
Oliver obviously had different intentions to small talk. With a furrowed expression, he stared between me and Ash, pausing intensely on the boy beside me, "So Ash, you look familiar. Should I know you?"
"I think we briefly met at your mums committee event," Ash explained, sitting upright in his chair ,shoulders straightened as he spoke to Oliver, "I was with Jonathan Hollis."
Oliver paused briefly. The space around his eyes creased in concentration as he fought to remember Ash. A few seconds later and his crinkles eased and head bobbed up and down, "That's right. You're his son, no?"
"Yeah," Ash confirmed, his mouth tightening at the mention of his dad. He pushed the tension away for the sake of tonight, forcing a brief smile.
"You like alike, should have put it together," Oliver noted, eyes still scouring over Ash, "So, is that how you know Andra? From the event?"
Whilst I nodded, Asher explained, "Jonathan introduced us."
If Oliver noticed the fact that Ash referred to his dad as Jonathan, he never mentioned anything, only listened as I kept talking, "Ash went to that dinner I told you about. The one mum dragged me to when dad came home from LA."
"I remember," Oliver stated, eyes hardening as a frown enclosed on his forehead, "That was the night you came home at like three. I take it was you she was with?"
"Ollie," I snapped, my hand shooting out to hit my brother's forearm. Oliver barely even flinched remaining focused on staring down Asher.
"It's alright," Ash assured me through a short-chuckled breath before respectfully regarding Oliver's question, "Yes, she was with me. Andra offered me to drive me home after our parents asked me to go meet her friends. I live over an hour away from the city, that's probably why it took so long for Andra to get home."
"Hm," Oliver hummed, not able to argue with Asher's smart response. Instead he chose to investigate elsewhere in Asher's private life, quizzing him, "So you don't live with your dad?"
"Oliver," I practically groaned, my fingers pinching at the bridge of my nose.
"Hun," Grace laughed, her hand finding Oliver's on the table and linking her fingers between his, "Stop interrogating the poor kid."
"I thought you'd be cool," I bickered across the table, glaring at him.
Next to me Ash rushed to assure me he didn't mind, "Andra, it's fine. I understand."
"See he gets it," Oliver pointed out, defending himself and sounding to much like Caspian when he did, "It's my job as an older brother to make sure your friend here is a good guy."
"And he is, trust me," I testified, my eyes rushing around the table as I hoped to move on, "Now can we please stop with all the questions?"
"Hey, I'm going pretty easy," Oliver defended, hands pressed up in the air, "Wait till you try and get him past Caspian."
Ash watched Oliver with curious eyes and discreetly managed to deflect the conversation, "That's your other brother, right?"
"Yeah," I nodded the same moment Oliver did too, "My twin."
"So, I take it I need to be worried about him?" Ash queried, a hint of amusement dancing across his expression as he looked between me and Oliver.
"No."
"Yes," Oliver corrected me, grinning in thought of it but all the while warning Ash, "He's got a sick sense of humour, he'll probably make you suffer a bit
"But nothing you can't handle," I insisted, knowing Ash well enough to know he could hold his own against anyone. He managed to survive me and my friends after all.
"Good to know," Ash mused, "What about your other brother? Alex?"
At the mention of Alex, the table went deadly silent and it as if for a moment everything paused. My smile dropped and Grace's cracked.
Oliver's attention was instantly caught, a rough tone meeting his voice, "How do you know about him?"
"Andra told me," Ash answered hesitantly, his eyebrows drawn in confusion.
"You told him about Alex?" Oliver quizzed, his running to me for an explanation, one I didn't feel I needed to give.
"Yes," I shrugged casually, picking up the drink our waiter had managed to put down without us even noticing, "I'm allowed to talk about him," I defended myself before taking a sip.
"I know that," Oliver sighed, slugging into the back of the chair, "I just – You don't ever talk about him to us."
Realising that he'd brought up a sensitive subject, Ash jumped in, "I'm sorry, I didn't know th-."
"No," I said quickly, leaving my brother's heavy gaze only to meet Asher's, "Don't be sorry."
A muteness lapsed across the table, each of us unsure of how to approach the situation. Oliver sat in his chair wearing a grim, confused expression and Ash sat opposite, biting down on his bottom lip in silence.
I could barely contain my relief when Grace finally spoke, pulling apart the awkward atmosphere with her bright and cheery tone, "How about Oliver, you tell Ash and Andra how we met."
Over the moon to have had the topic changed, I picked my mood back up and told Grace, "Oliver's already told me."
"Actually, he hasn't," Grace grinned, sparing a deviant glance at her boyfriend, "He's told you a fabricated version of how we met."
"Don't listen to her," Oliver chirped, perking up after the momentary weirdness. Pushing himself back up, he angled himself further sideways to better see Grace, "She's lying."
"He's the one who lied," Grace giggled, "The real story is too embarrassing for him."
Leaning forward on my elbows, I threw a mischievous grin at Oliver, "Now I need to know."
"Don't Grace," Oliver warned despite the smile that inching further and further up his face.
It was his lack of seriousness that Grace took full advantage of as she went on to explain the long and gritty story of how the pair truly met. That story led onto another and before we knew it we'd gone through three courses and two extra rounds of drinks.
When we finally left the restaurant, it was late and a tipsy Oliver had drunk a little bit more than he could handle. Grace had put an arm around his waist as they walked outside to keep him up right and I held a waiting hand up beside his arm in case he swayed. Managing to make it their waiting car, Grace hopped in first, saying her goodbyes.
Oliver hesitated in the door frame though. Leaning both arms up, one on the roof of the cab and the other on the door, he hovered.
"I hope I didn't go too harsh on you in there," Oliver said to Ash holding out a hand. This time when they shook there was mutual respect there, no tension.
"You didn't," Ash assured him, smiling back at my slurred and glossy eyed brother.
"Just looking out for my little sister," Oliver told him, his eyes drifting past Asher's shoulder and regarding me with an adorable affection.
"I get it," Ash restated, stepping back till me and him were side by side, "You don't have to worry about me, all good intentions."
From the boyish grin he risked sparing me, I highly doubted that all his intentions were good. But I couldn't judge, mine weren't exactly innocent.
"I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to believe that," Oliver slurred, thankfully not capturing the devilish look Ash had pinned on me, "But there are worse guys I can think of to be spending time with my sister. I like you more than the last guy that's for sure."
"Ok, Oliver. Thank you" I said abruptly at the mention of Thomas. Treading forward I ushered Oliver into the purring car, protectively watching his head as he ducked down into the vehicle, "Goodnight."
Falling into the seat next to Grace, Ollie waved to me just as I began to shut the door, "Night sis."
With the two of them safely inside the car, the engine rumbled and their driver pulled away from the curb. Asher and I were left alone for the first time tonight, first time in two weeks.
I pretended not to notice too much as I watched the car roll off down the street but when it was out of sight I couldn't ignore him anymore. I twisted round slowly, facing him again. The grin was still attached to his face and I tried desperately hard not to smile back.
His tongue flicked across his lips, wetting them for when he finally spoke again, "The last guy huh? I don't think I've heard about him yet."
"I'm not even going to amuse you," I uttered, rolling back on my heels so I was a few inches away from him. Him standing so close messed with my head.
"He was that bad?" He taunted, smugly noticing the distance I put between us and closing it again with one step.
My breath hitched in my throat but I recovered quickly, glaring beneath my lashes and stepping away again, "Ash," I threatened.
"Ok, ok," He laughed, hands held up in defeat. The grin on his lips still irritating me but now without his taunting I could focus at least.
"So," I said, pursing my lips in thought, "Do you have to get home?"
Cocking a brow in my direction, he clearly wasn't finished teasing me, "Do you want me to go home?"
"You're infuriating," I scoffed, my voice mixing with the blaring sounds of the traffic to the side of us, "You know that, right?"
"As if you'd want me any other way," He chuckled beneath his breath arrogantly.
"Stop deflecting and answer the question," I huffed, this time in exasperation because I was quickly coming to realise that Asher with a couple drinks in him was definitely more than just frustrating.
"Fine," Asher laughed, this time actually answering me seriously, "No, I don't have to get home."
"Well is your mum expecting you home at any time?"
"No curfew tonight," He smirked, "What do you have in mind?"
"I was just going to say that if you wanted to, you know," I stammered, my cheeks afire under his piercing grey eyes, "You could stay at mine."
"Is that what you want?" He teased one last time having to grab my hand and pull me back to him when I began to walk away, a heavy sigh fanning my lips.
"Asher, yes or no?" I snapped, my eyes boring into him with a blank stare, "Do you want to stay?"
"I'll stay," He nodded, "Only cause you asked so nicely."
*
Walking back into my room, I held the clothes in one hand and with the other I shut the door behind me and locked it. While I trusted that my mum wouldn't be checking in one me I wasn't willing to risk it either. She might have let Thomas stay with me before but that was Thomas. She didn't know Asher, she didn't adore him the way she did Thomas.
"I got you some of my brother's old clothes," I spoke to Asher who stood on the other side of the room, his eyes roaming over photo frames just like I'd done in his room. I avoided looking at what ones he might be looking at and strolled over to the bed and put the pile of clothes down, "They should fit."
Ash turned away from the photos, hovering by the dresser. His eyes fell on the clothes at the end of the end and then fastened back on me, "Thanks."
"No problem," I shrugged, making my way to the dresser he wasn't standing in front. There I pulled back the drawers, searching for something to wear. Deciding on a long, loose t-shirt that I knew fell just above my knees, I grabbed it from inside the drawer and held it in my hands as I turned back around to face Asher.
He still stood on the other side of room, watching my every move, "You want me to leave?" he asked, pointing to the door. Every ounce of humour he'd had earlier on in the night had vanished, replaced with a seriousness I think neither of us were ready for.
I considered saying yes and asking him to leave while I changed, it was what we'd done the last time I'd stayed at his house. But tonight I didn't care whether he saw or didn't.
"No," I shook my head, placing the top on top the dresser and angling myself away from him slightly, "It's fine."
In the mirror I watched him inched his chin downwards as he made for the bed. I never stopped watching him as my fingers found the hem of my dress and tugged it upwards, past my hips then over my arms.
He tried his hardest not to look, I could tell when he turned his back to me and reached for his own clothes. But he must have sensed my eyes on him because his head snuck over his shoulder and he looked to the mirror. There was a thick, unreadable expression lay across his face as our eyes met.
Unable to bear the feelings that swarmed my body, my hands reached for the top and I hauled it on me, breaking our eye-contact. The fabric shimmied down my body until it hit my legs, flowing there.
Turning back around I looked to Asher unsure of what to say. He made it easy for me, breaking the silence as soon as he spun back around, "So what did you think of my clothes then? Thought I'd make an effort for you," he smirked, unbuttoning his white shirt.
"I noticed," I uttered, fixed to the spot as he undid the rest of his shirt and whisked it off. I swayed on my feet at the mere sight, barely able to function as he picked up the plain top I'd stole from the boy's room, and yanked it over his head.
"You didn't like them?" He asked, motioning towards the shirt he'd dropped on the edge of the bed.
"No, I did," I told him, mouth dry and throat sore, "You looked good."
"How good?" He asked just as he reached for the running shorts I'd got for him. Realising that it was his turn to change I turned away like he had, focusing on my wall as I heard him shuffle out his jeans and pull on the shorts. When I hoped he was done, I faced him again. He wore a lopsided grin, "You never answered my question?"
"I'm not playing that game," I told him. My teeth captured my bottom lip and gnawed down on it as I held in a shaky breath. He strolled towards me, closing the distance between us within a heartbeat.
"Now who's deflecting?" He chuckled, his breath fanning out over my face as he got closer and closer. There was practically no distance between us now. In this massive bedroom, tons of space, we stood huddled together in one corner.
"Clever" I managed to breath out, hoping to sound at least sarcastic but failing utterly.
I could feel myself losing control and he was gaining it all once again. It felt as though I was putty in his hands, though he could ask me to do or say anything and I'd willingly oblige.
As if to show a momentary burst of confidence I pushed my chin up higher, though I were challenging him. It was the wrong move entirely. It just pushed us closer together, the tips of our noses brushing, our breaths mixing together.
While I remained still in front of him, afraid to move, I didn't miss as his hand crossed the distance and placed itself snugly on the side of my hip. His fingers gripped at the material of my top, bunching up up around my thigh.
My eyes briefly fluttered close as I focused on the pressure of his hand on my hip. I was asking for trouble being this close, but I didn't care anymore.
"You should be careful," Ash whispered to me, "One of these days you'll get too close and I might kiss you."
"One of these days?" I uttered back, my mind in chaos, staring at him intensely.
"Hm," he half-smiled, inching his head backwards so that our lips weren't as close.
I tried to fight the frown that clouded my features, "Not tonight?"
"Not tonight," he shook his head lightly, his hand leaving my body taking its warmth with it. In slow movements, he stepped away, "I'm taking your bed."
I recovered as quickly as I could after our moment but not as quick as him obviously, "You are?" I asked, brows arched up towards my hairline.
"Yeah," Ash said, his smile breaking out into a grin, "Guests always get the bed, right?"
"Right," I agreed, watching as he stumbled backwards and hopped onto my bed.
Throwing the duvet aside he shuffled inside it. Just before tugging it up, he looked to me, a boyish charm written all over his face, "But considering how big your bed is, I think I might be able to offer a spot for you on here with me."
I trod forward, my eyes on him as he kept the duvet open for me, "How generous of you."
"Come on," he laughed, patting the spot next to him in the mattress. Without reservation or doubt I slipped under the cover with him.