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“Are you drunk again, Asher?”

Asher peered at his twin with hooded eyes and raised his hand, almost pinching his thumb and pointer finger together.

“Only a little.” He said. “Sawyer nursed me back to health.”

Before I could react, Joshua approached me in swift strides. He leaned down and placed his lips against mine in a passionate kiss. When he pulled away, our eyes locked with an intensity that made my heart race.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to steal my girl.” Joshua said to Asher, but kept his gaze on me. “It is Valentine’s Day, after all.”

Asher stood up and grabbed his patented leather jacket. His eyes flickered back and forth between us with pursed lips.

“I know when to take a hint.” He said before stumbling off.

“We shouldn’t leave him alone in that state.” I said, but Josh brushed it off.

“He does it all the time. He can take care of himself.”

He reached down to join our hands together, grinning like a kid on their birthday.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Put your coat on.” He said. “I have a surprise for you. I’ll be right back.”

I tugged my coat on and reached into my pocket for my gloves, halting as my fingers brushed against something delicate. That wasn’t in my pocket before. I came face-to-face with a beautifully crafted bracelet nestled in the palm of my hand.

I examined the bracelet, pondering how it ended up in my pocket. My gaze wandered, then found Asher by the wall. From a distance, his unreadable expression suddenly revealed a moment of clarity. The bracelet was from him.

My stomach clenched with a mixture of surprise and gratitude as I considered the depth of his thoughtfulness.

“Are you ready?”

Josh appeared from behind me, and I tucked the gift back into my pocket as warmth fluttered through my chest.

“I’m ready.” I said, turning around to face him.

He placed his hand on my lower back and steered me toward the exit. I stole a subtle glance over my shoulder, my eyes meeting Asher’s in a silent exchange of gratitude. He closed his left eye in a cheeky wink before I exited the party with his brother.

??

38

“I used to be love drunk but now I’m hungover.”

Love Drunk, Boys Like Girls

Asher

It was safe to say I was drunk for a second time tonight. The alcohol flowed, and I reached my peak, caught in the whirlwind of revelry. As the music thumped, I lost myself in the alcohol-induced oblivion. However, I couldn’t escape Ava’s beady eyes. I accidentally made eye contact with her, and she took that as a sign to approach me. I leaned against the wall and groaned.

“Why have you been avoiding me?” She asked, her voice tinged with hurt and confusion.

I could feel the weight of my emotions pressing down on me. It’s almost as if I’d kept too many emotions at bay, and the alcohol loosened my inhibitions. Before I could stop myself, the words spilled from my lips like a volcanic eruption.

“I know you were cheating on me.” I confessed, my voice raw with pain and betrayal.

Her eyes widened in shock, and her jaw unhinged. She stuttered, most likely searching for an excuse, but the truth was impossible to deny.

“How did you find out?”