Page 124 of Fireworks

I didn’t know, but I would hope so. He couldn’t obsess over my life forever, could he?

*****

Nate

Pulling into a parking space, my cold and clammy hands gripped the steering wheel. I did not know what I was going to say or do. I had dropped my mom off at the same hotel the Hanover’s stayed the last time I was here. Each step felt like I was running a mile as I made my way to the door of Asher's apartment. Adjusting my cap, I ran my hands through my hair before placing it back on my head.

Taking one last deep breath, I readied myself for whatever was going to happen next. Good or bad, at least I knew I did all I could. Raising my fist to the door, my knuckles gently tapping against the hard surface, my heart raced. The sounds of someone moving inside the door was followed soon after by Asher yelling something that I would assume was to Bridget. Opening slowly, his head still turned away as he came into view. I stood with my hands shoved in my pocket. As his head redirected itself to see who was at his door, his face drained of all color and his hand gripped the edge of the door tightly.

“Hey Asher.”

Standing in silence, I half wanted to remind him to breathe.

“Who is it Ash?”

Bridget came padding around the door, freezing as her eyes met mine. It only took her body thirty seconds to lunge at me, wrapping her arms around me tighter than I could imagine her arms being able to. Stumbling backwards, her reaction surprised me. I hadn’t thought about her being here when I confronted Asher, but maybe she would be an asset in keeping him calm. Asher just stood blinking hard, like he wasn’t sure if it was really me. Bridget pulled away from me, still in shock that I was standing at their doorstep.

“So, are you going to invite me in?”

Taking a chance, I pushed past him, inviting myself in, praying that he wouldn’t punch me again or, worse, turn me away.

Walking past Asher, he closed the door behind me. Still silent. Tears had flowed from Bridget. The reality of me standing in front of her hit her full force. She smacked me in the upper arm as she suddenly went from upset to furious.

“Where have you been? Do you realize how worried we have all been? Does your mother know you’re okay?”

She began rapidly firing off questions at me. I opened my mouth to answer at least one question I could understand through her hurried rant. Asher finally broke his silence as we all stood just inside the front door.

“What the fuck, man?”

It wasn’t the joyful tone I had hoped for. He shoved me against the door, knocking my hat off my head, my shirt wrinkling under his grip. Flinching under his grasp, I stuttered as my words came out.

“I’m sorry Asher. I really am.”

Moving closer, still holding me against the door, I prepared for his fist to collide with my face again.

“You have a lot of nerve showing up here, you know that? What the hell is wrong with you? It wasn’t enough to make her fall for you, then you break up with her? You had to take it a step further and disappear and annihilate her. What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you have any idea what we have all been going through in the last few months?”

Hearing him say it made me feel exponentially worse than I already did.

“It wasn’t my fault, Asher. I swear. I came back as soon as I remembered.”

His eyes narrowed on me as he released me from his grip.

“What do you mean after you remembered?”

Pulling my shirt back into place, I looked back and forth between Bridget and him.

“The cliff notes version or the entire story?”

Being met by blank stares, I knew they would want the entire story. They deserved it. There was an equal amount of nodding and gasping as I went through everything I remembered the same way I had done with my mother. When I finished, Bridget sat with her hand over her mouth, and Asher’s expression was nothing short of disbelief.

“My mom is at the hotel right now, waiting for me. You deserved to know what happened, Asher. I didn’t mean to hurt her. You have to believe me when I tell you I love your sister more than anything else in this world. I knew you would never accept it. I screwed everything up because I was too much of a bitch to just come out and tell you about it.”

He said nothing, he just sat there taking in all the information. Standing up, I knew I had done what I came here to do. I held no expectations for him to be okay with anything I came to tell him. My hand was on the door handle, ready to walk out and go back to the hotel, when he cleared his throat.

“She told me everything.”

Turning back around, I wasn’t sure I had heard him correctly.