Page 41 of The Story of You

“You’ve got it bad, Darry,” Oliver says.

“Yeah, duh.Lookat him. And he’s the best. I waited for the right one. Do you think he’d marry me if I asked him?”

Even Silas is staring after his ass in those jeans. “No one’s getting married before Simon and Shane,” Silas declares.

Bullshit. He just doesn’t want Oliver asking because even though we’re supposed to be adults, apparently, we’re still children when it comes to what each of us is “allowed” to do. For fucksakes.

“I know I’m not Darius and that I’m not getting married anytime soon. If that comment was on account of me, Dad, you can retract it.”

“Fine, it was. But I do think you should sort things out with Asher before you walk down any aisles.”

Right because you still can’t marry three people together. Lame. “You’re such a parade rainer. Since when did you start caring about Asher?”

“I always have. We didn’t always see eye to eye, and I was close to strangling him after his most recent disappearing act, but now that he’s been around a while, I’ve been reminded of his abused animal eyes. Asher’s just another lost boy—like us.”

Huh. Well, isn’t today full of surprises?

Wyatt rushes back in the door and this time he’s holding the book. “Almost forgot,” he says. He hands it to Silas. Oliver looks around for an exit, figuring out where this is going. “You’ll wanna hang onto that. Get Oliver to explain it to you.”

“Wyatt!” Oliver says.

He shrugs. “You said he wouldn’t have a problem so shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”

Did he overhear Oliver saying that to me? I bite my lip hard to keep from laughing. My boyfriend just ratted out my little brother in the best way imaginable. I want to remember this moment for the rest of my life. He struts out of the kitchen like there isn’t a storm about to rain down on Oliver. Oliver’s left gaping, looking for the right words, but from the way Silas’s forehead vein is twitching, he’s put it together and there aren’t any “right words”.

I commend Silas on the cool calm he keeps. “Pour yourself another glass of that and bring it with you. We’re going to have a little conversation in my office, Eaglet. Lakshan too.”

Silas leaves, expecting to be followed. Lakshan raises his brows but spins around to head after him.

Oliver flushes, pouring a glass of lemonade extra slowly as if that will save him. “I can’t believe he just did that. This means war.”

I laugh. “You’re going to war with an actual major?”

“Fine. I’ll lose, but this was so uncalled for. I gave him the book as soon as he asked for it.”

“You gave him the book with a side of sass. Don’t sass the major, or at least make sure he doesn’t overhear you sassing him,” I say, patting his cheek.

“You do it all the time.”

“There’s an art to it dear brother and besides, I’m fucking him. Gives me way more leeway.”

“Whatever. I’ll get my payback.”

He manages to pirouette away with the lemonade in his hand without spilling a drop. I return to the bundle of hot men outside with a tray of lemonade.

Asher’s handling a saw. He’s good at it. His strawberry blond tresses move in time with the rhythm. He’s deep in thought. I leave the tray on their makeshift table but take a glass to him. I’ve already caught his eyes drift over the major’s abs. “He’s totally dreamy, right?” I whisper in his ear while handing him the glass.

“He’s—” Asher huffs a sigh. “He’s impossible to hate. You know how much I hate being critiqued—even the well-meaning kind. Yet he waltzes over here and shows me a better way to hold my saw and I’m smiling up at him like a stupid loon. Ari? I can’t even speak around him.”

“I noticed.”

He runs a hand through his silky tresses. “What if I end up liking him and then he only has anything to do with me because of you? I know he’ll be the nicest, but that won’t be enough. I can’t handle that.”

These are the Asher moments no one else gets to see. They’re rare and they’re mostly for my eyes. If Asher could have trust and faith, they would be in me. This kind of thing scares him into paralysis or running.

“One step at a time, okay?”

He nods, turning his head to kiss me. “I’m gonna have to get used to it if I plan on keeping you and I do.”