“They do care, too much. But I don’t want to be taken care of, ever. They raised a strong, independent woman and, lately, all they do is hover like I’m going to break. I’m not angry with them for the way they act. It’s the opposite. I feel awful for causing them to worry. They have their own lives to focus on. I can take care of myself.”
Asher leans his hands on the edge of the boat and cocks his head to the side as if working something out in his head. I just gave him a mouthful. More than I even told my shrink, and that’s not saying a lot.
“Sorry for blabbering.”
“You apologize a lot.”
“Sorry?” I dip my head and cringe to myself even as I say it.
He smiles again and uncrosses his arms. “For someone who doesn’t like to talk, you seem to have an easy time talking here.”
He’s right. Maybe it’s the confines of the cave. They make me feel like I’m in another universe. Maybe it’s the fact that we’re on a boat and far removed from the mainland. Or . . .
“Maybe it’s because I know I’m never going to see you again.” This time it’s my turn to be honest and concise.
Asher nods, the perfect arch of his brow a little straighter; his lips pucker in. Placing his hands in his pockets, he leans back on his heels and looks back at me.
“So, Emma, what would you like to do? I’ve offered my services to you and so far I’ve passed a rock formation I couldn’t tell you the name of and brought you into a cave I only discovered during an outing of my own last week.”
“Do you bring a lot of girls here?” I mean for it to come out sarcastic but I know it sounds anything but.
“You’re the first.” Those divots make an appearance again.
A tingle shoots up my back and my eyes instantly fall to the side. I wipe my palms on the sides on my shorts and look at the rock surrounding us. Asher steps next to me.
The sides of our bodies touch and it’s not affecting me at all.
Nope. Not one bit.
“I was thinking about this place last night. I wanted to take you here.”
My head shoots up to look at him, almost causing me whiplash. “Take me here?”
“Yes.” Those golden eyes bear down on mine. Damn, I wish I had pretty eyes too. When I look into these I am positively mesmerized.
“What about my sister?” My words almost a whisper.
“I was hoping she’d stay home, but I was willing to take her with us.”
“Why?”
His brows cave in. “Why would I care if your sister came?”
No. I know why someone would want to take Leah. She’s funny and pretty and spontaneous. The question is—“Why me?”
Asher lowers his chin and holds my gaze in place, as if to make sure I absorb every word he says. “I wanted to get to know you. People intrigue me and when I am intrigued I want to know more. Watching you play yesterday. It made me want to know the woman behind the keys.”
My lips part on the inhale and I grab hold of the railing to steady myself. I am so not worth getting to know. It wasn’t that long ago I was thrown out of bed by my sister, urging me to take a shower and end my months-long sleep. That’s all I’d been doing. Sleeping and crying and going to therapy. I want to get better. I want my hand to work. I want to play again. But my last scan showed too much scar tissue and a nerve whose damage is irreparable.
The woman behind the keys is a shell of who she used to be. For a brief moment I felt that power I craved. I played the music I love. But it’s lost on me now. And this woman he sees is not . . . me.
“We should go. I don’t want to leave my sister alone all day.” I walk around Asher and take my seat.
He stands for a moment, the muscles of his back rising and falling ever so slightly. The awesome thing about Asher is he doesn’t press the issue or ask questions. He just nods and does as he’s told. Maybe Devon did know what he was doing when he hired him.
And maybe he just doesn’t want to be stuck with me a moment longer.
The rumble of the anchor being drawn up echoes in the cavern and Asher backs the boat up slowly until we are back in the bright sunshine. Turning the boat in the direction we were heading earlier, he raises the speed on the boat and drives again.