Asher's POV

"Our love was purely circumstantial until the hour it wasn't anymore. Then the world had finally intercepted our cursed lives in the form of sorrow and then proceeded to break us apart at one simple glance at the catastrophe we had made in each other's arms. Of course, I was young and foolish. The chemistry book I held in my chest was my home, where I could finally let down my guard. I didn't have to be strong for Asher, or even beautiful for a woman that misused my body."

"You were strong for me," I mutter behind the door. "Ever since you left, the only person you've ever looked out for is yourself, and that's the truth. Mom may have had her demons, but at least she never put a man before her family. She did the best she could."

"I was a pawn to my mother, and for a while, my soul was dead, but the only thing that kept me alive was him. The fact that I could be with him without him misusing my body just for Apryl's pleasure. I loved him more than I hated her, but I didn't even realize what it meant to bathe in his world until the cops came knocking at our door. I knew David sold drugs and had a massive stash of cocaine, meth, ecstasy, and marijuana, so what could I tell the cops when they came banging on the door? My first instinct was to protect my baby brother, but David was behind the door, begging me to get rid of them."

A tear drifts on Lynn's cheek as she faces the anger masquerading in Gwendolyn's visage. Lynn always had a quality of erasing the fine line between the victim and the oppressor whenever she found herself on the opposite side of reason. I watch her study Gwendolyn's timeless beauty, analyzing the brushstrokes of her countenance as Gwendolyn's wrath rekindles in the tales of Lynn's illicit affair with David Goulding. Gwendolyn turns to the windowpane as she observes the confirmation of her husband's betrayal, seemingly rotting on the transparent glass, but still reflecting in her emerald eyes. Lynn drags her hand over her face, concealing her tears as she decides the affliction in her irises are more then enough for her to absolve herself.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Gwendolyn questions, leaning across her mahogany desk. "You can't bat your eyes and sway your hips and get sympathy from me. Not when you slept with my husband for years while I was taking care of our daughter. Then I had to protect her from the world he built, surrounded with guns and addictive drugs built to destroy her mind. All while knowing that where my husband lays his head isn't the only place he chooses to sleep, and in the beginning, each night, it killed me knowing I could never be enough for him. So I raised Juliet to be poise, and obedient because you never know what horrors it'll take to satisfy the man you love."

"I want you to understand something, Gwen," Lynn exhales as a forced smile washes over her lips. "I never meant for any of this to happen, and I'll own up to my part in being a naive young woman all these years. But you brought this consultation upon yourself the moment you chose to turn your back on our cause. We sent Asher to your doorstep so you could watch him slowly bleed until he told you everything. We never asked you to kill him; all we wanted was to figure out what he knows, and if that can risk our new venture. You weren't supposed to have Elijah come to your house and try to murder my little brother. What kind of psycho lets a person kill an innocent child? Thank God, Frank was there."

Gwendolyn grins, reclining in her leather chair. "If by psycho, you mean a stable woman who doesn't have to resort to spreading her legs so her mother can get her next high from a dime bag. Come on; she didn't even think you were good enough to afford a taste of David's good supply. I think it's tragic how lowly Apryl must've thought of you, and given your history with your father, who'd blame her for despising you. Similar to Apryl, I tried my best to take care of Asher, but he's starting to realize too much. People who are involved are starting to find out Asher's not so clueless, and if you think David's too righteous to send Elijah to kill him then you're the damn lunatic."

I gaze through silent eyes as I ease into the room, slipping past the threshold while my heart pounds inside my chest. I'm aware of the quakes pulsing inside my brain as I take each step, sinking further into a landscape parallel to our present time. A headache throbs at the base of my skull, triggering a shattered memory. The migraine permeates in the reflective shards of the chandelier, gleaming in each crystal. It's not long before my reality withers in a moment while my vision perceives a glimpse of the past paved in my memory.

The shadows dance across the narrow hallway as I walk through the entrance of the building while my heart throbs at the sight of my reflection. A whiff of dark brown hair runs through my fingertips as my tall stature diminishes, and I find myself standing at four feet in front of a closed-door leading to Elijah's office. I open the door leaving behind a ripple of anxiety while the lights flicker, and the police station immerses in seclusion. I enter the room, listening to a cacophony of cops discussing the hidden humor behind their professions. Elijah clears his throat leading with a case he believes is a homicide disguised with a fire as his coworkers laugh at the insanity in his accusation.

"I'm telling you, Smith," Officer Reed says, skimming through a manila folder with a name written on the top. "There's no foul play involving the Withering Heights case, and as far as everyone's concerned, it's an open and shut case. The apartment manager evacuated the building, and despite the open flames, we only had five injures. The only death was a woman with a history of using drugs, so her death can be ruled out for her intoxication. The fire started in her apartment, so maybe she left the stove on or lit a match then dropped it. Who knows with a junkie man, but it couldn't have been a murder? The kid even said he saw her using drugs."

Elijah sits back in his chair, collapsing his jaw in between his thumb and index finger. "Yeah, that's what I thought until the apartment manager said he was the first person evacuated and how he was the one that called the fire station. Then I heard some statements from some of the residents saying how the man that banged on their door had an infinity loop with quos fuisse derelictum tattooed on his upper arm. The strange part is some eyewitness swear to God that a woman pulled them out of the fire. Even the fire chief said the fire seemed like more of an open flame like somebody deliberately started it, and Asher said he mostly saw her snorting drugs. I figure maybe heroin, but the real kicker is the boy swears before she burned to death, he saw her purposely toss a bag of heroin down the drain. He believes someone killed her."

"You've been a detective for a few years now, Smith. How long have you known junkies to stop using heroin without rehab or some kind of a support system? You said it yourself her husband died in a car crash years ago, she kicked out her oldest daughter, and the only person that was home with her was a ten-year-old boy who barely has a grasp on his own trousers. She even stole your wife's medicine several times, so how in the hell did she just quit overnight? I'm telling you she had a secret stash somewhere." Officer Reed challenges taking a sip of coffee from a mug that says The Worlds Best Dad on the front.

I survey Elijah as concern riddles his countenance while depth drowns in his exasperation when he ponders the case close to his home. I remember how this man approached danger ferociously, but encountered it as gentle as a dove with humility in his smile. His character once spoke with compassion as he embraced Andre in his chest or threw him over his shoulder while they shared a grin. It was blissful but never faultless, especially when a hurricane appeared over the horizon while his marriage wreaked havoc underneath the sun. I always thought Elijah and Gabriella had a love conceived from pure devotion; then, without an ounce of hesitation, she left with Elijah's humanity.

I never understood why Gabriella left Andre alone with a man she had somehow broken, but what haunts me the most has to be the restless nights. At first, Elijah assumed his sick wife had crumbled in the streets of the Bronx, so he stormed outside the apartment in a fit while dread settled in the pit of my stomach. Then every night for two months, Andre and I would take shifts looking out the window of his apartment with binoculars. We always surveyed the neighborhood for his mother, but we never saw her just the twilight. Eventually, it became a timeless habit over the first year because we never found her or even heard of her escape.

"Hey, Andre and Asher, come in here for a second," Elijah instructs as we walk from his bedroom into the kitchen. "Have you boys seen Gabriella today? I had to pull a double shift last night, so I'm just making it home, but I still can't find her anywhere. I've been trying to call her cellphone for hours now, and she stopped responding since last night. Andre, when was the last time you brought your mother her medicine since I left for work yesterday."

"Dad, I haven't given mom her medicine. I tried talking to her, but she said she was getting better, so she didn't need it anymore. I even left it on your nightstand and begged her to take it when she started feeling lightheaded. She just looked at me with grief in her eyes, and hugged me tight, saying how much she loved me more than life. Dad, I tried to ask both of you before, but you just dodged the question. Then you sent me back to my room, but I need to know if mom's dying. I have to know how much time I have left with her." Andre mumbles boldly as his entire body shakes uncontrollably.

Elijah asserts himself, lowering to our height with an ounce of worry lingering in his tone. "Son, I guarantee your mother is going to live a full life, and one day she's not going to be in pain anymore. You'll see her taking you to the park again, even racing you to the bus stop, but most importantly, we're both going to witness the moment you sign to the NFL. We will never leave your side, especially since you'll be making millions. Boy, you couldn't leave us even if you tried were both in it for the long haul, and don't even think about it, Asher. We'll be right there when you start a multimillion-dollar business, but until then, I want both of you to clean this house from top to bottom. I can't spoil the great men you both are going to become in the future, so pick up a broom, and practice being great."

Elijah gently shoved us in the direction of the cleaning supplies while we both muttered to ourselves about how we walked straight into the same trap as we both pickup two brooms. It wasn't uncommon for Elijah to encourage us like a coach on a football field right before he sends his team out to win the game. The only differences are Elijah sent us to do a series of chores that sometimes ended with asking Annie that owns Annie's Diner, if she needed any help with household work. Elijah knew she was an older woman with a swift tongue, but a good heart, so whenever he could volunteer our service, he would offer. He said it wasn't just to build integrity but to have mercy for those who weren't capable of helping themselves.

"Andre," I asked as soon as Elijah closed the door behind him. "I thought when you talked to Gabriella; she told you she only had a few months to live? Why did you let your dad sell you a lie if you knew the truth? You could have told him you knew what the doctor told your mom. I mean, isn't she just going to tell him what she said the moment he brings her through the front door. You know how your dad feels about this situation. I honestly think you should have told him. Elijah deserves that much time to prepare you for what's going to happen."

"You know, Asher," Andre sighed, holding the broom in one hand. "I don't think my dad's lying because he believes it's the truth. He honestly believes my mom will pull through this even despite her constantly throwing up in the bathroom, or the strength leaving her legs so she can barely walk without her cane. My dad always believed in hoping for the best. His favorite quote is from Mark chapter nine, verse 23, and it says, all things are possible to him that believes. My mom's in pain, but my father believes in miracles, so if his faith can save her, then who am I to question him."

"Sometimes, I lose sight of God when my world goes straight to hell. Then I don't want you to suffer the way I did when I lost my mother. She may have had her demons, but that only makes it hurt worse. So no matter what happens, I'll always be right here when you need me. I owe you that much for helping me. Man, your my brother, and I don't want you to fall." I said while we exchange a glance as Andre sheds a few tears, embracing me in a firm hug as Elijah returns, grabbing his keys from the counter. He looks at me as if his heart's breaking while he nods his head in admiration and smiles softly at us before he quietly leaves the second time.

I snap out of my trance as distorted voices ease into my mind, and a hand appears over my shoulder in the lobby of Gwendolyn's office. I follow the hand, glancing at Andre while concern washes over his face, and without a single word, he helps me off the floor. Andre leads me outside of the lobby, softly closing the door behind us as Gwendolyn and Lynn continue their argument, unaware of our presence. Andre turns to the door, glancing through the glass as he furrows his eyebrows at the sight of the last two people on earth we'd ever expect to occupy under the same roof. Before I have a chance to tell him what I overheard, he turns as I lift my gaze to the end of the hallway, and Gabriella Smith erects at the edge of the corridor while Andre looks at me.

"Asher, you remember my mom, Gabriella, right," Andre says, grinding his teeth while rage burrows his fingernails in the palm of his hand, penetrating his flesh. "well, she's not somewhere rotting in a ditch, or buried under the alias, Jane Doe. She's been alive this entire time, so all those sleepless nights were for a woman that didn't want to be a mother. So now, if I want to talk to my mother, I have to take a number and wait until she's done talking to everyone else."

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How did you like the chapter?

Tell me what you think about the opening paragraph? Do you believe Lynn and David were actually in love for that long, or was it a never ending infatuation? How could David cheat on his wife for so long? What did Lynn mean by Apryl misused her body? Why do you think Lynn chose David over her little brother, Asher?

We finally get a glimpse of what happened to Asher's father, and Elijah's suspicion on the Withering Heights case. Also, we know there's a deal in the works between the hospital involving David, Gwendolyn, Lynn and her husband Hiram Torres. Although, what were they talking about, and why do they want Asher to forget a part of his past? Well, here's some brief insight without any spoilers. Lynn didn't lie about how she met David, Apryl allowed Lynn to pay her debit to David with sexual intercourse, but David gave Lynn the drugs without sex because he felt compassion for her.

Congratulations, you guys just made it through the longest chapter in my story so far. It's 2,811 words exactly without the authors note, so thank you for sticking around and reading! Please remember to social distance guys and stay safe! P.S Don't forget the trailer to #ACK is in the section titled, Amidst Crimson Kisses. P.P.S The picture shown in the media box was just inspiration for me to write this chapter. P.P.P.S The next two chapters will definitely be written in Margo's POV.

Thank you so much for reading
GOD bless you all ❤️