Unedited.

Asher.

There was someone in the room, staring at me, I could feel their eyes on my sore back. The bed was nothing but uncomfortable. The sound of commotion stirred me out of sleep, I turned around, not completely as someone had decided to clung to me like a baby and I did not want to wake her up.

My eyes met Sarah and for a second something turned into knots in my stomach, I felt like a teenager  being caught doing something wrong. I remained unmoving, my eyes still locked with Sarah as her daughter stirred gently in my arms. One would call me shameless but I wasn't doing anything wrong. The good thing was I liked Sarah enough to not react in a way that would scare her away.

I continued to look at Sarah for a while before she finally spoke.
"Uh, I just wanted the bridesmaid dress."

"Oh," was all I said as she blinked at me, her face turning pale and her eyes taking in the scene in front of her.

she stood their looking at her daughter's arms wrapped around me, her legs tangled with mine and her face buried in my chest.

I made no efforts to untangle myself from Sophie. When Sarah made no move I finally spoke. "It's in the cupboard."

She nodded not saying a word.

No matter how hard I tried sleep didn't come, the head that laid on my chest and the hand that had wrapped itself around me felt as if I was being crushed under heavy weights. I had tried to stay away from her, I had sat with myself and tried to think about everything but her. All my thoughts could ever grace me with was her.

Sophie Callister was etched on me and I couldn't get rid of her.

Somewhere between the Denial and Ignorance I fell in love.

I fucking love her.

I did something I was incapable of; to love another person and as always I loved the wrong person only to find myself unable to be without her. Her presence was like a bandage to my open wounds, all I wanted was Sophie Callister around me. I was really fucking stupid but I couldn't help it.

The morning I stranded her at the apartment I realised that I was deeply in love with Sophie Callister. The moment realisation hit me I did something I was really good at, I ran. I left her, again.

She had become the reason for my existence.  Her tiny apartment that couldn't even contain me on days felt more home than the house I lived in. It screamed her name in every way possible. I wanted to be nowhere but with her, locked away in the tiny space, hiding from the world that gave me nothing good apart from her. I hate to admit it but the fear of losing her was driving me crazy.

I loved her when she first stepped in my house. I was in love with her when I found her sick and  freezing with cold in the spare room, I loved her when she sprinted on the streets of Capri like a child in the new shoes I gave her, I loved her on days she didn't love me. But a man like me didn't deserve love. I was more chaos than the peace she was looking for.  I loved my daughter and she was taken away from me and if that's how the universe worked, I feared Sophie would be taken away from me too. So I played a game that ruined us both, a selfish game that led to the undoing of the person my wife was, she had become cold now, more resistant, I could see the hate in her eyes for me.

I saw her spine straighten every time I walked by, I saw her eyes turn from green to gray and smoky as if she was fuming from inside, I saw her hands turn into fist when we talked as if all she wanted was to punch me. I deserved it, I deserved every bit of it. Even the lies that came along with it, the whole plot my mother spun for me, I deserved it.

My fingers reached out and caressed her short hair, she looked different like she was ready for a new world without me, her hair didn't reach her lower back ending in soft curls like I remembered, they tickled her neck.  The hollowness of her cheek made me wonder if she had lost weight.

There was no going back. In my heart I knew she deserved better, but the same heart couldn't let go of her.

Sophie stirred gently in her sleep making me hold her tighter. Her body came to a sudden halt as she stopped breathing I looked down to catch her looking at me with wide eyes.

"What the hell?" Was what she said before pulling herself away from me and sitting up.

"No, good morning?" I teased smiling at her as I looked at her sleepy figure. Her eyes were puffy from the lack of sleep and her hair looked very similar to a bird nest and I was still swooning like a school boy.

She looked at my chest where her head was resting and crimson ran up her face. "What time is it?"

"Don't worry you're not late, Sophie."

She sighed as those words left my mouth.

"You might want to go down and greet your mother?" I said, a smirk playing on my lips.

"What are you trying to say, Asher?"

"She was here a few minutes ago—" I said nonchalantly.

"—Please don't tell me she saw us." She said, clearly hyperventilating over nothing.

"She did. Poor Sarah was at a loss of words."

"Why didn't you wake me up or say something to her."

"I don't think I was supposed to say anything." I shrugged trying to be all innocent. "I was just sleeping on my side of the bed and her daughter had decided to wrap herself on me like a Koala. I'm not at fault Callister."

"God... I despise you Grayson!" With that Sophie was out of bed in one swift motion almost tumbling down from the edge, her words hung in the air around me. I despise you Grayson.

It took me a while to collect my thoughts and make my way to the room I was staying in, I gave one last look to the room that belonged to the girl I'd never know again because I've changed her for worse, the baby pink curtains, the old photo frames lining the walls with pictures of a girl with the brightest green eyes and a toothless grin, the broken chair, the squeaky bed, a pile of old clothes and fairy lights that didn't work anymore. I closed my eyes for a second memorising everything for some odd reason before turning away and closing the door and all these wavy emotions shut.

I gathered myself, took a quick shower and wore a black button up shirt and dress plants, I looked ready to attend a funeral.

Running a hand through my hair I tried to look somewhat decent. The past few days I stayed here I've become used to having breakfast and according to my grumbling stomach it was time to have some.

I came to a sudden halt at the end of the stairs and came eye to eye with a half naked woman staring at me, her eyes wide with embarrassment , before I could even react I saw another half naked woman across the room a cup of hibiscus tea in her hand, I frowned my eyes looking around the room searching for a familiar face but all I found were faces I've never seen before staring back at me with utmost interest. From what I could comprehend they were the bridesmaids, one of them was wearing the dress Sophie was working on last night.

"—Asher, you're here." Came Sarah's voice and I found a glimmer of relief.

I cleared my throat, "I'll just wait in my room."

Where's my wife? Fuck.

"You don't have to—"came another voice —" just don't look." A woman with dark eyes and raven hair said, her words sparked a series of laughter around the room. She looked at me expectantly, batting her lashes her mouth twisted in a cunning smirk.

"I'm not looking." I seethed.

"Sure, Whatever." She said as she continued to paint her cheeks red.

"Who is he?" Someone murmured as I made my way to the kitchen making sure not to look at any of them. The  annoyance I felt was written all over my face, Sarah tried not to smile as I passed her and poured myself a cup of tea. To say I was uncomfortable would be an understatement. I felt overstimulated in the worst way possible.

"Sarah, would you like to introduce us to your guest."

"This is Asher, he's visiting for the holidays. Asher this is Hannah." Sarah said, smiling at the raven haired woman. I had no intention of striking a conversation with anyone in the room.

"Oh, is he Sophie's friend." She asked, the look of desperation in her eyes didn't go unnoticed.

Sarah looked at me, "yes he's Sophie's boss." She lied effortlessly.

"Oh, you're celebrating Christmas with Sophie instead of your family she must be special to you."

I remained quiet as my grip on the cup tightened. For a second I was transported back to what I was before I met Sophie. The odd one out, a renegade. For me, to be known was to be known by her. I didn't want anyone else around me, the anxiety was setting in again as I ran a hand through my hair, my chest felt heavy as I inhaled deeply.

Suddenly I found the long lost Asher within me who hated people.

"Are you girls ready?" Came her voice and my head snapped immediately in her direction. I could feel something reviving inside of me.

God, I love her.

There came Sophie, with her picture perfect smile and eyes twinkling from the bright lights, she stood tall in her pink heels that matched her pink floral dress sundress. I sighed taking her in. She looked beautiful as always.
All I wanted was to be alone with her, sit on a bench and talk until the sun went down, like old times, like we were back in Capri.

A man can fucking dream.

"Sophie! This dress is just perfect I love it!"

"Sophie! Derek is going to fall in love with me again. " Said another and Sophie smiled wider.

As if Sophie could sense that I was looking at her, she glanced at me her smile faltering for a second.

"Are you attending the wedding Asher?"Hannah asked.

"No." I said looking back at Sophie.

"Come on, it'll be fun, we can dance together, huh?"

Dance together?

"No."

She started to make her way towards me, I could feel everyone's eyes on me, especially Sophie's glaring eyes.

If Hannah thought this conversation was going to be the playful banter that would turn into a midnight romance then she was completely wrong.

"I don't have a plus one for tonight. Would you like to be my date for tonight?" She sighed and looked at me expecting pity along with something else.

"Good, I'm not participating either. Now turn around and go back where you came from." I said my eyes looking over her shoulder to find Sophie throwing dagger with her gaze at the strange woman in front of me.

Her mouth twisted as if she tasted something sour, she was fuming and I couldn't have been happier about it.

All I wanted to do was light a cigarette. I gave one last look to everyone in the room. Setting the cup aside I ignored all the voices that were in and out of my head and made my way out of the front door, I could feel their preying eyes on my back as the door shut close behind me.

Fuck. I was losing it.

The ache in my head and the slight tremble of my hand as I put a cigarette between my lips and lit it didn't go unnoticed. I inhaled deeply, reaching for the tiny sock in the pocket of my pants. As I was about to pull it out I saw Sophie making her way to me, my eyes ran down her body taking every ounce of her, pink was definitely her colour.

"You can stay back Asher, they won't bother you anymore." She sounded concerned.

I should have been relieved but I wasn't, a part of me wanted her to ask me to attend the wedding.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes, I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

I took another puff nodding my head. "I'd be better if you asked me to come?"

Sophie narrowed her eyes at me, she scanned my face trying to look for something as I took another puff. As the smoke filled my lungs the tension in my nerves eased up.

"Are you planning on ruining the wedding?" She asked.

Not today.

"Why would I?"

"Because you're crazy, I don't believe you. Tell me why you really want to attend the wedding." She sounded so desperate as if she was sure I was up to no good. I couldn't blame Sophie. Her doubt was the price I had to pay for my reputation.

"So that I can take all the time in the world and look at you."

"I don't believe you, that's not you speaking? Tell me now what you're planning." Even if she didn't want to show, my words had an effect on her, her neck has started to turn red.

"I just want to spend some time with you. " I wanted to sound sincere but I couldn't, sometimes I'd forget how to act right in front of her.

"You want to be my plus one?" Her frown deepened.

"You can say that."

She folded her arms across her chest and looked down at the ground. Her shoulders dropped as she exhaled looking up.

"Only if you follow some rules." She sounded reluctant but I knew I was winning.

"Go ahead tell me." I said trying to hide my grin.

"One, You can't embarrass me. Two, you can't tell anyone about us. Three, you can't pick up fights."

"That's easy, I agree." I said even before my brain could register those words but I understood most of it.

"Not as easy as it seems once you start implementing it." Sophie rolled her eyes and all I could think about was have my mouth on hers. I looked away not letting my train of thoughts take me places.

"Trust me, Sophie."

"We'll see about that Grayson."
With that Sophie stomped her way back to the house and all I could do was sigh.

Merry Christmas, Callister.

Author's note

Hello! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Do tell me what you think. Vote, share and comment! See you soon .

Garima ❤️