Page 40 of Asher
“Okay. Give me your best Rylie impression.”
“You’re being a fucking idiot.”
“Gray!” I slapped his chest. “What the hell?”
“You need some harsh advice. You’re being an idiot. The man that you have been in damn knots about since I met you literally just offered himself on a silver damn platter and you sent him away? What the fuck?”
I avoided his face, looking out the window to where the plane sat preparing to be boarded. “You don’t understand.”
“No, you don’t understand because you never truly gave him a chance to explain anything.”
I turned toward him, tucking my leg under my ass. “I-”
Holding up a hand, Gray stopped me. “You were scared. I know you won’t admit it, but when Stella opened his door, it gave you a reason to give up.”
I bit the inside of my lip. “Well, wouldn’t you? After all the shit, wouldn’t you just want to be done?”
“No. Not if it was someone that I truly wanted and wanted me back. Give him a chance to explain. A real chance.” It pissed me off Gray knew me that well. I was hungover and tired. I was scared. I woke up married and didn’t remember the wedding. Of course it scared me!
I put myself in defense mode.
I shut down any conversation of us being together, even though it was what we both apparently wanted. I was a fucking idiot. My chest tightened.What if I pushed him away? What if he changed his mind?
“Flight 671 now boarding.” A deep voice rang over the intercom, breaking through my self-panic.
Gray stood and held his hand out to me, pulling me to my feet. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, giving me a side hug. “Talk to him, Hale.”
“I will when we get home,” I promised.
Grayson and I followed the line of other passengers onto the plane and settled into our seats. I busied myself getting situated, placing my camera bag under the seat and wrapping a blanket around my legs as Grayson placed our carry-ons in the overhead compartment. I leaned back and looked out the window as workers below started loading a cart full of luggage.
The flight attendants gave their typical speech about air safety before the Captain come over the intercom to let us know there might be a little turbulence on the flight, but it was nothing to worry about. After what seemed like no time at all, we were up in the air and the seatbelt sign went off.
“Are you good?” Gray asked for the third time since we sat down.
I nodded. My headache finally disappeared, but I was exhausted. “Yeah, I think I’m just going to sleep the whole way.” I rested my head back and closed my eyes.
“I’m going to use the restroom,” he said, and I felt him stand.
Way sooner than I expected, an arm brushed against mine before a hand reached over to my lap, gripping my thigh. Snapping my eyes open, my pulse sped up as I found Asher sitting in Gray’s empty seat. Confused, I looked behind me and saw Gray sitting a few rows back.
Smirking.
“What are you doing here?” I asked but didn’t pull my hand from his as he laced our fingers together and started rubbing a thumb along my knuckles.
His mouth quirked up in a half smile, making one of his dimples pop. “I didn’t tell you I booked the same flight home?”
“No.”
“Oh, well, I have the same flight home.” He squeezed my hand before lifting the back of it to his lips. A spark shot through my body and chest ached at the sweet gesture. Even after everything that happened this morning, he was still trying.
“Asher,” I sighed.
“I think we have some more to talk about.”
My teeth dug into my bottom lip. “On a flight? Maybe we should wait until we get home.”
His shook his head slowly. I rested my head back against the headrest, letting it roll to the side so I could look at him. He looked good in a plain white t-shirt and his hair pulled up in a bun. I itched to pull the tie out and let it fall. “I think a plane is the perfect place because you can’t run off. You’ll have to hear me out.”