Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 42171 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 211(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42171 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 211(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
I finally get the nerve up and I walk up the stairs and stop at the landing. I stand here, staring at the closed door in front of me for I don’t know how long. I’m about to go downstairs when one of the doors down the hall opens, and Beau comes out.
He stops when he sees me and then smiles. “Uh, hey, Madelyn.”
“Hey,” I answer with a wave. Damn, I’m an idiot. Why am I waving at him?
He stops next to me. “You looking for Asher?”
I nod, and he points to the closed door in front of me.
There’s no way I’m going to tell him that I knew which door was his and then have to explain how I knew, so I just nod my head. “Yeah, uh, thanks, I was just—”
He cuts me off and holds his hands up. ‘You don’t have to explain. I’m going out. See you guys later.”
He’s bounding down the steps before I can say anything to him.
I smooth my hands down my pant legs and then walk over to Asher’s door and knock tentatively.
He opens it, and he doesn’t look happy. His hair looks as if he’s jammed his fingers through it a thousand times, and he’s frowning. All I can do is fidget, so I hold my hands together in front of me. “Did I say something wrong?”
He shakes his head. “No.”
I’m so lost, and I know I look it. His behavior doesn’t make sense. “Are you sure because I thought we were having a good time. I was. And well, I don’t know… I felt like it ended weird.”
He’s not going to answer me. He has a stubborn look on his face, and when he says nothing, I hold my hands up. “Okay, well, thanks again… I’ll just go…”
CHAPTER 18
ASHER
I should just let her go. I know that would probably be better for both of us in the long run, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
“Madelyn, wait.”
She stops, and I shrug. “We’re so different.”
She tilts her head to the side. She scrunches her nose up like I’m speaking a foreign language or something. “That’s funny, because I was thinking that we have a lot in common.”
She’s standing at the top of the stairs. “Come here.”
She wraps her hand around the beam. “I’m not coming over there just for you to break up with me, Asher. I’ll stay right here if you don’t mind.”
I thread my fingers through my hair and sigh in frustration. “I’m not breaking up with you, Maddie.”
She blurts out, “It sure feels like it.”
I would go to her, but I don’t want her to stumble down the stairs if she tries to back away from me or something. I hold my hands out to her. “Will you please get away from the stairs and come here?”
By the look on her face, she wants to ignore me, but she surprises me when she walks toward me. As soon as she’s within reach, I grab on to her hands and search her eyes. “I wasn’t breaking up with you… I was saving you.”
She doesn’t understand. “Saving me? Saving me from what?”
I tighten my hold on her. “You’re rich.”
She laughs. “My parents are rich. I’m not rich.”
“You like to travel.”
She shrugs, not seeing the issue, so I continue. “I can’t remember the last time I was out of Georgia.”
When she doesn’t say anything, I keep going. “You’re a city girl. This is a job to you. You said it yourself… your dad said it…. You’re committed to the end of the summer, and then you leave. I just think we’re better off…”
I let my voice trail off because I can’t finish what I’m saying. Probably because I don’t want this to end. Even though I know it’s probably for the best, I still don't want it to end.
She puts her hands up to my chest. “Look, Asher, I know you were hurt before, but I’m not Janet.”
“I know you’re not.” She is looking at me, trying to see if I’m being sincere or not. “I’m serious. Maybe at first, I thought it, but I promise you, I know you’re not like Janet.”
Madelyn grabs on to the front of my shirt and tugs it. “Right, well, I’m not. I would never ask you to give away something you love. I would never ask you to give up The Wild Peach, but I’ll be honest with you, Asher. These last few days have been amazing and some of the best I’ve ever had. Even with the bee sting and everything, you made it good. But if you’re already making up reasons of why we can’t—or shouldn’t—be together, then maybe you’re right. Maybe it is better just to end it now.”
She releases me and turns around to walk off.
She gets one step and I sling her up in my arms and walk with her into my bedroom. I kick the door shut behind us.