⚜Guardian⚜

Chapter Twenty Four

About halfway through the drive, Asher got a message on his phone. He drove them to a giant lake in the middle of nowhere, with a very abandoned looking motel sitting just on the edge of the lake.

"Are you..." Lacey trailed off. She was suddenly unsure of the end of her sentence. She felt an unusual blind faith in him, like he could always be depended upon. Asher turned to her in confusion, his eyes meeting with hers. She wasn't sure why, but this small gesture made her world spin. Everything else seemed to fade out of focus except for the burning violet of his eyes. His eyes smoldered with a fire she didn't entirely recognize, and she inhaled a low breath. Everything about him sang to her in a way she didn't entirely understand. She was rewarded with little excerpts of memories- nothing more than flashes, but enough to look at. Someone's arms sliding around her waist. Hot lips feverishly pressing against hers, forming shapes and making her gasp. The steady beat of someone's heart pounding against her chest.

"We should probably go," Asher stated in a quiet voice. Lacey nodded tightly. They exited the car without looking at each other. Asher got two rooms from what Lacey could hear, but she wasn't paying much attention. When they got upstairs, he held the door open for her, and she stared at him in confusion.

"We're staying in the same room?" Lacey asked. Asher looked over at her, his brow furrowing.

"I thought because we were..." He trailed off. Lacey already knew why he couldn't finish his sentence. Because he wouldn't tell her anything. Because she had some weird form of amnesia.

"I guess you can stay with the Messenger and I'll stay with Isaiah."

"Oh. Well I might as well wait with you anyways," Lacey offered. "If that's okay." He nodded swiftly and she brushed past him into the room. It wasn't too big of a room, so she sat on one of the full beds, crossing her legs beneath her. Asher sat on the edge of the other bed with his back to her.

"Can I ask you something?" She tried warily. He turned slightly, nodding confirmation to her question.

"Did I give you my guitar pic necklace?" Lacey questioned. Asher stiffened noticeably,his hand moving to touch the necklace.

"Yeah. A couple of weeks ago. Do you want it back?" He asked, moving to unclasp it.

"No! No. I can remember giving it to you, I think. I know I wanted you to have it," Lacey said quietly.

"Then why did you ask?" He said, his eyes narrowing slightly. Lacey knew he wasn't angry, just confused. He was trying to puzzle her out just as she was trying to piece him together.

"I'm not sure. I guess I just wanted you to tell me more about that day," Lacey urged him. His eyes found the window, looking out at something she couldn't see. From what she could tell, he was looking out at the sky. Yet the way he looked at the sky, with such a wistful, longing expression, made no sense. He looked out at the darkening sky as if it were his home. As if he belonged up in the stars. Almost like he could sense that she was looking at him, he tore his eyes away from the window, moving to pick up the remote.

"How about we see what's on TV?" He prompted, ending the conversation.

"High School Musical?" Lacey asked. After ten minutes of indecision and channel surfing, he had finally chosen Disney Channel.

"Oh yeah. It's one of my favorites." He grinned. His voice was so casual that Lacey doubled over with laughter. Troy Bolton, the main character played by the dreamy Zac Efron, burst into song, one Lacey knew well.

"The day your door is closed, The echo's fill your soul. They won't say which way to go, Just trust your heart." Lacey sang.

"You're so off key!" Asher teased. She opened her mouth in mock horror, turning to face him with a smile.