The Survivor (Book #2)

Chapter 48

I waited by the pool, hearing nothing over the sound of my pounding heart. What was I supposed to tell him? How could I let him know that I liked him when I had just ignored him for over a week? I really didn't have a good excuse for him... I simply panicked and got distracted by the conversation with Damon. I played with my fingers apprehensively while I decided I would tell him the truth, or at least a part of it.

I heard the gate on the side of the house clang shut and footsteps trailing over through the grass. I looked up shyly and was pleased to find him smiling at me and walking over with a purposeful, confident gait. I noticed he was dressed in a black button-up shirt and dark wash jeans, but I tried to keep my eyes on his, so he could read the apology in them before I spoke.

"Asher-" I said as he neared me, before being pulled into a big hug. He wrapped his arms around me and placed one on the back of my head like before. He pulled away with a smirk.

"Maya," he greeted me, letting his arms reluctantly fall from my body. "I had to do that, just in case this is goodbye."

"It- I..." I struggled to find the right words and he sighed as if his fears were confirmed.

"It's okay. We were never really together, so don't feel bad about any feelings I might have." He said transparently, jamming his hands in his pockets.

"It's not goodbye! It's actually more of an apology." I chuckled, butterflies growing as I registered the hope now making his grey eyes glow.

"Really?" he asked, grabbing one of my hands in his. I looked down at it in shock and he dropped it, immediately aware that he was going too far. I let out a little laugh and sat down on the pool towels I had placed in the grass, motioning for him to sit beside me.

"Yes, really. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about everything that happened. I didn't mean for you to be kicked out of my house, and I didn't want to ignore you after. I was sort of caught up in something else and you just moved to the back of my mind." I said, scratching my neck. I tried not to wince when he looked down sadly.

"But" I added. "I'm not sorry about the kiss. I really like you and I would love to go out with you more and see what happens in the future."

"Wait! I'm the guy, shouldn't I have confessed that I like you first?" he asked, arm flexed as he ran a hand through his hair nervously.

I laughed. "It's a little late," I replied sassily.

"Okay, well rewind and pretend you didn't say that yet," he suggested, with more animation than I'd ever seen him possess. I pretended to think about it until I finally gave in.

"Fine." I conceded, rolling my eyes.

He smiled, flashing his beautiful white teeth at me, and gently grabbed one of my hands. He looked at me to check if that was okay and I gave him a small smile, allowing it.

"Maya, when I met you, I had doubts about who you were and what you were doing at our school, but now I thank God every day that you were placed at my school in my class and became my friend. But while I'm grateful for this friendship, I really like you and I don't think I can pretend I don't anymore. Will you go out with me?" Asher asked, leaning closer to me, and waiting.

I nodded my head eagerly. "Yes!" I said, bending over and pecking his lips.

"Oh, we can do better than that." He scoffed, before leaning over me and giving me a real kiss. Somehow, impossibly, it was better than our first.

"Damn it! We're dating, and it's Christmas Eve, and I totally didn't get you a present." I admit when we broke apart. He laughed and then reached into his pocket.

"I actually got something for you... Just in case everything went well." He said, handing me a small perfectly wrapped box.

I smiled at him then ripped the paper open with a giggle to find a small brown box. I pulled the lid off and gasped in excitement. I tipped the box over and let it slip onto my palm.

"Is this a camera?" I asked, lifting the pastel purple object, and peering through the lens at him.

"Yeah! A polaroid camera," he explained, pullingit from my grasp gently and aiming it on me. He clicked the button before I hadtime to pose, and I slapped his arm angrily as the picture was pushed out ofthe bottom.

"Hey! I wasn't ready!" I whined.

"I wanted to see real Maya, not posed Maya." he teased, shaking the picture before tucking it into his back pocket.

"Do I get one of you?" I asked coyly, pressing the camera to my eye, and looking at him through it.

He leaned his head to the side and smiled in response. I pressed the button as quickly as I could and wiggled happily as it started to develop.

Suddenly a noise came from inside.

"I should probably get back in there," I said, glancing at the glass door and praying one of the boys didn't come out.

"Of course. Sorry to keep you!" Asher apologized, standing up.

"Thank you," I said, ignoring his unnecessary apology. When I stood, he leaned down to press his lips to mine once more. When he pulled back, we paused for a minute. We looked at each other and breathed only millimeters apart.

His voice was raspy as he spoke.

"I like your Christmas pajamas." He said with a straight face, before busting out laughing. I looked down at my poor choice of outfit and then stretched out an arm to slap him as he pulled back and ran away. He gave me a little salute as he quietly took off around the side of the house back to his car. I heard his car roar to life and then take off down the road.

With no time to waste, I tucked the camera back in the box and wrapped it up in the towel we had been sitting on. I placed it beside the door and tried to slip inside without anyone noticing.

They were in the front room, turning on the movie "Elf" and setting the boxes of food all over the coffee table. I looked at the chaos with a warm feeling that expanded throughout my chest. Charlotte and Brooks were trying to decide which Christmas movie was the best of all time and Caleb had just knocked over a box of orange chicken and was plucking pieces from the carpet.

"Damn, was the floor hungry too?" Damon teased him, while Dominic cued up the movie. I jumped over the back of the couch and plopped down beside Dom while he pressed pause and grabbed something. He placed the red and green knit blanket over my legs just before I shivered. Damon settled on my other side after helping Caleb clean up and we all filled our plates as Dominic hit play.