When He Saved Me

t w e l v e

I look over at the clock it's 2 am, but sleep feels like a distant dream. Jules and Brooke are sound asleep, their gentle snores filling the room. I slip out of bed, craving the cool embrace of the night air and the soothing caress of the water against my skin.

I throw on a bikini and a loose T-shirt, stolen from Cade's closet, and make my way out to the pool. The night is quiet, the only sound the gentle lapping of water against the sides of the pool. I slip into the water, relishing the sensation of weightlessness as I float beneath the starry sky.

"What are you doing?"

I startle at the sound of Asher's voice. "What does it look like?" I snap, feeling a surge of irritation at his intrusion.

He joins me in the pool, his muscular frame cutting through the water effortlessly. "Why?" he asks, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine.

I shift uncomfortably under his gaze, the weight of his scrutiny making me feel exposed and vulnerable. "I couldn't sleep," I mutter, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Me either," he admits, a hint of vulnerability in his voice that catches me off guard. "Ciara's snoring like a freight train."

I can't help but laugh at that, the tension between us easing slightly. "Brooke told me what she said to you," he continues, his tone softening.

"It doesn't matter," I reply, my voice barely audible as I turn away, not wanting him to see the hurt lurking beneath the surface.

"It does," he insists, his voice firm. "You didn't deserve that. She's leaving tomorrow morning; I called an Uber for her."

"You didn't have to do that," I protest, touched by his unexpected act of kindness.

"It wasn't for you the other girls didn't want her here and to be honest neither did I." he explains back to being his normal asshole self.

"If you didn't want her here, why did you invite her?" I ask, unable to shake the feeling that there's more to his actions than meets the eye.

"For a distraction, I guess," he admits, his shoulders slumping slightly. "A distraction from what?"

"It doesn't matter," he dismisses, his tone turning guarded as he quickly changes the subject.

But I can't let it go. "It does matter," I insist, my voice firm. "Everyone deserves to be heard, and I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

He seems taken aback by my offer, his expression softening slightly as he meets my gaze but only for a second and then the walls are back up. "Wow, Madison, I didn't realize you were such a saint. Offering up your listening ear to save the day. How noble of you."

His words cut through me like a knife, a rush of anger flooding my veins as I glare at him. "You're such an arrogant prick," I spit out surprising myself, my voice trembling with fury. "You have no idea what it's like to actually care about someone other than yourself."

He scoffs, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Oh, spare me the self-righteousness, Madison. You're just as self-centered as the rest of us. Probably more so, considering you've been babied your entire life."

My fists clench at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as I struggle to contain the rage boiling inside me. "You don't know anything about me," I hiss, my voice low.

"Likewise," he retorts, his tone icy. "But at least I'm not pretending to be something I'm not."I can feel the tears stinging at the corners of my eyes, hot and angry. "Go to hell, Asher," I choke out, my voice thick with emotion.