He'd gone beyond his player ways for her.
She'd grown beyond her traumatic past for him.
Together, their love was beyond.
Until one fatal accident.
__________
When she loses the love of her life in a car crash, Althea has nothing left in California...
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*ASHER'S POV*
October 12, 2023.
"Thank you for coming."
It took me two long minutes to type those words, and still, as soon as I lifted my gaze to Althea's crossed arms over her chest, I wanted to erase them.
"I did it for Munisa."
That was a blow to my chest, though it was a million times better than the impact a goodbye could have had.
"These kids are hard to resist, right?" I chuckled, wishing they could still be here with us.
Who would have thought I would say that while being alone with my Peachy?
The thing was that when they'd been here, she'd been sitting inches away from me, and now, she was standing too far, her eyes already on the door, only coming back to me at their mention, even if it was in an accusing squint.
"Wait... did you plan everything with Munisa?" She even uncrossed her arms and took a half-step closer to point her finger at me as I glanced from left to right, trying to understand what she meant. "That she didn't have anyone to walk her here in time."
"What? Do you really think I could use an innocent child like that?"
Before the sentence was even fully out, I was met by her cocked eyebrow, the blank stare under piercing through me too easily.
"Okay, I could have. But I didn't. I swear." I raised my hand in both honesty and surrender. It could never be anything else diving into these deep brown eyes.
That was why I'd been able to keep that lie for all these years, because I didn't have them in front of me, though when she shook her head, breaking our stare, I also remembered why it had been so much harder without them.
My heart was already stumbling over its own rhythm, trying to chase her as she was slipping through my fingers, which were too slow on the screen.
"It's getting late. I should..."
"Althea." Her name fell from my lips naturally.
The syllables were easy to pronounce, and I didn't even have to move my mouth; they came from deeper, where more words rushed when our gazes clashed again, even if I kept them inside, turning to the keyboard.
