Then and now

Chapter 15: Amira's POV

These past couple of weeks have been the worst in a while.

Fear has overtaken me and started controlling me.

I can feel it in my bones. My bloodstream. My thoughts. I can't escape it.

It's always in my mind. The text he sent.

Nothing else has mattered since that text. Taking care of myself doesn't matter. My deteriorating mental state doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is the fact that Logan knows where I am. And he's coming.

When Asher showed up at my door today, I only felt relief that the person knocking on my door wasn't Logan. My dad hasn't been home in weeks. Probably staying at his girlfriends house.

I will admit, having Asher in the house did ease my fear a little bit. The knowledge that if Logan did come, there would be someone with me brings me comfort. Especially that the person is Asher, and I know that he would protect me.

I hope he would.

The fact that he makes me feel safe is the reasoning why I fell asleep so easily. It's been impossible for me to fall asleep until now.

I just want to stay here.

My eyes have been closed but I have been awake for the last 15 or so minutes. My head is on his shoulder I think, and it's so comfortable I can't bring myself to open my eyes are reveal that I'm awake.

I just feel so cared for.

I haven't felt that since I was 14 when my dad still gave me hugs.

"Amira?" He says softly, looking down at me.

I open my eyes slowly trying to act like I just woke up.

"Yeah. I'm awake." I get up from his shoulder and adjust my top.

"How'd you sleep?" His voice is so gentle, like he doesn't want me to run away. One thing I've noticed about Asher, is that he loves eye contact. His gaze won't leave yours when talking to you. It creates this intensity- an intensity that makes me hot inside.

"Really good. I'm sorry for falling asleep on you, you could have woken me up."

"No you needed the sleep. And I don't mind." He smiles and gets up, heading for the kitchen.

I've always had a very clean house, as my dad gets cleaners in three times a week. They haven't been coming in lately though. I'm not sure why.

"Where is your dad?" His question takes me off guard. Where is my dad?

I decide to just tell him the truth, because I can't be bothered coming up with a lie right now.

"I'm not sure. He hasn't come home in a couple of weeks actually." Asher turns to me with a horrified look on his face, like someone just punched him.

"What the hell? Have you been alone for that long?" He looks at me with pity, anger, and worry. His eyes hold so many feelings, ones that need to be broken down and examined to understand them.

"Yeah. It's no big deal." I say that knowing that being alone in this house has been driving me insane. When you isolate yourself, your brain finds other ways to be entertained. It's like you turn on yourself.

"Amira, that is a big deal. You should come and stay with me." He looks absolutely serious, and this statement takes me by surprise. Stay with him? Like in his house?

"No, I could never intrude like that." I tell him, fiddling with my top and looking down at my feet refusing eye contact with him.

Asher walks towards me and puts his hands on my shoulders. I keep my eyes trained on the ground, but I can tell he is waiting for me to look up at him.