To Break Loose [Original]

Chapter Twenty Two

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Twenty Two
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"Why don't movies with actual surprises exist anymore??" Jaden dramatized as he changed channels

"Oren" he called

"What?"

"Why you not talking to your number one fan?" Jaden whispered

Oren cut a glance at her  "Why the heck?"

"Cause..." And his friend was acting annoying again.

"Jaden, don't even get me started"

"What?" He faked innocence

Oren shook his head and got back to his phone.

"You know now I'm curious," Jaden spoke up and Oren held in a groan.  "It's weird between you two"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I don't know, your number one fan should be all swoonie but Asher... She just hates your guts"

"What?" Oren faced him

"It's obvious" Jaden shrugged

Oren glanced again at her back, his friend's words playing with his mind.

No.

He shut his eyes and took a calm breath.

He was loveable, everyone loved him.

All he'd been was nice to her from the start, unless he'd upset her.

No...

Lord, pacify me - he prayed

Peace.

He felt a calm instantly.

He opened his eyes and Jaden was mindlessly watching a movie.

He ignored it.

He was after God and it was only what He wanted that he wanted.

His will alone.

---

"This is hella unfair" Everest complained again and she looked up from the novel.

"It's learning, something you've probably never done"

He gasped "Wednesday" with a hand to his chest  "ouch"

She rolled her eyes and got back to her novel.

"How do you know Ren?" The question came up again and she raised her head to him.

He was serious and eager at the same time.

She sighed  " I heard him play once" she finally said

"Oh so you're not his biggest fan?"

She frowned

"Okay," he said  "So I bet you were... What's the word? Mind blown?"

She met his gaze  "No" and lied outrightly

"That's a sick lie" he countered "I know that because even I've heard him play and I couldn't tell it"

She shut her eyes and held it together.

"Hard to believe how far he's come with this,"

She tore her eyes open.

Everest nodded and looked over her shoulder  "We go a long way back" he told her

Well now she wanted to know just how far he'd come.

If it was normal.

Asher actually glanced over her shoulder catching his gaze in time.

She panicked.

"I noticed you hate him, did you know?"

She looked back  "I don't hate him" he just knows my secret.

And my façades.

"Well he's a good guy and don't tell him I said that" Everest said, gesturing to the work they had  "He's like the dad guy. Sensible."

"Stop talking about him" Asher blurted, her face ten shades redder.

Everest dropped it and they continued in silence.

She had to go afterwards, surprised he hadn't looked up from his phone when Everest announced her departure.

Why was she surprised anyway?

Because you hate him - her subconscious explained

"—I don't!" She accidentally blurted, startling Everest.

"What was that?"

"Nothing"

---

The week came by quick, more of Anya showed up and then the Bean House was slowly becoming her not so safe haven.

When she walked in Harry was attending to customers so she joined at the counter quietly until he found and acknowledged her.

"Busy day," he explained

She nodded  "Quite obvious"

She sat and played around with her phone, glancing around and sighing in relief when there was no trace of—

"Harry dear, I can't find the new mixer—oh, hello Asher!"

—Anya Mikalsky.

Asher and Harry exchanged a look

Harry chuckled half embarrassed before telling her where it was and she disappeared behind the doors.

"What do I get you, yellow?"

"What's up with her?"

"Anya? Oh she's...very helpful" and he looked down and pretended to use the cash register

"Helpful? She works here then?"

"More of a voluntary service?"

"And you're okay with that?"

"What's wrong with her?"

Asher raised a brow   " Harry..."

"What?" He pressed his lips together

"What's up with you two?" Asher asked again, her suspicions getting clearer with the more time he took to answer

" She's a good woman" he nodded

She sighed.  "Well I don't have anything against her until it's creepy because she lectures at my school"

"She doesn't work here, I promise" Harry told and and she shrugged

It would only be a matter of time, especially with her wearing that one apron he used to tag 'off limits'

---

When she didn't see his car parked, Asher second guessed coming.

She'd texted Everest a while ago but he'd left her on read. She was used to that because he did it often and most times she took the initiative and came only to find out some he had some dumb excuse to not reply her text.

She knocked again and hugged her elbows, waiting.

The door opened when she raised her fist again and her brows jumped slightly,

"Oh. Hey"

***

Hey,

If y'all notice I'm merging timelines.

It's deliberate because,heck, I didn't expect Asher to get to this chapter!

I need to get to an end.

Hope you don't mind?

Kairos.