Dirty Little Secrets (Book1) The Dirty Little Secrets Series

Chapter Three-Asher

A/N: Hello, Lovelies,

I hope everyone is having a great Wednesday.  I hope you enjoy the next chapter of Dirty Little Secrets.  There are no real warnings for this one but Asher and Lena do speak in this chapter.  Please comment and please vote.  Thank you for reading.  XXXX Amanda

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Two months since Barrett passed away and every time I open my blinds in the morning, I hope to see Lena dancing around her bedroom. Instead, I find her dragging herself from her bed, looking like hell causing a familiar ache to spread through my chest. I try to push it away but instead, I now peek through my blinds at night finding her bent over her homework or staring into space. It makes me crazy because I hope that one day she'll heal...One day I'll see her dancing again. For some reason it means something to me to see her happy and carefree. Maybe it's because I can't be. I have to be this asshole to keep my feelings from consuming me.

I sighed as I glance out the blinds. It's Saturday and she's been sitting on her bed for an hour staring into space wearing the same shorts and sweatshirt I saw her in the night before. As I watch, she rises and I squint as I take in the name on the sweatshirt. Vanzant is written in bold black letters. My heart shatters as I realize it's his shirt...Barrett's.

I close my eyes trying to push away the emotions from that revelation. She's been wearing that damn thing since the week after he died. My heart trembles as I realize she hasn't moved forward from her grief...Not one little bit.

My phone buzzes and I pick it up to stare at the text...Are we still meeting at 7?

I walk out of my bedroom making my way to the door as I try to think of a response as I look at the name. Andrea...I can't even remember what she looks like. I shake my head as I step outside, blinking against the bright sun, my phone with the unanswered text still in my hand. The clang of metal against metal makes me raise my head to find Jay under the hood of his car. I walk toward him.

"What's wrong?" I ask and he raises his head bumping it on the hood.

He rubs his head with a wince, "I have no idea," he said, annoyed as he throws a wrench to the ground, "I don't know shit about this and I don't have the money for a mechanic right now."

I grin because if there is one thing I know, it's cars, "Try to start it," I said and Jay shrugs and jumps into the car but it only clicks when he turns the key.

"I bet it's the alternator," I said, raising my brow.

Jay jumps out of the car, "That's just great," he said, frowning, "How the hell am I going to fix that?"

"I can help you," I say as my phone buzzes in my hand again. I send Andrea a text...Sorry...Not tonight. Something came up. Rain Check?

She doesn't answer back which means she's probably pissed. I don't give a damn. Jay smiles, "You don't mind?" He asked, raising his brow surprised.

I really can't blame him. Though we are friends, I have barely spoken to him in the last few months. Still, I shake my head, "I don't mind," I said with a shrug, "But you owe me dinner and a beer."

"Deal," he said with a sigh of relief.

"Let me go change," I said, turning as I wondered what was possessing me to help him, but I knew what it was. Maybe if I helped her brother, Lena would smile and if she smiled maybe she would dance.

"Asher?" Jay said and I turned.

"Thanks," he said, relief washing over his features, "What you are doing is really decent."