Dirty Little Secrets (Book1) The Dirty Little Secrets Series

Chapter Twenty-Four-Asher

Hello, Lovelies, 

Thank you for joining me.  I did notice I had numbered the chapters wrong but that has been fixed.  I'm sorry for any confusion that may have caused.  Anyway, I want to thank you for being supportive and so kind.  I had a rough week last week but all of your support made it better.  I deeply appreciate it. 

News: I am trying to finish Twisted Souls for The Wattys so don't be surprised to see frequent updates if you are a reader.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.  If you do, please consider turning that star orange.  Comments are appreciated.  If you have questions, comment or leave me a message.

-XXX Amanda

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The light shined through the window making me squint my eyes. I blinked feeling Lena's warmth next to me as I took in her sleeping face. My heart clenched painfully as I gazed upon her berating myself for the way I had taken her the night before and yet, as I stared at her, I couldn't get enough of her. She was beginning to become an addiction and it was scaring the shit out of me.

She moved closer to me in her sleep and I wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her and feel every inch of her body beneath my fingertips. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I should have never taken her to the movies. I should have never insisted we be friends but now, I couldn't imagine a day without her. Then, I had made a mistake. I had taken her last night, desperate to connect with her when I knew better than to do that. It only made these emotions worse.

Her phone rang and I glanced away as she moaned, opening her eyes. She sat up, her body on full display and causing my body to instantly react. She didn't glance at me as she searched for her phone, leaving me free to study her as she found her jeans pulling the phone from the pocket.

A frown moved over her face as she glanced at the phone, her eyes darkening in hesitation as she sighed and answered.

"Hello?" She asked, her voice arching in confusion.

Her face changed, becoming tense and darkening further as I tried to figure out what was going on. My heart clenched in concern as she began to search for her clothes.

"Is she okay?" She asked, her voice trembling.

I tensed as her worry washed over me as she continued to dress while juggling her phone and biting her bottom lip.

"No...I'm on my way," She said, causing my heart to leap in my chest. She pressed the end call button, shoving her phone in her back pocket as she ran her trembling fingers over her hair trying to fix it back into a ponytail.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, wincing when I realized tears rested in her eyes.

She shook her head, "It's Becca," she whispered, her voice trembling so much that I could just make out what she said, "She was in a car accident yesterday. She's in the hospital."

She shook her head and then, closed her eyes pushing away her tears, causing me to move from the bed to face her and I knew I couldn't let her deal with this on her own no matter how bad the emotions would torture me later. I reached forward and tilted her chin up with the tips of my fingers.

"Do you need a ride to the hospital?" I whispered as she blinked, raising her eyes to mine.

"N-No," she said, her body trembling, "Y-You don't have to do that."

I frowned and instinctively I knew she was trying to put distance between us...She had been trying to put distance between us for a while, but I never allowed her to. I still couldn't especially now when she was hurting so much.

"Don't be silly," I said, giving her a sad smile, "We're friends, Lena. Friends help each other out."

She opened her mouth to protest again but I shook my head, "I'm taking you to the hospital," I said, firmly. Her shoulders drooped forward as she nodded, causing a tear to fall down her cheek.

As if my body had a mind of its own, I pulled her into my arms and allowed her to cry. I hadn't comforted someone like this in a long time and the fact that I was, terrified me more than anything else.

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Lena was quiet as I drove her to the hospital, her mind somewhere else. Her eyes were red-rimmed tearing my heart and soul in two. I shifted in the seat of my car, hating the emotions rolling through me because they gave her the power to hurt me and yet, I could never let her do this on her own.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked because my damn mouth seemed not to get the memo that I was digging myself further into a hole I wouldn't be able to get out of without causing us both pain.

She shook her head, letting me off the hook, her eyes glued to her hands clasped in her lap, "Thank you but no."

I winced as she distanced herself from me and damn if it didn't hurt already. I winced pushing the emotion away as I tried to force myself to pay attention to the road finally making it to the hospital.

She moved to get out of the car, but I stopped her, needing her eyes on me to calm my nerves and let me know she was going to be okay. I reached over and grabbed her hand. Her head lifted but her eyes remained downcast as if looking at me would make her break.

"Lena," I whispered, causing her to jerk, "Look at me, please. Tell me you're going to be okay."

Her eyes lifted and I could see the confusion jumbled within her blue-green eyes, piercing through me again. She nodded as her lip trembled. I cupped her cheek wanting to comfort as her pain became my own.

"I'll be okay," she whispered but I could hear the lie in her voice, and I knew she was pushing away everyone and everything to deal with the pain that always led her back to that one person...Barrett.

Fear pierced me because I worried if she did push everyone away, the world would be without her light. Her strength would fade in her grief and all I cared about was making sure she knew she wasn't alone.

I leaned toward her, my lips brushing hers causing her to gasp as I deepened the kiss. Her lips trembled beneath mine as she wrapped her arms around my neck and gave in to the only comfort I knew to give her.

"Call me to pick you up when you're done," I whispered. For once, I didn't care about that terrifying emotion trying to sweep through me. I only cared that she was able to make it through this without Barrett's memory burying her.

"I will," she whispered before she opened the door of the car and got out.

She didn't look back at me as she entered the hospital and I wanted to follow her, but I pushed that need away because regardless of what just happened, Lena and I would never be a couple. We would never be in love.