ВойтиARIELLA I gave Asher a disapproving look. I mean, I kind of wanted to stay because...... ever since I can remember, my mother and I have never seen eye to eye. This was the first time in years that the two of us were talking without arguing. We were agreeing on something for once and talking abo
ASHER My mother continued staring at me in confusion, so I kept going. "I was hoping you would let me explain what happened eight years ago," I said quietly. "So I could explain why I did what I did...." She opened her mouth, and I already knew she was about to stop me. Probably tell me she didn
ARIELLA My mother snapped, putting her teacup down a bit too forcefully. Tea splashed across the table, but neither of us cared. "I am going to talk about him," I said firmly. "He is my father." "Stop this minute." She raised her hand at me. "Mom, I'm not twelve. I'm not sixteen anymore. I'm an
ARIELLA When Luca and Asher disappeared upstairs, the room somehow became even colder. Even quieter. Neither my mother nor I looked at each other. Neither of us spoke. The silence stretched between us. It had been years. Probably eight years since the last time I had seen her. Years of me pictur
ASHER You really think after that little tantrum I'm going to drink tea made by that woman? At this point, I wouldn't put poisoning above her. "Come on," Luca insisted. "It's fine." Then he grabbed Ariella's free hand. Actually grabbed it, and started pulling her toward the house. I immediately
ASHER "Aren't you happy to see me?" Luca asked Ariella, wiggling his eyebrows dramatically. I immediately shot him a warning look. Then leaned closer and whispered, "What the fuck are you doing here?" He didn't even have the decency to look guilty. Instead, he smiled, then winked at me. The b
ARIELLA Later that night, I went back into my bedroom, the silence of the house weighing heavier than it had all day. I had realised something....no, accepted it. I couldn’t change what was coming. I couldn’t stop the inevitable. But that didn’t mean I was going to let it happen quietly. He wasn
I squeal and rush towards the bathroom, the sound of Asher's low chuckle following me as I slam the door shut behind me. My cheeks are burning, and not just from the embarrassment, I’m still reeling from everything. From Leon’s little face full of joy… from Asher’s smile… from the way my body aches
ASHER Ariella is smiling. Really smiling. Her hair is tucked behind one ear. Her hand gestures in midair as she talks, and then she laughs at something Maria says. That sound...God, that sound. I used to hear it in my dreams. I used to ache for it in the silence of every damn night. And now it’s
We were lost. Lost in the passion. Lost in the euphoria. I was spent....so completely undone, my limbs heavy, my thoughts floating. I didn’t think I’d ever gone that hard, or if Asher had ever gone so hard on me before. I didn’t know which it was, me or him or both but I was still riding that hig







