I Had Gone Too Far...

~~ Ryder's POV ~~

The door pushed open, and Asher walked into the principal's office with one hand buried inside his pocket.

He didn't look nervous or even look angry.

He just closed the door behind him with his other hand and slowly walked toward the desk at the front of the room.

The principal sat behind his large wooden desk, his face already twisted with anger. I was sitting in one of the chairs across from him, an ice pack pressed against my nose.

Asher didn't greet anyone. He simply pulled out the empty chair beside me and sat down.

His movements were calm and almost careless, like he hadn't just punched the hell out of me less than an hour ago.

I couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at my lips.

Of course.

That was Asher.

Actually, that's one of the things I liked about him.

He was calm when he wanted to be, stubborn as hell, and most especially, short-tempered.

At first glance, Asher looked fragile. His slim body, pretty face, and soft features made people think he wouldn't hurt a fly.

They were wrong... very wrong.

Asher was a firecracker.

And I had always enjoyed being the idiot who lit the fuse.

I leaned back in my chair and stared at him from the corner of my eye.

His dark hair was slightly messy, probably from the fight. A faint redness still covered his knuckles, and his chest rose and fell slowly as he tried to control his breathing.

He didn't look at me. He was pretending I didn't exist.

This wasn't the first time Asher had gotten into trouble because of me.

It was actually the third school we'd both transferred to.

Three schools. Three different uniforms. Three different principals.

And somehow, the same damn problem.

Me.

Every time I stole one of his crushes, Asher would lose his temper and use his fists before thinking about the consequences.

And honestly?

I liked it.

Maybe I was a psycho... hehehe.

But what could I say?

Asher's angry face was addictive. The way his eyebrows pulled together whenever he saw me, the way his lips tightened, and the way his eyes practically screamed murder whenever I smiled at him after taking someone he liked.

It was entertaining.

Maybe I should have stopped... but I never did.

This time, however, was different.

Asher hadn't laid a finger on me since we transferred to this school.

Not even when I deliberately sat beside him in the cafeteria. Not even when I stole the seat he always used during lunch and not even when I teased him about his latest crush.

Maybe someone had warned him about getting expelled again. Or maybe he had finally learned to control his temper.

Honestly, I missed it.

I almost missed seeing those beautiful eyes burn with anger whenever he looked at me.

Our constant transfers had become a ridiculous routine.

Whenever Asher punched me, he got expelled because my father was one of the school's biggest sponsors.

It was ridiculous.

My father didn't even have to say much.

One phone call was usually enough. Somehow, my punishment always disappeared while Asher was the one shown the door.

I knew it wasn't fair. I knew it was wrong.

But I didn't care.

Asher would transfer to another school, and somehow, I would find out where he had gone, and then I would transfer there too.

Every single time... no matter what.

I'm a stalker, right?

Yeah... uhmm... probably.

But I liked it.

I liked finding him. I liked seeing the annoyed expression on his face whenever he realized I had followed him again.

Most of all, I liked getting on his nerves just to see his furious face.

I liked watching his cheeks turn red. I liked the way his jaw tightened. I liked the way his eyes narrowed whenever he looked at me like he wanted to kill me.

And the way his ass bounced whenever he stormed away?

Yeah... I liked that too.

He has a big ass like that of a woman, and to be sincere, that was why I got on his nerves.

What a fucking pervert I was.

I rubbed the back of my neck and tried not to laugh.

The principal suddenly slammed his palm against the desk.

"Asher Bennett!" His sharp voice filled the room.

Asher finally lifted his head.

The principal pointed angrily at me. "Look what you did to Ryder. What do you think your punishment should be?"

Asher didn't answer. He simply lowered his gaze to his lap.

He looked completely calm, but I knew him.

I knew him better than almost anyone. I noticed the small movement of his jaw and how his teeth pressed together.

I had seen that expression countless times before.

It was the face Asher made whenever he regretted something but would rather die than admit he was wrong.

Then the principal leaned back in his chair.

His expression hardened.

"You're being expelled. From now on, you're not allowed on the school premises."

My smile disappeared. I looked up sharply.

No.

He couldn't be expelled again... not because of me.

"Principal, the fault is all mine," I said quickly. "Please don't expel him."

The principal looked at me. I ignored the warning in his eyes.

"I mean it. Asher wouldn't have punched me if—"

I stopped.

If I told the truth, everything would become even worse.

I wanted to explain that Asher hadn't started it. That I had deliberately provoked him and had taken his crush again.

But before I could say anything else, Asher lifted his head.

His eyes met mine and he gave a quiet laugh.

It wasn't a happy laugh.

It was the kind of laugh someone gave when they had already stopped caring about what happened next.

He looked away from me and turned toward the principal. "Okay. I accept the expulsion letter."

My chest tightened.

"Asher—"

I reached out and caught his left arm before he could stand. His skin felt warm beneath my fingers.

He looked down at my hand, then his eyes slowly moved back to my face.

"What are you doing?" I asked. I could hear the confusion in my own voice. "Let me help you."

Asher stared at me for a few seconds. There was no anger in his eyes this time.

That somehow felt worse. He slowly pulled himself free.

"You know what?" His voice was quiet, but there was anger underneath it. He looked straight at me with a deep frown. "Just fucking get the hell out of my life. Such bad luck."

The words hit harder than they should have.

I flinched slightly.

For once, I didn't have a stupid comeback.

I watched as the principal picked up a sheet of paper and began writing. The scratching sound of his pen against the paper filled the room.

It was strangely loud. Every stroke of the pen seemed to remind me that this was actually happening.

A few seconds later, the principal signed the bottom of the letter and pushed it across the desk toward Asher.

Asher reached for it, but I immediately caught his wrist.

"Don't do this," I said quietly. My voice sounded more desperate than I wanted it to. "I can help you."

Guilt was already crawling through my chest.

If I hadn't stolen that girl from him, he wouldn't have punched me.

If he hadn't punched me, he wouldn't be sitting in this office.

If he wasn't sitting in this office, he wouldn't be getting expelled.

And most importantly, he wouldn't be leaving me again.

Asher looked down at my hand around his wrist. His expression hardened.

He snorted and grabbed the expulsion letter with his free hand. "Now let go."

I stared at him. For a moment, I didn't want to. My fingers remained wrapped around his wrist.

I didn't know what I was trying to accomplish.

Maybe I wanted him to stay.

Maybe I wanted to take back everything I had done.

But I knew there was nothing I could do.

Slowly, I loosened my fingers and let him go.

Asher stood up. He folded the letter and tucked it away and turned toward the door.

I watched him walk away. He didn't look back... not even once.

The door closed behind him with a soft click.

I sat there staring at the closed door. I didn't know that it would be the last time I saw Asher.

After that day, I couldn't find out where he had gone. I couldn't find his new school. I couldn't find him anywhere.

I asked around and tried to get information from people who knew him.

But I couldn't get anything.

It was like Asher had disappeared from the world.

Even his best friend, Jamie, disappeared with him.

For the first time, I realized my stupid game wasn't funny anymore.

School felt boring; the hallways felt too quiet. Even the things I used to enjoy didn't feel the same.

Every time I passed an empty seat where Asher should have been, I remembered the way he had looked at me before leaving.

I had always enjoyed getting under his skin.

I loved making him angry. I loved watching him fight back.

But now that he was gone, I finally understood something.

I had gone too far.

And since that day, I've carried the guilt of losing him in my heart.

............

~~ Asher ~~

PRESENT DAY

"Hey, over here, Ash!" Jamie shouted, waving at me from beside the boards.

I smiled and skated toward him.

The cold air of the rink brushed against my face as my skates glided over the smooth ice. The blades made a soft scraping sound beneath my feet, mixing with the music playing from the speakers and the occasional shouts from the other cheerleaders practicing around us.

I slowed down as I reached the boards and stopped in front of Jamie.

"Always here to cheer for me, huh?" I teased.

A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

Jamie reached out and messed up my hair.

"Always finding time to tease me, huh?"

I laughed softly and shook my head, trying to fix my hair with one hand. "Stop that. If you continue doing that, I won't be handsome anymore, you know?"

Jamie laughed and handed me the bottle of water he was holding. "Drink up. You need to stay hydrated."

"Yes, Mommy," I answered sweetly, making him laugh. "I don't think I can tell the difference between you and my mom. You're always nagging me."

He rolled his eyes as he reached up and fixed the strands of hair he had messed up.

His fingers moved carefully through my hair before he finally stepped back.

"There. Much better."

I smiled. "See? I told you I needed you."

"You only say that when you want something."

"That's not true."

"It is."

I laughed under my breath.

Jamie had always been like this. Sometimes, I wondered if he had secretly been assigned the job of taking care of me.

He had known me for so long that he could tell when I was tired, annoyed, hungry, or pretending to be fine.

His eyes moved over me for a moment before settling on my skates.

"Your dancing steps and skating have really improved," Jamie remarked.

I immediately lifted my chin. "Why wouldn't they? I'm the best."

Jamie laughed and shook his head. "Of course you are."

"You sound like you don't believe me," I said, pretending to be angry.

"I believe you're very good at praising yourself," Jamie teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Jealous."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small towel. Before I could say anything, he gently wiped the sweat from my forehead and cheeks.

I stayed still and let him.

The practice had left my body warm despite the cold rink. Sweat clung lightly to my skin, and my chest still rose and fell from the movements we had been practicing.

Jamie lowered the towel. "You should rest for a few minutes."

"I can handle it."

"I know you can. That doesn't mean you have to act like you're made of steel."

I smiled faintly. "You're starting to sound exactly like Mom."

"Good. Maybe you'll listen to me."

I laughed.

Jamie shook his head before sitting down on one of the bleachers. "I heard the school recruited a hockey star for the captain position."

I raised an eyebrow. "A hockey star?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Apparently, he's really good."

I covered the bottle of water and tossed it toward him. Jamie caught it easily and turned it slowly between his hands.

"None of my business," I said, leaning my back against the boards. "I'm only on the ice as a cheerleader, not a hockey player."

Jamie gave me a look. "I know."

"So why are you telling me?"

"Because everyone is talking about him."

I shrugged. "People always talk."

"He apparently played for another big school," Jamie said slowly.

"Good for him," I scoffed.

"And they say he's really popular."

"Even better."

Jamie narrowed his eyes. "You don't sound interested."

"I'm not." I crossed my arms. "A new hockey captain doesn't have anything to do with me."

I wasn't lying.

I had my own things to worry about.

My cheerleading squad. Our upcoming performances.

The routines we still needed to perfect and the backflip I was struggling to learn.

I didn't care about some new hockey star.

Jamie opened his mouth to say something, but a loud noise suddenly came from outside the rink.

Students were shouting and cheering. The sound echoed through the building, bouncing off the walls before reaching us.

The voices were getting louder.

I frowned slightly. "What the hell is going on?"

Jamie turned toward the entrance. "Looks like it's the new captain."

The cheering grew even louder. I could hear many voices calling out excitedly.

Some students laughed while others shouted the same thing repeatedly. It sounded like a crowd was moving closer to the rink.

I rolled my eyes. "People are acting like some celebrity just arrived."

Jamie laughed. "Maybe he is."

"Whatever."

I pushed myself away from the boards and skated back onto the ice.

I had no interest in whoever this new captain was. I had come here to practice, not to welcome some hockey star who apparently needed an entire crowd just to enter the school.

The ice felt smooth beneath my skates as I moved toward the center of the rink.

I took a slow breath and tried to clear my mind.

I moved toward the center of the rink and prepared myself to practice the backflip I had been struggling to learn.

I bent my knees slightly and stretched my arms out. My heartbeat quickened as I focused on the movement.

I had tried the backflip many times already, but I still wasn't comfortable with it.

One wrong movement could throw off my balance.

I took another breath.

Behind me, the noise continued. The students weren't allowed inside the rink while practice was going on, which was probably why the crowd had stopped somewhere outside.

Good.

I didn't need them distracting me.

I pushed off slightly, preparing to start again.

"Hey, Ash."

I turned my head toward the direction of the voice.

My partner, Christy, was standing a distance away from me. She had one hand resting on her hip while her eyes remained fixed on the entrance.

I smiled. "Are you ready for the steps?"

She pouted, looked at me and shook her head. "Not yet. I want to see the new captain."

I stared at her. "Seriously?"

She nodded eagerly. "Everyone is talking about him."

"So?"

"So I want to see what all the noise is about."

I sighed. "Suit yourself, then."

Christy smiled and turned toward the entrance again.

I shook my head. People were unbelievable.

I turned back toward the ice. I was about to skate across it when something made me stop.

A voice came from behind me. The moment I heard it, every other sound around me seemed to disappear.

My body went completely still. My fingers slowly tightened around the pom-pom in my hand.

No.

It couldn't be.

My heart suddenly began beating harder against my chest.

I swallowed slowly.

The voice called the one name I had never wanted to hear again in my entire lifetime.

"Bunny."