Tom's palm met Asher's cheek in a resounding slap. A small pool of blood oozed from the cut on his cheek caused by his ring. Asher balled his hands into tight fists in an attempt to keep himself from returning the gesture. Initially, when his dad used to beat him, he would wrap around his legs and beg for mercy. He would apologize even when he wasn't wrong. The little boy just wanted his dad's affection. He wanted him to love him like he loved Ashton. But his dad never showed him mercy, much less love. He would beat him until he fainted. Sometimes Asher felt that his dad wanted him to die. Too bad, death didn't want him either. "I will not have you ruin my reputation," Mr. Carter asserted with another striking slap causing his face to whip the other side. His brows knitted as he heard a ringing in his ear. He wasn't allowed to dwell much on it as Tom seized his chin and jerked his face towards him. "Why did you mangle Clark's car?" Tom demanded in a venom-laced tone. Tom's

"I showed your gift to my friends and they liked it too," Serena revealed to Asher as they walked together towards their class. "Really? What did they say?" Asher pried. "Mendy and Kim couldn't stop awing at it and Shanice...well, she was totally stunned. Her eyes nearly bugged out as though she had seen some ghost," Serena giggled as she recalled Shanice's expression. The girl had looked so comical. Asher smirked. So she recognized it. "Did she say anything?" Asher asked a perk in his tone now. "Yes. She said it's pretty," the guileless girl revealed. Asher nodded, smirking in triumph. .............It's staggering how quickly time flies. It felt like only yesterday when she had met Shanice for the first time and now she was helping her pack her bags. Shanice was leaving their small town for LA with Reed tomorrow. She was flying out to live her dreams. And while Serena was happy for her, she was a little sad too. She hated goodbyes. "I am going to miss you," Serena felt te

Serena set down the box on the study table in front of him. Asher paused scribbling in his diary. His gaze flickered to the box and then he glanced up at her in confusion. She was standing over him with a beaming smile on her face. She motioned for him to open the box. He reached out a hand and opened it only to find a pair of glasses sitting inside. It looked very much like his earlier glasses but with an expensive touch to it. "You liked them?" she asked in a hopeful tone. Asher raised his gaze to her. Her smile faltered upon seeing his bothered expression. "How much did it cost you?" he enquired with a frown on his face. "Not as much as you think. The storekeeper is a regular to our clinic so I had them at a discount," she lied with a shrug to not make him feel bad. Asher sighed."Serena, I don't want you to splurge on things..""It's not splurging, Asher. It's a basic necessity. You needed them.," she said with a reassuring smile. He would never say it out loud but she knew he

Flames of anger licked through Asher when he saw his father stalking towards Serena. He swept in between them and seized Tom's filthy hand mid-air before they could even touch Serena's sacred aura. "Don't you dare," he ground out while brutally squeezing Tom's wrist. Their eyes locked in a silent battle of will. "You imbecile," she exclaimed from afar, too scared to get near. "Leave your dad's hand," her appalled voice cut through the tension that hung in the air. Asher ignored her remark and continued to stare down at his father, his rage evident in his eyes. The air around them was heavy and thick with the weight of their confrontation. It had turned downright vicious. "I should have killed you the day you were born," Tom hissed. Asher kept his face neutral. He refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing him hurting. "Raise your hand on her again and I will rip this whole arm off your body," Asher warned him in a cold and exact tone. He released his hand with a jerk, stil

Serena stilled in shock as he locked his heavy arms around her frame. The girl was yet to make sense of it when she suddenly found herself moving on his lap. Not finding their current closeness enough, he drew her up until her back was pressed firmly to his front. Her heartbeat paused before accelerating at a maddening speed as she suddenly found herself caged between his arms and his chest. She could feel his chest rising and falling against her back with his every breath. "Asher," she weakly protested as he brushed her hair aside. His fingertips lightly skimmed her skin, causing goosebumps to scatter down her arms. She was having a hard time staying in control with him touching her the way he was. When he didn't respond, she lifted herself off his lap in an attempt to stand up. "No. Stay," He slurred, pulling her back onto his lap and tightening his hold in a relentless grip, allowing her no escape from him. "Stay, Pumpkin," he breathed hotly on her nape, causing a tingling