“I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
My eyes flew open as I gasped and quickly sat up. My heart raced and I couldn’t catch my breath.
“What’s wrong?” Asher asked in a panic as he placed his hand on my arm.
“Go back to sleep, baby. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“No, Everly. Talk to me,” he said as he sat up and hooked his arm around me. “Did you have a dream?”
“Yeah.” I rubbed my forehead.
“What was it about?”
“We were at your fundraiser, and I was wearing the dress I bought. You were standing across the room smiling at me and people were slow dancing all around. Suddenly, the room began to spin, and I felt someone grab my arm. When I turned around to see who it was, it was a man in a black tuxedo wearing a white face mask, and he spoke to me.”
“What did he say?”
“I didn’t know. I’m sorry. And that’s when I woke up.”
“What do you think that was about?”
“I have no idea.”
“Come here.” He pulled me into him, and I laid my head on his chest. “Maybe you’re nervous about the fundraiser.”
“Why would I be?”
“I don’t know, baby. Go back to sleep. Maybe you’ll dream again and this time it’ll make more sense.”
“I don’t want to dream that again.”
“Shh.” He kissed the top of my head. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
39
Everly
I was standing in the bathroom in nothing but my silk robe, applying my makeup for the fundraiser when Asher walked up behind me and pressed his lips against my shoulder.
“Damn, boy. You smell delicious.” I smiled as I applied my eye shadow.
“So do you.” His hands roamed up my robe as he gripped my bare ass.
“Can a girl get ready for a very important evening without getting groped?”
“No.” He shook his head. “When women are as sexy as you, we men can’t help ourselves. It’s in our genes.”
I let out a laugh.
“I love you, but I need you to back away so I can put on my eyeliner. It’s a process trying get that perfect wing.”
“Okay. That means we’ll just have to fuck longer later.”
“Fine with me.” I gave him a smirk.
“I still love you,” he said as he walked out of the bathroom.
I couldn’t help but smile. I was so blessed to find someone like him. As I was trying to perfect my wing, my eyeliner pen slid across my face when I was startled by a voice.
“He’s happy.”
“UGH!” I shouted. “Look what you made me do. I thought you went to go find peace. What are you doing here?”
“Checking in.”
“Checking in? Mr. Remington, please.”
“Darling, we know each other well. Call me Curtis.”
“Okay, Curtis. You cannot keep coming around. You need to go to your place.”
“Everly? Who needs to go to what place?” Asher asked as he stepped into the bathroom.
“Your father. That’s who. He made me screw up my wing.”
“My father? He’s here?”
“Not anymore.”
“Why the hell was he?”
“He’s happy you’re happy, and he refuses to leave and go find peace.”
“When was the last time you saw him?” His eye narrowed at me.
“At my house in Rhode Island. The night you came to apologize, and we watched The Bachelorette.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“Did you really want me to, Asher?”
“Yeah. It would have been nice. It kind of pisses me off that my girlfriend talks to my dead father,” he spoke in an aggravated tone.
“Well, I’m sorry. But I have no control over that.”
“Yeah, right.” He walked out of the bathroom. “I need to go finished getting dressed. I suggest you hurry it up, so we aren’t late.”
I was enraged and the moment he walked out of the bathroom, I slammed the door shut. How dare he.
“UGH!” I screamed.
After I was done applying my makeup and putting my hair up in an elegant style with a few soft curls hanging down, I slowly opened the bathroom door and looked around the room to make sure he was gone. Pulling my dress from the hook in the closet, I removed it from the garment bag and slipped into it. I twisted every which way to try and get the zipper zipped all the way, but it wasn’t working.
“UGH!” I shouted.
Whatever. I didn’t care.
As I was digging through my jewelry box to find my diamond earrings my grandmother had bought me when I turned twenty-one, Asher walked into the bedroom.
“Wow. You look absolutely stunning.”
“Go away,” I said.
“Do you need help with your zipper? It’s only zipped halfway.”
“That’s the new look. Didn’t you hear?”
He walked over to me and zipped me up as I put in my earrings.
“I’m sorry, Everly. It just makes me angry that he won’t leave. I shouldn’t have yelled at you or said what I did. I didn’t mean it, baby.” He turned me around, so I was facing him.
“Fine. I accept your apology.” I looked down.
“Are you sure?” He placed his finger under my chin and lifted it, so I was looking at him.
“I love you, Everly.”
“I love you too, you big dummy.”
The corners of his mouth curved upward as he walked over to his dresser drawer, pulled out a long velvet blue box and handed it to me.
“I bought you something.”
“You did.” I grinned. “What is it?”
“Open it and find out.”
I slowly lifted the lid and gasped when I saw the beautiful white gold diamond bracelet sitting inside.
“Asher.” I brought my hand up to my mouth. “Oh my God. It’s gorgeous.”
“Here. Let
