The Four Beta Brothers

Chapter 8 - Be Prepared

JUNIPER

I cleared my throat and leaned back, feeling too flustered to say what I actually wanted. “I want to eat the food that smells so good,” I said as a cop out.

Asher leaned back with a smile. If he was disappointed, he didn’t show it. “Then let’s eat.” He hopped out of the car, rushing to open my door for me. He grabbed the bags of food off my lap with one hand and with the other, he took my hand, helping me out of the car.

We were parked near the edge of a cliff that overlooked the city. The sun sank behind the mountain, and the lights were slowly flickering on in the buildings below, lighting them up like a sea of fireflies.

This was the definition of breathtaking.

“I didn’t know something like this existed here.” I took a few steps forward, the feeling of aw stirring deep inside of me.

“Not many people do. I find that it helps to get out of the middle of everything and find a new perspective.” Asher handed me my burrito. “I thought you could use a break from the chaos.”

I inhaled deeply, letting my stress dissipate. I held the burrito, enjoying the warmth it provided. “Thank you for this.”

“It’s my pleasure.” He took a step closer to me, and our knuckles brushed against each other.

I tried not to react, but my heart raced at the small contact. I waited for him to take my hand, but neither of us moved.

“The city is absolutely beautiful from here. I didn’t know something manmade could be this amazing.” I kept my eyes forward, but I felt Asher’s eyes on me, not the city.

“There is beauty in everything if you know where to look.” His gaze wandered up and down my body, and my cheeks burned as I smiled.

“How did you find this place?”

Asher shrugged. “I had a lot of free time yesterday, and I decided to use some of it to explore the city. I like to know my way around places. Can’t afford to look lost.”

“Because that would reflect poorly on the Burrell family?” I asked. The Burrell brothers likely had a lot of pressure on their shoulders, always needing to be on their best behavior because if the wrong person got a picture of the right moment, it could end up on the news.

I had never seen drama about the Burrell family specifically, but I remembered a news story about an estranged daughter of Alpha Williams. It was a huge scandal at the time.

“Because I don’t want to make a fool out of myself when I take pretty girls out on dates.” Asher shifted his hand to mine, finally grabbing it. “Not everything I do is because of my family name.”

“I’m sure it affects it, though. It has to be a constant buzz in the back of your mind.” I could tell the topic was making Asher uncomfortable, but my curiosity was getting the best of me. When I found a topic I wanted to know more about, it was difficult for me to put it down.

“Of course it does, but I try not to let it affect my personality. Even if I wasn’t a Burrell son, I imagine I would still have the yearn to learn. I would still work hard, because I want to make something out of myself. If anything, the name puts more pressure on me to actually succeed in my personal goals. It pushes me to do better, but it doesn’t come without costs.”

“What kind of costs?”

“You have an awful lot of questions about me today.” He bumped me with his shoulder, trying to come across as playful, but he was clearly trying to avoid the question.

I shrugged. “I was just curious. It seems like a lot of pressure to have such a mighty family name. My parents were just omegas. They didn’t have any kind of legacy to leave behind for me, so I’ve just had to find my own way. If I screw up, I’m the only one it’ll affect. These rumors aren’t hurting my family, but if rumors like these were about you, I’m sure it would escalate much further and be terrible for your family’s reputation.”

When I stopped talking, I looked at Asher, who was staring at me with a saddened expression. I didn’t talk about my family for this exact reason. I didn’t want anyone to pity me for something that happened years and years ago.

“When did your parents pass away?”

“You don’t have to look at me that way. My parents died in a car accident when I was only twelve. I hardly remember it, but I’m okay.” I smiled, but it was heavier than normal. It had been awhile since I’d talked about my parents.

Asher squeezed my hand and pulled it up to his lips to kiss the back of it. “Even if you are okay, I’m truly sorry you lost your parents at such a young age. No one should have to go through that.”

I laughed and looked up into the darkening sky. It was an inappropriate response to the topic, but it was a defense mechanism. I preferred to laugh rather than cry. “Bad things happen to good people all of the time. It is what it is.”

A moment of silence passed between us, but I could feel Asher staring at me.

“We should eat before our food gets cold,” I said, changing the subject.

“Come on. Let’s take a seat.” He motioned with his head to follow him.

He went to the front of the car and hopped onto the hood of the car. He held out his hand for me to join him, but I gaped at him.

“You can’t be serious. How expensive is that car? Because I’m not going to risk scuffing it up. I would rather sit on the ground.” I was sure a scratch on that thing was more than I earned the entire school year.

Asher kept his hand outstretched to me. “You’re fine. If you cause any damage, I’ll just blame it on someone else. Promise.”

I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips, knowing this was a bad idea. “I don’t think I can.”

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

“What?”

“Do you trust me?” he repeated.

I looked at his hand and then back at his eyes. There was so much depth and unknown in his dark ocean eyes. There was no reason to trust him, but my answer was simple.

“Yes.” I took his hand, and he quickly pulled me onto the hood of his car.

The metal threatened to bow under my weight, but it held steady. I knew cars were sturdy creations, but this one was too fancy to mess with.

“See, you’re fine,” Asher said. He unwrapped his burrito and took a big bite.

I watched him chew, and despite the amount of food he shoved into his mouth, he still looked perfect. I turned my attention back to the city and unwrapped my own food, taking a much smaller bite. We ate in silence, enjoying the view and the good food.

As the light completely faded, a slight chill came with the night. It made Asher’s body heat more prevalent, and I liked feeling his warmth. It made me feel less alone.

“Thank you for tonight. Really. I think I needed this.” I glanced at his shoulder, and I thought about leaning my head against him. I shook that thought away.

“I thought you might. I know you have a lot going on, and sometimes a distraction is just what you need. I told you this would be the greatest date you’ve been on.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “It would be, except this isn’t a date.”

Asher twisted his body, bringing his face closer to mine. “Why do you keep saying that? Why are you so resistant to going on a date with me?”

His proximity clouded my thoughts, and it took me a moment to figure out a response. “I don’t date. School has to be my priority.”

“School is a priority for me too. I wouldn’t distract you from that, if that’s what you’re worried about. We could go on study dates together.” He leaned in a little more.

“We don’t know each other.” I was grasping at excuses now.

“We’ve spent all evening getting to know each other, and the more I talk to you, the more I want to know. Part of dating is getting to know one another.”

I opened my mouth, but I didn’t have any more arguments against it. I liked Asher. I knew that much from what time I had spent with him. He was charming, clever, and handsome. There was no logical reason to reject him. In fact, logic told me that if I was going to date someone, he was a good choice.

Even still, I couldn’t say anything one way or another. Part of me wanted to say yes. The other part told me this was terrible timing. Asher would only get hurt in the crossfire of these rumors. I didn’t want that. I was tired of people around me getting hurt.

“I can’t,” I finally whispered, but I didn’t sound convincing. My eyes flicked to his lips, wondering what he tasted like.

“Give me one good reason.” He leaned in a little more, and there was hardly any space between us.

If I leaned in even an inch, we would end up kissing. “One of us will end up getting hurt.”

“So? I can take a little pain, and I don’t plan on hurting you. Am I not handsome enough for you?”

I chewed on my lip as my heart raced. I thought about lying, but I wasn’t in that kind of habit. “You’re very attractive.”

“Then I don’t see what the issue is. Look, if you don’t like me, and I’m just imagining things, tell me. I’ll back off. But if you do like me, then I’m not going anywhere.”

All I had to do was say I didn’t like him that way and only wanted to be friends, and this would end before it got complicated.

That would just be a lie. “I do like you, but—”

Asher grabbed my face and closed the distance between us. His lips were warm and soft against mine, and all of the thoughts in my head disappeared. My mouth moved with his automatically, the sensations sending sparks throughout my entire body. Out of all of the first kisses I had had, this was by far the best one.

Asher slowed his movements before pulling back. He left only a little bit of space between us. “It’s getting late. We should get to the library to get some work done.”

Just as quickly as the moment had started, it was gone, leaving me in a daze. “Right.”

He jumped off of the car and then held out his hand in front of me, helping me down. I stumbled into him, and his arm wrapped around my waist to steady me. His cologne filled my nose, and it was definitely a scent I could get used to.

“What did I tell you? A fantastic first date, right?” His eyes glittered, cocky with his statement.

I smirked, not wanting to stroke his ego. “Except this isn’t a date.” I pulled out of his grasp and took a few steps backwards. “I’m a lady who expects a proper date invitation. If you can do that, I’ll think about going on a real date with you.”

“You are one stubborn woman.” Asher skipped ahead to make it to the door to open it for me.

I slid into the car and smiled. “If I’m going to give you a chance, I want you to prove you’re worthy of my attention.”

Asher leaned down. “If that’s what you want, be prepared to be swept off your feet.” His hand cupped my face, and he pressed his lips against mine, taking his time before he pulled back.