Promise Me (Asher Family #1)

Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

SADIE

Men.

Arrgh.

I all but stomp the entire way up the stairs that lead to Hudson’s apartment.

That kiss was the best kiss of my life, and he apologized for it.

Screw that.

I unlock the door and close it before dropping onto the couch.

I get it. He’s best friends with my brother, and he doesn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize their relationship, and yes, I understand that a month ago, we apparently hated each other. But that was then, and this is now, and oh my god, why can’t it just be simple?

Girl meets boy, boy meets girl, they smile at each other, they ask to hang out, and then they kiss. Voila, they fall madly in love and live happily ever after.

It sounds so simple .

I grab a pillow off the couch and cover my face, letting out a scream.

I can’t remember the last time I felt this way. Ever. I don’t need to have memory loss to know this feeling, this connection , has never happened with anyone else.

I toss the pillow that muted my screams to the side and stand up.

I should go back down there. Communicate and tell him exactly how I feel. This is how it works, right?

Yes, this is how it works.

I jog down the steps and high-five Ian as I pass through the kitchen and march my happy ass back to the bar, ready to bare my heart to Hudson. But the moment I step out of the kitchen, I spot my brother sitting at the bar top. He’s leaning forward on the counter, talking to Hudson, who is hunched over cleaning the broken glass.

“Sadie!” Smiling, Linc comes and hugs me.

I wrap my arms around him and squeeze him back.

“How are you today?”

“I’m good,” I say with zero emotion and then look to the bar. My gaze instantly locks with Hudson’s.

“I’m sorry. I should have cleaned that up before I walked out.”

“It’s fine.”

“You broke the glass?” Linc asks. “Hud, you just said it was you.”

Hudson sighs and goes back to cleaning.

“I forced him to teach me how to pour a beer, and then I dropped it, and then?—”

“You walked out,” Linc repeats my words.

I nod.

“Are you two fighting again?” he asks.

“No,” Hudson answers quickly .

His tone in that one small word leaves me fighting a smile. He said it as if insinuating that we could ever disagree would be the worst thing to happen.

I like that he feels that way.

“Then why did you just walk out without cleaning?” Linc asks.

Silence fills the bar, but any response is forgotten when the doors open, and Betty’s and Brooke’s laughter steals our attention.

“I kid you not, three cups instead of one.”

“You can't even fake that kind of mess up,” Brooke says and then turns to us. “Hi, friends.”

“Ladies,” Linc says and returns to his barstool.

“Are we interrupting anything? We need to steal Sadie away for a bit,” Brooke says. “Or, well, I do, since Betty is here for her shift.”

“Nope. She’s all yours,” Lincs says. “Enjoy your day, sis.”

The way he says it, all somber and sad, makes me want to hug him, so I toss my arms around him and squeeze tight.

He starts to laugh and then shrugs me off.

“Go!” He points at the door.

Brooke is still waiting for me, so I take my brother’s advice and head for the door. Brooke loops her arm with mine and tugs me outside. As I look back, Hudson isn’t even glancing in my direction.

Maybe he isn’t as into me as I am him.

No, that's not it.

We’re attracted to each other, and I feel like a fish out of water on what I’m supposed to do about it.

“I have a few things I want to run by you,” Brooke says as she leads us to the bakery. “Do you know yet when you plan to come back? ”

Forcing all thoughts of Hudson aside, I give her my full attention.

“No, I’m not sure yet.”

“Do you want to come back?” she asks, and then she slaps a hand over her mouth.

“I’m sorry, that was …”

“A logical question and one I don’t have an answer for. I really wish I did. I think it would help, maybe, I don’t know. I’m a mess.”

We step into the sugary wonderland, and I spot the glass display with all the baked goods Brooke has been preparing.

“Did you make all these?” I ask.

Her entire face lights up.

She nods. “Yes. The chocolate chip bar with coconut is new, but it’s so good. Do you want to try one?”

“Yes!” I take a seat at one of the tables.

Brooke moves around the bakery with ease, a pleased smile on her face the entire time. She takes her time taking the dessert out and putting it on a plate. It seems like nothing, a job anyone could do, but it’s not. Brooke woke up and wanted to be here. She wanted to bake. She wanted to make this specific treat, and the look on her face is nothing but pride.

She loves what she does.

I don’t love this the way she does. I loved watching my mom here. I loved being a part of her world.

That’s why I wanted to keep this place going. I wanted to be in her world for as long as I could.

The phone rings, so Brooke answers it. It’s cordless, so she walks my plate to me, winking as she sets it down, and then disappears into the back.

I glance around the store as tears sting my eyes.

For the first time since I woke up in the hospital, I don't feel as if I just lost her. My heart misses her every single day, but I also know that she’d be sitting across from me, making me drink milk with the brownie and telling me that I need to follow my own dream and not hers.

I suck in a breath, fan my eyes, and bite into sugary perfection.

“I’m going to take that groan as your approval,” Brooke says, walking back to the register.

“Oh, this is phenomenal. You should make these every week.”

“Really? You think?”

“I think, yes.”

She moves to sit across from me, and the smile on her lips fades. “Were you crying?”

I shake my head. “I was just thinking of my mom for a moment. I’m okay.”

She studies me and then nods as if she accepts my answer.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” I ask and take another bite, one that is probably not ladylike.

It’s just so damn good.

“Oh”—she waves a hand in front of her face—“it’s nothing.”

But her shoulders sag, so I know it’s something more than she’s letting on.

“You can tell me.”

“I don’t want to make you sad again.”

“How could you do that?”

“Well, it’s about the store.”

“Oh. Are things not good?”

“No. Oh, no. Things are great. I just …”

“You just what?”

“I was thinking we should open an online store. From what you told me, your mom wasn’t into that idea, but what if it was starter kits and other random things like boxes or trays or shirts with our logo and?—”

“It’s a great idea,” I cut in. “Mom didn’t like the idea only because she didn’t want any food shipped to spoil, but if you can find a way, you should do it.”

“We should do it,” she corrects.

I nod, but when she beams with joy and starts talking about the online store again, a thought comes to me that I wish I’d noticed sooner.

Brooke should own the bakery.

Not me.

“Afternoon, ladies.” Miles Asher walks into the bakery and stops. “Fuck, it smells good in here. What’s that?” He points at my plate.

“A new treat Brooke made,” I say, and I swear I see her cheeks turn a soft shade of pink.

“Do you have any more left?”

“Yes.” She stands quickly. “How many do you want?”

“Just two for today,” he answers and then takes her place across from me.

He’s looking at me with a grin I’ve never seen before.

“How’s your day going, Sadie? Good, I bet.”

I cross my arms and lean back.

“Why do you have that same stupid smug look on your face that your brother gets when he knows something he shouldn’t?”

He lets out a boisterous laugh. “Oh, we both know my brother well enough to read his facial expressions now, huh? Makes sense since I went to see him before the bar opened, only to see you sitting on the bar top with him?—”

“I got it.” But I fail miserably to hide my smile.

Brooke returns with the brownies, and he gives her his debit card as he stands .

“I just want you to know that I like this. Whatever it is between you two. I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time.”

He turns to look at Brooke, who is watching us now. “See you later, Brooke.”

The moment he’s out of the bakery, Brooke smacks the table.

“What is he talking about?”

I groan and cover my face.

“Hudson kissed me today.”

“What!”

“Everything okay out here?” Daisy asks, and both Brooke and I nod.

Once she’s gone, Brooke nudges my foot with hers.

“You didn’t tell me?”

“It just happened. Right before the bar opened. I’m still processing it.”

“Oh, please process faster. What does this mean?”

“Nothing, apparently. He said he was sorry and then started making excuses for why it can’t happen again.”

“Ugh. Typical.”

“I know.”

“What did you say?”

“I was very clear that I want it to happen again.”

“Seriously? You?”

“What? I wouldn’t do that with a guy?”

“I mean, not to Hudson. You hate letting him have the upper hand.”

“I guess the old me would see it that way. The new me thinks I can’t get enough of him.”

Brooke squeals. “I love this for you.”

“I’d love it more if he would just … let himself relax a little. I mean, it’s not that I’m upset he won’t do whatever with me, but it’s like he thinks he can’t be happy or have what he wants. He’s so about following the rules and routine. ”

“I bet you could help him relax.”

I let out a giggle and then toss a crumb at her. “It was a really good kiss. He propped me up on the counter and everything.”

“And stood between your legs?”

“Brooke, he grabbed my knees and spread my legs to make room. It. Was. Sexy.”

She squeals again.

“So now what?”

I shrug. “I don’t know.”

I should hate that I don’t know what comes next. But then another customer comes in, and Brooke glows as they tell her their order.

Knowing what I’m going to do with bakery has taken a huge weight off my shoulders.

The hall light is still on by the time I return to the apartment later that night. After Brooke closed the bakery for the day, I went back to her place with her.

The more I thought about it, the more I obsessed over it, and the more I let myself grow a little embarrassed by what I said to Hudson.

Was I too blunt?

Did I sound desperate?

He was clearly letting me know that he didn’t think anything between us would be a good idea, and here I was telling him that I didn’t care what he thought because I planned to make it happen again.

I should apologize.

If the roles were reversed … well, let’s just say I should respect his choice. If that’s how he truly feels, I will be okay with that. Even if it sucks .

I get my key out, but of course, Hudson left the door unlocked for me.

The sound of the shower running is the first thing I hear when I step inside.

I let out a breath.

This gives me a few more minutes to gather myself.

He’s going to think I’ve lost my mind, and maybe I can use that to my advantage.

No, no, I need to be honest.

I set my purse down on the coffee table and take my shoes off, placing them near the door right next to his.

Why do I love the fact that he lines his shoes up by the door instead of leaving them around the apartment? And I love my shoes next to his even more.

I close my eyes and turn.

You need to stop thinking of him this way.

If it’s one-sided, that will leave you nothing but heartbreak.

But that kiss didn’t feel one-sided.

Heck, he put his hand out to cover the corner of the counter so I didn’t hit my head. It was a smooth move—and then he kissed me.

That means something. More than what he let on.

I head for the bedroom but startle when I’m passing the bathroom door and hear what sounds like all the bottles collapsing into the bathtub.

“Hudson?”

He doesn’t reply.

“Hudson,” I say again and lean my head to the door. “Are you okay?”

Suddenly, the door swings open, and there’s a naked chest right in front of me. Beads of water run over his firm pecs and down his torso to the towel wrapped around his waist.

“You’re home? ”

I nod. “Yeah. I went to Brooke’s for a while. I thought I would give you your space. Are you okay?” I point into the bathroom.

He nods. “I thought you weren’t coming back.”

“Oh. No. I’m here.”

I’m looking into his eyes, but every now and then, my gaze slips to his body. I take a deep breath and step back before I do something I can’t take back.

“I’m sorry for today,” I tell him before I can lose my nerve. “It was wrong of me to tell you that I was going to kiss you again after you told me it wouldn't happen again.”

He runs a hand through his wet hair. “Never apologize for speaking your mind, Sadie.”

“Yeah, but you clearly didn’t enjoy it, and I?—”

“I enjoyed it.”

“Oh.”

I bite my lip and look up at him, unsure of what I should say next. His eyes turn steel blue as he steps toward me. I reach my hand out, and it connects with his bare chest.

His hands settle on my waist. One of them slides around to my backside as he grips my butt and pulls me against him.

His forehead rests on mine as he inhales.

I close my eyes and pray he can’t feel my heart racing.

I wait for … what? I’m not sure.

But then I open my eyes to see him step back.

“It’s late. You should go to bed,” he says. “I just need to grab some shorts.”

He moves into the bedroom, grabs his shorts, and walks right past me, who is frozen in the hallway.

“Goodnight, Sadie.”

He closes himself in the bathroom to change, and I’m just about to demand he explain what the hell that was when I stop myself .

He wants a fight.

He wants me to get worked up.

It’ll be easier for him that way. Easier for him to avoid this.

Well, too bad, Hudson Asher. If I don’t get what I want, neither do you.