Path To Realization (Fighter's Den, #4)

Chapter 24 - Aria

PRESENT

"You didn't have to pick me up." I tell Asher for the millionth time as I get in his car.

He rolls his eyes, also for the millionth time. "I dropped you off too, Ria. Were you planning on walking home?"

I laugh as I buckle my seatbelt. "Well, you didn't have to drop me off either."

"I wanted to. I haven't seen you properly all week."

"True." I concede.

Another week came and went and between my cases and Greg managing the attention Asher has gotten from his exhibition match, we've rarely seen each other. Despite that, Asher has snuck in my room every night for some very heated goodnight kisses but hasn't spent a night. After getting caught by my dad, I told him to keep his space for a while. It fucking sucks, though. My body aches for him every time he's around and I hate that we've been limited to sneaking around and stealing kisses. My parents haven't questioned me further, my sisters giggle every time they see me, Lenny is threatening Asher to make it official or she'll send me on more dates, and Nate still doesn't have a fucking clue.

It's a messy situation and nobody gets it but that's us. We're not hung up on labels or announcing our business to anyone or everyone. We're in our little bubble of stolen moments and exploring how to balance our friendship and this impending relationship and I'm having fun. It feels like we're teenagers, like this is what we should have been doing an entire decade ago. We missed out then and I think the both of us like that we're making up for that now. I think we like not having to handle this like adults when we can be kids about it just because. Besides, we both know that there's no one for us except each other. Nothing in the world could make me doubt that.

"Aria."

"Hmm?" I'd been staring out the window lost in my thoughts but the way Asher snapped my name turns my head to him in alarm. My brows furrow as I scan him, face pale and palms gripping the steering wheel like it's life or death, and I sit up straight in my seat. "What's wrong?"

"We're being followed." He says tightly, glancing in the rear view mirror every other second.

"What?" I twist in my seat and sure enough, a car is hot on our tail.

"Can you see who it is?" Asher presses on the gas and my racing heart picks up along with our speed.

I stay low in my seat and squint, trying to make out the driver. It's a man and he looks...deranged. Part dangerous and part hysterical and just looking at him sends a shiver down my spine.

I gulp. "He...uh...he's probably in his forties. I think his hair is black. I can't see much."

"Look at his neck. The left side." Asher orders. He turns sharply at the next intersection and I grip my seat tightly, my heart leaping into my throat. The reality of the situation sets in and my hands begin to shake. This is bad. What if something happens? "Aria. You are absolutely not allowed to freak out right now. Keep your calm so we can get out of this."

"Right." I nod sharply. I can freak out later. Now isn't the time and it won't do us any good. "What am I looking for on his neck?"

"A tattoo. The letter 'A' in cursive."

I squint until my eyes are slits. The driver is so focused on Asher's seat that he's yet to notice me. "I...he's too far. I can't tell."

"Fuck." He runs one hand through his hair and slams it back down on the wheel. "I need to know who it is."

"Do you think it's Christian?" My whisper can barely be heard over the zooming of the car.

"I don't know. I have too many enemies at this point." He presses even harder on the gas and the speed on the dashboard kicks my heart into overdrive but the last thing I'm about to tell Asher is to slow down. "Shit, shit, shit!"