"Lois? What’s wrong?" Asher’s smile faded as he noticed my tears. His eyes dropped to my wrist, where the angry red marks stood out against my skin. His voice trembled. "How did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me?!"
For a moment, I wondered if he was truly concerned or just playing his part. I said nothing, pulling my arm away.
It felt like he'd completely wiped the banquet from his mind. I stayed quiet, not sure if I should bring it up and ruin the act he was putting on.
“All right, stop crying now. Let me grab the first aid kit,” Asher said with a sigh as he gently patted my head, trying to comfort me.
He walked off, muttering to himself. “Look at you—tough on the outside, but always crying over the smallest things. What would you do without me?”
I stared down at the rash on my wrist, the angry red patches starting to spread. It was burning, and the itching was unbearable.
“What would I do without him?” I thought bitterly. Pfff!
For five years, I’d let myself believe in his love. But now, the truth stung more than the rash on my skin.
“But, Asher,” I whispered to myself, “I don’t want this sick kind of love anymore… I don’t want you anymore.”
That night, I couldn’t sleep. My body felt on fire from the allergy, and the whole night was filled with restless dreams of Celeste and the cruel laughter of Asher’s friends. When I woke up drenched in sweat, the ache in my chest was almost as bad as the reaction on my skin.
As dawn broke, Asher shook me awake, his usual playful smirk on his face.
“Rise and shine, Lois!” he teased, leaning down to kiss me on the forehead.
I jerked away, glaring at him. “What are you doing?”
“Waking up my Snow White, what else?,” he replied, amused by my reaction.
“Ugh,” I muttered, wiping my face in disgust. “It’s the weekend, Asher! Can’t you let people sleep?”
He raised an eyebrow, his tone softening. “You’ve got hives all over, Lois. And you’re burning up. I’m taking you to the pack healer.”
“I’m fine;” I insisted, but he wasn’t having it.
“Humor me,” he said with a shrug, already pulling me out of bed.
Reluctantly, I got dressed, too tired to argue.
At the pack’s medical center, the sterile smell of antiseptic hit me as we walked through the corridor. Then we saw her—Celeste.
Wow.
She was limping slightly, her face lighting up the moment she saw Asher.
“Asher!” she called, smiling at him. “What a surprise!”