“Okay, I’ll take you in.”
I laughed and pointed at the dormitory guard at the door, teasing him. “Aren’t you worried she’ll kick you out for being a creep?”
Asher watched me leave with a scowl, but I could still hear his voice in his heart behind me.
I want to be with her.
I don’t want to say goodbye. I want to spend more time with her, even longer.
I really don’t want to see you go!
I heard the voice in his heart.
It felt like he had two sides of characters.
I just got back to the dorm when I got a message from Asher: “Want to go to Smoked Barbecue Platter tomorrow at noon?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Sure,” I replied.
Looking out the window, I saw him bouncing around with excitement, practically cheering himself on. Even though I couldn’t hear him, I could practically feel his enthusiasm.
My roommates were all on edge, worried that the school bully might be trouble. Besides the bizarre fact that I could hear Asher’s thoughts, I told them everything honestly. I wanted them to see that he wasn’t as scary as the rumors suggested; he was actually pretty interesting and kind of charming.
Tessa, like the detective, circled me, scrutinizing every detail and pushing her glasses up. “Lena, look at you blushing. Do you have a crush for that Asher? You’re in trouble—you’re falling for him!”
Flushing, I tried to protest, “No... I haven’t...”
But they weren’t convinced. They started piecing together information I hadn’t even noticed.
“I remember Asher was into someone. Who was it again?” Tessa asked.
“It’s Isla, the beauty from the Civil Engineering Department. Last month, Asher got into a fight with a guy from her department and broke his bones.”
“Yeah, that was all over the campus forum,” Ava added. “You’ve got to be careful, or you’ll end up in a mess like that. Don’t become a love-struck fool.”
Ava pulled up the campus forum on her phone. The headline read: #School Bully’s Love Feud Almost Breaks Bones.
She patted my shoulder sympathetically. “Wise people don’t fall in love, but they do get rich.”
I tried to play it cool. “Let’s stay single together. Whoever gets out of singlehood first loses.”
But for some reason, my heart felt heavy.
That night, I had the weirdest dream. Asher was making a giant pancake, slathering it in sauce, adding a big onion, and then rolling me up in it. He said, “Lena, I’m going to roll you into the barbecue and eat you in one bite.”