Riptide

➳ 4

➳Chapter Four

"I have to go to town and pick up a few more screws and tools to fix that room up," Asher says, his voice low as he places his plate in the sink.

The tip of his nose is slightly red, the air still bitterly chilly this early in the morning.

"Okay, I have to go get a few grocery's too. We can go to town after I drop the kids off at school," I say, wondering why he even chose to eat his breakfast outside while doing his chores rather than sitting down with us inside.

Oh right, he hates you too, I think to myself, plucking the dishes out of the sink and washing them vigorously.

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. He gestures to the sink, water and soap suds splattered about from angrily scrubbing the dishes.

I freeze, swallowing hard. "I'm fine."

I can't look at him.

Tell me what I did

His words ring through my mind and I can't bring it up.

He had broken my heart.

He had no care for me.

Glancing out of the corner of my eye, I see Asher leaning against the counter, the muscles in his arms taunt.

He looks deep in thought.

Pulling the gloves off my hand, I stack a few of the dishes together and pull them into my arms.

"I'll be ready in ten minutes," I say, brushing past him.

He grabs onto the crook of my elbow, his fingers gently wrapping around my arm.

The jolt of his warm skin on my cold skin is nearly enough to make me jump in surprise.

"I'm planning on fixing that heater of yours in your bedroom," he says quietly.

My gaze flickers behind him to see Remy dangling a set of keys in front of Gale.

I didn't want her to know that I had lied.

The only way to get her to move into my old room was to tell her that the heater in my new room worked but after months of being busy, I never had the time to fix the heater.

I open my mouth to protest weakly but Asher gives me a blank stare, his mind made up already.

"Thank you then," I say, ducking my head and pulling away from his grasp.

Half an hour later, Remy is waiting by the door, bundled in her favorite neon pink parka.

Bundling Gale in a warm jacket, I prop him against my hip and stand in front of Remy, making sure she has everything.

"Do you have all your homework?" I ask her for the second time, tightening the zipper of her jacket.

She rolls her eyes. "Yes. Can we go now?"

Asher snorts from outside and I glance through the door to see him leaning against the frame. "Don't rush her. She has a mental checklist she needs to get through."

I shoot him an icy glare, grabbing my bag off of the ground before ushering Remy out the door to shut it behind me.

"We are going to be late so we better hurry," I say as Asher silently takes the large bag out of my hands.