Free Kiss Me Goodbye: (Prequel to Asher) (Inked Brotherhood) by Jo Raven

KISS ME GOODBYE
     

     
    AUDREY
     
     
     
     
    Asher Devlin.
    My best friend. My partner in crime. My savior in math class.
    Chewing on my lower lip, clutching my backpack to my chest, I watch him from across the school yard. I’m worried.
    He’s changed. In many ways. Lately he’s become distant, quiet. Doesn’t sit with me on the school bus. Doesn’t sit with me in English class. Doesn’t seek me out during break. Doesn’t share his chocolate bar with me, something he’s done ever since he moved into my neighborhood and became my best buddy five years ago.
    There’s a hardness in his blue eyes that wasn’t there before. A stiffness to his posture. It’s as if he put on a steel armor with spikes that keeps me away.
    As if I’ve grown invisible to his eyes.
    “Audrey!” Dylan jogs toward me, grinning. “We’re going for ice-cream. Come on.”
    The September sunlight is warm on my face, and ice-cream sounds good. Rafe and Zane are walking toward us, discussing something, their heads bent together.
    “Where’s Tess?” I ask, distracted, trying to buy some time, see if Ash will come talk to me. I’ve been looking right at him for a while, but he’s pretending to be checking his cell phone.
    I knew he’s pretending. Has to be pretending. I’m sure he’s seen me. He can’t not care. That isn’t possible.
    An ache settles in my chest.
    “Audrey?” Dylan is staring at me. “Tess can’t make it today, her mom is visiting her. Are you coming?”
    “Go ahead. I’ll find you there.”
    Dylan sighs and without looking, I know he’s disappointed. “Ash acting up again?”
    I shrug.
    “What’s up with him anyway?” Dylan and Ash are buddies in the soccer team. Best friends.
    “You tell me.”
    “He’s just being weird lately.”
    Tell me about it.
    Dylan gestures at Rafe and Zane and they depart together, leaving me to solve the Asher Devlin riddle.
    Drawing a fortifying breath, I walk toward Ash.
    Yeah, he’s changed in many ways, and I have to admit, not all of them are bad. He’s always been a tall boy, but now he’s begun to fill out, his shoulders broad and his chest strong. His jaw is now square and it makes the softness of his mouth all the more...
    The more what ? Heat rolls up my neck. What’s wrong with me? He’s a boy. Boys aren’t interesting. They’re stupid, arrogant, ugly, awkward and stinky.
    “Ash,” I say loudly and stand in front of him.
    His eyes flick up, ice-blue, framed by dark lashes, and okay, maybe this boy isn’t ugly. Or awkward. Or stinky. He smells way too good, like clean sweat and spice.
    As for the stupid and arrogant part... The jury’s still out on that one.
    “Auds,” he say, his low voice both familiar and alien, deeper than usual. Then again, it’s been deepening for a while now.
    No reason why it should make me shiver. “Hey, Ash.”
    “Hey.”
    He has a dark smudge on his jaw. Is it a bruise? Tess says she heard Ash was in a fight after classes yesterday.
    I can’t believe it. Ash isn’t like that, but the smudge sure looks like a bruise the more I look at it.
    I clear my throat. “Wanna come for ice-cream? Zane, Rafe and Dylan are going.”
    “Nah, I’ll pass.”
    His voice always has a rasp to it, and today for the first time I can feel it on my skin, like a physical touch. How is that possible?
    Then his gaze dips to my chest, darkening, and holy crap, I know what he’s doing. Ash is checking me out.
    The shock sends me back a step. I’ve seen boys do that all the time, but he’s never done it with me. At least that I’ve noticed.
    Because we’re friends . Best friends don’t do that.
    Then why am I fascinated by his mouth, its beautiful shape, the way it tips up on one side in a crooked smile? His eyes are now fastened on my face and he leans toward me, a hand lifting as if to touch my cheek.
    Then he shakes himself as if from a dream and lets his hand drop. “Gotta go.”
    And with that, he pushes past me and strides out of