Not Your Bet to Make Chapter 14

Not Your Bet to Make Chapter 14

Grandmother fell asleep. I pulled Asher to the living room.

“What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you.” His voice was hoarse. Sounding so wronged. “Count the months you’ve had me blocked. Are you really never going to make up with me?”

My brows pulled tight.

“We broke up. Why would we make up?”

Asher’s face went rigid.

“Broke up? When did we break up?”

“Grace, I know you’re mad about Hawaii. Hiding your luggage. But we just wanted to play a joke. After we got back

I seriously reflected. It’ll never happen again.”

His voice dripped guilt.

“But you can’t just throw out breaking up because you’re angry. I-”

I cut him off.

“The graduation dinner. I told you we were done. You thought

I was being dramatic. So let me be clear now. I meant it.”

Asher saw my face. Not a hint of performance. Panic flooded

“Why? We fought so hard to be together. Don’t break up.

Please?”

“Tell me what you’re unhappy about. I can change. I can fix

it.”

I shook my head.

“I’m not unhappy. I just don’t want to be with you anymore.”

“If there’s nothing else, go home. I have to tutor.”

I turned to leave. He grabbed my arm.

“You had the chance to switch the application back. Why didn’t you? No matter how mad you are, you can’t throw away your future over it.”

“If you’d come to Stanford with me I could’ve taken care of you. My trust fund pays out every month. Five thousand is nothing. You wouldn’t have to do this. School and work at the

same time-”

His eyes were full of that ache. He pulled a box from his

pocket. Held it out.

I frowned.

“What’s that?”

Asher didn’t speak. Opened the box.

Brand new. Top-tier iPhone. Just released.

“You’ve been using your brother’s old phone. It’s so slow it’s

basically dead. I got you this. I was going to give it to you

when the acceptance letters came. As a surprise.”