Sure, I hadn't thought of that. Even in high school, he was extremely busy with sports, so it must be much worse in college.

"And you?" he asks me, "Gianna's birthday, right?"

I would really like to know if he knows it from his mother or if he actually knows her birthday.

I hope from his mother...

But Gianna has always fought for what she wants and in the end, she always seems to get it.

I know I never had any claim on Asher, but it still hurt me that she knew I had feelings for him and still jumped into bed with him.

And as Gianna is, she didn't exactly let it slip subtly afterward. She never said it outright, but she dropped hints wherever she could.

When I actually told her that it hurt me, she just looked at me pityingly and said, "Oh, Emmy, honey. You know I love you, you're my sister, but you'll never have a chance with Asher. You're just out of his league."

I quickly shake off thoughts of the conversation. It was the right decision to finally forget about Asher. But now I'm here with him, so I might as well enjoy it. When I get back to university, I'll continue my original plan with Isla.

Since I definitely don't want to talk to Asher about Gianna, I ask him, "Do you ever miss your old high school team?"

He looks thoughtful for a moment, and I wonder if that question was too personal. Especially after about five minutes in the car.

But then he answers quite naturally: "I wouldn't necessarily say I miss them. I'm still friends with a few of the team members, but otherwise it's pretty much gone. It was a good time, but nothing compared to the team we have now. The guys are simply the best."

You can see that he's not just saying that, but that he really loves his team.

In fact, the conversation flows naturally from there. We chat a bit about college, but then about anything else. I don't even notice the time passing until I realize that the area we're passing seems more and more familiar. We can't be more than 30 minutes from Pittsburgh.

I was so worried about this car ride beforehand and now I don't want it to end.

Since we were just talking about the hockey team again, he asks me, "Were you at one of the games?"

I shake my head. "No, not yet."

"Don't you like it?"

I don't know what to say to that. I can't really tell him that I did everything I could just to avoid running into him.

"Uh... no, that's not it. It just hasn't happened yet. University stuff and all."

Okay, wow... I really couldn't have come up with a lamer excuse.

Asher doesn't let it show, but I'm sure he's thinking the same thing.

"You should come. On Saturdays, there's sometimes a party at our house afterward."

I've heard about the legendary parties the team throws. I just didn't know it was the house Asher lives in. But just the thought of a party like that makes me feel out of place.

Uncertainly, I answer: "I don't know. I don't know anyone."

Asher's smile widens. "You know me."

That smile of his makes me stare at him for a second too long. When I realize it, heat rises in my cheeks and I frantically look away.

However, I'd prefer to respond to his statement by saying that he probably doesn't want to babysit for me all evening, so instead I just say innocently: "I'll think about it."

I am sure that the topic will never come up again.

Our conversation is interrupted as we stop in front of my parents' house. Asher gets out with me to get my luggage from the trunk.

"I was planning to leave around noon on Sunday. Is that convenient for you?"

Suddenly my insecurity is back.

"I can really take the bus."

Asher looks at me, confused. "Why would you take the bus?"

Embarrassed, I look down before replying, "I don't want you to be in trouble."

He tilts his head slightly. "I certainly don't have that."

A cautious smile creeps onto my face. "Okay."

To my surprise, he pulls me into a quick goodbye hug. The feeling of his arms around my body, of being so close to him, immediately makes my heart race again.

Additionally, I breathe in his scent, which I've always loved. If I had to create a perfume, it would smell exactly like him—tart and fresh.

Unfortunately, the moment is over far too quickly and Asher's arms disappear around me.

"See you Sunday then," he says before getting into his car to drive to his parents' house.

I take a deep breath so my family doesn't notice my emotional chaos and head to the front door. I only have to open it, and my mother rushes toward me, closely followed by my father.

They both act like they haven't seen me in years, not just a few weeks. At the same time, it feels incredibly good to be home. No matter how much I enjoy college, I sometimes miss my family.

First, I go to my old room. I put my small suitcase down there and then collapse onto my bed. For a moment, I enjoy the peace and quiet. That's the downside of sharing a room with someone: you're never truly alone. Even if you are, there's always the chance that the other person will show up.

In the quiet, my thoughts drift back to the last few hours. I can't believe how much I've talked to Asher.

I sigh. Couldn't he have turned out to be an idiot or shown some other character trait that would make it easier for me to finally break away from him?

Instead, he was kind, funny... and really sweet.

But it shouldn't really be too much of a surprise. Even if I've never dared to talk to him, I've often heard him talking at the table when our families have done something together.

I don't get much time to think about everything before the door bursts open and my sister storms in.

So much for having your own room.

"Emmy," Gianna says, beaming, and throws herself halfway on top of me. Laughing, I give her a hug in greeting.

We differ not only in character, but also in appearance. Gia is almost four inches taller than me, and her eyes are a mix of gray and brown, while mine are green. Her hair used to be a similar brown to mine, but she's been dyeing it various shades of blonde for years.

Even though it's often not easy, I miss my big sister quite a bit.

"Hey Gia," I reply with a grin.

She plops down on the bed next to me and says, "I wasn't expecting you. Doesn't the bus take forever?"

I don't know why, but I briefly feel like I don't want to tell her how I got here—which is ridiculous, of course.

"Uh, no... I mean, yes. He did. I didn't take the bus. Asher gave me a ride," I reply, a hint of uncertainty in my voice.

"Asher? Are you friends now or what?"

The way she says it gives me a pang. But she's probably right that it's really out of the question for Asher to be friends with me.

After I tell her about the phone call with our mother, I can't interpret her expression, but the next moment she's grinning.

"Uhhh, did someone finally have their personal Asher fangirl moment?"

I immediately blush, which only makes Gia laugh even more.

I feel like crawling under my covers. I feel so stupid, like I'm stalking Asher.

From one moment to the next she stops laughing.

But not because she noticed that I was uncomfortable, but to ask me, "I hope you didn't embarrass yourself in front of him."

My mouth drops open. "What? No, I didn't," I pause, "well, I guess I didn't."

She looks at me strangely again, then just says soundlessly, "Good," and swings herself off my bed.

"Come on, let's go downstairs. I want cake."

Without checking to see if I'm following her, she disappears from the room. I close my eyes and swallow the lump that's begun to form in my throat. Suddenly, I question every single sentence I've said to Asher, and he's said to me.

Gia's urgent voice sounds from below. "Emmy, where are you?"

I sigh. I have to pull myself together. It's my sister's birthday weekend, and I should act like it.