09

                                    

                                          
Asher
I am a man of chaos. 
Whether you believe it or not, trouble follows wherever I go. 
Mischief has always been my companion. 
My parents recognized it when their little boy turned twelve and began making his mark on the world. 
By the time I was sixteen, countless rumors about me were already making the rounds.
Dating rumors? Been there. 
Fights? Handled. Drugs? Sure, though I've never touched them myself. 
The drug rumors were just another lie spread by one of my many rivals. It escalated so quickly it even made the news before I could put a stop to it.
My dad went as far as to have me tested, just to prove I wasn't lying. Turns out, I was clean. 
Drinking, though? That's another story-and luckily, he didn't mind that much.
I was used to the chaos of my messy life. 
That is, until I met her-a girl who seemed to have it all together.
It was as if she was born to keep her world steady, her life perfectly aligned with the right path. 
My beau.
Learning that she could fight? Now that was unexpected. 
When she first showed up at school, I assumed she'd be just like her stepbrother, Carlos. 
But I couldn't have been more wrong. 
She was far more patient than that idiot could ever hope to be-calm, composed, and incredibly gentle.
Loren Brooks-she's the girl, the most intriguing part of my life. 
For now, at least.
If that wasn't crazy enough, she handed me a tissue after making me bleed. 
The fact that I'm her stepbrother's rival only made her behavior more intriguing. 
The way she spoke to me-so gentle, so kind-was unlike anything I'd experienced. 
No one else treated me like that. 
Most people saw me as nothing more than a target, exploiting my money and adding themselves to the endless list of users in my life.
It might sound crazy, but I'm forcing my way into her life, determined to uncover the secrets hiding inside her pretty little head. 
Those smiles conceal so much. 
Her actions speak volumes. 
Even if the people around her fail to notice the signs, I do. 
Someone like me-who's endured countless physical pain, emotional chaos, and mental scars-can see right through those eyes and the smile she wears like armor.