The Twins

~Lily~ I’ve watched Asher Embers since I was thirteen. Not in a creepy way. Not really. It’s just that you notice things when someone lives next door to you their whole life. Like how he only ever walks home through the woods, never down the main road. Or how he never seems to get sick, not even once. Or how he always looks at the sky like he's waiting for something to fall out of it. He never noticed me. Not once. Not in the hallways at school, not when our parents would wave awkwardly at each other over the fence, not when I dropped my books right in front of him in tenth grade and turned the color of a firetruck. He just stepped around me, polite but distant. Always distant. But I noticed him. And not just because he’s beautiful — though, God, he is. Not the kind of beauty you see in movies. Something quieter. Wilder. Like he didn’t quite belong here. Like he was just pretending to be a teenage boy when really, he was something else entirely. His eyes were hazel with a glint of gold, his skin smooth, his lips perfectly shaped. He was stronger than the average teenage boy, his body well-built but not overdone. In short, the boy was flawless. One afternoon, I heard Asher’s mom yelling at him to get out of the house for once. My best friend was throwing a pool party, so I decided to put on my big-girl panties and invite him. I even offered to drive. He just stood there in silence for a moment before giving a small nod, then adding, “But I’m driving.” I raised a brow. “Can you even drive? "You barely leave the house unless it’s for school—and even then, I see you walking, or your mom drops you off.” His jaw tightened, and his eyes flashed. Without another word, he told his mom he was leaving and slammed the door behind him. When he opened the garage, my jaw nearly hit the floor—row after row of sleek, gleaming cars. I knew they had a big house, but I had no idea about that. Asher pulled an all-white drop-top Camaro out of the garage, the engine purring like it knew it was better than every other car on the block. He stepped out, walked around, and opened my door. “Get in,” he said. The way he said it—calm, low, almost like a command—sent a thrill through me. He was finally noticing me. And he’d just opened my door for me. This summer was already looking dangerous in the best way. He slid into his seat and glanced over. “What’s your name?” I smirked. “Hey, Asher. I’m Lilyanna. But I go by Lily.” He looked like he wanted to smile, but didn’t. Instead, he locked his eyes on mine and said, “Okay.” Then he reached over, grabbed my seatbelt, and fastened it for me—like I couldn’t do it myself. That quiet, nonchalant thing he did… teens call it “chill,” but for me, it was maddening. What he didn’t know was that last night, I’d touched myself just thinking about him saying my name. About him noticing me. And now, here I was, in his car—wet—and we hadn’t even made it to the pool party yet. When we arrived, I noticed he had on the necklace he never took off, along with his ring. “You should leave your necklace in the car so it doesn’t get messed up in the pool,” I told him. “I’m not getting in,” he replied, stepping out, opening my door again. He grabbed my hand and didn’t let go as we walked toward the party. “Lily!” Mia screamed the second we stepped inside. Then she froze—and so did everyone else. From the back, the school’s mean girl, Jennifer, said his name like it was hers to claim: “Asher.” Asher looked at me, his grip tightening. “Which way to the pool, Lily?” Mia smiled, cranked up the music, and I led him toward the back. “I need to get dressed first,” I told him. “I have a room here." Come with me—you can wait there while I change in my bathroom.” He nodded, still holding my hand the whole walk upstairs. When we reached my room, he finally let go and sat on my bed. “Are you okay?” I asked. He nodded again. I sighed, went into the bathroom, and locked the door. I cleaned myself up and started changing into my new swimsuit, but the thought of him—right outside my door, sitting on my bed—was too much. My hand trembled. The urge was unbearable. “Asher…” I whispered under my breath, my body reacting before my brain could catch up. “F**k… Asher…” And then—knock, knock. “Did you call me?” he asked from the other side of the door. I froze. “No,” I lied quickly. My heart was pounding. I finished cleaning up, took a quick shower, and pulled on my bathing suit. When I stepped out, Asher was shirtless, wearing gray shorts. My eyes traveled his body without permission—sharp V-lines, abs that went on forever, hair pulled into a man bun. “I thought you weren’t getting in,” I teased. “For you, just this once,” he said. “Don’t make me regret it.” That alone made my knees weak. He turned, and I caught my breath. Without warning, he took off his necklace and placed it in my hand. “Put it somewhere safe. Don’t open it. I’m trusting you… only you.” I slipped it into a drawer. “Got it.” “And by the way,” he added casually, “that woman at the house isn’t my mom.” Before I could ask more, he grabbed my hand again, and we walked toward the pool. The girls couldn’t stop staring, but Mia didn’t—she knew how long I’d wanted him. I grabbed her as we passed, and we all walked outside together. Asher got in the pool first, offering his hand to help me in. I hesitated. “Give me one sec, I need to talk to Mia.” He nodded, and I pulled her toward a bench. “You guys a thing?” she asked immediately. I giggled. “I wish. He barely talks—just nods and holds my hand.” She laughed. “How’d you even get him here?” “Magic,” I whispered, and we both laughed. “Don’t leave him waiting,” she smirked. I blew her a kiss and started walking back toward Asher, trying not to trip or fall into the pool, since I couldn’t swim. But before I could even reach him, I felt a hard shove from behind. My head hit the pool’s edge before I plunged into the water. Everything went dark. When I came to, the party was over. Only Asher, Jennifer, her three friends, Mia, and Koby remained. My head was pounding. “What happened?” I croaked. Mia looked at Jennifer with pure fury before punching her straight in the face. “That b***h pushed you. Koby saw the whole thing.” Jennifer clutched her nose, blood dripping, and her friends scrambled to leave. Asher’s eyes were burning—not with anger, but with worry. He scooped me into his arms. “We’re leaving,” he told Mia.