POV: Asher
I sat on the steps outside the school, swinging my legs and waiting for Mom to show up. The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, painting the clouds in soft pink and orange. Kids all around me were being picked up, laughing as they hopped into cars or ran into their parents' arms. But not me.
Mom was always on time, always. She'd promised she'd never leave me waiting, so my stomach felt funny. Maybe traffic? Yeah, that had to be it. I hugged my backpack tighter, trying to shake the worry creeping up my spine.
Then, a sleek black car rolled up to the curb. I frowned. It wasn't Mom's car. The tinted window rolled down, and my heart dropped like a rock.
Xaden.
His smug face stared back at me, his too-perfect smile plastered on like it was glued there. My chest tightened, and my hands gripped the straps of my backpack so tight my fingers ached.
"Hey, son," he said, his voice smooth and fake. "Your mom sent me to pick you up."
