His Secret Obsession
Chapter 129

(Asher)

I followed behind Jack, pumping myself up for the fight of my damn life. I knew I had to prove myself to this guy over and over again..which I would honestly continue doing until the day I die because Em is worth it. I f*****g get it..trust me..l get it more than anyone.

Emery is a girl unlike any other. She is a one-of-a-kind in every damn way possible.

So his protective nature is something I do get..but come on man. I married the girl..I f*****g love her with all of my heart and in my eyes have proved that many times by now. Does he seriously think I would leave my wife, or whatever shit he is thinking, just because she is pregnant now?! This is a damn dream come true for me..not some accident that we are just coping with. I want this more than anything.

We stepped towards a trail I hadn't been on before and started walking down it. Jack continued to walk in silence, leading us to some type of garden with an angel statue in the middle. After looking at the area curiously, I watched Jack sit down on a swinging bench next to a couple of rose bushes, leaving me standing in front of him awkwardly.

"Sit." He stated firmly, making me nod my head once as I sat next to him..as far away as possible..which was kind of hard being so big.

Hey, at least he didn't beat my ass yet. I call that an improvement if I ever saw one.

"Asher..you and I don't necessarily get along...Do you know why that is?" He began, glancing over towards me as I tried to keep a level head and wasn't going to let him intimidate me.

"Because you're an asshole?" I quipped, somewhat joking but meaning it slightly. I know it was pretty blunt, but that's how Jack and I communicate, and hearing his laughter confirmed that.

"When it comes to Em, yeah, I guess I am. I won't deny it." He agreed, surprising me as I leaned back slightly, feeling curious about where this was going.

"Em is special, she is kind and loving. I don't think I have ever heard the girl say one bad thing about anyone in her life honestly. I think you know that though..you obviously see the same Al and I do. But the reason I was so against this wasn't because I thought you would f**k it up and take her for granted..well, not the full reason." He added, making me scoff.

"The reason is because I saw a lot of myself in you." Jack stated in a serious tone, making me shoot my gaze towards him. He thought we were similar?

"How so?" I mean..I guess I could see some similarities..he was a known player though and never settled down, whereas I had a few girlfriends but didn't f**k around close to home usually.

"My dad left when I was just a kid too. Then my mom pretty much shut down after that..but where we are different is I had Allen. He stepped in and took over..I know this is f****d up..but I wasn't sure if you were ready for a relationship with Emery." He confessed, making my stomach drop. He didn't think I deserved Emery because of my past.

"I know what you are thinking and that isn't it. It wasn't about you being good enough. I just saw how fucking much she crushed on you all of those damn years man. It was so obvious to Allen and me whenever you came around, but we never said anything. We always thought it would be one-sided. Then when I found out you were the guy she was dating. It scared the hell out of me because I knew if there would be anyone who could break that girl, to hurt her beyond repair, it would be you." His confession shocked me. Even I knew Emery had a crush on me, but to know she really liked me that much..it made my heart ache because I was such a prick to her. I pushed her away as much as I could back then because even I didn't think I deserved her.

"So you can see why I have been hesitant. And I know I have been an a*****e this whole time..which you have been too." He smirked at me and I couldn't disagree, it was what we did.

"But seeing your face on the day of your wedding made me realize some shit. I have a lot more issues to unpack emotionally than you I'm guessing..so yeah we might have some similarities, but you were brave enough to face them head-on.. I have to admit I was envious. You did the fucking impossible. You overcame your shit and got the girl who you were meant to be with..so I can't lie..it made me realize some issues I had to work on and helped me clear this Lacey shit up faster than I would've in the past." He admitted, making me feel shocked. I helped him realize some stuff? I thought Jack seriously hated me and it would always be like this. So to hear he almost looked up to me in a way..wow...I never thought that would be a possibility.

"So don't think we are best fucking friends now or something..because I still think you are a punk ass kid who likes to get on my nerves..but just know that I can honestly say I am happy for you two. I know you would do anything for our girl and this isn't going to be easy..it won't be for me either but at least I have experience with Em. But damn..you guys are so f*****g young..but so were Allen and Carrie..and look what they did." He laughed, making me look over towards the garden and settle my eyes on the angel statue that Jack had been staring at most of the time.

Carrie was Em's mom, and I remember Em telling me that she had helped raise Jack before her accident. So she really must've meant a lot to him.

"But after Carrie passed, Allen stepped up more than any man should. Not only did Allen raise me and Em, but I believe he was there for you and Carson as well. I wish she could've been here too..I have no fucking doubt in my mind that she would've f*****g loved you and I would've hated it." He let out a booming laugh, causing me to join in.

"So just know I'm not going to beat your ass over this..unless you do something to earn it." He shot me a sideways glance and I just nodded my head.

"I

I give you permission in that case.." I mumbled, knowing if I ever hurt Em in any way I would deserve it. I never plan on doing that though..no matter what.

"I can't lie though, I am concerned about your guy's future plans." He stated, making me sit back and cross my arms in front of my chest.

"We are going to try it..but I swear to you Jack..if at any moment it's too hard for her or she can't handle it..we are out of there." I don't care if I'm under contract either..I would do anything to keep Emery happy.

Jack just nodded his head. I hope he understands that I truly mean every word. We just sat there for a few more moments in silence as the sun began to go down.

"So..should we..like hug or something?" I teased, making him turn his head towards me as he looked me square in the eye.

"No." He stated flatly, making a big smirk pull at my face.

"Aww, come on..this is a big moment..You are having a girl, Em is pregnant..we are a real family now." I beamed, making him clench his jaw. "Touch me and I fucking punch you in that pretty face of yours beanstalk." I couldn't help but burst with laughter as I threw my head back.

"Wait..did you just call me pretty?" I asked in a serious tone, making him roll his eyes as he stood up and went to leave.

"Come on, let's go back in..and don't you dare tell anyone I said that." He threatened and I nodded my head, trying to hide my happiness..oh..I am totally telling Em he said that. And I have a feeling this is just the start of a great friendship Jack and I will have.. It's officially my mission to make Jack Lewis like me...no...I will make him love me dammit, and he is going to hate every damn moment of it. I can't wait...