Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother Chapter 145

When we reach the lodge, I feel like I can breathe again.

Finally, other people. A whole room full of them. Because I don’t trust myself alone with Asher Hayes anymore. Not after last night.

I’m not a cheater. Never have been, never will be. I’m loyal to a fault, actually. I don’t stray. I don’t cross lines. I don’t even let myself daydream about people who aren’t my boyfriend, because that’s where it starts, right? One little stray thought, one look too long, and then you’re lost.

But last night...

I swallow hard, the cold air biting at my cheeks as we approach the lodge’s entrance. I feel his shadow beside me, tall and steady. I feel the warmth of his presence like a physical touch, like he’s got a hand on my back even when he doesn’t.

It’s messing with my head.

Because now everything he does feels intense. Sexual. Hot. He pulled on a hoodie this morning, and I nearly melted into the floor. Just the sight of his hands pushing through his messy dark hair, the way his forearms flexed when he rolled his sleeves up. How he stretched his back, making his shoulders look even broader, muscles rippling under ink and scars.

So, yeah. I’m relieved when we finally push open the lodge door, and the hum of a dozen conversations and clinking plates greets us. I need a reset. I need to be reminded that other people exist. That I can be a normal person and not a complete mess over one guy.

The lodge is warm, the fire crackling, and the smell of breakfast—eggs, bacon, and syrup—fills the air. It’s bustling. Plates being passed, forks scraping, people laughing and talking over each other.

“Go find a spot,” Asher says, nodding toward the long table where Max and some other guys are sitting. “I’ll make you a plate.”

I blink up at him, caught off guard by the way he says it so naturally. Like he just... takes care of me now.

“O-okay,” I manage, slipping my gloves off and walking toward the table, finding Tyler at the far end.

“Morning,” I say as I approach, slipping into the seat beside him.

But something’s off. He’s sitting there with wet hair, freshly showered, and staring at his half-eaten toast like it personally offended him. Tyler never showers in the morning. Not unless he’s drenched in sweat.

“You okay?” I ask, leaning in a little.

He jumps slightly, then forces a smile. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Just... gotta go grab something from my room. Be right back.”

I watch, brow furrowed, as he pushes his chair back and heads toward the stairs, disappearing behind one of the doors up there.

Weird.

I sit back, eyes following him for a moment, then notice Rebecca and Zoe huddled together near the fireplace, whispering and giggling, eyes flicking toward me.

Of course. They’re always laughing at something.

I exhale through my nose, not even close to ready to deal with them before I’ve had a single bite of breakfast. Instead, I make my way back to the table where Asher has already claimed a spot, two plates in front of him. He’s in the middle of a conversation with Max and another guy I vaguely recognize from the football team.

It’s strange seeing him actually talk to people. Like... genuinely talk. I always think of Asher as a silent figure, all shadows and sharp eyes, but he’s leaning back in his chair, his broad shoulders relaxed, his face open as he listens to Max.

I take the seat beside him, and he reaches over, pulling my chair a little closer without even looking at me. The automatic nature of the gesture makes my heart stumble.

“—nah, man, I’m telling you, you wouldn’t last a week,” Max is saying, shaking his head.

“Oh, yeah?” the other guy chimes in, grinning. “What makes you say that?”

“Bro, you run out of breath walking up the stairs to class,” Max shoots back, making the guy shove his shoulder. “You think you could survive in the jungle?”

“Hey,” the guy protests, grinning. “I’ve been on the rowing team for a year.”

“Yeah, and you quit after a month, Tim,” Max says, rolling his eyes. “I’m just saying, the jungle isn’t for everyone. You gotta have a death wish to sign up for the Navy.”

Asher just gives a small, knowing smirk, his fingers wrapped around his coffee cup. “It’s not that bad.”

“Not that bad, he says,” Tim laughs, shaking his head. “Alright, then tell us the craziest place you’ve ever had to sleep.”

Asher takes a slow sip of his coffee, eyes distant for a second, like he’s sifting through years of memories, deciding which one to share.

“A tree in the Amazon,” Asher says, taking a slow sip of his coffee. “It was the rainy season. Monkeys howling in the branches, bugs crawling into my clothes, and a jaguar stalking around the roots all night.”

Max’s jaw drops. “What? No way.”

He just tilts his head, eyes sharp and a little too calm. “I could hear it breathing. Couldn’t see it, though. Dark as hell.”

Tim looks horrified. “You’re messing with us.”

Asher takes another sip, unfazed. “Woke up to a spider the size of my hand on my leg. Shoved it off and kept climbing.”

Max’s mouth hangs open. “Bro, you’re actually unhinged.”

“So, what else?” Tim presses. “Ever sleep in a cave? A swamp? Like, where’s the worst place?”

Asher leans back, eyes flicking to me for a beat before he answers, “A wrecked cargo ship off the coast of Indonesia. Whole thing was sinking, water rising by the hour. I spent the night standing on a metal beam, hoping the tide wouldn’t come in too fast.”

Tim looks like he’s having a minor crisis. “Bro... what the actual hell?”

Max just shakes his head, laughing. “Man, you’re insane.”

I hide a smile behind my coffee cup.

Yeah. He kind of is.