Chapter 81: 'If you are done, then can I talk to her?”

Chapter 81: “If you are done, then can I talk to her?” Seraphina’s POV The next day, I got up early in the morning. Not because I slept well... I didn’t sleep at all. Honestly, I hadn’t been sleeping much since I moved into the dorms. I just couldn’t sleep unless I was near Brother Asher... or if Lucien was there. The fear that I’d close my eyes and wake up in that same locked room wouldn’t let me rest. I kept trying to move on, to feel normal again. But no matter how hard I tried, it came rushing back to me. Still, for the past few weeks, I had been able to get a few hours of sleep. Maybe it meant I was getting better or I was healing, even if it was just a little. "Good morning," Emma greeted me with a bright smile the moment I got out of bed. "Why... why are you up so early?" I asked, glancing at the clock. It wasn’t even six yet. "Oh... Bro—Brother Asher is here," she said, trying to sound as normal as she could, but the crack in her voice gave her away, and her cheeks turned pink. "He... he tried calling you, but you didn’t pick up." Damn this girl. Just because Asher was here, she was all nervous and blushing. I walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me honestly—you don’t even want to call him ’Brother Asher,’ do you?" "You! How could you say something like that?" Emma blurted out, her face completely red as she rushed toward the bathroom. She slammed the door shut, but a moment later, she peeked out again and said, "Your brother... he’s waiting for you downstairs." "Oh? So now it’s your brother, not Brother Asher?" I teased. Thud! She slammed the door once again and yelled from inside, "Don’t talk to me, I’m angry with you!" I chuckled at her cute reaction. Honestly, she was the one keeping the little bit of my inner child alive. "Okay, okay, I’ll stop teasing you. Come on, let’s go see my brother, alright?" I said softly. I didn’t really want to face Asher alone. I still felt awkward about how I snatched the chocolates from his hand the other day and ran off without even properly thanking him. "You promised you wouldn’t tease me," Emma said as she opened the door and glared at me. "Of course," I replied. I smiled a little. I knew when to stop. Sometimes, what feels like a small joke to one person can stay with someone else forever, and it could hurt more than anything else. And I would never let anything happen to Emma; she was the only precious little sister I had whom I wanted to protect so badly in my previous life, but I couldn’t. "Then... why don’t we get changed before heading over?" she suggested in a lighter tone. "Sure," I nodded and walked to my closet. "I’ll change here. You can use the bathroom." Emma picked up her clothes and turned to go, but before closing the door, she looked back at me like she wanted to say something, but then she smiled and went inside. I stood there for a moment, staring at my reflection in the closet mirror. My eyes looked tired, and my hair was a mess. But no matter how I look at myself, I could see myself brimming with confidence, and my eyes were full of life, which were nowhere to be seen in my past life. I pulled out something simple to wear. I didn’t want to look like a total mess in front of Asher. "Let’s go," Emma said as she walked out of the washroom, all dolled up in a white floral frock. She slipped on her matching sneakers, and somehow, that made her look even more elegant and prettier. It was nothing fancy, but she looked breathtaking. And then there was I. I just had a plain t-shirt, denim jeans, and regular sandals on. There was nothing fancy at all. "I guess someone’s going on a date," I muttered, raising a brow as I caught her sneakily putting on lipstick. "Sera! You promised you wouldn’t tease me anymore!" Emma pouted and crossed her arms with a dramatic little huff. "Okay, okay! I’ll stop," I laughed. "Let’s go. We can’t keep the future rockstar waiting like this." I took her hand, and together we walked out of the dorm room, locking the door behind us. "Sera," Brother Asher rushed toward me the moment he saw me, like he was trying to compete with someone. That’s when I saw a man standing a little behind Brother Asher... Tall, quiet, with sunglasses on and a mask covering half his face. Damn. Even Brother Alistair was here. No one told me he’d come too. "Good morning," Asher greeted me with a soft smile. "Are you okay?" he asked as his tone was filled with worry. "I... I’m sorry," I said quickly in a guilty tone. "I didn’t mean to ditch you guys, but... There were a lot of things going on in my mind, and—" Before I could finish, Asher stepped closer and gently placed his hand on my head, cutting me off without saying much. "It’s alright," he said quietly. "You don’t need to explain yourself to me." I didn’t know what to say, and Asher seemed equally speechless. That’s when his eyes shifted to Emma. "Good morning to you, too, Emma," he added, giving her a stiff smile. I almost smiled myself. He was trying to be gentle with her, and I could tell that. But his cold, soldier-like demeanor made it awkward. He didn’t know how to soften himself, not even for a girl who was clearly blushing in front of him. And as for Emma? She stood there frozen with her eyes wide, like she’d just seen someone she had always dreamed of! What the hell was happening? Where was this life of mine heading this time? "If you are done, then can I talk to her?"