Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother novel Chapter 258

258: Asher

I’m driving.

The low hum of the engine is the only sound in the car, and my hands are loose on the wheel – not because I’m relaxed, but because if I grip it any harder I’ll leave a permanent impression.

It’s been two weeks.

Two weeks of what most people would call normal life- or maybe even beautiful chaos. For me? It’s been the best damn thing I’ve ever had.

Penny’s schedule is nuts. Beyond nuts. She’s back in school full–time, but it’s almost meaningless at this point. Half her teachers have agreed to excuse her from classes because Madame Loretto has her and Luc training like they’re going to war instead of performing a ballet. Early mornings. Rehearsals that stretch until 10 p.m. most nights. Extra drills on weekends. I’ve watched Penny fall asleep in the car so many times now that it feels weird when she doesn’t conk out before we hit the freeway.

Some nights, I carry her inside. She doesn’t even stir.

Some nights, I nudge her awake make her take a shower, eat something, wrap her in a blanket and hold her until she’s out again. She’s so small, but she runs on grit and caffeine and sheer goddamn will. And I’ve never seen anything more impressive in my life.

The gala is in a week. The buzz is everywhere. Posters, banners, event flyers in every café and subway tunnel. We went to get pho last weekend and the woman behind the counter handed Penny her order for free. Said she recognized her from a promotional poster.

I’ve had to scare off three guys in the last ten days. One asked for her number in the middle of the produce aisle. One winked at her in front of me. The third tried to DM her something about “private lessons. That one got a message back. From me.

And Penny?

She doesn’t even notice half the time. She’s too focused. Her head’s in choreography and footwork and making this dream happen. That laser focus of hers? It’s dangerous. It’s what got her this far. And it makes me want to fight anyone who even looks at her like she’s not the most powerful thing they’ve ever seen.

As for me? Work is wild.

It’s fast–paced. Technical. Demanding. Everything I used to love about the field without the blood and broken bones. I’m training new units now. Running ops simulations. Drilled a team yesterday on gun and explosive safety, and halfway through the day, one of them called me “sir.” I almost laughed. Almost.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel stepping away from active duty at twenty–three. It felt… unfinished, for a while. Like maybe I was tapping out too early. But now? I’m seeing how much of a difference I can make without even pulling a trigger. And I think maybe this is what I was always meant to do.

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Chapter 258 Asher

Still, I miss the adrenaline sometimes. The sharp edge of knowing something’s coming. That hum of awareness crawling up your spine, telling you to move.

It’s probably why I notice the dark first.

I pull up outside the studio at 8:07 p.m. Penny said she’d be out by 8 sharp tonight. That they were finishing carly, for once. I brought sushi – her favorite kind and I’m planning on forcing her to eat more than she wants and watching the way her eyes go soft when she chews something warm and salty and perfect.

But the building is dark.

Not just dim.

Dark.

No studio lights on. No front desk glow. No figure in the lobby slipping on her hoodie or tying her shoes.

And Penny’s not outside.

She always waits outside if I’m late. Sits on the low brick ledge with her headphones in, watching the sky, or stretching her legs with that dancer’s instinct that never really turns off. But she’s not there now.

My jaw tightens.

I sit back in my seat for a second, one hand gripping the steering wheel, the other dropping to the gearshift.

Then I look back at the building.

Something’s wrong.

The wrong kind of stillness. The kind that sets every nerve in my body on alert.

I cut the engine, grab my phone, and step out into the cold.

Something is off.

And I’m going to find out what the hell it is.

I open her contact and tap her name.

It rings once. Twice.

Three times.

Straight to voicemail.

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Chapter 258 Asher

1 hang up and call again. Same result. No answer.

A slow burn crawls up my spine, inch by inch. My training has a word for this feeling. Precursor. It’s what happens when something’s off before it goes off. Like the second before a mine clicks under your boot. Before the first shot is fired.

I shove my phone into my pocket and cross the street toward the studio. The building looms quiet, windows dark, doors shut tight.

I try the front handle – locked.

What the hell?

It’s never locked at this time. Even when Penny’s done, there are usually girls packing up inside, instructors yelling corrections down hallways, heels clicking on tile. Music echoing from practice rooms. The hum of life.

But tonight?

Nothing.

I move along the side of the building to the service door, the one near the stairwell. It’s never monitored, and I’ve been through it more times than I can count. I enter the code Penny gave me months ago – she’d rolled her eyes and said, In case I ever pass out and you need to drag me home by my bun and the lock disengages with a soft click.

I slip inside.

The hallway is colder than usual.

Fluorescents flicker faintly overhead, but even they feel dimmer. The bulletin boards are still covered in rehearsal schedules and gala prep posters. A few abandoned dance bags are lined up against the wall, but it’s eerily quiet.

I take the stairs two at a time, my boots heavy on the steps, the sounds echoing louder than they should.

At the top of the landing, I slow.

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