“Asher….well if he knows you, please don’t expect him to reach out. Okay. He’s done well with healing from his past, and I’m not sure he’ll want to draw up that again.”
I dipped my chin, not having thought of that. I just wanted to know that he was okay. That I wasn’t crazy. That…well…I don’t know.
“I think knowing a past…friend…is doing well in life will be okay. If the kid doesn’t want to reach out, Koda will understand. They will run into one another if fate decides.”
Leave it to Dawn to be the wise one.
“He is doing good. He has two amazing people who make sure he’s very well taken care of. And a great family who adopted him as a teenager,” Jasper said, giving me just enough information to settle the worry inside me. “I want to think he’s happy and content with his life right now.”
“Oh!” Noah barged right back in, bouncing like he just couldn’t stay still. “What if we take a picture of you? Asher then will have to see you.”
At that, I shook my head. All the times I had my picture taken, bad things happened. I didn’t want my face out there, in any shape, way or form.
“Security reasons, Koda can’t have his pictures out in the world. I don’t think you’d post them to social media or anything, but there’s men out there that want to harm him.”Dawn easily saved me, and my quickly rising panic easily.
“Oh.” Noah was a tad upset. “Ashie won’t ever let me share pictures to the web. He’ll have Daddy-“
“Alright,” Jasper cut Noah off. “Shall we let Koda enjoy his drink now.”
Noah sighed, like he debated about joining me for a moment before he nodded. Not happily, I might add.
Chapter 32
It took my brain too long to wake up, and it didn’t help matters that I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep to begin with.
I was curled up against the corner of the giant, oversized chair, a blanket wrapped around my shoulders and knees pulled up to my chest. Some sort of show was playing on the TV, one I didn’t pay much attention to.
It took me even longer to figure out what woke me.
Rubbing at my eyes, everything only became blurrier as my sight adjusted to my surroundings. The room was darker, too, than before.
I hated wintertime.
Dawn’s soft voice was too low for me to hear, and it sounded like she was at the door.
Oh. That made sense on what woke me up, then. Which was probably a good thing. If I slept too long, then I’d have trouble sleeping tonight. And tomorrow would…well be just another day.
Yawning, I burrowed more into the soft backing of the chair, letting sleep cling to me a bit longer. But then, a voice I knew well reached me. It was a bit louder, or possibly closer.
“He’s eighteen, right?”
Dawn confirmed before he went on again. “I understand your concern, but I promise I won’t lead him on. I had a feeling he did, but I won’t draw attention to it. I have a girlfriend. “
“I just want to make sure you are aware. He's...young at heart. And after you give him that….well…”
“I’m not worried, Dawn. My lifestyle tends to show my care like this. He’s not the first shy boy to have a crush on me because of who I am. I’m just good with his type, I guess you could say. Plus, I work with kids all day long. It makes me more likable.”
“Just…be careful.”
I didn’t catch whatever else was spoken, as it was too low. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be mad at Dawn or not. She meant well, and it wasn’t like I’d ever want to date a man. Or woman. Or anyone. I knew that part of a relationship wouldn’t work for me. Just the idea of sex turned me away. Even though my dick sometimes thought it needed to be touched.
“Koda, honey?” It took too much effort to open an eye, seeing Jasper kneeling before the chair. But just as quickly, I shut it again. “I got you something. Remember, I told you, you needed a reward for how amazing you were today.”
Oh. Right.
I opened both eyes, and turned my face towards Jasper a bit more. The glow from the TV made him look like an angel for a moment before I blinked and it went away.
“I was just going to leave this with your aunt, but she said you needed to wake up anyway. But you look like you could do well with an early night anyways.”
