“Jasper! I didn’t know you’d be by today. Usually you’re here on Friday’s.”A server witha pad of paper and pen greeted us. Well, greeted Jasper more than me.
“Change of pace.” Jasper smiled easily at the girl, who looked a lot like his girlfriend in a way. Blond hair, skinny and well put together.
“Cool. Well, what can I get started for ya?”
“We’ll have it to go. I’ll go with my normal hamburger today and fries. My friend here will go with the chicken strip basket and fries. Sauce on the side.”
“Sure thing! Water while you wait or something else?” Her eyes bounced to me for a moment before they went back to Jasper.
“Water for both of us please. Thanks, Jules.”
With a dip of her head, she said she’d have it out shortly, then disappeared where I assumed the kitchen was.
Glancing back around the area, my breath caught in my throat as the person behind the bar turned around. He was still busy, even as someone came up to the bar area, and began to chat with him.
But I’d know him, even if I couldn’t see his eyes all that clearly from where I sat, light blond hair that fell into his eyes just like Noah’s picture.
“Koda?” Jasper scooted on the bench, blocking my view. I had to blink a few times toclear the tears that threatened to fall.“What’s wrong?”
I shook my head, dropping my chin and trying to make myself as small as I possibly could. Which wasn’t all that hard to do, but Jasper still saw me.
He turned his head for a moment, looking in the same direction I had before he leaned back in his seat, still blocking my view. Which was for the best.
Now wasn’t the time for tears. Well, never really was, but crying in a place like this always made people uncomfortable.
All I wanted was to just go home.
“Here’s your water,” the server said, breaking a tense silence, setting two cups of ice water on the table. “Anything else? The food should be done in about twenty minutes.”
“Can you give Ash a message for me?”
“Sure?”
“Cool. Paper?”
I glanced up in time for the server to pull a piece of paper from her notebook, handing over her pen for a moment too. She stood there awkwardly as he jotted down something, then folded the paper.
“Only for his eyes.” He lowered his voice, warning almost.
“You could just go over there and talk to him. You know he won’t come over here.”
“I know. Hence the note.”
Jules gave Jasper a strange look, but otherwise took it and walked towards where the bar area was. He kept my view blocked, his back to the room.
“Asher doesn’t come out from his area, but this way, he’ll know we are here and won’t freak out. He tends to do that once in a while if Noah or Beckett – his lovers – aren’t here to keep him levelheaded. He’s healed, but I can see the need of you talking to him on your face. Maybe it’ll bring you healing, maybe not.”
“He…no. It’s….fine….” Could I go hide in the bathroom, or maybe the car, until the food was done?
I didn’t want to be an inconvenience to anyone. If I had known that Asher would be here, I wouldn’t have come out today at all.
I was better off staying at home.
“I think it’d be good for him to see you and talk through some stuff. He may be doing well, but he’s still healing. He’s also complicated. But aren’t we all?”
I sniffed, wiping my nose.
I hated the fact that now I couldn’t just stay in the corner and be invisible. What would he do? Would he just shrug off the fact that I was here? Would he be the one that left and disappeared until Jasper and I’s food came out and we left? Would Asher come over here and just tell me to screw off – to leave him alone?
