“If he sees me right now, he'll shake me to death.” I could mentally see the eye roll, or maybe that was just me.“I am sorry, Koda. So very sorry. I shouldn’t have ignored you. Ididn’t…well I wasn’t thinking. You aren’t the first boy I’ve crossed paths with, so to speak, since…well…I got out.”
I hiccupped a sob, then clamped my lips tightly together.
“Can...can I hug you?”
I think I nodded, or maybe I shook my head. I don’t know. All that came out was another half sob, my body shaking as I fought against the trigger of a full on meltdown.
Slowly, a warm arm snaked around my shoulders, pulling me towards his body. My own went willingly, despite stiffly, with the motion. I kept my eyes closed as tightly as I possibly could.
“I’m so fricken sorry,” Asher whispered. “Fate still forced us to come face to face, and I was stupid to fight it. But that’s how I am anyhow. Fighting against what’s right.”
Slowly, my breathing became easier, my thoughts sluggish, as the pill did its job. I hated it, the feeling of wanting to sleep for days after taking it while in the midst of an attack. Thankfully, that didn't happen too often. And on top of no food, which didn’t help at all.
My body shook, racked by shivers as my tears continued to fall.
Jasper and Asher talked; their voices low but loud enough that I knew both were there. The server, too, came by but all their words went right through my brain as I fought to stayin the present and not let the darkness take over.
“…He always cried there, too.” Asher’s words stuck. “He was the youngest, as far as I know.”
“I’d askwhere,but that’s his story to share with me,” Jasper replied. “I’d like to know, though. Whenever Koda’s ready to share.”
“No one wants to share that. I don’t tell people my story, and not because I’m ashamed of what I dealt with. But because they will look at me like I’m something I’m not. Sure, I’m a survivor, but everyone is. Someone survives a car crash. Someone survives a near death experience. Someone survives being sold to another human being. We all have a story, and all survive in a different way.”
“Wasn’t sold….” I managed to get out, a few seconds too late and cut off whatever Jasper was saying. “Given. Prized.”
It didn’t even make sense completely in my mind, but the arms around me squeezed for a second before loosening.
“There’s always a price. Someone pays, someone gets hurt and abused, and so forth,” Asher sighed. “Given is the same thing as sold. Especially with where we were, and who hurt us.”
I grunted, burrowing into his side more. Now that the panic was ebbing away, all I wanted was to know he was, in fact, real.
“Still the same boy as before,” Asher said, halfway letting me crawl into his lap, while also pulling me there like he couldn’t help it.
“I was doubting that you knew him,” Jasper, again.
“Like I said, I was being a dick. I was scared of how he’d react, and if he cried, well, I’d end up right where I was. I couldn’t resist him when we shared a room with ten other boys. I knew I wouldn’t have any luck when fate forced my hand either.”
“You aren’t crying.” Jasper so nicely pointed out.
“Dick. I don’t cry.”
Whatever look Jasper gave Asher, it caused him to laugh lightly in his chest, jostling me in the process.
“You should listen to Noah more often.”
“Yeah. I highly doubt that’ll happen any time soon. But he’ll be thrilled to know about my day.”
“’Orry.” I yawned.
I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s day. I didn’t want to be a problem.
“Oh no, you don’t get to say that word today.” Asher pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “You did nothing wrong. You didn’t make Jasper bring you here. And you certainly didn’tforce me to come sit here and freak out while you were freaking out. This is all my fault.”
I shook my head, but didn’t pull away. My eyes were heavy, and I knew sleep was close to the surface if I stayed still too much longer.
“We’ll have to get together soon. Maybe- “
“Don’t think about wanting him to come to our gatherings. He’s been a bit overwhelmed with them twice now. Walking into that was how we meant, actually.” Jasper recalled that memory too fondly for my liking.
