Chapter 17
JACE
Ash has been off since I made a fool of myself asking them to move in.
Not only did they refuse to accept any money from me, despite being the one who brought it up in the first place, but they also have not been willing to stick around long enough to have any kind of conversation unless it’s just a recap of what they had done with Gerry while I was at work.
Even though it’s only been a few days in the grand scheme of things, I miss them.
I miss the way they take control of situations without being overbearing like the guys in the house.
They coax and steer situations to run smoothly instead of forcing a response.
Half of the time, people don’t even see how they have arranged things to go according to their plan.
“Do you think Ash likes chocolate or strawberry cheesecake?” Gerry asks me while we are waiting in line to order some takeout from a new Korean barbecue place that just opened up last month.
He decided that he wants to treat his favorite adult-ish person – his exact words – to something tasty.
I wholeheartedly agreed when he told me that Ash hasn’t been eating with him during the day.
That’s at least eight hours without food. It’s not healthy.
“The cheesecake here is different from what you’re used to,” I explain based on what I can see on the menu and we move up in the line. “But we can absolutely use the caramel or chocolate at home on it if you’d like.”
He sighs but agrees to get plain cheesecake as long as we get an extra one for both him and Ash to try out different flavor sauces at home.
Like I’m gonna say no to that…
After ordering my usual go to for Korean food – bulgogi with sticky rice – I smile at the way Gerry bombards the kid at the counter with a zillion questions before settling on boring egg fried rice.
For Ash, I order crispy tofu and some tteokbokki and some other sides to share, along with half a dozen cheesecakes.
After all, we are going to have a tasting session with half of them.
The first thing I notice upon pulling onto the little parking slab next to my trailer is the music blasting from next door.
While it isn’t unusual for people to turn their music up a bit louder sometimes, Ash is not one of the usual culprits…
at least not this loud. Despite knowing that Gerry would have a better chance of getting them to accept the lunch invitation, my gut is telling me that Ash’s first reaction to opening the door today should not be witnessed by my little brother.
I’m about to knock when I hear a scream of pain coming from the open bathroom window. Before it even registers in my active thoughts, I am inside and heading for the back of the trailer where I know his bathroom is located.
The shower is still running when I reach the closed door. Instinct to break down the door almost overrides my common sense again, but I don’t know where Ash is on the other side. If they are just on the other side of the door, I could hurt them.
“Ash?” I call out loud enough to be heard over the music. “You okay?”
The sound of something solid hitting the door followed by a string of profanity has me both relieved and more worried. I gently push on the door to get it open, giving them time to move if they are in the way, or to minimize harm if they can’t move.
“Gimme a minute, Jace,” Ash grits out in a strained voice. “I can’t… fuck, it’s not easy putting on panties with only one hand…”
After meeting no resistance, I force my way into the room against their sputtered protests.
My first reaction – much to my own shame – is a flash of arousal at the sight of my neighbor leaning against the wall with a pair of black lace panties around their thighs, just under a cock that I would love to have buried down my throat.
“Fuck, Jace!” Ash yelps and almost falls over in their haste to turn around, giving me an unobstructed view of what is probably the most perfect ass I have ever seen… just enough cushion without needing to use hands to spread those cheeks.
And… is that a birthmark or a tattoo?
My arms shoot out to pull them against the front of me.
How did I never notice just how tiny they are?
Do clothes really hide that much? They aren’t exactly short, so I didn’t realize…
I can feel almost every muscle in their back tense, and I barely resist the urge to start fondling them.
The hiss of pain that comes out when they try to push away from me has my gaze dropping to see the swelling on their left arm.
What the fuck is wrong with me? They’re obviously hurt, and I’m here ogling them.
Carefully, I help them regain and hold their balance with my hands on their shoulders so that they can get covered up. They relax a bit after managing to awkwardly tuck themselves into the lace, so I lead them to sit on the closed toilet seat and turn off the shower.
Fuck, that’s some icy water.
“How long was the shower running to get this cold?”
The thought of Ash being in pain for the thirty plus minutes it usually takes for the tanks in these mobile homes to run out of hot water has me damn near seeing red. I don’t think Gerry and I were gone much longer than that, so it must have happened right after we left.
“I wish it was because I ran out the tank,” Ash mutters after successfully pulling on the basketball shorts that were previously sitting on a shelf behind him. “I need to check the pilot on the tank and shoot an email to the landlord.”
They stand up with a grimace and head towards the front of the home. Part of me doesn’t want to let Ash out of my sight, but a decently sized part of me below the belt needs to calm down a bit before I face them outside of the emergent situation we were just in.
The music cuts off and more profanity drifts back to me, sending me scrambling to get to the living room where… Oh, shit. The front door’s frame is splintered. In my rush to get inside, I was not exactly gentle with the door.
“What else?!” Ash yells to the sky and grabs at their hair, only to start cursing at the pain in their arm.
They merely glare at me as I help them to sit on the chair at their desk. It’s higher and honestly easier to get out of compared to trying to get up from the thrift store couch in front of the window.
I feel horrible.
“Hey Ash!... Woah… what happened to your door?”
Gerry stops on the little deck outside and doesn’t cross the threshold. His smile falters when he sees how Ash is only wearing shorts and holding their arm tightly against their chest.
“Your brother happened,” they say with a dark look at me before offering a much gentler one for the boy in the doorway. “I had the music up too loud that I didn’t hear him knock and I guess he heard me yell when I banged my arm in the bathroom.”
The look on my little brother’s face flashes between concern for Ash and reproach for me.
Instead of having the takeout date we were both looking forward to, Gerry decides we are taking Ash to get his arm looked at.
I don’t miss the trepidation on their face, but they don’t fight against the stubborn as hell eight-year-old leading them to the sliding door of my Odyssey.