Chapter 40: Asher
The hot water wings at fist
It needles now skin, sharp against miscles still from hauling Penny through the storm, from bracing arsimt up by the rootsL
But when a minute after the initial shock starts to feri gol.
The kind of good that seeps into your bones, makes the soild mere dosen in nothing but heat and breath and steam.
felt strong mough to
I lean my head against the tile wall for a moment, letting the water drum against the back of my neck, shaking off the last sey edges of the night.
And-
yeah.
The thought cresses my mind.
That Penny’s doing the same right now, two doors down.
That her hair’s wet and clinging to her back,
that her skin’s flashed from the beat,
that she’s wearing nothing but a towel, or maybe nothing at all.
The thought punches low and strong, making my dick impossibly
ibly hard. I stroke it once, twice…
I grit my teeth and shove the thought away, taking my hand off
Not the time.
Not the place.
Not the girl
I kill the water before my brain can get any stupider, dry off fast, and yank on clean clothes–sweats, a dry hoodie, hare feet padding quiet down the stairs.
The bouw feels different now.
Still lit, still warm- but quieter.
Like everything’s holding its breath.
drop to the couch, stretching my legs out,
waiting
And a few minutes later, I hear it
the soft sound of bare feet an
I glance up.
And for the second time tonight, the air knocks put of my lungs
There she is –
Penny, her hair brushed out and hanging damp down her back, her skin pink from the heat of the shower, swallowed whole by my clothes,
The black t–shirt hangs down to her mid–thighs, the sleeves topping past her elbows,
Chapter 40: Asher
The jogging pants are so big she has to hold the waistbend up with one hand just to keep them from puddling around her ankles.
She scowls at me the second she catches the look on my face.
“You’re a giant,” she accuses, tugging the pants higher.
I smirk – small, involuntary.
“Not my fault you’re tiny.”
She huffs and stops – as much as someone her size can stemp
Not close enough to touch.
But close enough that I can feel the heat coming off her skin.
I glance sideways at her
across the room, Bepping onto the couch next to me
at the way the neckline of the shirt dips just enough to show the pale
of her collarbone,
at the way her hair’s dripping little spots of water onto the stretched fabric,
at the way her lips are finally pink again.
And the thought that she’s naked under my clothes-
nothing but my shirt against her skin
makes my hands curl into fists against my thighs.
Not allowed.
to will my boner away.. The floor creaks again and I sit up straighter automatically, trying to
It’s just Mom and Dad, carrying two steaming mugs of tea
They both beam when they see u
“Here you go, sweetheart, Mom says, handing Penny a mug.
“And for you, Ash,” Dad says, dropping the other into my hand with a grin
Penny wraps her hands around them like it’s a lifeline
“Thank you so much,” she says, voice small but steady. For letting me stay here. For everything.”
“You’re family, honey, Mom says.
immediately. “You’re always welcome.”
Dad nods, clapping my shoulder once in a quick, reh gesture of pride.
We’re h
heading up,” he says, “You two good down here?”
Penny nods, smiling thedly,
Chapter 40: Asher
“Okay. Sleep if you can,” Mom says, fussing one last time before
The house settles around us quiet again, just the low him of the generator outside and the faint dimming of rain against the winders,
Penny sips her tea slowly, the steam curling around her face.
And then she frowns
Looks around
Shifts a little on the couch
“Where’s Tyler?” she asks, almost too casually.
I lift an eyebro
“What do you mean?”
She shrugs one shoulder, staring into her mug
He texted me earlier. Said he was home. Chilling.”
Isip my tra, letting the heat scald my tongue before I answer.
“He left a few hours ago,” I say “Said he was meeting some friends.”
She stiffes.
Just enough that I notice.
She pulls her phone out of the giant pocket of my jogging pants and types something quickly, thumbs masing fast,
I look away, trying to give her privacy.
Not that I have to look hard – I’m tallet, sitting higher, and the angle of the couch lets me catch the message without even meaning to.
You okay?
A second later, the reply pings back
Yeah still chilling at home might sleep soon.
I watch the way she flinches – barely a ripple, barely there.
But it’s real. She puts her phone down slowly, confusion etched across her face.
I keep my expression blank, my voice low and egen.
“You okay?”
She blinks, caught, and then forces a smile.
“Yeah. Just tired”
Chapter 40: Asher
But 1 let it go.
She looks too small already
curled in my clothes, clutching the tea like it’s the only thing keeping her upright.
She doesn’t need a third person pashing right now.
She needs rest.
She needs warmth.
She needs to feel safe.
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