Non Verbal

52

Chapter 52 

(I UPDATED EARLIER, MAKE SURE YOU READ IT LOL)

Rowan's POV

Lottie was holding my hand a little bit. She was sat on a barstool next to her brother and I was stood to her side, her father in the kitchen cooking, and her mother stood opposite us pouring us all drinks.

My hand was under the counter on her thigh and her hand over mine, gently running her fingers along the lines of mine.

I was trying to keep up with them all, I was.

But I am quiet.

I feel like this is known.

That I don't speak this much.

Lottie is speaking fast, her tone loud, her smile bright as she banters with her brother and as her mother tries to mediate but very often throws her head back laughing at them.

Apparently, Rayne, the second brother, just came to say hi and decided to hang out until they all came back.

He is loud, just like her, their humor matching and their past family jokes running deep as they laugh together.

I loved it, seeing her so happy.

But there was no way I was keeping up with them.

And I think she knew that, because her hand gently stroking mine reminded me that she did know I was here and that she wanted me here.

I looked to her father, who had an easy amused smile on his face but was saying nothing to mediate or join in with the argument Lottie and Rayne were currently having.

I think they're arguing who someone likes more. Emersyn and August? I think August is Lottie's older brother and I assume Emersyn is his wife.

Or something.

I am not in the know here.

Jackson looks round to me and nods me over.

I offered to help ages ago but he never took me up on it.

It was easier to help make food so I could watch. I don't know, I have a thing about food poisoning. For some fucking reason as a kid, I genuinely thought that if someone got food poisoning that it was because whoever cooked the food purposely poisoned them.

And that developed into everyone is trying to poison me and my family type shit.

And it just stuck.

I know, obviously, that Lottie's father is not trying to do that. But it just helps me feel calmer doing it myself, or at least helping.

I drag my hands away from Lottie and head towards him.

His voice is quiet. "Do you know how to use this to grind these together?"

I nod, taking over the action.

He stays beside me and starts to chop up some onion.

He chuckles. "Is this the part where I see how much of a man you are? You know, whether you can withstand onions and not cry?"

I feel my lips tug up and I shrug. "I might tear up."

"Yeah me too." He laughs, starting to chop the onions smaller.

I hear the front door go then, I look around to Lottie in question and she's already being told to go and let Cole and November in and I nod to myself.

Right more people.

You have to speak.

Because you want them to like you.