More Than A Favor

Chapter 21

ASHER

MY DAD POPS IN WITH A GREEN DINO IN HIS HAND.

I'm two inches taller but anyone can tell that Dave Humphrey is my father. We have the same facial structure, brown hair and eyes. The difference between us are the smile lines around his mouth, wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes and the vertical scar slicing through his thick eyebrows. I'm fortunate enough to have my scar under my chin that sometimes my stubble hides though it's barely noticeable to begin with and another on the right elbow.

I'm guessing now my Dad's making his presence known because he heard Mom's voice, mine or he's finally trying to find his grandson who ran from their play session. The green dinosaur in his hand to prove it.

He hugs me like he hasn't seen me on Saturdays. "You good?" He asks, stretching his gaze towards the ebony haired girl in the room. "Nice to meet you Riley. I'm Dave."

Tommy leaps forward for the green dinosaur and my father easily hands it over. "Yeah. I'm going to show Riley around."

"Nice to meet you Mr Humphrey." Riley's voice turns chirpy, friendly, rich. There's an innocent smile on her pouty lips. The smile which conceals the fact that she's bold enough to sit on her classmate's desk inside her bedroom and have me finger fuck her.

"We'll talk more over dinner." Dad quickly decides, gesturing for us to get on with the tour.

Riley situates my son on her hip like it's the most natural thing she's ever done. Tommy doesn't complain or whine because he wants the gummy gears so that means he's coming on the tour with us. My chest swells at the sight of two of them. The girl I like. The little boy that's a part of me. I don't know why there's nothing better than watching them get along.

We take the wooden stairs. I remember these suckers being extensive when I was younger and I'd run up and down frequently to the point Aunt Shirley added stairs runners for a safety measure. Framed pictures line the gray walls on the way up. Of me, Uncle Victor, Mom, Dad, Aunt Shirley. I catch the moment Riley's gaze lingers on the pictures, processing the younger version of me and my family. Whatever she thinks about them, she doesn't say.

"This is your room."

Green eyes scan the floor and ceiling. Chandelier. The door to the balcony. The fireplace. The shelf with books no one reads and a TV locked away inside the cabinet. I put her duffle on the bed, releasing some of the load I carry.

"And where will you be sleeping?" She asks, tilting her head to look at me. "And this little guy."

"Right next door. Come, I'll show you."

Riley is eager to see. She turns quickly, following behind. We stop by my room and drop off my stuff. It's no different from where she's staying. The walls are painted the same neutral color and everything is the same except for a few paintings hanging around. The clear difference with the naked eye right now are Tommy's things on the chair near the balcony's door.

I made our next destination the laundry room. Then the powder room and the other ridiculous rooms that my Aunt has like the mudroom. It doesn't consist of mud but storage space. We're on the porch when Tommy dives from Riley's hip, he wasn't awarded with gummy bears so he's through with us. I let him inside the house, and my father picks him up and puts him on the back of his neck, legs springing from his shoulder.

The crisp air whooshes as I'm walking the wooden dock. The forest stretches behind the lake house. Footsteps follow behind me before Riley catches up to my strides changing our positions side by side. Our arms bump here and there.

"And your aunt's a chef?"The question flies out of her mouth.

"Yeah. The best." I answer, grasping where she's going with this. I'm sure it's not coming from a place of rudeness. She's genuinely curious. "My Uncle always made sure things were taken care of."