Cognizant (Adopted By Alex Gaskarth: Book 2)✅

Chapter 19

Adelpha Gaskarth's POV:

When I slowly was lifted from the pools of unconsciousness, I felt the soreness in my legs and back as they cramped up. I stretched out my limbs, hearing them pop and crack. I felt someone right next to me and opened my eyes slowly to adjust to the sunlight creeping through the blinds. Alex lied right next to me on the couch, dead asleep with one arm tightly around me. I closed my eyes tightly as I cuddled back against his warm body, his chest rising and falling slowly under his white t-shirt. I received a few more minutes of comforting silence before the human I had been using as a pillow shifted and moved, stirring into a half-awake state. I was gently pushed to the couch completely as he turned and twisted, making small snore noises. The couch cushions moved and strained as he stretched his body out.

A small groan noise escaped my mouth as I was gently pushed over and almost fell off the couch. Alex finally began to wake up completely, still fidgeting around. He slowly sat up, mumbling incoherent words with his eyes not even half-open yet. I watched as he slowly blinked and opened his eyes before yawning and stretching up. He looked over at where I still curled up under the blanket over us.

"You okay, kid?"

I nodded as I shifted around, only to fall off the edge of the couch. I grunted softly as my shoulder hit the carpeted floor with a thump. A small chuckle sounded from the couch, and Alex's hand pat my shoulder. I tiredly pushed myself up to sit up against the couch with a sigh, remaining there. I heard a buzzing next to me and looked up. Alex stared at his phone screen with the name Jack plastering the Caller ID.

"'Sup, dude," he drawled out once he answered the phone. Incoherent talking could be heard from Jack's end. Alex hummed tiredly, dragging out an "Mmm," sound before replying "Sure. Twelve-thirty." They hung up with a click.

"Jack's back from L.A, we're going to Moe's for lunch with him later," Alex told me.

"Okay," I replied quietly.

"Li- Mom I think left for work already. What time is it?"

"I dunno."

"Nine-thirty," he answered his own question by looking at his phone. "She leaves at seven-thirty usually. She probably left while we were sleeping.

"Mmh," I hummed in quiet reply, shutting my eyes against the couch. Alex messed up my hair.

"Wake up, sleepyhead. Let's get some breakfast before we get ready to leave."

"Okay," I breathed out quietly, remaining in my lazy position before allowing Alex to tug me to my feet. I stumbled only slightly before walking with Alex to the kitchen.

.

"Hi!" Jack waved at us from across the parking lot of Moe's. I stuck my tongue out at him before he came up to hug me tightly. He gave Alex one of those slappy friendly 'bro-hugs' that guys give each other sometimes before playfully placing a kiss on his cheek. Alex snorted as he wiped his best friend's spit off his face.

"Ew, no PDA, please," I stated sassily.

"Oh, puh-lease, girl I have seen your tumblr history and your Wattpad library, don't give me that shit," Alex sassed back. I felt my face tint red with embarassement. Alex chuckled.

"Ooh, reading some good porn, Ad?" Jack asked playfully as we walked into the Mexican restaurant.

"It's not porn porn," I replied, my face still hot.

"No, it's just gay porn about your dad's friends."

"Yeah, but it's not like... porn porn."

"Way to elaborate," Jack said with a giggle.

"It's chaptered fics that just happen to have some porn in them."

"The very first thing I saw in the summary of several were warnings for strong BDSM in some chapters," Alex piped up again.

"Why are you looking through them?" I giggled as we made our orders.

"You left it open on my computer. I got curious what you were reading. Now I'm not so curious."

I felt my face heat up more again as I giggled nervously. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he replied as we took our trays to a table after paying. "It is. If you want to jack off to your dad and his best friends having an orgy, you can. You do you."

"I don't jack off to it," I laughed." And none of them are about orgies."

"I'm sure you don't jack off to it," Jack replied sarcastically, shoving a chip with salsa into his mouth.

"I don't! I'm serious!" I giggled again, watching the two men across from me laugh with food in their mouths.

"Prove it," Alex sassed with a mouthful of burrito.

My face burned brighter. I didn't want to tell him I was asexual. "Why do I have to prove it?" I ripped my teeth into the soft tortilla, the insides of the burrito filling my mouth as I let out another laugh.

"Because otherwise we just have to assume that my sixteen year old daughter jacks off to me and my best friends fucking," Alex replied. I could hear the joking tone in his voice, and I knew he wasn't genuinely upset or mad, but my subconscious still went into defensive autopilot mode.

"Because I'm asexual," I blurted out loudly and quickly. I had realized what I said and almost choked on my burrito.

"Really? You didn't tell me that," Alex commented casually.

"Uh, yeah," I breathed out, avoiding looking at him or Jack.

"Cool." I looked up at the two, almost surprised at their casualness about it as Jack made a comment about something else.

.

I sat against Jack as The Shining played on the television of the dark living room. I could hear Alex jump only slightly as the axe suddenly hit the wall.

"Heeere's Johnny," I whispered along with the movie. I continued whispering along the script by heart.

"How many times have you seen this movie," Jack whispered, and I felt his chest shake as he chuckled.

"Probably about as many times as you've seen Home Alone," I whispered back.