Ryer took a good look at my entire naked front, but it was my tattoo that he took in. He just nodded.

“Exactly what are you thinking?” I asked, wanting to know what he thought of my tattoo.

“I can’t say I expected a Dragon wrapped around your thigh, and this is a lot more than I expected. Its head ends right on your hip and v line. How did you get this for your senior year of high school? Really?”

“Yeah, I got it then. I remember it being a tense sitting, pretty uncomfortable too.”

“I bet. That’s a lot of ink.”

“Alright, That’s enough of you looking at my naked body.”

“I’m not even looking at you really, That tattoo takes my attention. It’s eye-catching.”

Ryer's hand reached out and touched the tattoo on my thigh, I clenched my teeth because as his hand passed along my tattoo I became all too aware of the fact, that I could indeed still pop an erection.

Ryer removed his hand, cleared his throat and stepped back slightly.

“Here let me help you into the bath.”

“Right.”

Ryer took my upper right arm and helped lower me into the warm bathwater. I watched him casually take a look at what I was working with before he looked away pretending to give me privacy.

“If you want me to leave and give you privacy, I can.”

His hands were jammed in his jogging pants pockets and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that he was probably also sporting an erection and for my sake was attempting to hide it. For some reason, this affected me more than it should have. Sexually, I was attracted to him, mentally, not so much. But it wasn’t him, I just didn’t make too many connections like that. Sex for me had only ever been need-based, never out of love or affection. Was I really that different from how Ryer behaved? The answer to that was so clear and obvious but I couldn’t bear to think that.

Ryer, who was still there, turned to leave.

“You can stay if you want. It’s not like you haven’t seen everything now.”

“Alright.”

He crouched down and sat on the tiled floor. He looked at me, the side of the tub blocking his view of my lower body. His hands rested between his legs, he was blocking the view of his erection. Part of my brain kept telling me to splash him with the water and his clothing will cling to him, then I would see what I wanted to. But the other part of my brain was disgusted with the suggestion. So far, I had just sat here not moving, not cleaning myself.

Ryer stood up, walked to the cabinet and pulled out a cloth. He stepped into the shower and grabbed a few bottles before returning to my side. He set the bottles down before he left the room and returned with a small plastic cup.

He looked at me, his hand dipping the cloth in the water. He didn’t say anything, and I couldn’t find the words to say either. The air in the room was thick but still very breathable. His hands were gentle as he scrubbed my skin with the cloth and his body wash, the scent of pine filling my nose. He scrubbed me and even went as far as to wash my hair, It was very intimate and left me feeling exposed and strange. Honestly, it was all a little overwhelming to me.

“Sasha, Are you alright?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

“Want to tell me what you are feeling right now?”

“I’m not used to someone being so gentle and caring for me. I feel exposed and I don’t like it.”

“It’s alright to feel like this.”

“It doesn’t feel alright. It feels unknown and sharp.”

Ryer was gentle as he helped me out of the tub, giving me a towel to dry off with, standing by if I needed help. At this moment alone, I opened up to him. I told him things I had never even told Lukas, and he was the closest person to me.

“Ryer, I was adopted, I’m not used to gentle care. Don’t get me wrong, My parents did their job, they raised me, but it’s not like the love-filled adoption you see on tv and in movies. They were always distant and I spent much of my teenage years in a private school after I ran away from their home. They pushed that education and job were more important than overthought comforts from affection and care.”

“Sasha, I’m sorry that this—-”

“Ryer I don’t need pity. I’m just trying to explain my awkward stance on this.” I said feeling slightly angry that he was showing me pity.

He grabbed me before I could walk away and dried my hair with a smaller towel. He didn’t give me the option. After he dried my hair, he let me go. I just wanted to hide in the back bedroom and be left alone. I didn’t like this feeling of being exposed and it was all because he had been gentle and caring to me.

Getting into the back bedroom, I got dressed. Pulling jogging pants on and a sweater, I slipped out of Ryers. I was sure he was too busy in the bathroom to notice. I made sure I had my phone in case he called. Though I might not answer it, just so that he yelled at me. I knew how to respond to that better than caring.

I knew enough to comfort him before when he had opened up to me, but that was a rare thing for me. I had hugged him because I had been just overwhelmed by his sadness and ended up hugging him.

My bare feet made little noise on the floor as I paced the halls. I knew this was going to kill my back, but I needed—hell, I didn’t know what I needed anymore. With the thought of my parents on my mind, I was going to have to visit them soon, even if it was going to be an uncomfortable conversation. It had been three years since I had actually been in the same room as them. We had brief phone conversations, and I sent money for the holidays. But that was it.

Pulling out my phone as I paced, I flicked through the contacts in my phone. I didn’t even think about the time, but I hit the call button. I honestly expected the answering machine, but when a voice I knew all too well answered the phone, My mouth dried up.

“Dean residence, How can I help you?”

Finally, after a few more seconds I spoke.

“Hello.”

“Sasha. Do you have a single clue what time it is?”

“Honestly, No. I didn’t check. I’m sorry. I didn’t expect it to be picked up, I was just going to leave a voicemail.”

“Of course you were, that has been your typical behaviour for the last three years.” My father said sternly. I could hear the anger in his tone.

“Right. That has been my typical behaviour.”

“Why are you calling, you don’t call us, do you need—-”

“Actually. I was hoping that I could come by, It’s been three years. Just let me know when you and mother are free and I—-”

“Sasha.” He cut me off, his voice stern.

“Yes?”

“Are you going to skip out on us like you have done several times this last three years? You know your mother hates that you treat us this way.”

“I know. I have no intentions of skipping out, I was the one who called after all.”

“Right, I will have a look at our plans and see where you fit in. I’ll let you know, Or you can just come when it is convenient for you.”

“I’ll just come on the weekend.”

“See you then. And Sasha. Don’t forget about us, we are still your parents.”

He didn’t even give me time to respond. He just hung up on me, And I could see why, It was eleven at night. His words ‘we are still your parents’ was like a damaging blow. I couldn’t ever remember him or my mother claiming they were parents. Normally it was ‘We are your adopted parents, We are your adopted mother and father’ It was never just parents. Honestly, I was probably just looking too far into this. But one thing was clear, I was going to have to have someone take me back to my apartment so that I could get my personal SUV. I never actually drove the thing in town since everything I needed had been within walking distance of my work and home.

This drive was going to be really long and rough on my back, But I needed to see them. Three years was too long to avoid them. My father had been right, despite everything, they were still my parents. I could at least, go see them. And, I was going to steal Ryer too.