Asher's Heart

Chapter 27

He sat beside Asher and opened his arms for the girl but she buried his face in Asher's neck, making him chuckle.

"I think she doesn't like you, Ashton," he said.

"Calla, I have milk. You are hungry right?" Ashton tried to coax her to come to him.

"I'll stay with daddy," she said.

Even though Asher told me that he wasn't the father it still felt weird when she called him daddy.

"Give the bottle to me," Asher said.

I sat on the couch opposite them.

Ashton hid the bottle behind his back and shook his head.

"No, give Calla to me. I made the milk so I'll feed her," he said.

A chuckle escaped my lips as I watched them. This was so not the normal behavior you'd expect from teen boys. Instead of running away from kids they were eager to play with them. I guess that what happened when you were brought up with no younger sibling. I knew that because I was also brought up as an only child and this little girl fascinated me.

Asher scoffed.

"Feed her? You're not her mother," he said.

"Who is her mother?" I asked, curiosity coating my voice.

They both looked at me with guarded expressions. It made me all the more curious.

"She is not here," Asher said curtly.

"Dada," Calla sang softly, playing with Asher's shirt.

"Clearly, I can see that," I said, ignoring that Calla referred to him as father yet again. "Who is she?"

"Oh you don't know her," Ashton waved me off.

I narrowed my eyes at them.

"What are you hiding? Did you... " I gasped.

"You guys kidnapped her!" I exclaimed. I was only half joking. Okay, I could very well imagine them kidnapping someone. I racked my brain for a kid that lived in our neighborhood. There was one but he wasn't that small and he was a he.

"What? No!" Ashton said.

"Nobody kidnapped anyone," Asher said seriously.

"What do you take us for, Ellie?" Ashton said trying to sound offended.

I shrugged.

"Just making sure."

"Daddy! Mum-mum" Calla said and I got irritated.

Asher snatched the bottle from Ashton, making him pout adorably and sit back on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest.

He gave the bottle to Calla who immediately started drinking.

"Why is she calling you daddy again and again?"

It was Ashton who spoke up.

"That's because he is her daddy," he said with all seriousness.

Asher threw him a glare.

"Okay, seriously guys, does she call everyone daddy?" I asked.

Again Ashton answered.

"Nope. Only Asher. It's like he has some magical juju to lure little kids and eat them later," he said.

"I can't help it if everyone loves me," he said with a cocky grin.

"Juju!" Calla said giggling afterwards.

"Not everyone loves you, Asher," I said rolling my eyes.