“I see you decided to tutor them both in biology first?” Bastion said, dropping a bottle of ibuprofen beside her.
She ripped back from Kade’s kiss to look guiltily up at Bastion. Keir’s dark eyes caught hers on the way up. He had moved positions, shoving the textbooks out of the way and on his hands and knees, likely ready to join his brother or elbow him out of the way with the books for his own turn.
“Uh, we were done tutoring, except for Keir,” Tess said, trying to keep casual about it.
This was not an orgy.
It was a kiss.
Kisses.
Group kissing.
“You guys thought this would be a good alternative to some light studying?” Bastion said, disapproval dripping from his voice.
“I liked it,” Tess said, bold as brass. She may as well own up to it. They had been kissing her in front of each other, anyway.
“Is that so?” Bastion said. He was still towering over the rest of them, standing tall and looking down. “Good,” he added with a quirk of his lips.
Good?
Her eyebrows both shot up. “You approve of me kissing your friends?”
Bastion had said some pretty seductive things earlier when she had been in his car. His interest had been clear. Had she been mistaken or was he really up for all of them sharing her?
Now, she blushed.
Bastion squatted down right in front of her. “That was hot. You are full of surprises, Kitten. I didn’t think anybody would get you to sheath your claws so soon.”
“It’s a temporary truce,” she said. “Cooperate with tutoring and we can explore our other interests afterwards.”
“But it’s all business the next day at school?” Bastion said, catching on.
“And during future tutoring sessions,” she added.
“For all of us?” Keir said, not sounding that different from when his twin asked. It seemed both of them wanted to ensure she wouldn’t forget the other.
She kept her eyes on Bastion’s blues. “All for one,” she said. It sounded so bad when she said it out loud. “Uh, unless-” She cut herself off and looked down, breaking Bastion’s gaze. “I know it’s kind of weird with all of you, but I just got out of a relationship, and to be honest, I’m not ready to commit to another boyfriend.”
Bastion’s fingers caught her chin and lifted it up. “If you’re willing to give us a try, I don’t hear any complaints. We want to try sharing.”
War had stopped sucking on her skin but he still had a good grip on her arms. He pulled her back so she rested against his chest, then whispered in her ear. “It’s a first time for us to be with one girl together, too. You might think we’re players but I hope you’ll be open to getting to know all of us.”
“We’ve all only just met and we’re making out. Do you think I’m too fast?” she asked, feeling nervous.
“I told you none of us are judging your sexuality,” Bastion said.
“You’re an adult and so are the rest of us,” Keir said. “Eighteen and seniors at high school. Honestly, none of us are virgins, so why would we think you should be the modest one or be the only one responsible for how fast or slow any intimacy goes? Seems sexist to me.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a guy so smoothly propose we have nookie whenever we want,” she said with a laugh. Keir was so serious looking when he spoke, but really, it had made her feel better. She shouldn’t be shaming herself.
“We all want nookie,” War said. “Just so it’s clear.”
“Are you guys seriously proposing we all date?” she said, closing her eyes and trying to picture it.
“How about we start with friends?” Kade said.
“With benefits?” she added.
“Please?” Keir said, tone begging her to consider it.
“I’m going to hell,” she said, opening her eyes and admitting to herself that she didn’t care as long as she got to keep all of them.
Bastion chuckled. “If you think kissing more than one boy is going to damn you, then you’re more innocent than I feared.”
She shifted her gaze to him. “And you’re going to be the one to enlighten me?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No. I’m going to be the one to ruin you in the most delicious way possible.”
“Ruin me?” she challenged, scoffing.
“For anyone other than us,” Bastion said.
It rendered her speechless, which was quite a feat. She could say something back to him, a flirty or snarky response, just to push and see how he would push back. She chickened out, staring at those blue eyes lit up with amusement at her expense and a little heat that said he could tame her mouth.
Next time.
When she took on Bastion, she would prefer if it was just two of them. At least the first time. No need to provide entertainment for the rest of them in what was sure to be a fiery exchange. Once they had settled things between them, learned how they fit together, then she would have no trouble leaning over and kissing the smirk off of Bastion’s lips in front of the rest of them.
“I’m not sure you're doing things right if you go around leaving girls unsatisfied, Bastion. That is what you meant by ruined for other guys, right?” Tess said but didn’t wait for him to answer. “Nonetheless, your skills in bed aren't what I'm here to assess today. Sit down on the floor prepare to impress me with your wit.”
Bastion didn’t reply, visibly swallowing his words. He sat down in front of her cross-legged, like a well-behaved student. As if. That compliance with her request only made her wonder how much trouble she had gotten herself into by accepting the boys’ terms for a shared relationship so easily. Bastion looked like a guy that had already won and was planning on how he was going to spend his prize.
“Do you want me to get you a glass of water to take the ibuprofen?” War asked.
She nodded her head. “Sure, thanks,” she said. He had already gotten the ice, so War was probably the most comfortable finding something in their kitchen.
Giving Bastion a no-nonsense look, she asked for Keir bring the physics text back over and to sit down with them. It was time to finish off the tutoring assessments, so she could get these boys out of the house and spend some time alone contemplating her wild first day.
Chapter 12
TUTORING WENT SURPRISINGLY well considering Tess was a complete novice at it. Bastion should have been the most difficult, the one least open at first to getting tutored when Kade had announced it at lunch. Maybe he felt guilty about her injury or he had changed his mind when he saw how Keir was doing under her tutoring. Whatever worked, Tess was glad to see this wasn’t a scam. The boys would benefit from the group study, as she preferred to call it.
They were almost done and paying less attention to the books when Ashley knocked loudly on the door before coming down to interrupt them. Bastion and Keir were doing well in physics despite their modest protests that her help was needed. They really did have a bit of a rivalry going on between them, and she had now become a bone for them to fight over.
Literally, she was stuck between them.
Bastion seemed to find it hilarious, pushing all of Keir’s buttons and she was sure half of the reason was to see how it frustrated Keir since he had to ‘go last’ and hadn’t gotten his kiss yet. She had heard the complaint almost a dozen times. The last time had been kind of loudly spoken, and then her sister had knocked.
Geez, she hoped Ashley hadn’t heard Keir fussing about her kissing all the boys except him. And Bastion, too, she reminded him with a furious whisper.
Bastion poked once more. “Didn’t you tell him about the car ride home when we-”
“Ashley, what do need?” Tess said, speaking right over Bastion’s teasing.
Keir had one hand on her shoulder, ready to turn her around to face him and deliver the kiss he had been begging for all tutoring session. She shrugged and whispered, “Not now,” in an embarrassed rush.
“Mom’s on the phone for you,” Ashley sa
id, rounding the bottom of the stairs.
What? Tess pulled her own cell phone out from her sweater’s pocket and thumbed it on. No missed calls.
"Why did she call you if she wanted to talk to me?" Tess asked, pushing up to stand. Her mother must have Tess's number memorized. They didn't talk that much but her mother enjoyed texting and she did it regularly.
Of course, she wouldn't have her cell phone with her in the psych hospital. That was a significant privilege and she hadn't been there long enough to earn it. Tess felt kind of stupid and guilty about it now that she had a moment to figure out why her mother was calling her through Ashley.
It also was revealing of her mother's priorities. That was okay, Tess didn't expect to come first. She shouldn't come before the kids. They still lived with mom and relied upon her. Tess had grown up a long time ago.
Ashley handed her the phone. "I don't know why mom called. She's not making sense," Ashley said, sounding worried.
The guilt Tess felt ramped up to panic levels. "Mom?" she almost shouted into the phone.
"Daniels ain't got me."
"What?" Tess said. It was her mother's voice, but Ashley was right, what her mother was saying didn't make sense.
"He is a tall, dark glass of whiskey."
"Mom?" Tess repeated. "Maddy?" she tried when that didn't get any response.
"Mad mad world," her mother said.
Oh no. She was reverting to sayings and random facts or things she had heard. This was more in keeping with her mother’s new psychosis state or a manic phase. Even an experienced psychiatrist would have difficulty figuring out what her mother was saying at times like these. It was like staring at a Rorschach blot test and trying to interpret it.
The problem was her mother always had something to say and if she had gone to the trouble to contact them, then it might be important.
Phones were so difficult. If she was there with her mother, she could trust her body language, see if she was looking off and lost in a hallucination or watch for pacing and fidgets of a manic episode. Seeing what was going on with her mother’s behaviour was half the battle to fight through the confused speech to what her mother was trying to really say.
"Speak slowly," Tess said. "I'm here at the house with Ashley and Jason. We're all okay and I'm taking good care of them. Are you okay, Maddy?" she said, trying to be reassuring.
Maddy, not mom. She had to avoid triggering anything if her mother was in a delusional state. Perhaps her mother was worried about them all, remembering once she had started coming more into reality that she was admitted to the hospital and the kids were alone. They weren’t alone and Tess had seen her mother recently, but with the drugs, her mother could have mistaken Tess’s visit for a dream.
"Tessa?" her mother said, sounding a bit more like herself.
Tess clutched the phone closer to her in relief and anxiety. What to say next? She had to push her mother when she started showing clarity, get out of her what she was trying to say before the next racing thought or pill side effect sent her mother plunging another direction and her mind out of reach.
"Are you okay, Maddy?" Tess repeated, deciding to stick with what had worked when addressing her mother. It was also the thing that was foremost on her mind.
Tess flashed back to the weekend and that crazy jackal patient that had almost ended up on the same ward as her mother. Had someone hurt her mom? Was something wrong? Did she need to rush to the hospital and see if everything was alright?
"Stay away from Daniels," her mother said.
"Who's Daniels?" Tess said. Maybe her mother was making sense and she was really trying to warn Tess about someone?
The guys had all stood up by now, giving her a bit of distance, but not much. They could hear her side of the conversation and likely they could feel the anxiety in the room. Tess was pacing a little circle, her voice raised and pitched with worry, although she fought to calm herself down for her mother.
Box in your anxiety.
It was her favourite technique from one of her mother’s previous family counsellors, a simple yet effective way that anybody could use to lower anxiety. She slowed her breathing while she waited for her mother to respond, pictured the four sides of a box and breathed in-held it-breathed out-held it.
There was a lot of noise in the background over the phone. It was way past supper time so Tess didn't know what all the racket was about but it was making it hard to hear.
Her mother started breathing heavy on the phone. Was she hearing Tess doing her relaxation technique and trying to replicate it? Sometimes seeing someone doing box breathing changed your own breathing pattern, but her mother couldn't see her.
The breathing got heavier, real panting.
It made you want to run. The sound of being chased, breathing too loud and fast when you were trying to hide from your pursuers and you started praying they would walk past you, hoped the breathing was only so loud in your own ears.
"Mom, are you okay? Mom?" Tess said. Had her mother fallen asleep? Those damn downers and antipsychotics were so sedating. She had watched her mother slip out of reality and fall to a dreamlike sleep right in front of her before. Same as an alcoholic stupor.
Wasn't there anyone supervising her mother?
"Ashley, can you use my phone and call the hospital?" Tess asked. "Have someone check on mom."
"I can call my mum. She's working," War said. He started calling as soon as Tess nodded her head in agreement.
Tess was too worried about her own mother to get into a conversation about the appropriateness of having Ruby involved with her mom when Tess was also close to War. It might kerfuffle some administrative feathers if the hospital found out, but to be honest, Ruby hadn't done anything wrong. The boys had reassured her that Ruby was a professional and that she kept her work and personal lives separate. Tess had only talked to her once.
It was a connection that Tess couldn't afford to spurn right now. Hell, she was grateful for it.
Ashley looked more anxious. She twisted her fingers into her hands, nothing to do now that War was calling the hospital and Tess still had her sister’s cell phone.
"Mom, we're going to get you help. Talk to me," Tess said, pleading.
More heavy breathing. Suddenly, the phone dropped with a clatter that startled Tess. She had been holding the cell so close to her ear that it was like a bomb going off next to her.
Tess pulled the phone off her ear for a moment out of reflex, wincing, then quickly put her ear back to it.
“Mom, are you hurt?” Tess said, volume loud but just short of shouting it. There was no disguising her panic now, no attempt to reassure others. Tess was the one that needed reassurance.
"Hello? You have reached the Snider's residence," came over the phone a few moments later. It was clearly not her mother.
"Um, hello," Tess said, trying to be calmer. It had to be a patient on the phone, answering like that in the middle of a psychiatry hospital, just like he was at home. It sounded like an ingrained habit. "I was talking to my mother, Maddy. Do you think you can put her back on the phone, please?" Tess politely asked.
"Do you want to leave a message?"
War was talking to his mother in the background. He was telling Ruby that her mother had called and then they lost communication. The other guy that had picked up the phone kept talking to Tess, rambling on about what they had for dessert today when she heard the sound of footsteps, rapid and quite audible on the hospital floors with a characteristic squeak.
"Maddy? Are you sleeping Maddy?" came a woman's voice. She thought she recognized Ruby's voice, although it was a bit different over the phone. "Garry, let me have the phone. It's not your turn, yet."
"Hello, Tess?" Ruby said.
"Is my mom okay?" she quickly replied.
"Yes, she's just zonked out by the medication. We're doing a full set of vitals on her now. She was supposed to lie down and rest after supper. Doc Mike had to increase her antipsychotic for a short catatonic
state today."
"Oh, we were worried. Mom seemed to be trying to call us about something. Did she say anything earlier?" Tess asked.
Her heart was still pounding. Everything didn’t seem okay. It was not alright. Something, something was wrong. It was tightness in her throat, fear a ball she couldn’t swallow or breathe around, threatening to smother even her ability to ask what was wrong without revealing any more of her anxiety.
"No, she didn’t say anything, Tess. Everything’s going to be okay," Ruby told her, the epitome of kind professionalism and calm. "They're going to take her to her room and we'll monitor her every thirty minutes until she wakes."
Tess could hear the nurses talking to each other. They must be already moving her mother.
"Uh, can you ask her if there's anything she wanted to say when she wakes up? Maybe have her write it down as we talked about when I was there last time?" Tess said.
"Oh, your mother did write some stuff down for you when I mentioned your questions and showed her your list. I didn't read it but if you come by tomorrow, I'll be sure to get you a photocopy."
"I don't mind you reading it," Tess said, unable to wait even one more day. What if it was something terribly important? She thought about all the scratches on her mother's back with a sense of dread and clenched the phone. "Just read it to me, please?"
"Sure thing, Tess. Let me call you back on War's phone. This is a landline," Ruby explained.
"Sure, okay, bye," Tess said.
"I'm going to make sure your mother is settled in bed and then I'll call you back about her note, okay?"
"Yep, yes. Thanks," Tess said, voice a bit tremulous. Her anxiety had already gone down a bit, just knowing her mother was sleeping and getting checked out and Ruby was there. It was coming down from the adrenaline rush that was leaving Tess feeling shaky. This Daniels had nothing to do with her mom’s scratches. It was ludicrous to even think it. Daniels probably was some random name of a tv show or a book her mother had read.
War stepped forward and put his hand on one of her shoulders. It felt heavy, strong and warm. She let herself lean into him, head tipping to rest against his chest while she finished saying goodbye to Ruby. She was so glad he had called his mother for her.
Impetuous (Victory Lap Book 1) Page 17