I peek over at Brittany and shrug my shoulders. “I’m in.”
Brittany nods. “Me, too. Sounds like fun.”
“Okay, me first,” Austin says with excitement. Bouncing in his seat and clapping his hand, he does resemble a teenage girl at the moment. When he catches my eye, he gives me a smirk and wink to let me know he’s fucking with Chris.
“Who do I pick? Hmmm,” Austin says a little too cheerily.
Knowing him, secrets will be revealed and embarrassing moments will be shared. I sit back and brace myself for a wild ride.
“Beck,” he continues. “How did you really wreck your truck during basic training? Something about your story never quite added up.”
“Fuck,” Beck growls under his breath. “You’re a jackass, Austin. If you must know, I swerved to keep from hitting a baby bunny hopping across the road. When I hit the gravel on the shoulder, my tires spun out, causing me to end up in the ditch.”
Laughing hysterically, Jackson decides to join the conversation. “No fucking way. I knew something didn’t add up. It was a sunny day and there wasn’t a crossroad or driveway in sight. I found your story hard to believe when I picked you up.”
“Whatever,” Beck grumbles, obviously not as amused as the rest of us. “I guess I get to pick next. Bas, you’re up.” At this, Bas narrows his eyes in Beck’s direction. “Back in basic, I caught you with a picture and you were upset. You blew me off when I asked if everything was okay and you quickly tucked it away. What was the picture of?”
“I’m not embarrassed,” Beck says with no emotion. “The picture was of my dog. I raised him from a puppy and I was a little homesick.”
“Awe, how sweet,” Brittany coos. “What was the dog’s name?”
“Goliath,” Bas answers in a matter of fact manner.
“And what type of dog was he?” The twinkle in Beck’s eye means he knows more than he lets on.
I bet he saw the photo, the big ass. Things are getting good.
“It doesn’t matter.” Bas avoids the question. “He passed away a few years ago.”
“I bet he was a pretty large dog,” I say, playing along.
Bas mumbles under his breath, but I most definitely caught it.
“What did you say, Bas?” I smirk, trying to get him to repeat himself for the others’ benefit. “Did you say Pom-Chi, or did I mishear you?”
The rest of the group sits on the edges of their seats, resisting the urge to laugh.
“Yes, damn it,” Bas growls. “Pom-Chi. Goliath was a five pound Pom-Chi.”
Immediately, I burst into laughter, tears rolling down my face. I can’t reply because I am unable to catch my breath, and I’m not the only one. Big, bad Bas owned a tiny fur ball of a dog – if it can even be called a dog. I can’t make this shit up. Classic.
“Whatever.” Bas huffs. “My turn. Savannah, when and how did you lose your virginity?”
Brittany snickers next to me. “Best story ever. Be prepared guys. You want to catch every word of this. Trust me.”
“Brit, it’s not that good.” I disagree with her.
Perhaps I can skim over some of the finer details. The guys won’t know any different.
But then Brittany tells me, “Don’t leave any details out.”
I won’t be able to give them the condensed version, but I’ll try. Bas, Austin, and Finn shift their chairs closer and give me their rapt attention as I launch into this totally mortifying story.
“I lost my virginity at nineteen during my freshman year of college. At this point I wanted to get it over with, you know? Growing up in a smaller community, gossip ran rampant. Everyone knew everyone’s business. I didn’t want to risk the judgment of my parents. Once I got to college, I spread my wings, and according to my parents, went a little wild. Like I said, I wanted to get it over with. I didn’t want a relationship, so one night I decided to find the first willing guy and go for it.”
“That wasn’t a safe idea, Savannah,” Finn cuts in. “How did you know you weren’t going to hook up with some psycho?”
“I’m getting there.” I hold up a finger indicating he should wait. “Anyway, I informed Brittany of my plan and she agreed to come along to help me pick the guy. She knew of a house party happening. Some friends of hers in the engineering department hosted it. What could be more harmless than a nerdy, engineering major, right?”
“Savannah,” Brittany scoffs. “Stop stalling and get to the good parts.”
Rolling my eyes, I continue. “Fine. We get to the party and I decide I need some liquid courage to calm my nerves. After a few drinks, I found the lucky guy. He was sweet and painfully shy. He acted like he won the lottery when I started flirting with him. I believed I scored in finding someone who would be gentle with me. This wouldn’t be too bad. By this point, I was pretty lit and dragged him into one of the bedrooms. We did the deed and end of story.”
“Nope, girlie,” Brittany protests. “You skipped over the best part. Now tell the class what happened in the room.”
“You’re a bitch, Brit. You know that, right?” I respond, irritated, then blow her kiss. “It was a nightmare. Worst night of my life. Apparently, he was a virgin, too. He fumbled with the condom trying to put it on. After he wrestled it out of the package, it flew out of his hand and hit me in the face. That’s when I knew I was in trouble. Once he finally got one on, I assumed smooth sailing from this point, right? Perhaps nerves got the best of him. Nope. It only got worse when he proceeded to try to stick his dick in my ass. The dude had no clue what he was doing. None. When he finally got it in the right place and pushed all the way in, he blew and it ended. The only positive - I accomplished my mission of losing my virginity.”
At the conclusion of my story, Bas and Chris stare at me with eyes huge and mouths open. Austin, Cooper, and Beck, on the other hand, sound like a pack of hyenas, laughing so hard. The rest of the group, including Brittany, laugh silently with their heads lowered.
All of a sudden, Austin’s chair tips backward with him in it. Still laughing at my story like the jackass he is, he wipes tears from his face. “Oh, my God! I’m dying. That was the best ever.”
His antics cause my own laughter to bubble up in my throat.
After everyone composes themselves, our game continues when I choose Brittany in retaliation. Each story brings more and more laughter while each person chosen gets the opportunity to reveal and relive the most embarrassing details in their lives.
At the end of the evening, we say our goodbyes and go to our respective homes – Brittany and I staying at her mom’s.
This evening solidified existing friendships and new ones. This crew will be by my side for life. The bonds created tonight through laughter and tears will be unshakeable and important. Challenges and arguments may arise, but I know without a doubt this group will cover my ass, if needed – always.
If I choose to get involved in a romantic relationship with Bas, Austin, and Finn and it goes awry, will I lose my friendship with Jackson, Cooper, Beck, and Chris? Will I lose the job I love? Will Mac lose her honorary uncles and their involvement in her life?
Is a relationship with them worth the risk?
Chapter Ten
Several days later, my life takes a devastating turn as the blaring smoke detector wakes me in the middle of the night. When I jump out of bed, smoke fills the apartment. Acting quickly, I grab tees from my drawer and take them to the bathroom to soak them in water. I tie one to my face to help filter the smoke from my lungs and head over to grab my little angel.
When I get to Mac’s crib, she breathes shallowly and does not wake when I call her name or shake her. Frantically, I lift her and tie the other wet tee in the same manner as I did mine. I hold her securely in my arms as I grab my phone from the nightstand and run to the front door. Before I can touch the door handle, the heat becomes too intense – eliminating our only way to escape.
Running with Mac in my arms, I get in the bathroom and climb into the shower
to allow the water to run over us and saturate our clothes making them harder to ignite should the fire reach us.
I grab my phone from where I left it on the toilet and call nine-one-one.
The call only rings twice but it feels like an eternity before someone answers. “Nine-one-one operator. What is your emergency?”
Frantically rambling without taking a breath, I answer, “There’s a fire and I’m trapped in my apartment above the garage. The only exit door is too hot to open. My daughter won’t wake up and she’s breathing funny. Please help us. Please.”
“Take a deep breath, honey,” the operator instructs in a tone much calmer than my own. “What is your address and where are you located in your apartment?”
“The address is 5153 Bay Meadows Court. My daughter and I live in the apartment over the garage.” Between my panicked conversation and the smoke filling the bathroom, I break into a coughing fit and find it hard to catch my breath.
Calmly, the dispatcher helps me regain my composure. “Honey, you need to calm down for me. I have dispatched responders and they are in route. I need you to answer a few more questions for me. What is your full name and where in your apartment are you?”
“My name is Savannah Rae Preston and we are currently in the bathroom at the back of the apartment. I have the door shut and we are laying on the floor of the tub with the water running over us.” I respond as calmly as the situation will allow.
“That’s great thinking. You said you are with your daughter and she is in the bathroom with you. Is there anyone else in the apartment that responders need to be aware of?” The sound of the dispatcher typing notes can be heard over the line.
“No. It’s just me and my daughter.” I glance over the edge of the tub toward the door and see smoke pouring in at a much quicker rate. The fire must be getting closer and my tears and panic are renewed. “Please hurry. The bathroom is almost filled with smoke. My daughter still won’t wake up.”
As the dispatcher continues to ask me questions in a failed attempt to keep me calm, I place the phone on speaker, open my messaging app, and send a text to Bas.
Me: Our apartment is on fire and we’re trapped. I called 911. Mac won’t wake up.
Bas: We’re on our way. Hang in there, Savannah. Don’t give up.
I set down the phone, and for the first time, in a long time, I pray. I pray help will get here soon. I pray I don’t lose Mac. I can’t imagine a life without her and I know I wouldn’t survive it. I pray Mac will be taken care of if I don’t make it and she will always know how greatly I loved her. I pray for everything and everyone.
I lay flat in the tub with Mac underneath me, trying to find the last bit of untainted air as the smoke pours in above us in the bathroom. The operator remains on speaker calmly reassuring me help will be here soon. As my eyes get heavy and my breathing becomes increasingly more difficult, I send one final text to Bas.
Me: Promise me you’ll take care of her. Promise me.
And then my world goes black.
~
“Sweet, sweet Savannah. You need to wake up, baby. Come back to us,” I faintly hear Bas sadly say.
Why does he sound so far away? Why does he sound sad?
I try to open my eyes but I can’t get them to cooperate. They won’t open. I try to call out to him but he doesn’t respond. Why doesn’t he respond? In a panic, I try to reach out for him but my arms won’t move.
The beeping in the background increases and now I hear another voice – a female voice I don’t recognize.
Before I can try to call out again, I get pulled back into the darkness.
~
I slowly open my eyes and immediately close them again. The too bright light causes them to hurt. After blinking a few times, the light no longer bothers my eyes and I can hold them open. Taking in my surroundings, I recognize the hospital room and it all comes back to me in a flurry. The fire in my apartment. Not being able to wake Mac up. Lying in the tub.
As I start to panic, the room door swings open and Bas enters glancing down at his phone. I open my mouth and squeak out a barely audible, “Bas.”
His eyes fly up to meet mine and he rushes over to my bed side, motions frantic. “It’s about time you opened those pretty brown eyes. You had us all worried, baby.”
“Mac?” I ask through a sore, scratchy throat. “Where’s Mac?”
Bas lifts a cup from the side table and tells me to take little sips. Before he can answer my question, a nurse enters my room, takes my vitals and then leaves again to call the doctor.
“Mac will be alright, Savannah. You will be, too.” Bas reassures me. “Let’s wait until the doctor comes. He’ll be able to answer your questions better than I can.”
A few moments later, the doctor enters the room with a big smile on his face. “It’s great to see you awake, Savannah. I’m Dr. Abbott and have been overseeing you since you were brought in. I’m going to do a quick exam but I don’t want you talk. Blink once for yes and twice for no. Do you understand?”
I blink once.
He continues with questions as he does his examination. “Do you remember the fire?”
One blink.
“Do you remember going into the bathroom with your daughter?”
One blink.
“Do you remember the fire department arriving on the scene?”
Two blinks.
After he examines my eyes, ears, nose, and throat, he continues. “Before I get into all the details, I need to tell you that you did everything correctly and your actions probably saved your lives. By wetting your clothes and tying the clothes to your faces, you helped minimize the damage. And by laying in the tub with your body covering your daughter’s, you took the brunt of the damage. All the things considered, the damage was minimal. Do you understand everything so far?”
I blink once.
“Okay. I want you to know your daughter’s fine and is in the pediatric unit. I’ve talked to her pediatrician and she will be down shortly to talk to you. We are also trying to get her moved in with you when you transfer units. Does that sound okay?”
One blink.
Before the doctor can say anything else, Bas interrupts. “Austin and Finn have stayed with Mac while I stay down here with you but I do check on her from time to time and she is doing great. Brittany, Jenna, and the other guys stop by all the time to see her, as well.”
The confusion must be clear on my face and the doctor chimes in. “Your daughter has been allowed visitors but due to your condition, only your fiancé has been allowed in to see you.”
At this comment, I glance at Bas with eyebrows raised, and he shrugs with no apology.
“Let’s get to the nitty gritty,” Dr. Abbott says moving on. “You are currently in the intensive care unit. You were brought in five days ago with severe smoke inhalation. We placed you into a medically induced coma and put in a breathing tube to let your body recover from the trauma. We brought you out of the coma two days ago and have been waiting for you to wake up since. I want you to limit talking for the next couple days to allow your esophagus and lungs to continue to heal. Are you with me so far?”
I respond with a single blink.
“Great. You did also experience some second degree burns to your lower legs. You will not need any skin grafts but will probably experience scarring. The burns did little damage to anything other than the skin. You can consult with a plastic surgeon once the burns heal if the scarring bothers you. You were very lucky, young lady. Now that you’re awake, we’ll move you from the intensive care unit and into the general unit. This will remove the visitation restrictions. We should have you moved soon and get you reunited with your daughter. Sound good?”
I nod my head and the doctor writes a few notes in my chart before he leaves.
The nurse from earlier reappears with a fresh cup of ice water and chicken broth for me to sip on. When she changes the dressings and tends to my burns, I cry at seeing the damage for the first time. Bas gra
bs my hand and squeezes it tightly, providing me comfort. Burns and blisters cover the entire surface of my legs from the knees down. I try to remember things could be worse and in the grand scheme of things, the burns remain insignificant.
After the dressing change, she removes my catheter and escorts me into the bathroom to give me a pseudo bath which consists of primarily a washcloth and soap. However, she does wash my hair for me with actual shampoo and conditioner. She tells me bathing will be a challenge since my dressings need to remain dry. I may need help for a while. With a thorough brushing of my hair and my teeth, I resemble a human again. I change into a pair of shorts, tank top and panties, skipping a bra since one wasn’t provided by whoever gathered these clothes.
When she brings me back to my bed, Bas sits patiently waiting for me. He gives me a small smile and leans over to give me a quick kiss on the cheek as he whispers, “Feeling better, baby?”
I nod in response and tug his arm and pat the side of the bed signaling to him to climb up next to me.
Once he settles in, I snuggle close and try to hide my yawn. Not missing a thing, Bas pulls me in closer. “Close your eyes and rest. You had a lot of excitement in the last couple of hours and your body’s still healing. I’ll still be here when you wake up.”
With those words, I close my eyes and sleep.
The next time I wake up, Mac’s pediatrician greets me with a relieving report. She informs me Mac also suffers from severe smoke inhalation but didn’t put her into a medically induced coma as they did me because she’s responding beautifully to treatment. She has no burns since I laid on top of her to shield her little body. Despite asking for her Mama, she’s happy and spoiled rotten by her constant visitors and the nurses.
Bas refuses to leave my side since I woke up. He texts everyone with updates as different staff come in and out of my room to evaluate me. The first time he leaves my side happens when they move me to the general unit. He leaves for all of five minutes and when he returns, he brings plenty of company back with him. My room barely fits all the members of my entourage and the extra bed the staff wheeled in for Mac.
Falling For Them Volume 2: Reverse Harem Collection Page 9