Falling For Them Volume 2: Reverse Harem Collection

by Nikki Bolvair

  I looked to the casket, focusing on the man in clergy robes speaking behind it. Why was he speaking? I’d never seen him before in my life. I turned to Todd. “Why is he here?” Todd shushed me. “Why… I don’t understand what’s going on.” I trailed off in a whisper. “Why is he dead?”

  Todd pulled me into an embrace to shush me. My body was limp, so I leaned against him. Everything was wrong, wrong with the world, wrong. Wrong, this is wrong. Why are we here? I watched the sunlight on the casket again, but black began to crowd my vision. Wrong, wrong, wrong. My heart beat in unison with my obsessive thoughts. Wrong.

  “Breathe, Ellie. You’re going to pass out.” A voice with hot breath whispered in my ear, startling me and causing me to suck in a deep breath. Spots dotted around my eyes, and I understood the world again. The world was cruel, and my father was dead.

  I turned to my right, to the hot-breathed voice, the man that swept my Todd off his feet. Rick. He married Todd, and I was thrilled with the match because he was so good for Todd. He was good for Todd.

  Todd would get me through this pain. Todd would help me. Todd always helped me. He helped me when my mom died. He helped me when my father remarried, and I realized what a witch my stepmother was. I remembered then that my stepmother was there. She was there, and so were her offspring.

  She sat in a black suit, her red hair glistening in the sun. She looked beautiful, regal. Pitifully, she dabbed her eyes behind her round black sunglasses with a pristine white handkerchief. My upper lip curled. She had the face of an angel, but her heart was black and evil. I knew that firsthand.

  The sun flashed off the wood, again, and I jerked my gaze to my father. My father. He taught me so much. He taught me how to be kind. He taught me how to persevere. He taught me how to do algebra when I couldn’t get the concept. He taught me how to swim.

  A soprano voice, singing a song I’d never heard snapped me out of my memories. I sucked in another breath and regretted the interruption. For a moment, the pain lessened as I remembered my parents when we were happiest, the summer before Mom was diagnosed. I caught lightning bugs at dusk while my parents fed each other roasted marshmallows.

  The soprano finally stopped her warbling, and my father’s best friend, Charles, stood. His words didn’t penetrate the fog in my brain, either. I went back to gazing at the box that would finally take my father from me for good. To be a thing of torture, it was pretty.

  My chest constricted again. “Breathe,” Todd whispered, his head above mine. I realized he was still holding me tight. I pulled away and straightened in my chair, directly in front of the offending box.

  “I’m twenty-years, seven months, and thirteen days old,” I whispered. It seemed important to remember that. I needed to know how many days I had with my father. Twenty-years, seven months, and thirteen days, and then I put him in a box and put that box in the ground. My chest hurt so much. It stabbed.

  “What was that, dear?” I blinked at Charles, once, twice, but didn’t answer him. He was talking directly to me, now. I couldn’t remember when he’d moved from behind the casket to stand so close to me. I couldn’t see my father because Charles blocked my view.

  Whatever else he said, I nodded, and he walked away. I didn’t mean to be rude; he was a wonderful man and a lifelong friend to my father. I simply couldn’t hear him.

  Nobody took Charles’s place to speak about the man I loved so dearly. The man that was healthy only one week before. Wrong. It was so wrong. Todd pulled me to my feet as people began to file in front of me, grabbing my hand and shaking it.

  “Thank you,” I murmured to another person I couldn’t see or hear. I hoped I was saying the right things, but my body was on autopilot. My eyes stayed glued to the casket until the next person blocked my view and I was forced to say some sort of appreciation for their condolences. When I could think clearly again, I’d have Todd tell me who I spoke to and what they said. I knew I’d appreciate it one day, but on that day, I couldn’t hear them. Why was the world so wrong?

  Luckily for my stomach, the ride, even without the lights and sirens, passed quickly. I guessed our injuries weren’t threatening enough to warrant all the hoopla, and I was thankful for it. The press would make enough of a commotion when they found out.

  Arch sent Gray and Wes a text before the ambulance left the scene of the crash. They somehow managed to beat us to the hospital and waited for us in the ambulance bay. Gray’s skin was pale with worry. Wes continuously wrapped the shaggy strands of his hair nervously around his fingers. Their concern for their best friend made me smile.

  Gray and Wes ran over to check on Arch as the paramedics helped him out of the rig. As soon as my gurney was wheeled out of the truck, they abandoned Arch to stand on either side of me. As the paramedic pushed me into the ER, Arch trudged behind us until the other paramedic rushed over to him with a wheelchair.

  We moved as a group into a large room with two beds and curtains for privacy. Wes opened the curtains as the nurses helped settle us into the beds. People in scrubs and white coats scurried around us both, hooking us up to monitors to take our heart rates and blood pressures. They asked us a million questions about what happened, where it hurt, and our medical histories. Lights were shined in our eyes, muscles were squeezed, and heads were examined thoroughly. Finally, the medical experts did enough preliminary work to leave us in peace while they ordered CAT scans.

  “What the hell. You two don’t look that bad, but they’re treating you like you’ve got broken necks.” Gray, visibly agitated, darted his eyes around the room nervously.

  “Are you all right?” I asked.

  “I’m not a big fan of hospitals. They make me nervous.”

  “We will be fine, man. I need my nose set and, at worst, she probably needs a few stitches.” Arch turned to me with a lowered voice. “When we were kids, he had a bad experience in a hospital.” I turned to Gray sympathetically.

  “I know that, but my heart is racing. Ignore me. I won’t be able to calm down until we’re out of this place.” He sat in the corner and darted his eyes around while he took deep calming breaths.

  Wes sat on a small rolling stool and wheeled over to me, feet up, like a child playing at a doctor’s appointment. “I’m going to sleep on your couch tonight, little Ellie. And Gray can sleep on Arch’s. That way if either of you need anything, you’ve got us.”

  “That’s sweet, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. I doubt I even need stitches.” My head pounded as I said it. Maybe I’ll need stitches after all.

  “I insist. You’re not going to lift a finger after this idiot almost got you killed.” He pointed to a bruised Arch. The skin around his eyes was a deep purple.

  “I didn’t almost get her killed! That guy had a heart attack or something.” Arch’s voice was a mix of pissed and panicked that someone would assume he hurt me.

  “I’m messing with you, man. We all know you didn’t do it on purpose. These things happen.” Wes wheeled over to squeeze his friend’s arm and show he didn’t mean his teasing words.

  A nurse walked in with two charts, followed by an orderly. “All right, dearies, it’s time for the CAT scan. Then you’ll come back here to wait for the results.”

  She turned to the guys. “Gentlemen, this could take a while. Would you prefer to wait here or go out until they return?”

  Gray and Wes looked at each other for a moment, then turned to Arch. “We’re going to go get some dinner. Text us when you’re back in here, and we’ll come quick.”

  “Sounds good, man, thanks,” Arch and Wes did some sort of complicated handshake, then Gray gave Arch a high five. Then, the two hotties came over to my bed. Each grabbed one of my hands and simultaneously brought them to their lips. With their lips on my hands, lava worked its way down my body as they stared at me through their eyelashes.

  I believed they meant it as a gentlemanly and flirty gesture, but it was incredibly sensual. My mind strayed. Dear lord, now I want to know what else they might b
e able to do as a team… Ellie, don’t be a dirty whore. You’ve only known them a few days. “Bye, guys,” I whispered. With a bow and a flourish, they left.

  I giggled and turned to Arch. “You have some competition, Romeo.”

  Arch laughed at my expression and raised his eyebrows. “I’m not worried.”

  The nurse interrupted our banter to take us to our test. The CAT scan waiting room was lined with beds and wheelchairs filled with injured people. Arch distracted me from the waiting and my growing headache by telling me about his little sister, Moriah, who he was close to growing up. His parents lived in Atlanta, but he wasn’t as close with them.

  When his head started hurting, too, I told him about my mom and dad. I spoke softly, reflecting on the joyous time before Mom’s death and especially before the stepbitch came into the picture.

  My head nestled comfortably on the pillow, and I only meant to close my eyes for a moment. The next thing I knew, a nurse wheeled me into a small room with a large circular machine in it. I drifted off again once settled in for the scan and didn’t wake up until we were in the ER. I didn’t remember getting out of the machine and onto the bed. Arch talked to Wes and Gray quietly from the bed beside me.

  “I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to sleep through your visit. I hope I didn’t snore!” I checked for drool and found a nice wet spot on my pillow. When random shouting in the hall distracted the three of them, I flipped my pillow over to hide the moisture.

  “Don’t worry, Ellie.” Gray came over and stroked my hair out of my face. “You’re given a pass to sleep as long as someone watches you. Plus, after your CAT scan, they gave you a shot in the arm. You woke up, but it worked fast. You conked out.”

  “What did they give me? How long was I out?” I hated missing time.

  “She said it was a painkiller and anti-nausea medicine combined. And about two hours. We should be close to being discharged.” Arch stared at me around a big white bandage on his face. The bruises around his eyes darkened in the time I slept. “You talk in your sleep.”

  “I’m a vivid dreamer.” I didn’t want to talk about the types of dreams I had. The worst of them were related to my family. I tried to take the focus off of myself. “You look pitiful. Is your nose broken?”

  Arch shook his head. “No, but it’s pretty banged up. It should heal a lot faster than a break, thankfully. And burns from the airbags and whiplash. I’ve got to take it easy for a few days. You’ve got a mild concussion and need to be monitored through the night for regular breathing. We told the nurse that Gray is your fiancé. They gave him all the discharge instructions.” I gazed from Arch to Gray as Arch continued, “I was going to say it was me, but Gray beat me to it.”

  Wes’s laugh filled the room. “I was going to, as well.”

  “I don’t think I can have three fiancées, but whatever floats your boats!” I watched the boys give a few subtle glances between themselves but chalked it up to my concussion.

  The nurse returned and gave me my discharge instructions, which matched what I’d already been told. Wes snatched the prescriptions for pain and nausea medicines from the nurse so I wouldn’t have to deal with it. “I’ll get these filled on the way home. Hand me your insurance card and tell me where to go.”

  I wrote down my usual pharmacy on the corner of the discharge instructions and handed it over. It happened to be the same one Arch used. He gave Wes his prescriptions.

  When I tried to move unassisted from the bed to the wheelchair, dizziness almost put me on the ground. Gray caught me and propped me up against him before I could ask for help. He practically carried me to the wheelchair, and then took up a post behind me. He was overly concerned for a man I’d only met once at a party. His attitude was sincere, though. I let him fuss. I suspected some of his motivation came from his childhood trauma about hospitals.

  The nurse gave me a knowing grin and busied herself behind Arch before Wes shooed her away. She led the way to the patient loading area where Gray’s black SUV—remarkably like Arch’s—was waiting.

  “Do you guys buy them in bulk?” I asked sarcastically.

  Arch laughed and shook his head. “No, Gray got one first, and I liked it so much I bought one, too.”

  Gray helped me into the front. Arch toughed it out and helped himself into the back seat while Wes chuckled. “I could’ve helped you in, Arch.”

  “I’m a big boy,” Arch said with a grumpy frown. Wes rolled his eyes.

  “I’ll meet you at your apartments after I get your medicine,” Wes said. He turned toward the parking lot to get his truck and go to the pharmacy.

  I drifted off again on the ride home. I didn’t expect I’d be comfortable sitting in the same type car we’d wrecked, but Gray and Arch gave me a sense of safety. Plus, I knew Gray was especially on edge and took extra precautions. We pulled into my parking garage, and Gray rushed over to help me. He offered his hand as I stepped out of the SUV and immediately began to teeter.

  I wasn’t dizzy; I teetered because I still wore the damn heels. I refrained from cursing Todd; he couldn’t have foreseen such a need-to-wear-flats situation. Gray responded immediately. He scooped me into his arms so swiftly the garage spun. I rested my head against his shoulder and enjoyed the ride, once again grateful we had access to the parking garage. The press outside the front door would have a field day with pictures of Gray carrying me in the building.

  Once home, I changed into comfy pants and an oversized tee, relieved to take the fancy dress off. Gray insisted I settle into bed. He propped me up with pillows, left my phone and the TV remote beside me, and left to check on Arch. My eyes closed and I fell asleep before he left my apartment.

  Chapter Six

  My neck cramped, and my body overheated under the thick comforter. I didn’t understand why it covered me, as I usually removed it from the bed and only used a light quilt. The flat screen mounted on the wall gave the only light in the room. Satan purred, curled up at my chest.

  My throat cried for water, and my bladder cried to be emptied. All in all, I was groggy, confused, and in pain. I scooted my way over to the edge of the bed and slipped my feet out of the blankets. It took me a minute to stand and trudge over to my bathroom. Finally, the dizziness passed. As long as I moved slowly, I stayed steady.

  Part of the reason for my sweating was the flannel pajama pants I wore. I slept in a tee and undies. I pushed the miserably hot pants to my ankles and stepped out of them.

  Next problem—my dry mouth. Shuffling my feet on the thick carpet, I made my way across my living room to the kitchen to get a glass of ice cold milk. I set the glass on the counter a little forcefully. My arms didn’t work quite like they should. I tried to handle the full gallon of milk but ended up slamming it on the counter as well, too disoriented to manage its weight.

  A hand on my waist made me jump, and the scream that left my lips would’ve given Todd a run for his money. I twirled around to find Wes standing behind me with a shocked expression on his face. Pain and dizziness overwhelmed me, and I grabbed the counter to steady myself. “I didn’t know you were still here!”

  Wes’s hand on my waist tightened. He put his other hand on my shoulder to give me a little support. “I told you I was sleeping on your couch. I wasn’t kidding.” He pulled a small bottle of pills out of his pocket. “Here, take one with your milk. Are you hungry? I could make you a grilled cheese or something.”

  My stomach protested the idea of food. “No, I don’t think I could eat now. I’ll drink the milk, it should be enough.” I downed the pill with the milk Wes poured for me. Icy heaven slid down my throat, cooling me off.

  When I set the empty glass in the sink, I leaned against the counter and felt the cool wood of the lower cabinets on my thighs. I don’t have pants on. My t-shirt barely covered my private areas. A blush stained my cheeks. “Thanks, I’m going to bed!” I spat out, my voice high-pitched and tinny.

  “I’ll walk you.” Wes took my elbow. All I could focus on was
my bare legs. It’s no different than what he’d see at the pool! Somehow, pale pink panties and my bathing suit bottoms were two totally different beasts.

  In my room, I started to drag my comforter off my bed until I realized my bottom would be exposed. “Wes? Would you mind pulling the thick comforter off my bed? It makes me too warm at night.”

  As soon as he finished straightening the bed, I crowded him until he was out the door, shutting it behind him. My eyelids suddenly wanted to close, thanks to the powerful little pill. I looked forward to the pending oblivion. “Thank you for the help. I’ll yell if I need anything,” I called through the door. Before I crawled under the covers, I stumbled to my chest of drawers and found a pair of boxers to wear under my t-shirt. At least I’d be decent if I got up again.

  The next thing I knew, light blazed through my windows, and Wes bent over me, staring at me like a puzzle to solve. My eyes widened as I fought to stifle yet another scream. He had to stop scaring me. “What’re you doing?” I croaked, a little surprised he let himself into in my bedroom uninvited. I didn’t know why it surprised me, though, since he already spent the night in my apartment.

  The side of the bed sank with Wes’s weight as he sat beside me. “The nurse told me to check on your breathing. I’ve been in here every two hours all night.” I stared at him in shock, mouth open. I’d no clue. A high school band could’ve played a set in my bedroom, and I would’ve slept through it. “Plus, you talked in your sleep again, and I stayed a minute to try to figure out what you were saying,” he said unashamedly.

  “Did you figure anything out?” I hoped he hadn’t.

  “You said something about Mitch. Who’s that?” He stroked my hair and checked me over carefully. I’d no intention of telling him anything about my stepbrother then.

  “Someone I knew growing up. What time is it?” I sat up and rubbed my sore head.

  “Ten. Arch and Gray have already been over a few times, and your friend from downstairs started trying to reach you at seven. He’s pretty mad at you for not calling him. You’d better be prepared.” My stomach sank. It never occurred to me to call Todd. I bet he was furious. I’d be furious if he got in a wreck and didn’t call me. I grabbed my phone to find seventeen missed calls and about forty texts, all from Todd.