Aberrate

by Wendi Wilson

  “Where are we, anyway?” I ask as Slade opens the door and climbs out.

  When I try to follow, Silas grabs my hand and pulls me back. Slade pushes the door closed and opens the front, sliding in behind the wheel.

  “We’re not there yet,” Silas says. “I pulled over on the side of the road.”

  His dimples pop out with his grin, and I smile back, unable to conjure even the tiniest modicum of shame at the fact that I’d behaved like a brazen hussy on the edge of a public street. The fact that Silas needed to show me how un-upset he was, right then and there, made me feel light and airy and completely carefree.

  As Slade pulls the car back onto the road, Silas takes my hand, slipping his fingers between mine. I hold on to him, watching darkness overtake the light as the miles speed by. It doesn’t matter where we’re going.

  As long as we’re together.

  4

  “Took you guys long enough.”

  As I climb from the back seat, Jett’s words, uttered in a knowing tone, make me flinch. He’s making it obvious he knows why we fell behind and is letting his impatience be felt. I open my mouth to say something… anything. To make an excuse.

  When my eyes land on him, my mouth snaps shut. His hair is standing up all over his head and his shirt is wrinkled in the front as if someone had squeezed the material in their fist. I arch a brow at him before letting my eyes drift to the others.

  Wyatt is running his fingers through his dark hair, trying to smooth it down and Beckett is buttoning his shirt. I look at Savanna between them, her lips swollen and rosy, as she twists her long blonde mane into a ponytail.

  “Looks like you guys had a long, boring wait,” I deadpan.

  Jett smiles, a grin devoid of its usual cynicism that I can’t help but return. There was no denying it. Savanna and her boys had been doing the same thing I’d done with mine. And none of us regretted it.

  “Where are we, anyway?” she asks.

  I look around for the first time, realizing we’re parked on a residential street. Victorian style homes line either side of the wide road. It looks like a wealthy neighborhood, one in which a bunch of kids could get arrested for trespassing.

  Wyatt lifts an arm, pointing toward the large house in front of us. “We’re home,” he says.

  “What?” Savanna exclaims, letting me know I’m not the only one who was left in the dark. “I thought we weren’t going to get the keys until tomorrow?”

  Silas and Slade are grinning ear to ear as Slade lifts his hand, a ring full of keys hanging from his fingers. He twirls them around as Savanna and the boys crowd closer.

  “Shall we go inside?” Slade asks, stepping onto the front walk.

  He approaches the door and slips a key into the lock as we all crowd in behind him. Swinging the door open with a flourish, he steps to the side and lifts an arm, inviting us in. As I step across the threshold, Silas takes my hand.

  Slade flips the light switch and, as the room comes into view, my breath catches in my throat. Comfy looking couches are arranged in a U-shape in front of a large fireplace, a large screen T.V. perched on the wall above the mantle.

  An open, sliding barn door on my right provides a view of the kitchen. Savanna walks through the opening and clicks on the light, which reflects off the gleaming surfaces of the stainless steel appliances. Jett, Wyatt, and Beckett follow her into the kitchen as a tug on my hand pulls me the other way.

  I look from our joined hands up to Silas’s a face. He’s wearing a soft smile as he leads me toward the staircase. His brother grips my other hand as we takes the first few steps and, like a chain of kindergartners on a field trip, we head up to the second floor.

  A long hall holds several doors. I peek inside the first one, releasing Slade’s hand to flip the light switch. I find a large bathroom. A deep, claw-foot tub dominates the space, but there’s also a glass-encased shower in the corner, a toilet and a double-sink vanity.

  Slade gives my hand a tug and, leaving the bathroom light on, I follow him further down the hall. He and Silas stop at the next door, looking at me expectantly. Slade’s hand reaches through the opening and turns on the light before motioning for me to go inside.

  My eyes widen as I take in the space. A giant bed takes up most of one wall, an intricately carved wooden headboard nearly hidden behind a mound of pillows. The bedding is slate gray with purple accents, and a dark purple padded bench sits at the foot.

  The left side of the room opens up to a large, walk-in closet. I head that way, turning on the light to find a wall filled with drawers. The opposite side has rails for hanging clothes and the back wall is floor-to-ceiling shoe cubbies.

  I rejoin the boys in the room, each of their faces a mask of hope mixed with a touch of nervousness.

  “Is this my room?” I ask.

  “Yes,” Silas says. “Do you like it?”

  I nod. “It’s beautiful.”

  Disappointment nips at my mind, but I shake it off. I love the room, of course, but I’d hoped…

  “Lizzie,” Slade says, pulling me from my thoughts as he leads me to the bed and motions for me to sit. “This house has six bedrooms. They’re all furnished and move-in ready, so Silas and I have somewhere else to sleep… if you don’t want us in here… with you.”

  My lips twitch at the nervous edge in his voice. Does he really think I’d make them sleep somewhere else? I want them with me.

  “I want you here,” I say, and I’m instantly rewarded with two sets of deep dimples as their faces light up.

  “Good,” Slade says, stroking a finger down my cheek.

  “Just know,” Silas adds, “if you ever want to be alone, all you have to do is say the word. We have a room down the hall that we can always stay in if you need us to.”

  I start to nod, but Savanna’s head pops through the door, catching my attention. Her grin is infectious as she gives me a quick wave before popping back out and heading further down the hall. Each of the Pattons peek in to take a quick look as they follow her past our door.

  Our door. The thought makes my insides quake. My life is changing fast.

  “Will we stay here tonight?” I ask, my voice taking on a breathlessness I didn’t intend.

  “We can do whatever we want,” Silas says, his eyes brightening until the silver almost overtakes the gray.

  “But we don’t have any of our stuff,” Slade adds. “So we’d be roughing it.”

  A laugh bubbles out of me at his words. This place is like a mansion. I couldn’t imagine staying here ever being equated with “roughing it.”

  Thoughts of our time in the car resurface, and I know I don’t want to go back to their parents’ house. We’d have to split up, with Savanna and I sleeping in the bedroom while the boys all sleep downstairs like we did before. I can’t stop the frown that turns down my lips.

  Misinterpreting my expression, Slade says, “We don’t have to stay here tonight. We can go back and move in tomorrow like we planned.”

  “No!”

  The word rushes out of me before I can stop it, and I feel my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. I don’t want to appear overeager and desperate, but the boys’ reaction to my answer quickly crushes any awkwardness I’m feeling.

  Silas pulls me up from the bed and they move in, the heat from their bodies cocooning me. Slade’s lips find mine as Silas wraps his arms around my midsection. I kiss Slade until my lips are tingly then break it off, turning my attention to Silas.

  His kiss is demanding, his arms tightening to bring our bodies even closer. My hand slips into his blonde hair as his tongue delves into my mouth. My fingers wrap tightly around the strands and he moans, the sound vibrating from deep within his chest.

  I feel Slade’s hot mouth on my neck, and my right hand mimics my left, its fingers weaving into his hair before fisting it into my tight grip. I tug it to bring his face up and turn away from Silas to nip at Slade’s lips with my own.

  “Hey! Oh, uh, sorry.”

 
Savanna’s voice may as well have been an exploding window, its impact just as startling. The three of us break apart, chests heaving as rapid breaths heave through our swollen lips. I look at my friend and notice her cheeks are pink as her eyes flit from one object to another, never landing on any of us.

  “I just wanted to tell you the boys and I decided to stay here tonight.”

  With a quick wave in our direction, she disappears from view. The stiffness in my body eases, my shoulder slumping forward. Slade chuckles and punches his brother in the shoulder.

  “Next time, shut the door,” he says.

  Silas smiles. “If that thing doesn’t have a lock on it, I’m hitting the hardware store early tomorrow morning.”

  With the mood broken and my eyes unclouded by the haze of lust, I take each of their hands in mine and lead them from the room.

  “Show me the rest,” I say once we’re out in the hall.

  Silas and Slade’s other bedroom is nice, a large space filled with two full beds, a chest of drawers, and two oversized night stands. A large flat screen television hangs on the wall.

  There are three extra bedrooms, similarly furnished with queen-sized beds and little else. I assume these rooms are for the Patton boys, should they ever need a private space.

  We head down toward the end of the hall where the master bedroom is situated. I peek my head in after knocking on the doorframe loudly. Thankfully, the room is empty. I guess Savanna and her boys are back downstairs. My eyes widen as I take in the space.

  It’s huge, spanning the entire width of the house. There is a couch against the left wall and a large closet on the right. Next to the closet is another open door, and I can see tile gleaming in the soft light. It must be a private bathroom.

  In the center is a bed like I’ve never seen. It’s huge. It has to be over six feet wide and just as long. I’m not sure how long I stare at it when Slade speaks.

  “It’s called emperor-sized. It’s wider and longer than king. The biggest one we could find and have here by today.”

  I turn to look at him, letting my eyes drift from his face, to his brother’s and back again. It hits me then, that there was no way they just got the keys to this house today.

  “How long have you guys been working on this?”

  Silas grins and says, “A week. We’ve been here every day setting it up.”

  “You did all this in a week?” I ask, thinking about the furniture and the bedding and the electronics I’ve seen.

  “We wanted it to be ready today,” Slade adds, tucking a curl behind my ear. “We want to start our new lives a soon as possible.”

  He kisses me, a sweet brush of his lips against mine. He moves aside and Silas takes his place in front of me. He presses his lips to my cheek before moving them to my mouth. His tongue delves in for a brief taste before he ends the kiss and takes a step back.

  I feel like I’m being pulled in a million different directions at once. Affection, desire, fear, excitement, nervousness. All the feels.

  My body wants to pull them back to our bedroom and explore every one of those emotions, but my head overrides my baser impulses and I lead the boys back to the staircase, skipping my way down with them close on my tail.

  We have plenty of time for exploration. Now, it’s time to celebrate. It’s a fresh start for us all.

  5

  This is it.

  I stare at my reflection, smoothing a hand over my curls. Leaning in, I run a fingertip under my eyes to make sure I got all the eyeliner when I washed my face. I check my teeth in the mirror, even though I just brushed and flossed them two minutes ago.

  I’m stalling.

  I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I slept in the same bed with Silas and Slade before. I’ve done more than sleep with them. Sure, it’s been a few weeks, but I shouldn’t be this anxious. After all we did in the car earlier, I should be anxious. Eager, not edgy.

  Isn’t it weird how the same word can have two completely opposite meanings? Anxious means nervous and eager. Oh, God, I’m stalling again.

  I take a deep breath and blow it out. Straightening my spine, I flip off the light and leave the bathroom. I walk to the doorway of my bedroom, of our bedroom, and pause.

  I look down at myself, still wearing the same clothes from earlier. I didn’t bring any of my stuff with me. I’m just lucky the boys stocked the bathroom with soap and toothpaste. Hopefully, I don’t smell too bad. I resist the urge to lift my arm and smell my armpit.

  Thank God, because when I raise my eyes, I find two sets of silver-rimmed gray ones trained on me. And they are not looking at me like I’m wearing dirty clothes with no make-up and frizzy hair.

  They’re looking at me like they’re starving and I’m the last meal on Earth.

  I can’t remember anything before this moment. My mind goes completely blank as I stand here staring at them while they stare right back at me, molten silver eyes glowing in the dim lamplight. The only thing I know for sure is that my heart is beating way faster than it should and my knees feel a little wobbly.

  “Are you coming in?”

  Slade’s question snaps me out of my daze and the world comes rushing back in. I’m in Connecticut with my friends, in this house where we now live. We had a rousing dinner of delivered pizza and hot wings before playing silly games like Truth or Dare and Charades. It got late, we said our goodnights, and Savanna, Jett, Wyatt and Beckett retired to their room.

  And Silas and Slade came to ours while I stopped off in the bathroom to freshen up. Ours. As in, a room we plan to share for the foreseeable future. Together.

  I shake my head to clear my cluttered thoughts. Slade and Silas are standing on either side of the bed, wearing nothing but athletic shorts and matching looks of concern. Like they think I might bolt, or something.

  I square my shoulders and, stepping through the doorway, push the door closed behind me. With my eyes darting from one boy to the other, I lean back against the wooden panel. Grasping the doorknob, I brush my thumb across its face to find a smooth button.

  One corner of my mouth lifts as I press the button, locking the door with an audible click. The sound sets the boys into motion and, as if of one mind, they walk around to the end of the bed. They stop, shoulder to shoulder, in front of the bench seat and wait for me to make the next move.

  My eyes roam across each of them, taking in their gorgeous faces, their smooth, tan chests, their muscular arms and their thick legs. Slade smirks at me, enjoying the sight of me checking them out. I’m sure it’s obvious how pleased I am with their appearances.

  I suck my bottom lip into my mouth and, biting down, grab the hem of my shirt and pull it up over my head. Stretching my arm out to the side, I open my fist and let the garment drop to the floor. My fingers move to the waistband of my jeans, flicking open the button before pulling the zipper down.

  Before I can make another move, the boys are on me, pressing me back against the door. A hot flurry of mouths and hands assault my body, almost overwhelming me. My hands grip each of them by their hair, anchoring them to me and guiding each of their mouths to mine, one after the other.

  I feel a warm palm against my back, the heat of it burning a trail upwards. Deft fingers flick open the closure of my bra before trailing around my side to cup my breast under the lace. Breath hisses through my teeth at the fire the touch ignites. I’m quickly becoming a blazing inferno of need and desire.

  I break away from the boys, stumbling forward before turning back to face them. They watch me, chests heaving with ragged breaths as their eyes burn with silver flames. I lift a hand to the opposite shoulder and, ever so slowly, pull the strap of my loose bra down. I repeat the process on my other side, holding the material against my chest for a second before lowering my arms and letting the garment slip to the floor.

  Silas’s nostrils flare and Slade growls low in his throat, but they don’t move. The message is clear. This is my show and I’m calling the shots. A sense of power surges through m
e at the thought, ramping my excitement up a few notches.

  I brush my hands over my body, wanting to tease and entice the boys, but get caught in my own trap. Sparks ignite everywhere my palms touch, and I squeeze my thighs together to ease the ache building in my core.

  My fingers slip beneath the waistband of my jeans, pushing the denim over my hips and down my thighs. Thank God I decided to wear relaxed fit jeans today. I couldn’t imagine the embarrassment of trying to peel myself out of my skinny ones.

  Shaking off the errant thought, I step out of the material and kick it to the side. I fight the urge to cover myself, standing here in only my panties. Instead, I run my hands over my skin once more, my eyes inviting the boys to come do the same.

  Silas charges me, his hands sliding around to cup my ass, lifting me until my legs wrap around his waist. I kiss him with wild abandon, our tongues dueling as he walks me toward the bed. He spins and sits on the edge with me still wrapped around him like a spider monkey.

  I unwrap my legs and let my feet fall to the floor, pushing myself from his lap to stand between his spread legs. Silas breaks off our kiss to trail his lips down to my chest. His mouth closes over one breast, his tongue flicking against the nipple as I tremble.

  Hands grasp my hips from behind, twisting me around to face the opposite direction. Slade’s mouth captures mine before I can take a full breath. His hands grip my hair, holding me in place as his lips and tongue work their magic.

  Silas’s arms wrap around me from behind, one hand moving up to tease a breast while the other slips downward. His fingers trace the elastic band of my panties before slipping underneath. My legs tremble harder and I lean back against his chest as my knees give out.

  Slade moves closer, his teeth nibbling at my lower lip before his tongue darts out to soothe it. His lips leave mine, trailing kisses across my jaw to my ear. He whispers something before dipping the tip of his tongue inside. I don’t know what he said, and I completely forget to ask as his mouth moves to my neck.