by Quell T Fox
“Fuck, Callan. I don’t know. I feel like shit already. I don’t even know why this happened, what caused it. This hasn’t happened in years.”
“There are a lot of strange things happening recently. Ever since she came into our lives, and I have a feeling it’s only the beginning.” I nod my head in agreement. She better be fucking worth it. “I had a nightmare, too. The same night you… ya know. That’s why I was awake. I haven’t had a nightmare in years either. What do you remember?”
“Nothing. Going to sleep and then waking up on her floor. That’s it. I don’t remember a nightmare, but usually that’s how it happened before. But I–I just don’t fucking know, man.”
“What are your thoughts? How can we stop this from happening? I’ll help in any way that I can.” He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and I swear I’m going to buy him one of those nerdy ass necklace things that hold your glasses up.
“You need to sleep with her.” Callan chokes on air at the comment. “Not like that, for fucks sake, Callan. Just in her bed. If you’re in there you’ll notice me coming in first. You’ll be able to wake me up, get me out. Whatever you need to do, I don’t care. Just don’t let it happen again.”
“How am I supposed to manage that?” His cheeks turn red at the thought.
“You made it to first base. You figure it out.” I stand and turn before I make my way to my room. “You said you’d help anyway that you can.“ I don’t give him time to answer before I continue to my room, prepared to stay up for as long as I can. Maybe I’ll be so tired that I’ll fall into such a deep sleep that sleepwalking won’t be an option.
Callan
Sleep with Friday. He says that like it’s the simplest thing on the planet to do. Maybe it is for someone else, but for me? I don’t know how that’s going to work. Maybe I can just sleep on the floor outside of her room. That would be a lot more comfortable than trying to have a conversation with her about me sleeping in her bed with her every night.
What about her privacy? Her space? I can’t intrude on that.
Though, it won’t be forever. It’ll only be until she talks to him. Maybe if I tell her the plan she’ll understand. This was her idea after all. She’s the one that wants to keep it a secret. If this is the only way we can get through this without letting Lenny and Maddox know, then I’m sure she’ll go along with it.
Lenny is in there with her now. How am I supposed to get him out? This is way too much work. It would be so much easier if we could just tell the other guys and lock Alec in his room like we used to. Why did I agree to keep a secret? I hate secrets. And why did I say I’d do anything? For a smart guy, sometimes I’m really stupid.
I know why, though. I did it for her. I’d do anything for her.
I lay down on the couch for a bit, working through my thoughts. I catch movement through the dark out of the corner of my eye.
“Oh, Friday! I’m so glad it’s you.” I whisper loudly. I jump up and go to her as she walks towards the bathroom. “Can we talk for a minute?”
She holds up a finger as she enters the bathroom, closing the door behind her. I wait, tapping my foot the entire time, which feels like forever. The longer I wait the more nervous I get. How am I supposed to word this? What if she thinks I’m just making it up to get into bed with her? I would never do that, but she doesn’t know that. She barely knows me.
A few moments later she exits the bathroom and stops in front of me.
“Uh, so I talked to Alec.” I swallow thickly, unsure of how to put my words together. What happened to all of the confidence I had earlier? I’m learning that it’s on a timer. It runs out quickly and takes a long time for my confidence bar to refill. Totally unfair. “Well, about what happened. He knows I know and well, we had to come up with a plan. You know, to make sure it doesn’t happen again. When he sleepwalks like that, there’s no telling when it will happen. And without being able to tell the other guys we don’t have many choices, you see. We used to barricade him in his room, but that would draw too much attention…”
I realize that I’m rambling, so I get to the point, because I’m just making a fool of myself.
“I need to sleep with you in your bed every night.” I hold my hands up in a surrender motion. “Before you say anything, just know that this is solely for your safety. I’m not trying to pull a fast one or anything like that. I just want you to be safe. I’m a light sleeper, if someone comes into the room it’ll wake me and I’ll deal with whatever happens.”
A smile lights up her face and I know she’s laughing at me. I can’t blame her. I made a fool of myself. I knew I would. I ramble when I’m nervous. It’s a good thing it’s dark in here, because she’d also see how red my cheeks are. They’re burning.
She takes me hand and pulls me after her.
“Wait, wait. What about Lenny? How are you going to get rid of him?” She gives me a look and scrunches up her nose, shaking her head.
“Slumber party.” The words come out in a whisper.
I’m going to kill Alec for this.
***
Not long after, I am lying in bed with Friday… and Lenny. He’s on her left, I’m on her right – closest to the door. Lenny gave me a strange look when I started climbing into bed, all I could do was shrug. I can’t answer any questions about this, but he must know something is up because there is no way this would be happening otherwise. I don’t just share beds with women. And surely not with a woman and a man at the same time.
If Maddox finds out about this he’ll know something is up for sure. I just hope we can keep it hidden long enough for Friday to decide it’s the right time to talk to Alec. Which I hope is soon.
He seems truly sorry about what happened. Of course he is, but he talked to me about it. Not in depth, but enough to know that he’s trying. We all are. Sometimes I wish these things were as easy for me as they were Lenny. He’s the social butterfly of the group. Maddox is the heartbreaker and Alec is the meathead that you don’t mess around with. And me? I’m the shy one that the girls want because I’m a mystery. That’s what we were all pinned as. Have been for years. It’s not even like that, but it doesn’t really matter. Not anymore. But once you’re labelled, it doesn’t go away.
Lenny has his own struggles, like we all do. We all want something that we don’t have. Want to be someone that we aren’t. That’s normal human nature. Even though we aren’t human, we have the basics of humans. It’s rare to find someone that is perfectly happy with themselves. Besides Friday. She seems perfectly content with who she is as a person. Completely confident in everything that she is.
I admire her for that.
She’s on her side, her head on Lenny’s chest and her leg thrown over his stomach. She has on only a pair of boy shorts and a camisole. This would usually make me very uncomfortable. Right now, the only struggle I’m having is keeping my dick under control.
We’re laying close to each other under the blankets, this bed is only a queen so believe me when I say that we are close. I lay on my back and stare at the ceiling, too many thoughts running through my mind. Lenny and Friday are chatting back and forth, sharing stories and laughs. Well, it’s mostly Lenny that’s talking since Lenny and I both keep shushing her when she tries to speak. I chime in on Lenny’s stories every now and then but mostly I listen. I enjoy them being happy. It thrills me to know that everything with us will be okay. If they can build a good relationship, then we all can. We will all have our own relationship with her, eventually. We’re all different, with different needs. We can’t expect it to be easy all the time. And it won’t be. That much is true, given the past week.
Just as they quiet down and I think Friday is sleeping, she reaches her hand behind her and takes mine, interlacing our fingers. I tense for second at the contact, but it goes away quickly. Touching her, being next to her, talking to her – It’s all getting easier over time.
“You’re so beautiful.” I whisper the words to her so quietly that even if
she were awake, I don’t think she could hear me. But it doesn’t matter. I fall asleep to the sounds of Lenny snoring and the warmth of Friday’s hand and it’s the best sleep that I’ve had in a very, very long time.
CHAPTER 21
Friday
-SUNDAY-
I’m sandwiched between two sexy as fuck guys, both with their hard-ons digging into me. I’ve died and woke up in heaven, right? I could not be in a better place right now. Am I still dreaming? They both lay still, breathing softly in their sleep. I woke up a little while ago, afraid to move, not wanting to wake them. And also, totally enjoying this moment.
My guys.
That’s what they’ve become. As much as I said I needed to take this relationship thing slow, it’s just not happening that way. And I’m not sure exactly when it changed. Lenny and I have fallen into this natural relationship already, and from here I only see it get better, stronger. Things with Callan are falling closely behind, not that it’s a race, but he’s slowly opening up to me. Maddox and I have our own strange type of relationship, but it is what it is. Alec, he’s the last one. The only one holding things back. He said he’s waiting for me, but I’m not sure if that’s really the truth.
I need to talk to him.
I decide tomorrow will be the day. Today, I enjoy these two gorgeous men that are currently half naked and by my side. Besides, my throat is still sore but is feeling better. I could use some tea though. I wiggle my way down to the bottom of the bed as carefully as possible.
“Nooooo, where are you going?” I walk to the side of the bed and place a kiss on the side of Lenny’s mouth. “I’m going to make some tea.” I whisper. My voice is stronger than it was yesterday. Lenny hums quietly and I think he’s still sleeping. I run my fingers through his hair, and head towards the door. The other guys bedroom doors are closed. Everyone is sleeping late today, which isn’t normal.
I decide that not only am I going to make myself some tea, but I’m going to make them all breakfast. They all enjoyed it so much last time that I think I’ll do it again. They deserve to be spoiled sometimes.
I take out the eighteen count of eggs, crack them into a giant bowl and start whisking. Part of me thinks I should be making more, these guys can eat, but it should be enough. I empty two packages of sausage into a pan and start browning them. I think about making toast, that is until I see the croissants and cinnamon rolls. I do a little dance, super excited for cinnamon rolls. I preheat the oven and prep the pans. While everything is cooking, I start on a pot of coffee.
When the croissants and rolls have only a few minutes left I pour the eggs into the pan. Not too long after, everything is done. I pull out the plates, silver wear, cups and mugs and set them on the counter by the line of food that I’ve piled.
Now to wake up my guys.
I go back to my room, figuring that it’ll be easier to wake up Lenny and Callan first. I go to Callan, but before I do anything more, I take a minute to really look at him. His sharp chiseled jaw is covered in a light stubble that I love. His hair is slightly messy from sleep and it’s freakin’ adorable. He looks different without glasses – not bad, just different. He’s peaceful when he sleeps.
I place my hand on his chest, lean down and kiss his cheek. He wakes slowly and his arm goes around my waist and a low groan escapes his mouth. The sound sends liquid warmth straight to my belly. Callan’s hand moves up my back and reaches the nape of my neck. He pulls me closer, bringing his lips to mine. He nips my bottom lip and sucks it into his mouth, causing me to moan. Oh my…
My hand stays on his firm chest and I dig my nails in. He kisses me harder, pulls me into him harder. His tongue slides across mine, so slowly. He lets out a low sigh and pulls away. He moves his hand to my cheek and brushes his finger over my bottom lip.
Fuck, if this is what I get when I wake him up, I will wake him up every single morning for the rest of my life. I like the idea of that.
“Good morning.” His sleepy voice says.
“Morning.”
“You sound much better. Do you feel better?” I nod, not wanting to push my luck.
“I made breakfast. Come eat.” Callan smiles and brushes my hair out of my face before moving to get up. He stands and stretches before leaving the room. I take a deep breath, trying to collect myself. He really messed me up with that kiss. Not what I was expecting from him.
What was I doing? Oh, right! Waking up the guys. Well, if they are all going to wake up this way…
I move around to the other side of the bed. I tap Lenny’s nose, causing him to swat my hand away and grumble. When he settles down, I do it again. This time a whiney noise comes out of him. I can only describe him as pretty. His skin is perfectly clear, his hair perfectly straight. His body is thin and firm. I look over his bared chest and see the hard, defined lines, not a single hair in sight. He doesn’t have a six pack, but he doesn’t need one. His abs are firm with that delicious V that causes me to lick my lips.
I press my lips to his and he instantly kisses me back. His hand goes to the back of my head, tangling his fingers into my hair. He kisses me like he hasn’t seen me in months, when really, it’s only been a few hours… and we were sleeping.
I run my hand up his chest and over his collar bone gently.
“I made breakfast. Get up.” I whisper into his lips between kisses.
“Breakfast?!” His face lights up and he scrambles out of bed. When he reaches the end of the bed, he pauses and turns around, pulling me in for one more kiss before taking off to the kitchen. I stand there for a moment shaking my head.
I look down at what I’m wearing, realizing that maybe I should put clothes on but then I realize that I still have to wake up Maddox, so I’m staying like this.
After I stand, I realize that Lenny has moved his stuff into my room. His bags are all laid out in the corner. Something inside of his backpack catches my eye and I’m way too curious to ignore it. I check the door, to make sure no one is around and walk quickly towards the backpack. I squat down and use one finger to pull the bag open. The soft, white stuffed bunny that’s inside causes so many emotions to course through me, but mostly it tugs at my heart. It’s old and worn out. It must have been his from when he was a child. The fact that he brings it with him on these trips… well, I’m not even sure what to think of that, but I know that he will tell me when he’s ready. Or maybe I’m making a bigger deal out of this than it is. Maybe it’s nothing.
I leave the room and turn to the left. Maddox’s door is still closed. I stand in front of it, my mouth suddenly feels like a desert. For some reason his door being closed bothers me. Not knowing what is taking place on the other side freaks me out. Even after the explanations, I’m not ready to see that again.
I’m not afraid of him. I know he wouldn’t do anything malicious to me. It’s nothing like that. I don’t know what it is exactly, something about finding him with Callan. It’s just, I haven’t fully accepted it yet. I take a deep breath, knock gently and open the door. I don’t even realize that I’ve shut my eyes until I feel the door swing open and I can’t see anything. I peel them open slowly.
Maddox is sprawled out on the bed on his belly, in nothing but a tight pair of black briefs that mold to his ass fucking perfectly. I stop for a moment, tilt my head back and thank the fucking universe for sending me these guys. How did I get so lucky? He is full of muscles and full of tattoos. He is gorgeous in an entirely different way than the other guys. Even as he sleeps, every hard line of muscle pops out, and I so want to run my hands over him. I slowly make my way to the bed, when I notice his bag open by the foot of the bed. The keychain that I bought for him is attached to the zipper. He kept it. Not only did he keep it, but he’s using it. I slip into bed with him and my eyes go right to his ass. I run my hand over it and up his back, looking at his beautifully decorated skin as I go.
“Maddox.” I whisper into his ear. I realize as I get close to him, that I don’t want to pull away. I place a kiss by his
ear and then take his earlobe between my teeth and apply a slight pressure. He lets out a groan and I swear I’m going to need new panties before breakfast.
“If that is anyone but Friday, I’m going to chop your balls off.”
“It’s me. No ball chopping today. Come eat breakfast.”
I move to stand, but Maddox grabs my arm, twists his body and pulls me down. The next thing I know I’m straddling him. I don’t even know how that happened so quickly. He pushes his hips up, causing his erection to dig into my sweet spot, making me want to skip breakfast and stay here with him. It’s so tempting. I find myself pressing into him, needing the feel of him.
I like him when he isn’t talking.
His hands move to my thighs, running them up and down, squeezing gently. His eyes are full of hunger and want.
“Are you on the menu?”
“Not today, big boy.”
He smiles at my response but doesn’t push me further. He moves his hips up one more time, and I try so hard to keep the sounds under control, but I can’t. It escapes me and the smug look on Maddox’s face makes me want to slap him. I lean down, getting as close to his lips as I can. My hands reach for his and I pull them up by his head. The muscles in his biceps bulge. I lick my lips at the sight. He grasps my hands tight, his breathing changing only slightly enough for me to notice. I move in, as if to kiss him, but quickly pull away. I twist and move off the bed, far enough away where he can’t get to me. He actually pouts and my eyebrows shoot up at that. I never thought I’d see that happen.
“You know you want to stay here with me.” His husky voice is almost enough to pull me back into his arms. It’s tempting… so very tempting.
I do want to stay with him. I want to tell him that, but I won’t. Not yet. He hasn’t opened up to me, and I can’t open up to him.
“You wish.” I wink before leaving his room. Realizing that this next one will be the hardest. I’m not even sure how to go about this. I take a few deep breaths before knocking. I put my ear to the door, but I don’t hear anything. Taking a deep breath and pulling on my big girl panties – that I’m sure are completely soaked right now – I open the door.