by Heather Long
I wasn’t sure about that part, but she’d been in the business a long time and if she was willing to give us advice, the least we could do was listen.
A whistle stopped us as we wandered toward the dresses. Not that I was going to try on dresses. Nope.
Dresses made me think of changing rooms.
And changing room sex.
And… Yeah, let’s not with all four of them here.
They were being weirdly competitive today.
Pausing, we both found Jake staring at us with a pair of bikinis in hand.
“Dude,” Ian said almost drily. “You’d never let her wear those.”
“I’d let her wear them,” Jake argued. “Then I’d peel them right back off. Win-win.” He held up the first string bikini then the other, and I rolled my eyes.
“You know I could help if I knew where we were going.”
“Nice try,” Archie murmured as he strolled out with three suits dangling from his fingers and a hint of a wicked smile on his lips. “Come try these on for me.”
Oh, and there went that pair of panties. Dammit.
“Hang on.” Coop slid out, and he had a pair of suits too. A one piece and a sorta one piece. I glanced at all their suits and sighed.
“All right.” I gave Ian’s hand a squeeze and then collected the various suits. “But there will be no cameras. No pictures. No following me in to help me out…” I paused at the open door to the changing room and stopped Archie with a hand on his chest.
His delightful grin melted into a pout. “But we know how helpful I am.”
“We do,” I promised him and rose up on my tiptoes to kiss him lightly. “And I won’t ever forget it. But right now, I’ll try on the suits and…” I raised a finger before they could toss out terms. “I’ll show you the ones I like.”
“Fine,” Archie conceded.
“Yep,” Jake said with a nod, but Coop eyed the suits in my hand and then me.
“I want to see you in mine, please.”
I considered it. “Okay.” I winked and closed the door.
“Hey,” the others protested, and Ian’s laughter made me grin even wider. They really were all in a mood and it was glorious, if a bit nuts.
To be fair, they made some good choices. Even if I wasn’t sure I could pull off Jake’s deep purple string bikini, I kind of liked the way it fit me. It wasn’t super revealing, though I’d want to knot some of those strings, no way there wouldn’t be tugging.
Fuck, they’d have it off in one small version of tug of war.
I snapped a picture of it with my phone. The second string bikini had to be a joke. “Jake, I really love this blue one.”
His absolute snort made me grin. Seriously, there were three itty bitty triangles and nothing to cover my ass.
Yeah. Nope.
The red bikini from Archie caught my eye. It was different from the ones that had been at his place. These also had no strings.
The bottoms formed a vee with three lines on each hip connecting front to back, and the top was a strapless molded bit. I appreciated the vote of confidence but there was no way I could dive or play without a nip slip.
I was almost sorry to just snap a picture and go.
The black suit that I’d thought was a bikini turned out to be more tankini, and it was freaking adorable. It also wasn’t just black, it had glittery kind of paw prints amongst what looked like leaves. It was tropical but feline, and I adored it. It was also securely meshed against my body and left me plenty of skin on display without fear of it vanishing at one tug.
Yep, picture.
Okay, that left Coop’s. The standard razorback suit was the most familiar, so I went for the one piece that made me think of a sexy X-Men costume in black and yellow.
I should’ve looked like a bumblebee or something, but I didn’t, it was… Wow, it was perfect.
Oh crap.
Now I liked each of them for different reasons.
Snap.
I flicked through the images and then grouped them and fired them over the group text to the guys. The dings of their phones right outside the thin changing room walls made me grin. Then I frowned.
Wait, they were right there, and I couldn’t hear them chatting?
I blew out a sigh. They really were plotting something. It was a good thing I loved them so much, or I’d get irritated. As it was, I sent Rachel a text before I changed back into my clothes, and the guys started debating which suit they liked best.
Rachel answered immediately. She couldn’t say a word, but yes, she did know what they were up to, and she promised it was all good.
Me: Thank you.
Rachel: I got you. I promise. Also, make them work for it. They’re cute, but they aren’t as cute as they think they are.
Me: Do I want to know what that means?
Rachel: Nope. Love you. Have fun at therapy with the boys. I bet Erin wants to write a dissertation.
I laughed.
We still needed to road trip to UNT. Maybe I’d see if Jake would let me hit the asshole first.
No surprise, I got all three suits. When the guys gave Ian shit about it, he just grinned. “That just means I get her in her birthday suit.”
And then we started all over again.
Rachel was right—Erin was going to have a blast with these nutjobs.
Chapter Ten
Breathin’
Coop
Erin was not what I expected. Not that I had a lot of expectations, to be honest. For over six months, she’d been Frankie’s lifeline and, in some ways, her anchor. She’d been a steady hand to help her cope with everything that had happened. While I wanted to be that person in Frankie’s life, I understood that sometimes, it was the person standing outside the equation who could see it the most clearly. That, and she gave off a strong maternal vibe. One that probably helped ease Frankie into talking to her.
“So this is Coop,” Frankie said, introducing me, and I extended my hand to shake Erin’s. “This is Ian and Jake.” They followed suit. “And Archie.” Of the four of us, Archie had been the last to agree to this session, and I understood his reservations. Even now, his expression remained guarded, though his eyes warmed whenever he glanced at Frankie.
“Thanks for coming, gentlemen,” Erin said by way of greeting. “I appreciate the effort to support Frankie.”
And that was it in a nutshell.
Of course we were going to support her.
“Normally, I conduct sessions in my office, but all of us would make that very crowded, so I’ve borrowed the conversation room.” She guided us into what looked like a comfortably appointed living room with sofas and thick armchairs. The plush rugs and heavy wall hangings probably added to the sound insulation, and the half-wall window looked out onto a manicured garden with a fountain.
Very peaceful.
Serene.
It probably worked to minimize distractions and possible external stress. We didn’t really plan ahead how to do this, but Frankie sat near Archie on one of the loveseats, while Bubba took an armchair, and I flopped on the opposite sofa with Jake. If I were Erin, I’d probably read that as Bubba was the most isolated and that Frankie was most worried about Archie.
She’d probably be on the money about the latter, but Bubba was less isolated than he was comfortable. Lucky bastard had been riding high all morning, and why shouldn’t he? I bit back a grin when he gave me a bland look.
Yeah, yeah, focus on why we were here.
“Before we get started, do any of you have any questions?” Erin glanced around at us, but I wasn’t alone in shaking my head. Frankie made a face as Erin focused on her. “Do you have any questions?”
“No,” she said with one of those smiles that had come to her easier and easier since Christmas break. I hadn’t realized how much those had faded in recent years until they came back. The ease in her smiles, the brightness in her eyes, even the quickness of her sharp tongue. While we might quip and tease, she was no slouch. “I
still think it’s weird you wanted me to invite everyone, but we’re here.”
“Well, it’s not unusual to talk to partners and to close family of patients at some point during the therapy. You’re standing on the cusp of a huge transition, this on the heels of a lot of other big changes.”
Mouth twisting a little, Frankie gave a reluctant nod and leaned back in the seat, her shoulder butting up against Archie’s. His hand closed over hers almost automatically, and I swallowed back my own smile. There was no mistaking how much he’d needed her a few months ago or the subtle, but indelible shift between them that had cemented into something they both relied on.
The fact it steadied them both, even when they faced uncertainty, just made it even sweeter.
“I know, and we did talk about that,” Frankie admitted, casting a look at all of us as she responded to Erin’s description. “I guess…it just seems like right now, it’s not so much upheaval. I mean, it’s all good stuff. I got to meet Hank—Oh, I didn’t get to tell you about Hank.” Then she launched into a quick description of meeting her father. The clear affection she’d already developed made me thankful as fuck that Archie said his background checks came in clear and that he came across as a genuinely nice guy when we met him.
The full forward press with her was mitigated only by distance, but the man clearly wanted to be a part of her life. I liked him. We all did.
Well, all of us except Arch, and Archie didn’t hate him, so we’d call that a win.
“That sounds like a lot,” Erin pointed out. “Also, you need to remember that positive stress, it’s still stress. You’ve graduated high school, congratulations to all of you. You’re enrolled in college. You’re about to move out of your apartment, and you’re planning to move across the country. You’re going to test your relationships, because with growth and change comes new challenges. How prepared for that are you?”
“I have no idea,” Frankie admitted, and the open honesty filled me with pride. “But I’m not scared. We’re gonna have each other’s backs. Even when it gets hard.”
“What about you?” Erin asked, focusing on Archie. Yeah, if I were going to pick the most reticent one in the room. I’d have focused on him too.
Archie met her gaze evenly as he shrugged. “I’ll handle it. Whatever it is.”
Oh, hell. I tilted my head back to stare at the ceiling. Talk about waving the red flag at the psychologist.
Archie
“By you’ll handle it, you mean you’ll fix any problems encountered by anyone?”
The psychologist stared at me like she wanted to pry into my brain. Pleasant expression aside, I recognized a bulldog when I saw one. She’d been amazing for Frankie, and I was happy to be here for Frankie.
I was not planning on letting her pick me apart.
Frankie squeezed my hand though, and I bit back the automatic sharp retort. The woman wasn’t the enemy.
“I meant I’d handle it in as much as do what is needed when I can, and otherwise help or support if I can’t address the issue directly.” I could fix most issues. We had fixed most of the issues. Once we got Frankie far away from Maddy, that would help resolve one lingering issue. I wanted Frankie beyond Maddy’s reach.
“Do you feel that handling those issues are your responsibility?”
“I think taking care of Frankie is my responsibility,” I said, then added, “One we all share. We’re getting pretty good at balancing those needs with our own and looking after her at the same time.”
The stroke of her thumb along the side of my hand pulled my attention. Frankie studied me, but there was nothing but encouragement in her eyes.
“She looks after us too,” I admitted. “Probably does a much better job than we do.”
She only rolled her eyes a little before she crossed them, and I grinned.
“You’re making light of it,” Erin stated. “Do you always downplay your contributions?”
“I am well aware of my worth,” I countered. “Trust me. I know what I bring to the table.” That had never been one of my doubts. Being worthy of her? That was something else altogether. “But I take care of my family, and these guys are my family.”
“At the risk of seeming like I’m picking on you, Archie,” Erin continued, utterly unfazed by my cool stare. Impressive. Annoying, but impressive. “You and Frankie are the closest when it comes to family dynamics, not to mention the fact your parents were involved with each other…”
“I’m going to pause you there,” I said, raising a finger on my free hand. Agreeing to this session for Frankie was one thing. “Their toxic nightmare of a relationship has nothing to do with us, by our choice, not theirs.”
“Your anger at them, Frankie’s anger—the anger of your friends on your behalf—that is a part of your lives.”
Not for much longer. Edward offered a form of detente and seemed to have developed something of a conscience. I hadn’t decided whether I was interested in pursuing his offer or not. “I wouldn’t say anger, specifically,” I began.
“I would,” Jake stated flatly. “I’m pissed for both of you. Your parents are assholes. Well…not your dad, Frankie. I like Hank. So far so good, but the rest. Pfft.”
I didn’t smirk, because Coop gave Frankie a pained smile before he said, “Pretty much.”
Bubba shrugged. “But I don’t blame Frankie or Archie for their parents. If anything, we want to protect them.”
Okay, that was a tad on the humbling side.
“How can you protect them from their parents?”
“By being better than them,” Bubba said flatly.
“By sharing ours,” Jake offered.
“By just being there.” Of the three of them, Coop seemed the most certain.
“The difference,” I interjected before Erin could ask another question, “is I had support from other areas. I had my grandparents and I had Jeremy.” Frankie had fucking Maddy.
“I’ve had you guys,” Frankie reminded us, and if that didn’t shut up any other arguments, I didn’t know what would. “To be honest, I wouldn’t have gotten through this year without all of you. Not sane anyway.”
“Nah,” Jake said. “You’re incredible. There’s nothing you can’t do. We just like being a part of it.”
And that was it in a nutshell. “Still, there are things you shouldn’t have had to face. We like Hank so far, though I have my reservations. He seems good for you, and you seem to enjoy getting to know him. As long as he doesn’t do anything that hurts you, I’m good.”
“And if he does?” Erin asked, plunging the room into silence. I wasn’t the only one who stared at her. Jake’s and Bubba’s expressions had become set in stone, and though he still seemed laid back, I knew that look in Coop’s eyes.
“Rachel will probably get even for me, because she’d do it with a little less bloodshed.”
At Frankie’s utterly nonplussed response, laughter broke through the room, and Erin gave her a small smile.
“I know,” Frankie said. “We’ve discussed this. But sometimes, you have to laugh or you’ll cry. I like Hank. I like the fact I have siblings. Getting to know them is fascinating right now. Will it always be easy? No. Will moving to New York and starting college be easy? Maybe. But probably not. The five of us have figured out how to balance our relationship now. Will that change in New York? With college? With graduation? With finding our careers? Probably.”
“Then we just find our balance again,” Bubba said.
“Every time,” Jake added.
“We’re pretty good with the learning curves in this group,” Coop threw on top. “I mean, we used to screw the grade curve all the time, so between the five of us, we’ll figure it out.”
“And we’ll fix it,” I confirmed. “Because that’s what we do.”
What we would continue to do.
Every.
Damn.
Time.
Jake
“How are you handling the changes?”
Okay,
the psychologist lady was nice, but she asked weird and somewhat irritating questions. “What kind of question is that?”
“A straightforward one. You went from being primarily a friend group dating multiple girls to a group that now dates one girl. You’re living together. You’ve already faced several challenges. Now you have a lot of life issues facing you. How are you handling the changes? Not just as a group, but individually.”
Before I could growl out an answer, Coop leaned forward elbows on his knees. “I think we’re all handling it like we did before. We talk. Sometimes we argue and debate. But at the end of the day, it’s an individual call on the personal issues and we do our best to support each other.”
“Even if you disagree with how one or more of you is handling something?” Erin studied us in turn, and I had to wonder what she saw. One thing Frankie had been clear about was that she had discussed us with Erin, not invasively, but our relationship. There was no judgment in the woman’s eyes or her tone.
The fact Frankie liked her so much was a plus in her column, but the whole process was making my skin itch.
“We try to ask questions if we don’t understand something,” Bubba offered. “Or we try to head off questions by being honest ourselves. You don’t always know what everyone needs to know or understands if you don’t share.”
I didn’t laugh, but he had a point. He had actually come to me and talked to me about the play he and Frankie liked to engage in, and I was glad he’d told me. As intriguing as it all was, I’d probably have hit first and asked questions later if I’d ever found him tying her up. Now? Now it intrigued the hell out of me.
Then there was Coop’s voyeurism. Bubba hadn’t totally gotten that, so I pointed it out and it had helped.
“Sometimes, we can talk to each other when we get something one of the others doesn’t.” Rather than use those examples, I said, “I’ve known Frankie a long time. Coop’s known her longer. Sometimes, he sees stuff that even I don’t. He can give us a heads-up if he notices something amiss. That said, Bubba pays pretty good attention to the shifting dynamic, though one might say he’s had to get better with words.”