Newly Exposed

by Meghan Quinn

“I don’t think so,” I chuckled. “Seriously, though, he is amazing, not just in bed, but all around. I could really see a future with him.”

  Nolly swatted my arm and said, “Oh, my God, Solo, you’re serious.”

  “I am. He could be it for me, Nolly. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy, and to think, he’s a model.”

  “Lucky shit,” Nolly teased. “Blaze is definitely not the one, at least not yet. He’s a good fuck for now. We’ll see.”

  Yeah, I knew Blaze was not the one for Nolly. I was glad to see that she didn’t think he was, at least not yet, because her normal cycle had her falling for the guy already. Maybe she was growing up. I could only be so proud if she was.

  “Does this mean I’m losing my best friend to a boy?”

  “You know you will never lose me, but you may be gaining a roommate,” I joked.

  “Well, as long as we all get to see each other naked, then I think it will be okay.”

  “Yeah, not going to happen.”

  “Come on,” Nolly begged. “Just show me, how big?”

  I rolled my eyes, looked around, and then held my hands out to the length of Adam’s Just-in Beaver.

  “Nuh uh,” Nolly said, with her eyes wide open. “He’s fucking packing!”

  “I know,” I knowingly smiled. “And you should see that delicious ass of his. God, whenever he’s naked I feel like all I do is ogle him. I can’t help myself, though; he’s so fine, Nolly.”

  “Damn!” she exclaimed as Ty ran around us, working on his nine laps now. “I’m so mad I was caught up with Blaze and let you have Adam.”

  “Let me have Adam?” I asked with an eyebrow raised.

  “Well, you know…” she smiled.

  “Just because you’re the polar opposite of me with your blonde hair, blue eyes, and long legs doesn’t mean you get every guy.”

  “You know I’m kidding. Adam and I would never work well together; he’s too geeky for me.”

  “Hey!” I exclaimed, as I watched him finish up his warm up inside the gym and head out to the pull up bars, where Ty was finishing up his second round. “That’s one of his best qualities. I like that he’s corny in his own special way.”

  “Yeah, and you also like that fucking fantastic body of his,” Nolly said, as we both watched him take off his shirt and then grab ahold of the bars, getting to work quickly.

  Gulping from the amazing show he was giving us, I said, “I wouldn’t kick him out of bed, that’s for damn sure.”

  We sat in silence as all the guys filtered outside, shredding their shirts and taking up different positions for the cardio circuit that they were about to go through.

  “Cardio day,” I mumbled.

  “Love fucking cardio days,” Nolly mumbled back, as she sat back and put her hands behind her head.

  Anzel held out a stopwatch and asked the guys to start. In tandem, they all started moving in various exercises. Adam was doing pull-ups, Gunner was doing burpees, Nikko was jumping the raised ladder, Levi was throwing rope, and Scout was pounding the shit out of a giant tire with a sledgehammer.

  Muscles rippled in the sunlight and sweat dripped off of them as they all busted their asses, trying to outdo each other. Watching them work out was a privilege; it wasn’t every day you were able to watch a circle of man meat flex their muscles in the glistening sunlight.

  I had to admit, I loved my days off. I sat back and rested my head on the lounge as I drank the rest of my mimosa. I was one lucky girl.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Adam

  “You’re adorable, you know that?” I said, as I tried to calm Solo’s fidgeting hands. “They’re going to love you.”

  “I don’t look like a slut or anything, do I?” she asked as she smoothed out her brightly colored sundress that looked like it had splatters of paint all over it; I wouldn’t expect any other outfit from her.

  “Well, that hemline is a little short. I wasn’t going to say anything, but since you asked…”

  “Oh, my God!”

  She slightly squatted and then started pulling on her hemline to make it longer, which wasn’t really effective at all.

  Laughing, I said, “I’m kidding. You look amazing.”

  “Adam!” she said sternly. “That’s not funny. You know I’m nervous.”

  “You shouldn’t be.” I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my chest as we rode the elevator up to my mom’s floor. “They’re going to love you, and do you know why?”

  “Why?” she asked, looking up at me with those perfectly chocolate colored eyes.

  “Because you bust my balls.”

  She shook her head and laughed, allowing some of the tension to release from her body.

  “It’s true, any woman that can put me in my place and call me out on my crap is a fine woman to my Aunt Sarah and Mom. Believe me, they are going to absolutely love you.”

  “I hope so. It would devastate me if they didn’t, since I kind of like you and all,” she poked my chest with her hand that wasn’t holding the bouquet of flowers she insisted upon getting my mom, which only made my heart grow two more sizes for her.

  “Kind of like me? Only kind of?”

  “Stop fishing for compliments,” she put me in my place, once again.

  The elevator door opened and I guided her down the hallway toward my mom’s room, as I said hi to the nurses who knew me all too well.

  I leaned into her ear and said, “You’re such a ball buster you leave me no other option; I have to fish for compliments.”

  Solo looked around and then turned toward me. “You know I like you, you know I more than kind of like you, and right now, I’m about to embarrass myself and practically hump your leg, so all these nurses know who you belong to.”

  A wicked grin twisted my lips. “Now, that’s what I like to hear. A little bit of jealousy doesn’t hurt to hear every once in a while.”

  “You’re such a girl,” she shook her head and rolled her eyes at me.

  “Does that make you a lesbian? Because that would be hot.”

  “Ugh, I’ll be sure to mention that to your mom.”

  “That you’re a lesbian? No, muffin, that will only confuse her,” I teased, pushing her buttons.

  She stopped walking and put her hands on her waist. “You’re so infuriating, you know that?”

  “You love it,” I said, dragging her down the hallway.

  Once we got to my mom’s room, I turned toward her and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, and then looked her in the eyes. “Thank you, Solo, for coming here today. It really means a lot to me.”

  Her eyes softened and she tightened her grasp around my hand. “Of course.”

  “I just want to let you know that my mom is thin and pale, so you know, just a heads up.”

  “Adam, no need to explain, okay? I can’t wait to meet your mom.”

  I nodded as a knot formed in my throat. I’ve felt like I’ve been so alone on this journey of trying to take care of my family and figure out how we were going to end up paying for all of the hospital bills and life expenses for so long. Now, I had a job that was paying off our debt, and I had Solo by my side, taking some of the emotional burden off of my shoulders. I couldn’t be more grateful.

  Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to my mom’s room and held on tightly to Solo’s hand. She squeezed it just as we crossed the threshold of the room, reassuring me that everything was going to be okay. It was little things like that that made me fall for her each and every day. She lightened my heart and brightened my outlook on life.

  When we got in the room, my eyes instantly went to my mom, where she was awake and looking quite rested, which was something I hadn’t seen in a while. It was great to see. She was playing cards with my Aunt Sarah, who was dressed up compared to her normal jeans and T-shirt. They were both dressed up, actually, with their hair done. Well, my mom still wore a hospital gown, but her hair was done, and…I shook my head, my mom was wearing her pearl ea
rrings.

  “Well, you didn’t have to get all gussied up for me,” I said when I walked in.

  My mom and Aunt Sarah both looked up at the same time and their eyes lit up once they saw who trailed behind me. My Aunt Sarah set her cards down and came to up to me; she pushed me aside and grabbed Solo by her shoulders.

  A surprised Solo smiled brightly as my Aunt Sarah pulled her in for a hug.

  “Oh, we wouldn’t dress up for you,” Aunt Sarah said, as she pulled away, “But for this gorgeous girl, we thought we should look somewhat presentable.”

  “That’s not necessary, but you both look lovely,” Solo said, acting like the perfect girlfriend.

  “Bring her over here,” my mom called out.

  I grabbed Solo’s hand and my Aunt Sara held the other one, which also held the flowers, and she ushered her over to my mom as well, as if she’d known her for years.

  My mom put her cards down and held out her arms. “Come here. I need to hug the girl who has stolen my little boy’s heart.”

  “These are for you,” Solo held them out to my mom, who took them kindly, placed them on her lap, and then motioned for Solo to give her a hug.

  As if they were mother and daughter, Solo went in and squeezed my mom as my mom did the same. I could see, out of the corner of my mom’s eye, a tear slip out. My heart seized in my chest from seeing the interaction and the kind and gentle touch Solo provided to my mom. At that moment, I knew, there was no possible way that I wasn’t head over heels in love with Solo. No doubt in my fucking mind that she was it for me. She was the one.

  Solo pulled back and my mom touched Solo’s long brown hair and then gripped her face. “You’re just perfect for him,” my mom said, with tears of joy in her eyes. “You’re just so beautiful, isn’t she, Sarah?”

  “Just beautiful,” Aunt Sarah agreed.

  “Thank you,” Solo said shyly.

  “Sit with me, dear. Adam has told me so much about you. I think he’s in love…”

  “Mom!” I said, feeling slightly humiliated.

  “Well, is it not true?”

  Solo’s head whipped around to me, as well as my mom and Aunt Sarah. The three most important women in my life stared me down, waiting for my answer, like some love seeking mafia. To say I was intimidated was an understatement.

  “I-I, uh….”

  All three women laughed and then turned back to each other like they were the best of friends ready to share some gossip; I didn’t like where this was heading.

  Solo sat on the edge of my mom’s bed and my Aunt Sarah sat in the same chair that she sat in every day. I pulled up a chair next to Solo and placed my hand on her thigh, not to comfort her, but to comfort myself. I loved the feel of her skin. It soothed me, and right now, my anxiety was a little high given the question my mom just popped in front of me.

  Yeah, I was in love with Solo, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to voice that, especially not for the first time in front of my mom and Aunt Sarah. It would be better said in a more intimate setting, like Solo’s bed with me buried deep inside of her.

  “So, I hear that you have two dads; that’s exciting,” my mom said, almost too excited.

  “Yes, I love them. They’re amazing, and I couldn’t be more grateful for having them in my life,” Solo answered with warmth in her voice.

  “Adam said he met them…”

  “Is that right?” Solo eyed me.

  “I did; I didn’t tell them how, though,” I wiggled my eyebrows.

  “Adam!” Solo turned bright red.

  My mom and Aunt Sarah looked at each other in question. “That seems to be a story I just need to hear,” Aunt Sarah said while propping her chin on her hand.

  “Oh, yes, please tell,” my mom added.

  Solo gave me the death glare that said, “If you say one word, I will castrate you,” so I zipped my lips.

  “Go on, dear,” Aunt Sarah encouraged.

  Solo turned to them and said, “Um, they came over to my place when Adam and I were playing Scrabble. It was a surprise.”

  “Is that what the kids are calling it now…Scrabble?” My mom asked, seeing right through Solo’s story.

  Solo went speechless as I busted out in laughter. Solo put her head in her hands, as we all laughed. Aunt Sarah patted her on the back and said, “Don’t worry; Adam told us the whole story.”

  Like a firecracker, Solo’s head popped up and her eyes cut me right in half. “You did not!”

  Laughing and avoiding her pinching fingers, I said, “It was more humiliating for me. Your dads saw my junk.”

  “Oh, my God, Adam.”

  “Don’t worry, honey, we’re not old biddies; we know you youngins have overactive libidos,” my mom assured.

  Nodding her head, Solo looked at me and said, “Well, did he at least tell you that when he jumped off the bed in shock from seeing my dads barge in, instead of shaking hands, he curtsied as if the Queen of England was standing right in front of him, and when he got up, he cut wind louder than a freaking blow horn?”

  In unison, my mom and Aunt Sarah laughed so hard that I thought they were going to split their spleens.

  Solo gave me a “Don’t mess with me look,” and crossed her arms over her chest, holding her head high from her blatant lies.

  “She’s a liar!” I stated, knowing what she said never fucking happened. “You know that when I bow, I cut cheese. I queef when I curtsy. Jeeze, get it right, Solo,” I countered and leaned back against my chair.

  My mom waved her hand in front of her face as she continued to laugh, and Aunt Sarah rocked back and forth in her chair, loving the easy banter that transpired between Solo and me.

  “I hate you,” Solo mouthed to me.

  I squeezed her thigh and said, “No, you love me.”

  Her eyes fell soft from my words, and without blinking an eye, she leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips and then whispered softly in my ear, “I do.”

  As she pulled away, she winked at me, and then turned to join my mom and Aunt Sarah. My heart froze in my chest at her confession. Did she just say what I think she said? The cackling that was coming from Aunt Sarah was too distracting; I couldn’t think properly.

  “Oh, dear, that is rich,” my mom said, as she wiped her eyes. She patted Solo’s hand and said, “You’re good for this boy, you know that?”

  “I like to think so,” Solo said, as she eyed me up and down.

  “I just find it so fitting that my son was able to find the one and only girl named after a Star Wars character. Oh, Solo, you should have seen the look in his eyes when he was first telling us about you. It was as if he’d struck gold, and now I see why. How could he not be enamored with you?”

  “Thank you, Mrs. James. I feel the same way about him, even though he can be corny at times.”

  “He gets that from his father. The man couldn’t speak a sentence without throwing a pun into it.” My mom’s gaze traveled out the window as she thought about my father. The room fell silent as we let her have her moment.

  Shaking out her thoughts, my mom turned her attention back to Solo and said, “Adam looks just like him. The only thing the boy got from me are his eyes.”

  “I can see that,” Solo replied. “They’re absolutely beautiful.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart.” My mom turned to me and said, “Adam, grab my photo album, will you?”

  Nodding, I went to the dresser in the room and opened the top drawer. I grabbed the photo album that we looked through often and handed it to my mom.

  She pressed the top of it and said, “Would you like to see some pictures of Adam as a baby and some pictures of his dad?”

  “I would love that,” Solo lit up.

  My mom patted the bed next to her and said, “Scoot up here.”

  Solo did as she was told, and I watched as she snuggled up next to my mom and looked through my family album. My heart soared watching my mom interact with Solo. They talked, laughed, and shared stories like lifelong
friends. It was refreshing, and it made me crave to make Solo a part of my family, which was crazy. But sometimes, you just knew, and right now, I couldn’t be more sure about anything in my life. Solo belonged with me, forever.

  “Oh, wow,” Solo said, as she looked up at me and then back down at the photo. “Adam looks just like his father.”

  “Doesn’t he?” my mom smiled as she touched the picture. “Although, my Brandon was more muscular than Adam.”

  “No way,” I shot out of my chair to look at the picture, making my mom laugh.

  “Oh, honey, you’re too easy.”

  “No, I just don’t like liars,” I said, sitting back down and scooting closer to look at the pictures as well, just to make sure no more lies were told. I rested my arms on Solo’s legs and leaned over. Solo’s hand went to my hair and lightly stroked the side of my head as she looked at the pictures.

  I listened to her coo over my baby pictures and, unfortunately, laugh at my teenage years, where I was a scrawny little guy, just learning how to lift weights.

  “Oh, these pictures are so great,” she teased, as she imitated my flexing poses. “His arms look like limp noodles.”

  “Hey, watch it. I was a growing boy then. I thought I looked good.”

  “Compared to what? Ramen noodles?”

  Aunt Sarah snorted while my mom covered her mouth and laughed.

  “Oh, you’re going to pay for that comment…muffin.”

  “I’m not scared,” she stuck her chin up in the air.

  “You should be. I grabbed your dads’ numbers out of your phone; I can have a photo viewing party with them anytime I want. I’m sure they will be more than accommodating to my request.”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  “Oh, I would…”

  “Now, now, now, kids. Let’s settle down; we all know nothing will beat the Elmo shirt picture.”

  “Mom,” I scolded.

  Solo looked between us all and said, “What’s the Elmo shirt picture?”

  “Mom, I swear, if you value our relationship, you won’t show Solo that picture.”

  “Oh, honey, you know I love you, but this is too good,” she said, as she flipped the page and pointed down at the picture.