Jawbreaker (Four Point Universe Book 14)

by Max Ellendale

  Harlow's rebound after our interrupted morning proved much faster than mine. The thoughts of the situation carried with me through the day, into our shared lunch, and eventual return home. She packed a bag and willingly left her life behind to follow me to safety under Nalea's watchful eye.

  Audra greeted us from the bowels of an extremely tidy apartment where the boxes began to pile up in the open space of the alcove area outside my bedroom door. Almost all the trinkets and books vanished from our shelves, including our picture frames. She worked in the kitchen while Elara napped in her swing, sucking on a pacifier. Harlow crouched in front of her, a smile spread ear to ear as she used a single finger to stroke her little foot. I ran my fingers through her hair, grinning while watching her.

  "You can hold her, Harlow," said Audra after washing her hands to return to us. "Any time."

  "I'd be too nervous I think," she said, though nearly melted when Elara wrapped her tiny hand around her finger. "She's so strong."

  "She is. She literally tears out my hair." I chuckled then smooched Audra's cheek. "How are you doing here?"

  "Doing good. Packing has kept me occupied now that I'm not as tired." Her hand fell to the small of my back as she watched Harlow with Elara. "Nalea told me what happened. You two okay?"

  "We're okay. Playing hooky turned into an unwanted adventure, but we'll make up for it," I said, winking at Harlow when she rose to height. "I can cook something for lunch, Audra, if you want. You've been busy here…I don't want you getting too tired."

  "Cook?" She scoffed, waving her hand at me. "We have no more pots. We're strictly on takeout meals until we move and whatever we can keep in the fridge or heat in the microwave."

  We both laughed at that, and I shook my head.

  "Good deal."

  "Veyda favors the Mexican place down the road. You up for that, Harlow?"

  "Sure." Harlow's sweet smile returned as she leaned against me, her hip bumping mine. "No complaints here."

  "Good." Audra squeezed her arm and grinned. "You two are pretty cute together, did you know?"

  We glanced at each other and laughed.

  "Nope." I shook my head. "I need to change out of these clothes before cuddling Baby Boo. What do you need help with in here otherwise?"

  "Not much." She shrugged and glanced to the kitchen. "I'm just wrapping glasses, not lifting anything heavy, and taking my time."

  "Okay." I drew in a slow breath then nodded toward my room while meeting Harlow's gaze. "Come with? We can put your stuff in there."

  "'Kay."

  We broke away from Audra and Elara for the moment to tote Harlow's purse and duffle bag into the bedroom. I pulled my mask, hat, and gloves from the pocket of my hoodie before shrugging out of it. Harlow set her bag by the foot of my bed, then sat down on the edge of it while watching me.

  "What's hanging on the closet door?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

  "What? Oh." I opened it wider so she could see. "A few ties and stuff."

  "Colorful." She smiled while leaning back on her hands, crossing her legs at the ankles. In her casual jeans, well-worn tennis shoes, and sweatshirt with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, she appeared a stark contrast to her fancy work attire. I adored it just the same.

  "Sometimes, yes." I ditched my clothes, tossing them in the hamper before placing the mask, hat, and gloves into the top drawer of the organizer in the closet. They sat on top of the other black-on-black items I wore whenever I ventured out as my alter ego.

  "Those abs though," she said, sucking in her breath through her teeth. "Do you work out?"

  "No." I chuckled while pulling on a clean pair of boxer briefs and a matching sports bra. "Perks of being an extraterrestrial, I guess."

  "Seems to be a few perks." She smiled and gnawed her bottom lip, her eyes still trained on me.

  "Like what you see over there?" I chuckled and pulled on a pair of jeans after choosing matching socks. I grabbed a blue button-down from the closet, then slipped into it before heading over to her.

  "Yes. I do. Your skin is flawless save for your cute freckles. No scars or anything."

  "I heal pretty quickly. Only burns hang around longer, but they still heal up. It takes humans about a week or two to heal from something big, I think? For me it's a few days. Smaller stuff a few hours. Why do you think that is?"

  "I'm not sure." She reached for her bag, unzipping it before pulling out two books. "These are the books I'm reading written by that Praxi Offlander. Maybe there's information still to find out."

  "Maybe. Any guesses?"

  "Probably something to do with the elements. Human tissue is mostly regenerative. Assuming Andromedans heal similarly, maybe the element bending you do impacts flesh. The different pressures of the atmosphere could make it firmer or something, too. Just hypotheses though. I'm sure there's literature out there if you really want to know…"

  "Maybe…" I brushed her hair from her shoulders when she sat up, parting her knees around me before kissing my chest just above my bra.

  "You let me know if you're ready to learn more and I'll help. Okay?" Her hands snaked around my middle, and she hugged me gently.

  "Okay." I smiled down at her, then placed a gentle kiss against her forehead.

  "You're very quiet." Her gaze flickered between mine. "Seeing you in contacts is odd now."

  I reached up and swiped my fingers over my lids to recall the lenses, then set them on the bedside table. "Better?"

  "Wow." Her eyebrows lifted. "Your eyes are wild right now."

  "What do you mean?" I glanced toward the mirror, but didn't notice anything particularly different.

  "The purple and white flicker rapidly when you're emotional or when we…" She nipped my chin. "The teal color melts in and out with the purple like a spiraling nebula."

  "I never noticed that…"

  "You've probably never looked in your own eyes while having sex." She grinned and chuckled when she said it.

  "I have not." I laughed and gave her ear a tug. "That would be very awkward."

  "Yes." She kissed my stomach and hugged me to her. "What's bothering you?"

  Her question set off an onslaught of rapid thoughts that returned the tension to my arms and shoulders. "A few things…"

  "Like what, honey?" Her question left her on a soft tone that soothed me, coupled with the sweet nickname. I couldn't help but smile.

  "Thinking about moving. About what happened this morning and worried that he will retaliate against his neighbors, particularly you. Mostly, I'm thinking about how I've disrupted your life." I blew out my breath as anxiety twisted in me at the disclosure. "Ever since we met, I feel like I've brought chaos to you and made you unsafe."

  "Veyda." Surprise widened her eyes, and she pressed her lips to my stomach again, her hands rubbing my back. "That's not true at all."

  "It feels like it. Like you had a nice put-together life with your job and where you lived. I disrupted your job first, then I hurt you, and now I've put you at risk, however insignificant it turns out to be. I'm just worried about you and what I've done."

  "Listen to me…" She pulled me down to her, and I stumbled before sitting in her lap when she urged me to. The new position shocked me, and my whole body tensed. "Veyda, I did not have a put-together life by any means. I had a simple, and sometimes lonely, uneventful life. I worked all hours of the day and night because I had nothing better to do. Now?" She rubbed my thighs, a smile curving her lips. "You've given me someone to look forward to seeing, someone to wait for, like seeing you last night. And you've introduced me to two very nice people and a cute baby. Yes, our journey here became a little rocky for a few weeks, but I wouldn't trade it. I wouldn't."

  "Me either." I pressed my forehead to hers while I allowed her words to play over in my head. "I wouldn't trade it either."

  "Even if I'm still a little mad at you." She snickered when she said it and I pouted. "Aww."

  "Fresh. Are you really?"

  "No." She smi
led and stroked my cheek with her index finger. "I understand you and your reasons now."

  "Promise?"

  "I promise." She swept my hair over my shoulder and let it fall down my arm. "I assumed the risks of dating a Protector. I know you're going to have to rush off sometimes and I understand what that means for you. And I understand why we're here right now instead of at my place."

  "Understanding now is easy, but what if it becomes too much and it happens too often?" I closed my eyes and lost my fingers in her hair.

  "Trust me to tell you when I feel that way. If I ever do, we'll talk about it. All right?"

  I nodded and hugged her hand to my chest. "Yes."

  "Are you still up for date night tonight? I'm very much looking forward to you being my captive audience."

  "Yes." I smiled and brushed my lips against hers. "I'm looking forward to it, too."

  "Valentina's?" A sharp shiver rushed her, and her fingers dug into my leg.

  I nodded, letting out a soft laugh. "Yes. I'm all in."

  "Let's go spend time with your family before we break their hearts and bolt." She patted my knee. "Before you kiss me again and never make it out of here."

  I grinned and hugged her when we stood up together. Her body softened and she rubbed my back after a firm squeeze. "Do you have a fast metabolism?"

  "Um…maybe? I'm not sure. My weight is kind of always the same. So probably. Gravity on Earth effects Offlanders differently, that much I know. Not too sure about Hybridians."

  "I did read about that," she said, taking my hand when we parted. "Does it reflect that for you?"

  "Not really. My weight always seemed normal and without activating my powers, I jump average height so gravity is normal, too." I squeezed her hand on our way back to the living room.

  Nalea returned in the time that I changed, and she stood beside Audra in the kitchen with Elara cradled in her arm.

  "There they are. We thought we might've lost you to the thralls of ecstasy again," she joked, and Harlow laughed.

  "Don't tease Veyda. I'll glare at you on her behalf," she tossed back.

  A proud grin burst across my lips. "Do it."

  Despite her cocky smirk, Harlow narrowed her eyes at Nalea, turning her gaze enticingly smoldering. Audra laughed at us and shook her head.

  "Not near the baby, huh." Nalea pretended to shield Elara's eyes from Harlow. "She'll pick up on your wickedness."

  Harlow chuckled and shook her head.

  Nalea winked at her then gave my shoulder a squeeze when I shifted closer to her. "You've found a good egg in that one."

  I cringed under her touch and shrugged away when just the simple gesture sent snaps of electricity arching down my arm like the dial on muscle stimulation pads set too high. My ears burst to ringing, and I flinched expecting the sound to grow. Nalea wasn't surprised and she let me go immediately as always.

  "What's wrong, Veyda?" Harlow panicked, however, her hand falling to the small of my back.

  "I'm okay." I blew out a shaky breath as the ache turned to dull throbs as I pinched the bridge of my nose after closing my eyes.

  "She's okay," Nalea's calm voice rang out. "Sometimes touch is too much and I wasn't cautious."

  "Sh-should I not touch her?" Harlow withdrew her hand from my back.

  "I don't think…it hits from you that way," said Audra, her voice soft.

  I opened my eyes to see Harlow's worry written all over her beautiful face. Nalea stared at Harlow's hands held at my elbows that didn't yet touch me.

  "I did notice that," said Nalea. "You okay, Little Boo?"

  "Yeah." I sighed when the ringing in my ears stopped. "Sorry, Nae."

  "It's okay. You're stressed out. Want me to explain to your girl?" she asked, her entire demeanor softening.

  I nodded, my eyes watering from the throbbing coupled with the bright light. Harlow turned her attention to Nalea, but didn't leave my side.

  "When Veyda gets stressed or overstimulated with pent up energy, all of her senses get very sharp and sometimes painful. The clatter of a fork on a plate sounds like a bomb, or a gentle skin touch feels like a razor. It doesn't bother her face or hands as much as the rest of her. So something like a quick cheek kiss or a handshake won't set off a wave, but a hug or anything with pressure will," explained Nalea, her tone as even and gentle as ever.

  "I understand. Has that ever happened with me?" asked Harlow, her focus back on me.

  "No." I shook my head and met her gaze. "Never."

  "Would you tell me?"

  "You'd notice." I smirked and relaxed my shoulders when things slowed down. The sound of the four hearts around me beat like a marching band in my face. I focused on Harlow's, turning into her and dropping my forehead on her shoulder. All I wanted was to return to the way she held me before.

  "Can I?" She held her hands up and I nodded.

  The second her skin touched mine, everything stopped. Warmth rushed me, beginning at my feet and racing up my body so quickly that I felt my cheeks flush. I wrapped my arms around her waist and hid my face in her hair while she rubbed my back. The world around me calmed, and only the sounds of everyone's soft breathing remained.

  I nodded, as if she could read my mind, and she pressed her lips to my cheek.

  "Better?" she asked on a whisper.

  I nodded again and glanced up in time to see Audra and Nalea sharing a look. Both of them bore lifted brows when their attention returned to me.

  "What?"

  "Harlow's touch doesn't bother you?" asked Audra. "At all?"

  I shook my head then looked back to Harlow. "Sit with me?"

  "Of course." She took my hand and led me to the sofa while the others followed.

  I settled down, then held my arms up for Elara when Nalea neared. "My turn."

  "Elara doesn't bother you either?" Nalea lowered her to my chest where she curled up immediately with her head tucked under my chin.

  "Not that I've felt." I kissed the top of her head, then leaned against Harlow. Between Elara's warm little body curled up on my chest, and Harlow's softness cuddled against me, all my riled insides settled down.

  "She missed you," said Audra as Nalea pulled her into her lap after sitting in the armchair. "I can tell."

  A smile curved my lips, and I nuzzled the baby. "How?"

  "See how her lips move like she's sucking on something? It's what she does when she's satisfied or content. That's how she feels with you right now."

  "I feel that way too. What am I gonna do when she doesn't wake me up to suckle your nipples—oh wait, I can hear through walls."

  They all laughed and Harlow nuzzled my cheek.

  "Nae, what are you doing home in the middle of the day?" I asked suddenly realizing the unusualness of our gathering.

  "I've been coming home if I get a break or if I'm in the field to check in. Today warranted a double check in."

  "Makes sense." I smooched Elara's cheek when she cooed. "Harlow and I are going out to dinner tonight to Valentina's. Are you going to be home regular time?"

  "Yup." Nalea smiled, her entire demeanor softer since my mild meltdown. "My team knows my circumstances so they'll cover if need be."

  "Good on them."

  "Wait, neither of you are at work. Was that because of this morning?" asked Audra suddenly.

  "Er…" I glanced to Harlow, and she tossed me a shy smile while nibbling my shoulder. "Not exactly. We stayed up late."

  "Uh huh." Nalea grinned, returning to her baseline of malarkey. "We get it."

  "Yup." Audra nodded enthusiastically. "We do."

  I looked to Harlow, and her cheeks turned pink despite her laugh. "They don't get it."

  "I don't think they do," she said.

  "Well, what don't we get, noobs? Everyone stays up all night playing in each other's panties when the hot stuff part of the new relationship is boiling." Nalea waved us off. "We get it."

  Harlow cracked up, turning her amusement into a giggle fit that set off mine. Elara
bounced on my chest with my laughter and peeked her eyes open as if checking out what she was missing.

  "Elara agrees with us. She voted." I patted her diaper covered rump and she grunted. "See?"

  "She's been waiting for a tie-breaker for a decade," said Audra to her wife. "What have we done?"

  Nalea laughed, tossing her arm around Audra's neck and pulling her into a rough kiss. "The perfect thing."

  "They're cute," whispered Harlow against my ear.

  "I know." I smiled while watching them, chuckling.

  "Let's order lunch before my nipples leak again." Audra tugged Nalea's braids. "Feed me so I can feed your spawn."

  "Hmph." Nalea scowled. "What have we done, indeed…"

  Chapter Thirteen

  Harlow ended up helping me pack and did so each night that week despite my disdain for the whole idea of it. With her help, along with the encouragement of my friends, it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be after all.

  On Friday night before our big moving day, Harlow and I planned our escape right after Elara's bedtime and headed out for dinner.

  "I can't believe you wear bowties. I had no idea it was a routine thing." Her smile reached her eyes as she stared at me from across the table.

  "Bowties are cool." I narrowed my eyes at her. "Agree with me."

  She laughed and swatted my hand. "While I'm no expert on cool, I can guarantee bowties are cute. Especially on you. I'm digging the short-sleeve button-up with the bowtie. Very hip."

  "You're digging it, are you?" I chuckled while sipping my wine. The sweetness lingered on my palate the way I liked.

  She nodded, nibbling her bottom lip. "I'm digging it."

  "Good to know because I dig you." I pointed at her, and she grabbed my finger. My laughter rang out in time with hers.

  "I dig you, too." She kissed the end of my finger before releasing me. Her eyes flickered back and forth before holding my gaze.

  "My contacts throw you off," I said. "I can tell."

  "They do. It's strange to me now. I like your natural eyes…"

  "Even though they've scared you a time or two." I brushed my thumb over her knuckles.