Forever Awakenings (Awakenings #3)

by Lisa Bilbrey

  Derek, Elle, and Flora followed. Flora wrapped her hand tightly around Derek’s. He could feel her trembling and worried that she wouldn’t have the courage to stay.

  “You know what I do when I’m scared?” Elle asked and when Derek looked at her, he saw her watching Flora.

  “No, Mommy,” she whimpered, tears flooding her eyes.

  “I put my best smile on my face and pretend that I’m not freaking out. It usually doesn’t take long before I’m not pretending anymore, before I feel okay. And like you, I always had someone special with me.”

  “Who?” Flora asked, a tear sliding down her cheek.

  Elle stopped and knelt in front of the small girl, wiping away the moisture. “Mommy. She made me feel better, braver. Can you think of someone who makes you feel like that?”

  Flora skewed her face in concentration before smiling. “Willow!”

  “Yes, sweet girl,” Elle laughed. “You have Willow just like I have mommy.”

  “Except we don’t kiss like you and Mommy,” Flora grimaced. “That’d be gross.”

  Derek, Callum, Sadie, and Elle laughed.

  “True, true,” Elle admitted with a smile. “Now, are you ready?”

  Flora blew out a deep breath and nodded.

  “Good girl,” Elle murmured, standing up and placing her hand back in Flora’s.

  Derek felt overwhelmed when they entered the building. The hallways were overflowing with children, parents, teachers, school staff — all of whom looked as frazzled as he felt.

  The kindergarten classrooms were at the far end of the hallway. Callum took the lead as they maneuvered their way through crowd, bypassing mothers and fathers frantically trying to get a word with their child’s teacher, children begging their parents to leave, boys and girls greeting each other and talking about what they’d done over the summer.

  Finally, they emerged at the end of the corridor. Nick and Ivy stood in the hallway with their son, Elliot. Small and thin, with dark, wavy hair and bright blue eyes, Elliot was painfully shy around everyone but the girls. He’d attended the same pre-school as Flora and Willow, but had meltdowns every day for the first month. Nick and Ivy worried endlessly about putting their only child in kindergarten, but academically, he was more than ready. He’d taught himself how to read at age three, could count to five hundred, and knew how to play both the piano and guitar, thanks to his father’s influence.

  “Hey, guys.” Elle leaned in and gave Ivy a hug before placing a kiss on Nick’s cheek. She shifted her attention down to Elliot, who was half-hiding behind his father. “Hey, little man. No hug?”

  Elliot smiled and threw himself in her arms.

  “That’s more like it,” Elle laughed, placing her hand on the top of his back. “Are you excited about school?”

  “No,” Elliot grumbled and pulled away. “I don’t want to go, Aunt Elle.”

  “You’re going miss all the fun,” she sang, but sobered up when their teacher walked out of the classroom.

  “Hello,” she said, sweetly. “I’m Mrs. Morrow.”

  “Oh, um, hi.” Sadie offered Mrs. Morrow her hand. “I’m Sadie Davis. This is Derek, Callum, Elle, and our daughters, Flora and Willow.”

  “Oh, of course, I’ve been anxious to meet all of you,” she said, smiling.

  “You have?” Elle asked.

  Mrs. Morrow nodded. “You built a house for my great-niece, I believe.”

  “I did?” Elle questioned. “You’ll have to be more specific. I’ve built a lot of houses, I’m afraid.”

  Mrs. Morrow laughed. “Amanda Anderson and her husband Wes.”

  “Oh, yes, I remember their house. Gosh, that’s been a long time.”

  “They’ve always spoken very highly of you, dear. You and your family. When I saw your girls on my class roster … Well, I was excited that I was finally going to meet you.”

  Elle blushed and Derek bit back a moan. The way her cheeks darkened with pink turned him on.

  Mrs. Morrow didn’t seem to notice as she turned her attention to Flora, Willow, and Elliot. “And what’s your name, young man?”

  Elliot didn’t utter a sound as he shifted so that he was standing behind Nick again.

  “Oh, dear, a little shy, are we?” she asked.

  “That’s my nephew Elliot Fisher and his mom and dad, Nick and Ivy,” Elle introduced.

  “It’s lovely to meet you.” Mrs. Morrow knelt on the floor so that she was eye-level to Elliot before offering him her hand.

  He shifted his eyes to Elle, who nodded for him to take it. This was the hardest part of parenting, in Derek’s opinion. They taught their children not to talk to strangers, but then expected them to spend eight hours a day with someone they didn’t know.

  Elliot placed his hand in hers, pulling it out almost immediately. “My dad’s a rock star.”

  “El,” Nick chuckled and placing his hand on Elliot’s back as Mrs. Morrow shifted her attention up to him. “I’m a musician.”

  “Oh, I know,” she said, standing. “My granddaughter is your biggest fan. She lives with me and, well, let’s just say: I’ve heard a lot of your music blaring from inside her room.

  “Ugh, sorry,” he grimaced.

  Mrs. Morrow laughed. “It’s okay. I happen to like it.”

  “Then, thanks, I guess,” he said, laughing.

  “You’re welcome.” Mrs. Morrow shifted her attention back down to the children. “Well, we’ve got a lot of fun planned for today. Shall we get started?”

  “Yes!” Willow cheered and rushed into the room without as much as goodbye to her parents.

  Flora groaned, but followed her sister into the room, muttering about her being too excited. Elliot gave Nick and Ivy one last look before he entered the room. As Mrs. Morrow bid them farewell, and closed the door behind them, Derek felt an ache in his chest. He wasn’t ready for his girls to grow up.

  Two

  Elle found it more difficult than she expected to leave without Flora and Willow. While she had learned to channel her anxiety over the years, often throwing herself into her work to keep from losing control, leaving the girls unprotected was a hard limit for her.

  “I could use a drink,” Ivy said as they emerged from the building.

  Elle laughed and rolled her eyes. “It’s eight in the morning, sis.”

  “I know, but, damn, that was hard,” she whined, shaking her head. Her dark hair falling over her shoulder. After years of wearing it short, she’d made the decision a year ago to grow it out again and it was finally just below her shoulders. “Tell me you weren’t on the verge of tears in there.”

  “I was,” Elle admitted.

  “Me, too,” Sadie confessed, sliding her arm around Elle’s waist.

  “Sissies,” Nick teased, his hand coming up to curve around Ivy’s shoulder. Tall and thin, his appearance had changed a lot over the last five years. His dark hair was longer, he didn’t hide his tattoos anymore. In fact, he had several more, including one on his right bicep that was a heart with Elliot Reid Fisher scribbled across it.

  “Dude, really?” Callum scoffed. “You’re calling them sissies? Do I need to remind you what happened at graduation last year?”

  “No,” he said, shaking his head. “But that was different!”

  “How?” Derek asked.

  Elle bit her lip to keep from laughing, but the memory of Nick bawling throughout the kids pre-school graduation ceremony made it difficult. Though, in Nick’s defense, Taj’s tour schedule had caused him to miss a lot of Elliot’s pre-school events. For the first few years, Ivy and Elliot traveled with Nick and the band, but now that Elliot was older, Ivy put her foot down and said he needed some roots.

  Taj had been red-hot since the release of their first album, which climbed the charts in record pace. Their first single hit double platinum and their second single sold even better. They’d played every major venue in the country, and had been nominated for three Grammys the years before. Even though they hadn’t won,
they’d reached a new level of success.

  “It just is,” he grumbled. “Whatever. Leave me alone.”

  “Poor Nick,” Ivy snickered, grabbing the front of his shirt and dragging him toward their car. “Come on, babe. I’ll lick your wounds.”

  “Ew,” Elle gagged.

  “Come on, baby, it’s kind of sweet.” Sadie shifted so that she was standing behind Elle, her fingers toying with the bottom of her T-shirt. “I was thinking it’d be nice to take you home and eat your pussy until you’re screaming my name.”

  “Jesus fuck,” Elle moaned, turning in Sadie’s arms and crushing her mouth against her lovers. “Let’s go.”

  —FA—

  The moment they arrived back at the house, Sadie was dragging Elle inside, up the stairs, and into their bedroom. Pushing her onto the bed, Sadie straddled her legs and pulled at the front of Elle’s jeans, trying to get them unbuttoned.

  “Lover,” Elle said, covering her hands and drawing Sadie’s attention up to her. “Slow down. We have all day.”

  “That’s right,” Derek added, climbing onto the bed behind her, his hands snaking up the front of Sadie’s blouse. “An empty house, no little legs coming in to interrupt. Just the four of us.”

  “God, I’ve missed just the four of us,” Sadie murmured, angling her head backward so that her lips touched his.

  “Oy,” Elle said, leaning up on her elbows. “Someone promised to eat my pussy, so get to it!”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Sadie laughed, but turned her attention back to Elle.

  Slowly, almost torturous, she unbuttoned Elle’s jeans, lowered the zipper, and pulled them down her legs, letting them drop onto the floor. Followed by her tee, bra, and panties, it was only a matter of seconds before Elle was laying naked in front of her wife.

  Derek and Callum were laying on the bed next to her, their clothes still on, but their bodies were pressed against each other. Over the years, they’d fully embraced their love and lust for each other. In some ways, their connection rivaled Elle’s and Sadie’s — if that were possible.

  “No matter how many times I find myself between your legs, I never get tired of how you taste, baby,” Sadie cooed, drawing Elle’s attention back to her. She snaked her tongue out, giving her a quick lick. “Mmm, delicious.”

  “Feel free to keep going,” Elle said. “Been way too long since I’ve had you between my legs like this.”

  “It was three days ago,” Callum chuckled, and when she looked over at him, she saw that he was peeling Derek’s shirt off. “And two days since you sucked my cock while we showered, and just last night, you had Derek on his knees with a dildo in his ass.”

  Elle smirked and grabbed the back of Sadie’s head, giving her hair a tug. “Like I said: too damn long.”

  Sadie whimpered, but wrapped her hands around Elle’s thighs, attacking her pussy like it was the last time she’d ever be able to taste it. Callum and Derek quickly stripped off the rest of their clothes and joined them back on the bed.

  Derek’s chest was heaving as Callum slowly kissed and licked his way down his chest, dragging his tongue along his hip bones to the base of his long, hard cock.

  “Babe, stop teasing and get to sucking already,” Derek growled.

  Callum smirked, sliding his tongue along Derek’s shaft until he reached the tip. “You want me to put this big, hard cock in my mouth?”

  “Yes,” Derek gritted out through clenched teeth. “Please, babe, I need you.”

  Callum didn’t wait a second longer before he plunged the man into his mouth and into his throat. Elle bit her lip to keep from screaming. The mixture of Sadie between her legs and the sight of her husbands’ next to her almost sent her over the edge.

  “Am I boring you, honey?” Sadie asked, causing Elle to shift her attention once more to her wife. She leaned up on her arms and smirked. “My feelings are hurt. Here I thought you wanted me to make you come, but I guess not.”

  “No, I do,” Elle insisted, but Sadie shook her head and climbed off the bed. “Please, make me come!”

  “I might,” she said, dragging her fingers along the buttons of her blouse. “Or maybe, I’ll leave you wanting.”

  “No, don’t do that,” Elle reached for her, but the angle caused a pain to shoot through her thigh. She grabbed the muscle and winced. “Fuck.”

  “You okay, honey?” Sadie was immediately at her side, cradling her.

  Callum slipped Derek’s cock from his mouth as they both turned to Elle, frowns tugging at the corners of their lips. The pain in her leg was a constant reminder of the hell she’d survived. While she had long grown accustomed to the constant ache in the damaged muscle, the pity her lovers expressed when the pain was noticeable irked her. She hated feeling weak and useless.

  “Yeah,” Elle murmured.

  “No, you’re not.” Sadie laid her back onto the bed and moved so that she was once again straddling her legs. She pushed Elle’s hand off her muscle and began massaging it herself. “Better?”

  Elle moaned, biting her lip as she nodded.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that,” Sadie said, sliding her hand up her thigh. Her fingers brushed against her wet pussy.

  “Much better,” Elle whimpered, trying to shift so that Sadie’s fingers were inside her. “Lover, please!”

  “Watch me,” Sadie ordered, and Elle’s breath caught in her chest as she watched her fingers sliding inside her. “You like that?”

  “Yes,” she panted, struggling with the orgasm that had been brewing. “But I’d really like a cock in my mouth and one in your pussy, lover.”

  “Would you now?” Sadie smirked and shifted her attention to Callum and Derek. “Well? What are you waiting for? Give the woman what she wants.”

  “With pleasure,” Derek muttered, shifted on the bed so that he was kneeling over Elle’s head. She opened her mouth, taking him deep into her mouth. “Jesus fuck, I never get tired of your mouth, baby.”

  Elle hummed her agreement, causing him to moan again. She wrapped her hands around his thighs, inviting him to fuck her mouth, to take her without care. Slowly, he increased his pace, leaning over so that he had better support.

  Sadie’s fingers were thrusting inside her at the same speed that Derek was moving. Every few seconds Elle would feel her tongue brush against her clit, and she struggled to keep from coming, but she needed them to come together.

  “Fuck, Cal, you feel so good inside me,” Sadie moaned, and Elle could imagine him kneeling behind her, his hands gripping her hips, his cock deep inside her pussy. The mental picture was enough to send her over the edge and she cried out as she came.

  “Oh, God, oh fuck, I’m coming,” Derek groaned just moments before he filled Elle’s mouth.

  She greedily drank him down, sucking every drop out of him before he pulled out and fell back onto the bed. Propping herself up on her elbows, she watched as Callum pounded Sadie from behind. The real deal was much more intoxicating than what she imagined. They were spectacular together, and Elle never grew tired of watching them express their love. As they came together, the most beautiful expression of euphoria filled their features and for a moment — a short, fleeting moment — Elle was jealous.

  “We really need more days like this,” Callum panted, gulping for air as he fell onto the bed. He wrapped his arm around Sadie, who sighed contently. “I love the girls, but I’ve missed being able to fuck in the middle of the morning.”

  “Me, too,” Elle agreed. “Have you given any more thought to coming back to work?”

  Callum sighed and Elle immediately regretted asking. They’d tossed around the question several times over the last few months, but while he had missed working, he was hesitant to return to work with the girls just starting school.

  “Of course, I have,” he admitted. “But I just don’t know. I mean, the girls still need me here. What if they get sick? And they’ll have field trips, class parties, etcetera. They’ll need me to go with them. But on the other han
d, I do miss working. Miss being a part of the team and seeing my vision come to life.”

  “Then work part time,” Derek suggest. “And you could work from home most days, right, Elle?”

  “Of course,” she said, shifting up on the bed so that she was leaning against the headboard with her legs bent in front of her, making it easier for her to massage her tender muscle. “We can make it work if you want to come back. Lord knows we have more than enough projects to share with you,” she added. “But don’t let us pressure you.”

  “Yep, no pressure from us, but you know, there are office blow jobs, office sex, office orgies,” Sadie teased.

  “All you think about is sex,” Callum chuckled, kissing the side of her neck.

  “Not all the time. Sometimes I think about food,” she snickered as her stomach growled. “Like right now. I’m starving. Let’s get cleaned up and go out for lunch. Been ages since we’ve gotten to enjoy a kid-free meal.”

  Agreeing quickly, the four of them scrambled off the bed and rushed into the bathroom to shower together — something else they’d missed doing since their girls were born.

  —FA—

  An hour and a half later, the four of them were parked in front of Gold Rush, the small diner Thomas and Leigh Warner ran with their lover Tyson Pinkerton. The three had a love that spanned over a decade, faced more obstacles than most, and somehow managed to make it work.

  As they climbed out, Elle noticed a ‘For Sale by owner’ sign on the door. They shared a look, but didn’t say anything as they walked inside, finding Leigh, Thomas, and Tyson standing behind the counter.

  “Hey, guys,” Leigh greeted them with a smile, but there was something off about it. Almost as if she was forcing herself to be happy. “We were wondering if you’d come by today. First day of school for the girls, isn’t it?”

  “Be honest, Elle; you cried, didn’t you?” Tyson asked, leaning against the counter. Thomas was standing next to him, a smile as wide as a river on his face. “Come on now, tell the truth.”

  “No, I did not cry,” she groused. “Wanted to, though, but I held it together.”