“Children. Stop.” Mrs. Taylor speaks in a commanding tone that has them clamming up. “Skeet, you need to explain to Blaire. Dinner won’t be ready for at least a half hour, so go back downstairs and fill her in.”
He nods, looking a little sheepish. “C’mon.” He tugs on my hand, spinning us around.
“And no more tonsil tennis until after you’ve talked,” Liam tosses out, much to the amusement of everyone but us.
Please, ground. Gobble me up now.
My face is flaming as Skeet steers me out of the room.
“Oh my God,” I shriek the second we step out of earshot. “That was so embarrassing!”
“I told you my family was crazy.” He closes the basement door after us and guides me toward the couch in his room.
“What’s going on, Skeet? I thought Chris was your dad?”
He pulls me down onto his lap on the couch. “He is. But so are Michael and Liam.”
I stare at him, frowning. “What do you mean? You can’t have three dads?!”
“Not biologically, obviously,” he starts explaining. “Or even legally.” His brow scrunches up.
“You’re not doing a great job of explaining,” I complain.
“Have you ever heard of polyamorous relationships?” he asks, and I shake my head. “Okay, so, you’re not really alone in that. Lots of people haven’t heard about it or have misconceptions about what it is. Essentially, it’s being in a loving, committed relationship with more than one person.”
I toss the statement around in my head for a couple minutes. “So, your mom is in a relationship with Michael, Liam, and Chris? Is that what you’re saying?”
He nods. “Yep. It’s exactly that.”
Shock splashes across my face. “Wow. I don’t know what to say. I mean, how does that even work?”
“Mom’s legally married to Michael, but that was only a formality. The four of them held a commitment ceremony, before we were born, and it’s those vows and promises they live by.”
“Oh.” I’m not sure what else to say.
“Are you disgusted?” he inquires, scrutinizing my face.
I take a moment to think about it and then I shake my head. “No. I’m curious more than anything.”
He sighs, looking relieved. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He kisses the end of my nose. “And I know you have questions, so hit me with them.”
Chapter Twelve
“Is it rude to ask who your actual bio dad is?” I hesitantly inquire, chewing on the corner of my mouth.
“Funny how that’s often the first thing people ask.” He pins me with a lopsided grin. “But I’ve no clue, and it’s never really mattered. I doubt we’ll ever know unless we need to for medical reasons or something. As far as we’re concerned, all three are our dads. Always have been. Always will be.”
“And people know? Like at school and in town?”
He runs his hand up and down my arm as he speaks. “Yeah. My parents have never hidden their relationship, and why should they? It’s no one’s business who they choose to share their lives with, and once it’s consensual and all parties are in agreement, it doesn’t concern anyone else.”
Except I’ve grown up in a town, one a bit larger than this one, yet it’s still small enough to imagine how people reacted. “I’m guessing not everyone approves.”
He grimaces a little. “Try most everyone doesn’t approve.”
“That must’ve been hard growing up.”
He sighs audibly. “I grew up surrounded by love and affection, and it was only when I started school that I realized my family setup wasn’t the norm. We’ve all come in for some flack over the years. I won’t lie; there were times it was tough, but my parents never wavered, and they never let anyone’s opinions drag us down. It helps that Mom and Michael run a well-respected law firm in town. While people may gossip behind their backs, their profession has meant we’re accepted, at least on the surface, anyway.”
“Why didn’t they move?”
“Why should they be driven out of their home? My dads grew up in Kentsville, and they all agreed to settle here after they graduated college to be close to their families. Mom was an only child, and both her parents were already dead at the time they met, so it made sense.” He leans in and kisses my cheek. “Besides, if they’d moved someplace other than an impersonal city, they would’ve had to face the same prejudice.”
I nod in agreement. “So, your mom’s been with all of them a long time?”
He bobs his head. “Yep. Michael, Chris, and Liam were best friends growing up, and Mom met them in college. They’ve all been together pretty much since then.”
“Sounds a lot like you, Axel, and Heath,” I venture.
An amused grin tugs up the corners of his mouth. “I’m an open book, Blaire. Ask what you want to ask.”
I shift a little on his lap, and he groans, his eyes turning a darker shade of green. “So, have you guys you know … shared girls before?” I cringe as the words come out all wrong. “I mean—”
“It’s okay,” he interrupts. “I know what you mean, and no. We used to joke about it when we were younger and hornier, but we haven’t ever discussed it more seriously … until recently.” He sends me a blatant suggestive look.
“You mean until me?” I squeak, half-stunned, half-excited, and half-terrified.
“Yes.” He turns me around on his lap until I’m forced to straddle him. “We really should be having this discussion with the guys, but you should know we’re all attracted to you and it’s already come up in conversation.”
My cheeks flush red, but he doesn’t laugh like I expect him to. His eyes penetrate mine carefully. “If it’s not something you think you can get behind, that’s totally fine, but I think we all need to discuss it before things get complicated.”
Things are already complicated. Feelings are already involved.
He brushes his fingers across my cheek. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m thinking this is surreal and I’m not sure what to say. It’s not something I’ve ever given thought to before.”
“I get that.” He rests his hands loosely on my lower back. “Just answer me one thing. You already told me you have feelings for me, but what about Axel and Heath? Do you have feelings for them too?”
Gulping, I nod, and the biggest smile spreads across his mouth. “Well, that’s a start.” He moves his hand up my spine, along my neck, and into my hair before pulling my mouth down to his. “And I really need to kiss you right now.” His breath is warm against my skin as I plant my hands on his shoulders and lean in to kiss him.
It quickly turns heated, and from the way we’re seated, I feel the evidence of his attraction hardening against the most sensitive part of me. My body reacts as if on autopilot, grinding against him as a needy moan escapes my lips.
In a lightning-fast move, he has me on my back, his body pressed gently on top of mine as he kisses the shit out of me. I hitch my leg up, coiling it around his hip, and he runs his hand up and down my outer thigh, heating me through the denim of my jeans. He rocks his pelvis into mine, and I see stars, kissing him more frantically as I lose myself to blissful sensations.
“Oh my fucking God!” Shaznay shrieks in a high-pitched tone. I push Skeet off me so fast it’s almost a superpower. He tumbles to the floor, chuckling as he wipes my lip gloss off his mouth. “My eyes will never recover!” Shaznay looks like she just swallowed something nasty. “Seriously, I don’t know how I’ll scrub the image of you two dry humping from my retinas or my brain. You need a cold shower or a muzzle or something.” She jabs a finger pointedly in her brother’s direction.
“Perhaps you should learn to knock first,” Skeet suggests, climbing to his feet and helping me to mine. “And you’re overreacting, like always. It’s not like we were naked and screwing our brains out
.”
“Ugh, you are a disgusting pig.” She turns to me. “I don’t know how you can make out with him.”
“Because he’s hot and an awesome kisser,” I retort with a cheeky wink, earning me a firm peck on the lips.
“God, could you be any more perfect,” Skeet muses, snaking his arms around me.
“God, could you be any more puke inducing,” Shaznay snarks back.
I laugh, feeling lighter than I have in ages.
“Dinner’s ready,” she adds. “And we better go before Mom sends Sage down here. I need to protect her innocent eyes from the live porno I just watched.”
“Overreaction,” Skeet whispers, kissing the top of her head as he tows me with me toward the stairs. “If it was a porno, I’d have Blaire—”
Shaznay clamps her hand over Skeet’s mouth muffling him. “Do not even think about finishing that sentence,” she warns, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Please don’t tell your parents about this,” I plead as we exit the bedroom. “It was embarrassing enough before.”
“You’ll owe me, but your secret is safe with me.”
Dinner is a raucous affair, but everyone goes out of their way to make me feel included, and I’m enjoying the banter and the normalcy of it all. After dinner, Skeet goes with his dads to clear the kitchen, kissing me on the mouth in front of everyone before leaving me with a red face and a hysterically giggly Shaznay.
“Shut it.” I shoulder-check her as I traipse after her up the stairs.
“Your face is too funny. Sorry, not sorry,” she calls out over her shoulder.
I flop down on her large bed, and we both stare up at the ceiling with our hands locked behind our heads. “Skeet told me you were suspended and why,” she says, looking sideways at me. “Cassie is a complete bitch with a really nasty streak. Watch your back with her.”
“Yeah, I figured that out, but thanks for the heads-up. Anyway, Heath’s made this stupid deal with her which he thinks keeps me protected.”
“But you understand she’s manipulating him, and she’ll find some way of getting to you,” she finishes my train of thought.
“Yeppers.” I prop up on my side using my elbow for balance. “I know we don’t know each other well, but can I ask you something personal?”
“Shoot. I’m an open book.” I grin, and she quirks a brow. “What?”
“You’re so like your brother. He said the very same thing to me.”
“Ugh. Don’t remind me. Although Skeet’s pretty cool as big brothers go,” she admits with a wink. “Just don’t tell him I said that.”
“These lips are sealed.” I waggle my brows. “How much of a gap is there between you guys anyway?”
“Only a year.”
“So, you’re a junior?” She nods. “Ah, that’s too bad. I was hoping you were a senior too. That we might have some classes together. The girls all seem really clicky, and it would’ve been nice to hang out.”
“We can still hang at lunch if the Three Musketeers give me permission to sit at their table.” She rolls her eyes, but I can tell she’s just messing.
“That’d be good. Might deflect some of the gossip doing the rounds about me. While I’m grateful for the guys’ support, I don’t like the additional attention. It’s like I can almost feel the daggers embedding in my back the whole way through lunch.”
“The guys have always kept to themselves. Heath even forgoes sitting at the table with all the other football jocks, which is so not done, but it only adds to the mystery.” She turns on her side, mirroring my position. “You wouldn’t believe the number of times girls have befriended me purely to try to get to one of them. Axel and Skeet never date, preferring casual hookups and Heath was exclusively dating Melandra Johnson for a few years before she moved away. He doesn’t do the hookup thing, and since he broke up with Cassie, girls have been tripping over themselves to get him to notice.”
“You’re a mine of information. What else should I know?”
“What else do you want to know?”
“So, they’ve really never done the whole ‘date the same girl at the same time’ thing?” It’s not that I doubt Skeet, but I’d like to hear it from Shaz, and it’ll help steer the conversation where I need it to go.
“Wow, my brother really went there, huh?”
“I thought you knew?”
“I guessed. Like I said, I see how they look at you, and I’m sure everyone at school is wondering. Some asshats used to enjoy provoking us because of our parents, claiming we were dating multiple people at the same time. Not that I have any issue with it, but I’m not sure it’s for me.”
“Neither do I. That’s what I wanted to ask.” I bite my lower lip as I think carefully about how to phrase this. I don’t want to offend her or have her think I disapprove of her family situation. It might be unconventional, but there’s no shortage of love in this house, and they all seem happy, so who am I to cast judgment. It’s as I told Skeet; I’m intrigued more than anything.
“Well, how do you feel about them? Are you hot for all of them?”
“Pretty much.”
“What have you got to lose?” She straightens up, sitting cross-legged. “I’m sure the guys will go at whatever pace you want and go out of their way to make you comfortable. My parents have an agreement so they each have their alone time, and they all have their own bedrooms and stuff. From what Mom’s told me, once everyone is up front about their needs and openly communicates, then you should settle into a routine that works.”
“Skeet’s going to set up a meeting with the others, which should be interesting.”
“Oh, I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that,” she agrees, smirking.
“I’ll fill you in after.”
“You’d better.”
A rap on the door interrupts us, and I look around as Skeet pokes his head through the gap. “I don’t mean to break up your girly bonding, but it’s almost seven, Blaire, and I know you said your parents wanted you home by then.”
“Shoot.” I glance at my watch and jump up, toeing on my sneakers. “Thanks for the reminder. I lost track of time.” I brush hair back off my face. “My dad’s a stickler for good timekeeping,” I explain.
Shaznay gives me a hug. “I hate that I won’t see you at school this week, but I can drop by a couple evenings if you like?”
“That would be awesome. I’ll probably go stir-crazy although the principal said she was sending a study schedule and course assignment via email, so that’ll probably keep me busy.”
“C’mon, I’ll walk you out.” Skeet, predictably, takes my hand, and I wave to Shaznay as we leave her bedroom. I thank Mrs. Taylor for a lovely dinner, and she makes me promise not to be a stranger, ensuring I know I’m welcome any time. All three of Skeet’s dads wave goodbye, and Sage gives me a hug.
“Your family is awesome,” I tell him as we walk side by side to my car.
“I think so.” He beams at me, pressing me up against the side of my car as he wraps his arms around me. “But not as awesome as you.” He lowers his head, but I shove at him.
“Stop! Someone might see.”
He chuckles. “They won’t care. They like you. A lot. Just like me.”
“You’re really quite the charmer, aren’t you?”
“Just telling it like it is. Now are you going to stop talking and let me kiss you goodbye?”
“Well, when you put it like that, how can I resist?” I circle my arms around his neck, and we move toward one another. His lips are soft and sweet against mine this time, devoid of the heat of our earlier lip sync.
“I think I could get addicted to you, Blaire Adams,” he whispers, nudging his nose against mine. Mention of my name brings reality crashing down upon me. Skeet doesn’t know who I really am. None of them do. While I understand the need to keep the secret, it’
s another complication.
How can I contemplate starting a relationship with any of them when I’m keeping something so huge from them? It doesn’t feel right, but I promised my parents when we moved here that I wouldn’t breathe a word to another soul, and Mom has already reminded me on several occasions. This isn’t just about me. My parents’ reputations, and their futures, are at stake too.
“Hey, where’d you go?” Skeet asks, concern lacing his tone.
“Sorry. I’m here.” I stretch up and peck his lips one final time. “But I really have to go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
He opens my car door, and I slide inside. “I spoke to the guys, and we can meet up tomorrow night at Axel’s place if that’s cool with you?” Butterflies scatter in my chest, but I nod. “Wicked.” His eyes blaze. “And Axel said he’s going running in the morning. He’ll wait by the corner for a while if you want to join him.”
“Okay, thanks.” I move to close the door but not before he steals another kiss.
“Goodnight, beautiful Blaire.” He shuts the door, blowing me a kiss through the glass.
I’m still grinning to myself when I enter my house ten minutes later, taking the stairs two at a time. I stick my earbuds in as I switch on my laptop and log in to my school-issued email to download my study schedule for the week.
After I’ve printed it out and pinned it to my wall, I open the only other email in my inbox. All the blood drains from my face as I read the short, curt message.
This is all your fault and you know it. You should be in that grave, not Ethan. Burn in hell, bitch.
Chapter Thirteen
I retch into the toilet bowl until there’s nothing left in my stomach to expel. Shivering all over, I wrap my arms around my waist while I lean against the side of the tub. My heart thuds wildly behind my ribcage, and the pain in my chest is so intense it genuinely feels like I’m having a coronary. Tears trickle down my face silently as I mentally replay the message over and over.
Surviving Amber Springs: A Stand-Alone Contemporary Romance Page 10