by Rowan Thalia
The morning light came way too soon. I feel like I just closed my eyes and already the world wants me up. Alex tossed and turned all night, waking me and Asher. Knowing I won't be getting any more sleep like this, I decide to just get up and find some coffee. Not even bothering with real clothes, I throw Asher's hoodie over my pajamas and head for the front door. The rest of the cabin is silent, so I slip on my protective necklace and step outside.
"Morning, Juniper." Sterling's voice startles me, almost making me trip down the front steps. I should have known he'd be up by now.
"Hey," I choke out, clutching my chest.
"Sorry, I thought you saw me," he says, standing up and pulling me in for a hug. He takes in my grumpy face and tired eyes, before wincing. "Rough night?"
"Let's just say there aren't enough waffles and coffee in this camp to get me through today. I just woke up, and I already need a nap.”
"Let's at least get you some coffee for now," he says delicately, as if I'm a ticking time bomb. Smart guy.
He takes my hand and leads me across the grounds to the farmhouse. My eyes immediately pan to the treeline, expecting more shadows to come pouring out. Thankfully the only thing rolling in this early is a bit of fog.
The smell of coffee draws me in like a moth to flame, as soon as we open the door. I don't bother to see who else is in here, instead heading for the mugs and pouring myself a cup of coffee. Half of it is gone before I actually take in my surroundings.
"There she is," Jessica jokes when I finally look around. I offer a weak smile in return before taking another sip.
"It's Saturday, any big plans today?" she asks the room.
"Actually, I was looking at the map and apparently there's a cold spring nearby. I thought we'd take a trip over there. Mind if we use the ATVs?" Sterling asks, taking a seat at the table.
"That would be fun!" Wendy says, way too cheerful for the morning. Though, it does sound fun, and it couldn't hurt to be a bit more civil to the others. Wendy even stopped trying to take my guys, so I need to give the girl a break.
"I'll go see if the others want to go. You stay here and drink coffee," Sterling says, kissing the top of my head before disappearing through the door.
"Just be careful of the wildlife," Bobby warns, like we all haven't spent the last week in the woods.
"We will," I promise, standing up to refill my coffee. "You need help, Jessica?"
"No, I think it's just about done now," she says cheerfully, pulling another pan of biscuits from the oven.
Just as I start to take my seat, the rest of my guys come in. Dexter looks like his usual sassy self, but Asher and Alex both have twin sets of bags under their eyes, making me extra glad makeup is an option for me.
Breakfast isn't as talkative as usual, just several attempts from Jessica to get the conversation flowing. From the other cabin, only Brian and Wendy are here this early. I have a feeling that Jackson and Maria are keeping each other occupied, and Karen usually drifts in later.
"So we're taking the ATVs down to a spring?" Dex clarifies, collecting plates and taking them to the sink. He starts to wash them, but Jessica flies out of her seat and takes them away, shooing him out of her kitchen.
"Yes, I'm sure everyone but Karen will go, she's not much for outdoors, she just came for the clinic experience," Wendy says. “I'll go get them and change into something else. Meet you all at the office in twenty?"
"Yup, that's all we'll need. We just need to put on sunblock and change," Sterling says, taking my hand and leading me out.
"Was that Purple, being nice to her coworker?" Alex asks, clutching his chest dramatically.
"I was feeling nicer today, I guess," I mumble. Really I just don't have the energy to be petty today.
"Miracles do happen," Dexter teases, giving me a shoulder bump.
"I'm saving my energy so I can laugh at you while you freeze your balls off in the spring. That water is going to be cold as fuck," I shoot back, heading for Dex's room to grab my bathing suit, then changing into it, with shorts and a tank on top.
"Who gets sunblock duty?" I call out, grabbing my spf 50 from the bathroom. I hear a scuffle before Asher comes flying from his room, slamming into the wall across from it.
"You need a true gentleman, m'lady... and that's me," he says with a fake British accent. He grabs the sunblock from my hand and squirts some on his palm to warm it up, before rubbing it into my skin. "Now, tell me what's up. You're not just tired, I know you well enough to know that."
I cock an eyebrow at his assumption, but I won't lie to him. "The dream Alex had is bugging me. The entity has never been strong enough to affect anyone else, so it's probably just a nightmare. But the fear in Alex's eyes when he woke up... I can't shake it," I whisper, not wanting everyone to hear. Especially the man I'm talking about.
"I know what you mean, but he seems over it now. Let's just enjoy today, and then everyone will be way too tired for dreaming tonight," he says, giving me a kiss on the forehead, before lathering up my face.
"Good plan," I say, taking the lotion and returning the favor. "Thanks for being such a sweet boyfriend. You always find a way to calm my nerves."
"It was the accent, wasn't it?" he jokes, giving me a soft kiss.
"Alright, who's next?" I call, a line forming in front of me within seconds. I can't complain, it just means I get to run my hands over all four of those chiseled bodies.
"Does anyone know how many ATVs they have? If they have four going and we have five..." Alex says, pointing out the issue.
"There are four," Dex answers.
"Jun is small, we can try three on one. Or make the girls ride together," Asher says, opening the door to usher us out. I grab a pair of sunglasses and my necklace, before putting a ponytail holder around my wrist and following them out.
The others all step out of their cabin at the same time, meeting up and heading to the other side of camp. Maria is walking with her hand in Jackson's, confirming my theory. There's also no Karen... thank god.
"How is it working in the kitchen with Jessica?" I ask Maria, feeling bad we haven't seen her much. She rolls her eyes and curses in Spanish.
"She's loca. The place is spotless because I've had to scrub the entire thing... twice. I plan a menu, she comes behind and fixes everything. I've given up," Maria says, her free hand gesturing wildly as she speaks.
"She's intense, I'm not surprised," I say, wincing at her pain in the ass job.
"Okay, there are four ATVs and nine of us. We were thinking the girls ride together and the guys team up? Or since Maria and Wendy are small they can ride with someone. Either way, one is going to have to have three," Dexter explains, unlocking the office so he can grab the keys from Bobby's desk.
"I want to drive one," I protest, not really one for sitting behind a dude while he has all the fun.
"I'm cool with tripling up with you, or if Maria wants to ride with Jackson, I can ride with them," Wendy says, helping Brian open the garage door. We all get to work taking off the tarps and checking the batteries. Thankfully Bobby already has them on the charge, so we just have to reconnect them and we're good to go.
"Wait. Does anyone know where we're going?" Sterling asks, looking at Brian since it was his idea. "You've already been there?"
"No. I found it on a map, but I mapped out a route. Here," Brian says, pulling a map out of his pocket and handing it over. Sterling inspects it, running his finger along the route as he meticulously studies it, before finally approving it. Brian tries to hide his laughter, but I don't.
"Come on Specs. Where's your sense of adventure?" I tease, taking a key from Dexter and hopping on one of the ATVs. I made my move, time for the others to figure out what they want.
"Don't kill me," Wendy deadpans, climbing on behind me. Maria does the same, leaving Brian to jump on the back of Jackson's. Jackson grumbles, but just turns his on and drives out.
"Hold on and I won't kill you," I laugh, turning it on and following Jackson out.
There's no path leading us to the spring, so we take the main road as far as we can, before off-roading through a field, spraying mud and bits of grass over everyone. The girls scream behind me, Wendy tucking her face into my back to avoid the flying debris. I just laugh, loving the wind in my hair, and the ATV flying over the ground.
Brian yells out his directions, leading us through some trees until we eventually come out at a stream. Jackson drives through it, before following it further into the trees. We come out on the other side of the trees, a small cave opening that a small lake spills out of. The water is crystal clear and the temperature drops significantly as we near it. We park just before the grass turns to gravel and sand, jumping off and heading for the creek.
"How cold are we talking?" Wendy asks, dipping a toe in, then shrieking.
"It'll be warmer further down. Right here it's going to be skin numbingly cold. The spring is right inside the cave, so this is about as pure as water gets," Brian explains, giving Wendy a sweet smile. Oh, someone has a crush!
"Let's do this!" Alex calls, ripping his shirt off, running for the water, and jumping in. Not one to be left behind, I slip off my shirt and shorts, before running in after him. I know diving in all at once will be way easier than trying to dip my body in slowly.
The water is so cold it takes my breath, my entire body tingling as it adjusts to the ridiculously cold temperature.
"Holy shit!" I gasp as I resurface, my teeth chattering. Alex's lips are already looking blue.
"Oh fuck no," Wendy snorts, walking down the shore until she finds a sunny spot, as far away from here as possible. Maria, Brian, and Jackson follow her, leaving me and my guys alone.
"Come in guys. The water's perfect!" I call out, climbing out and sitting on a smooth rock just big enough to fit my butt. My legs are still in the water, adjusting slowly.
Dexter and Asher look at each other, before shrugging and running to the water. They cannonball right next to us, splashing me with the icy water. The high pitched screams that follow have me cracking up until tears stream down my face.
"Laugh it up, Purple, from your warm spot on the rock," Alex deadpans, splashing me again.
"Fine," I say, standing up on the rock before diving in. Sterling lets out a scream as I go under, startling me. He runs forward, jumping in clothes and all to grab me out.
"Jun?! Oh my god, that's so much blood. Jun?!" his eyes are crazy and slightly unfocused as I sputter and fight him, trying to get away.
"Specs! Snap out of it. I'm fine," I say, trying to reason with him.
"Why aren't you guys helping?" he challenges, tears starting to run down his face as we reach the shore.
"Everything okay?" Jackson calls over, hearing the commotion.
"We're fine!" Dex calls back, following Sterling out and trying to pry his hands from my body. Sterling puts his hands in a fist, getting ready to do CPR, when I'm finally pulled free by the twins, while Dexter wrestles him down. My heart races as I snuggle into Alex's arms, Asher stroking my hair. They both look just as confused and stricken as I do.
"Sterling. Take a deep breath. What you're seeing isn't real. Jun is fine, just scared of you right now. Stop and breathe with me," Dexter says, his voice soothing, but firm. Sterling blinks a few times, before his eyes seem to focus.
"Jun?" he asks, his voice small and confused. Knowing my Specs is back, I leave Alex's warm arms and crawl over to Sterling.
"I'm fine, Spes. See?" I say, letting his eyes scan me for injuries. "What did you see?"
"You slipped on the rock, hitting your head and knocking yourself out. Your eyes were closed before you slipped into the water. Blood was everywhere," he says, his eyes haunted and unfocused as he relives the memory once again.
"That didn't happen, babe. I'm fine," I reassure him, bending my head down to show him there isn't any blood.
We huddle together, the fun dampened under the terrifying hallucination. Sterling is still shaking, not speaking to any of us and clutching me close. The others are respecting his need for time, just offering reassuring words and sitting close. My heart warms knowing the rest of my guys are here when one of us is down. We're definitely a team, not just roommates, and moments like this just solidify that bond.
The others work their way back to us, and we all perk up, not wanting to let them know anything is wrong. They're all smiles and jokes, not picking up on our mood anyway.
"We were planning a rowboat competition. You guys in?" Jackson asks, grabbing his shirt off of his ATV and putting it back on. The guys and I get ready and climb back up the hill before answering.
"Sounds fun," Sterling says, clearly wanting to do anything to take his mind off of this morning.
"Awesome! We'll be back in time for lunch, then we can meet at the lake around three?" he says, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of competition.
"We'll be there to kick your butt, don't worry," I say, my competitive side perking up at the prospect. "Let's go."
Here's hoping that this lake adventure is less terrifying than our last experience at the lake. At this rate, I'm going to have a water phobia by the time this summer is over.
12
Alex
I snag Jun and put her in front of me on the ATV. Now that all of us are having hallucinations, I’m having separation anxiety when she gets too far away. Fuck me. I don’t want to be the needy boyfriend, but this shit is starting to get out of hand. We need a break from the turmoil, Juniper especially. With an idea forming in my head, I veer away from the others and use the sign language Ash and I made up as kids to tell him what I’m up to so they don’t worry. Ash winks and gives me a thumbs up.
“Where are we going?” Jun yells into my ear.
“It’s a surprise, Purple, hold your tits,” I answer back.
I’ve been trying to find the right time to do this, and today seems perfect. It’s hard to keep a secret in this group, but I’ve managed to get the guys to keep this one all summer. It’s going to be fucking awesome to tell her. We battled over doing it together, but I won in the end. My idea - my moment.
I swerve through the trees, going as slow as I can so that my plan will work. With my heart beating double time and my pulse racing, I decide to veer toward my big surprise. Pulling up to a spot I marked near the river, I scan the area to make sure there’s no creep around. I wish we weren’t both damp, but you gotta grab the perfect moment when it arises. Turning off the vehicle, I look back and wink at Juniper as she eyes me with curiosity.
“Okay. So, what’s the surprise?’ She folds her arms and leans back a bit.
Without answering her, I hop off the rig and pull her onto my back. “You’ll see, Princess,” I husk. Hopefully Ash got here and has shit in place already.
Jun’s arms tighten around my neck and her breath tickles my ear. I take advantage of her position and cop a feel of her ass, gaining myself a little bite on the shoulder. Yum. We both start laughing, and I take a deep breath as we make a turn on the path and push through a dense copse of bushes. Jun’s breath hitches, and my heart clenches.
“Alex, you… how in the fuck did you accomplish this?” She gasps as I let her slide down my back.
“Well, I didn’t do it alone, and it wasn’t easy to keep shit from you,” I scratch the back of my neck.
Jun twirls around and gazes at the fairy forest that the guys and I all pitched in to create. There’s a shit ton of sheer material hanging from a couple of large frames we hung from the low, oak branches. Around the tent, there are flowers and little poufs of sparkly shit that twinkle in the sunlight that filters through the leaves. I even added some of those plastic icicle Christmas ornaments, and fuck if they don’t make it cooler than shit. When she parts the material and walks into the canopy, she lets out a squee of surprise. Boom, brownie points.
With a huge fucking grin, I enter behind her. The tent has a big pallet of blankets and pillows, a huge stuffed bear, and a small picnic basket filled with all Jun’s favorite treats. Before s
he turns, I grab a little box off a small table and hit the ground on one knee. Her body stills and she turns slowly with her hands covering her mouth.
“Juniper Nevels, I love you more than life itself. I want to give you everything in my power that makes you happy for the rest of my days … as do the other guys. We are a family, and we all want to remain one. This isn’t an engagement ring, so don’t freak out,” I say as I open the box. “This is a promise ring, from the guys and I,” I motion for her hand.
Tears roll down her face, and she puts her palm in mine. I grasp it, kiss the knuckles then slide the ring on her finger. The band is made of four colors of gold that intertwine and form a heart in the center. There’s a small purple heart shaped gem, an amethyst, in the center of the heart. It represents all of us, and our commitment to her. She pulls it up to look at it and begins to ugly cry. I reach forward and pull her down onto my knee.
“I hope that means you accept our promise,” I kiss along her temple.
“Yes, I do,” she sniffles.
“Hey,” I tilt her chin up and stare into her beautiful blue-green eyes. Even with her mascara all runny, and her nose red, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. “This is supposed to make you happy, Purple,” I cheese.
She stops fingering the ring and throws her arms around my neck. Our lips touch softly, and the love I have for her engulfs me. Everything else fogs besides the feel of her softness and the beating of our two hearts. When we come up for air, I let out a whistle. Footsteps trample toward the tent, the material parts and the others crowd inside.
“Surprise,” Sterling blushes as he pulls out a wrapped box.
“There’s more?” Jun looks up at him and wipes the streaks of tears from her cheeks.
“We each have something that we had made,” Dexter confirms as he reveals his box. “Juniper, shit has been insane with demons and spirits haunting you. But that doesn’t change what we feel for you, for this family. We wanted to give you a bright light in the darkness, something to hold on to while we figure all of this out.”