by Rye Hart
I rushed toward the man, knocking him to the ground before he could get to her. Mrs. Roberts was standing with her back to the wall, her hand clamped over her mouth, a look of absolute terror in her eyes. As I moved on Leo, Quinn fell in beside me, helping me take the asshole down. I jumped on him and threw a few quick punches to the face, smacking him right in the side of his head.
“How does that feel, asshole?” I screamed. “Huh? Like that?”
Quinn was right there, holding his arms down as I took shot after shot on the guy. Blood poured from his mouth and nose and was smeared all over his face. Through it all though, he looked at me with eyes that were angry, defiant, and promising retribution.
The sound of sirens approaching filled the air, growing louder until they stopped right outside the door. Still, I wasn't about to let the asshole up from the floor. As cops rushed through the front door, I struggled against him, but Quinn managed to pull me off of Leo. Only when he was in cuffs did I stop fighting to knock the shit out of him.
Wiping the blood from my face he'd drawn when he sucker punched me, I glanced at the stairway. Hailey was gone. In the madness, she'd run away, and I was glad for that. She didn't need to see that. Because as he was being taken away, Leo screamed, his voice echoing through the house.
“I'll come back for you, Hailey,” he raved. “I swear to God, I'm coming back.”
Mrs. Roberts gave us both a look that said she was thankful that we'd been there to protect them. Turning, she followed the cops outside to give her statement, leaving us standing in the foyer of their home.
“God, I hope she didn't hear that,” Quinn said.
“Don't see how she couldn't have,” I said. “Where'd she go?”
He shrugged. “Probably upstairs.”
I looked over at my brother and we both shared a smile, but now that the madness was fading and the adrenaline wasn't flowing quite as much, I had to ask the question that still nagged at me.
“So Quinn, what were you doing upstairs in her room, huh?” I playfully smacked him in the arm and grinned. “It was my night, remember?”
“Yeah, well, when did the McCormick boys ever play fair?” he said. “Come on, let's find Hailey.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN - QUINN
I'd only been over at the Roberts’ house for a few minutes when Bennett arrived. I had no intention of staying – I'd just stopped by to check on her, to make sure my brothers weren't bothering her too much. I really didn't want any of us bothering her. But, one thing led to another, and yes, I ended up in her bedroom, but not for sex.
When she'd opened the front door and saw me standing there, she sighed and shook her head, a momentary flash of irritation in her eyes.
“What do you want, Quinn?”
“I just want to make sure my brothers aren't driving you crazy,” I said. “I can only imagine how overwhelming this has to be for you.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” she said and laughed, the irritation in her eyes fading.
She invited me in and we started talking about books and writing. She'd asked me upstairs to read something she wrote. That was it.
In Ben's mind, however, there was only one reason I'd be in a girl's room, because there was only one reason he'd be in a girl's room.
After the fight with Leo, I was ahead of Ben as we ran back up the stairs to Hailey's room. Taking two steps at a time, I reached the top first and ran straight for her room. The door was closed, so I knocked softly. Ben, however, didn't wait for an answer and opened the door right up, barging his way inside.
Hailey was on her bed, curled up in a fetal position with her pillow. Her eyes were red and puffy and there was a look of absolute fear mixed with shame etched upon her face. My heart ached when I saw her, and she jumped when we came in the door.
“Is he gone?” she whimpered.
“He's gone,” I said, walking toward her with Ben following closely behind. “The cops took him away.”
She wiped at her eyes. “He'll be back,” she said. “He has money and he never gets put away for long.”
She spoke with a knowledge that only comes from having experienced it all before.
I sat down on the floor beside the bed while Ben sat on the end of it. I stared into her eyes and remembered how much I'd crushed on her back when we were in high school. The quiet girl in creative writing class that had so much talent, yet she wouldn't talk to me. Even when I tried, she would stare at her shoes and mumble her responses. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable back then, and I certainly didn't want to make her uncomfortable now.
I couldn't help myself as I reached up and stroked her cheek, half expecting her to pull away. Instead, she closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh, her body relaxing into my touch.
“If he comes back, we'll kick his ass again,” I said. “Won't we, Ben?”
“Of course,” he said. “And we'll keep kicking his ass until he gets the hint that he's not wanted around here. He's done hurting you, Hailey.”
“He's no match for the three of us,” I said, knowing that when he found out what happened, Cason would be on board as well.
“You don't know him, Quinn,” she said, opening her eyes and staring at me once more. “He's persistent. He won't stop until he gets what he wants.”
“Yeah, well, stubbornness happens to be a McCormick family trait,” I said.
Her voice cracked. “Why would you do that for me?”
I wanted to tell her that I'd always found her beautiful, even back in high school when she didn't believe it. I wanted to say that I admired her talent, her sweetness, and everything about her. That I could see myself one day falling in love with her. Ben answered for me, “Because we don't put up with men treating women like that,” he said. “It's not right, Hailey. He needs to be put in his place.”
I nodded, resting my head on her bed, but never taking my eyes off her. Her eyes filled with tears, but she wiped them away, sitting up and sniffling. I could see the effort she was making to regain her composure and sense of dignity.
“I still don't get why you guys are all over me,” she said, a small smile on her lips. “Since I came back, it's like I can't get rid of you.”
My heart sank. “Do you want to get rid of us?”
“No, it's just-- where did ya'll come from?” she said. “We weren't close before, and suddenly – poof – I can't get rid of you. Any of you. I show up more attractive and suddenly you're all over me.”
“We've always been here, Hailey,” I said softly. “Some of us more than others.”
I didn't mean it as a direct attack at Ben, but he looked down at me, scolding me with his eyes. I continued since it was the truth.
“Remember that short story you read aloud in high school?” I asked. “The one Mrs. Howards made you read even though you fought tooth and nail to stay quiet in your corner?”
She nodded.
“I told you afterward how much I loved it,” I said. “And I meant it. I tried to talk to you then, but you pushed me away.”
“Because I was scared,” she admitted.
“Scared of what?” I asked. “Scared of me?”
“Scared that you were only being nice because you felt bad for me or something.”
“No, that wasn't it at all,” I said, standing up so I could join her on the bed. I sat down on the other side of her, sitting opposite of Ben. “I just didn't want to be the kind of asshole who kept pestering you until you talked to me just to get me to leave you alone.”
I shot a pointed look over at Ben who wouldn't look at me. Hailey stared down at her hands and didn't answer. A knock came at her door. “Yes?” she said, wiping at her eyes and smearing the mascara even more.
“It's me, sweetie,” her mother said. “Can I come in?”
“Uhh sure,” she said, giving us both a look. We scooted further from her, so that I was pressed against the wall and Ben was practically off the bed. “Come in.”
Her mom and dad both came into the room, making m
e realize just how small the room was with all five of us crammed in there. Her mom looked at me, then Ben, and cocked her head to the side in a questioning manner, but she tried to give her daughter a reassuring smile.
“Are you okay, honey?” she asked.
“I'm fine, Mom,” she said. “Now that he's gone, I'm fine. I'm feeling a lot better now.”
“I just want to thank you boys for everything,” her mom said. “I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been here.”
“No need to thank us,” Ben said.
“If you weren't here – well, I don't know,” she said. “Frank was out back in the shed and he never heard me calling for him.”
Her tears started to fall as well, and Frank held his wife, while reiterating what she'd said.
“Thanks for being here for Hailey, boys,” he said. “I'm indebted to you.”
“Anytime, Mr. Roberts,” I said. “She's a good girl. She didn't deserve any of that.”
“No, she didn't,” he said, his eyes dark as he looked at his daughter.
There was so much sadness and anger in that one look. Whatever had happened to Hailey reverberated through everyone close to her as well.
“We have to run down to the police station to file a report,” he said. “Mind staying with her until we get back?”
“Of course,” I said. “We'll take good care of her, Mr. Roberts.”
Her parents left, shutting the door behind them and leaving us alone again.
“For a minute there,” Ben said with a rueful laugh, “it felt like high school all over again. Parents walking in and us trying to act all innocent.”
“I've never experienced anything like that before,” Hailey said.
Ben and I both laughed, but it was obvious she was serious.
“I never had boys in my room in high school,” she said, shrugging.
“Well now you do,” Ben said, scooting closer to her. “Two of them, in fact.”
“And none of us are in high school anymore,” I added.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - HAILEY
Before all the excitement with Leo, I'd been enjoying my time with Quinn. He was reading a blog post I wrote, giving me feedback on it. And as we talked, I found myself leaning ever so close to him. I could smell his clean, musky scent and it had smelled so good.
I looked over at him now, his hair falling over his face, hiding him away. I'd long had a theory that Quinn kept his hair long to hide his true self from the world. Coming from a family of football players – and being the best in his family – he'd always been pressured to be the tough guy. The rough and tumble jock. But even back in high school, I got a sense that wasn't who he really was. Not deep down.
His poems had more depth and emotion to them than most of the other kids in class, and he always spoke softly around me. There was never any of that crass talk I'd overheard from time-to-time when he was with his friends or brothers. No, he seemed like a completely different person in that creative writing class all those years ago.
Even now, I could see that he carried that facade. Still, I saw through his tough exterior to something gentler.
As much as I wanted to kiss him, we were no longer alone. Ben was sitting closer to me now, and while I always found him incredibly attractive, I truthfully knew very little about him compared to his brothers. I had classes with both of them, but Ben was older than us. He'd graduated when I was in my sophomore year.
My only real conversations with him happened in his pickup truck when he picked me up off the side of the road after homecoming after my date, Jeremy Nolan, ditched me. Apparently, he didn't want to take me in the first place. I found out later that Jenn had asked him to ask me. When it was clear I wasn't going to put out, he ran off with another girl who would, leaving me to walk home alone.
Ben and Rebekah had left the dance early too. They had been fighting and Rebekah had been a bitch the entire time. Ben tried to make small talk, as his girlfriend bitched at him for everything. She scowled at me, as if she knew I was merely a distraction from whatever they were fighting about, but Ben was friendly to me, nicer than I thought he'd be honestly.
Now, I had both of these men on my bed with me. We were older, wiser and more mature, but it still felt weird to be sitting here with both of them. Two of the most popular jocks in school sitting with the awkward nerd girl.
“So what happened with Leo?” Quinn asked me.
“Didn't you see it?” I laughed, avoiding the real question he was asking.
“No, I meant in the past,” he said. “What happened that led up to all of this.”
I looked out my window, focusing my attention on the tree outside. I was there, in my happy place, away from the dangers of Leo and everything that had happened in California. And part of me didn't really want to speak about it.
But another part of me felt like I could, finally, tell someone about all that I'd experienced. Because I found myself comforted by Ben and Quinn's presence. I felt as if they could keep me safe from Leo. I felt like I could trust them.
“We started dating shortly after I moved out to California,” I started. “I was young, naive, and stupid. He was older, handsome, and filthy rich. He promised me that he knew some people in the industry and could help get my career going. Like an idiot, I fell for it. Months went by, I moved in with him to save money since I couldn't afford rent on a waitress's salary. And then I finally saw the real him –”
I stopped speaking for a moment as tears welled up in my eyes. I wiped them away angrily. Frustrated at myself for being so emotional. For being so weak.
“At first, he was just a dick,” I said. “He yelled a lot, bossed me around. Told me what I could and couldn't wear. Where I could and couldn't go. And who I could and couldn't see. But, he wasn't violent. Not at first, anyway.”
Quinn reached out and pulled me close, holding me to him. Comforted by his presence, I leaned my head against his chest and melted into his embrace.
“You don't have to say anymore,” he said. “I think we get the picture.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
Feeling all of the same old anger and shame that Leo inspired within me, I didn't want to say anything more and was glad that Quinn wasn't going to press the issue. His shirt smelled of him, a manly scent that brought comfort to me right away. I relaxed in his arms as Ben stroked my back. I could have easily fallen asleep there.
I looked up at Quinn, stared into his honey brown eyes, and couldn't resist any longer. I pressed my lips gently to his. He kissed me back, just a chaste meeting of the lips, but my entire body tingled. Never had I felt so safe with anyone in my entire life. Ben had the same effect on me, but both of these men at once? I couldn't deny that I just wanted to curl up with all three of them and let them love me.
It was all so surreal that it was making my head spin. Not half an hour ago, they'd been beating Leo downstairs and I thought my life was going to end. I thought I'd either die of the humiliation of it all or Leo would somehow drag me kicking and screaming back to California – and nobody would stop him.
And yet now, here we were, cuddled together, my body crying out for their attention, my soul needing to be nourished. I'd been mired in misery for so long that my mind, body, and soul, cried out for affirmation of life. I was alive, and I was somebody desirable, somebody worth loving.
I kissed Quinn again, this time with more passion. Pushing past his lips, our tongues met, and I gasped – it felt so good to be kissing someone I knew wasn't going to hurt me. I knew Quinn would never hurt me like Leo had. Both of us just seemed to let go with one another in that moment, almost forgetting about Bennett who was still rubbing my back gently as I made out with his brother.
My shirt fell down off my shoulder, exposing my skin, and I felt a tingle of surprise when Bennett kissed it. His lips brushed my flesh, dotting it with kisses that caused me to shiver from the sensation. Reaching my arm around, I touched the back of his head, running a hand through his hair as he cont
inued kissing his way down my shoulder.
Quinn moved down to my neck, his lips kissing every inch of my skin. My eyes were closed, my lips parted, a soft moan of pleasure escaping them. It was the strangest feeling in my life, and yet, I was in heaven. Being surrounded by both of these men who'd fought to protect me even though we hardly knew each other, put me in a state of comfort and bliss. And I never wanted it to end.
I turned my head and Bennett's lips were there, touching mine as his brother kissed the side of my neck. His tongue pushed into my mouth, much more forceful than his brother's, and he held my face in his hands as our kissed intensified, grew more passionate.
I laid back down on my bed, one man on each side of me, and they laid with me. Their bodies were wrapped around mine, holding me closely, protecting me from the evils of the world.
No one said a word. We just laid there, and I felt their hearts beating against me – Quinn's in the front, Bennett's in the back. I felt both of them growing hard against me, as they held me close. Neither one made a move, though. They just held me. An awkward silence descended upon us all, the moment absolutely saturated with expectation and anticipation.
The aching need started low in my body and grew more persistent. I tried to resist and found that I wanted to touch them – and have them touch me back. My body pressed up against Quinn's, his cock rubbing against my pelvis. I rubbed my body against it, moaning lightly. Quinn stared at me, wide eyed, then looked back at his brother as if trying to decide if we should do this or not. I knew it had to be weird for him, so I stopped. Pulling back from Quinn though, meant my ass rubbed against Bennett. I felt his swollen member against my body and that only made the aching inside of me grow more intense.
It was Bennett who started to kiss the back of my neck, pressing himself deep into me. Closing my eyes, I let myself succumb to the sensation. Weird and awkward or not, Quinn apparently, did not want to be left out. He kissed my lips, and I felt his cock pressing into me again too.