More to This

by Tess Keeler

  “Try my closet.”

  With a condescending scoff, Pierson proceeded towards the open door protecting all of Henley’s clothing. “Or in a basket, all wrinkled up?”

  Henley wore an unamused smile. “Ah, yes. I do love doing laundry as much as you enjoy using manners.”

  Everly watched as Pierson bent down, rummaging around the hamper. “Everly, what do you see in him anyway?”

  Her eyebrows pulled together when he addressed her, especially when it was in a derogatory manner towards Henley. “Don’t bring me into your scuffle, Pierce. You won’t like what I have to say.”

  “Woah.” Pierson’s eyebrows lifted, and he put his hands up in defense. “I was just playing.”

  Everly blew out a breath. “Wait?” She squinted at Pierson. “Aren’t you and Mace hanging out tonight?” Henley looked at her, then over to Pierson. They both waited as Pierson figured out his reply.

  “Oh, uh…” He ran his fingers through his long hair as he cleared his throat. “Just forget about it.”

  Pierson didn’t say anything else; he just simply turned and walked out of the room.

  Henley leaned over to Everly, whispering in her ear. “It’s happening.”

  “Do you know something I don’t?” She lifted her eyebrows playfully, her lips curling to the right.

  Everly watched Henley’s eyes twinkle mischievously. “I may have encouraged Mason that he was good enough.”

  “To what?” Everly cocked her head to the side. Surely, Mason would have told her if he had a date with Pierson, right? “Ask Pierson out? Are you sure Pierce likes guys?”

  Henley shook his head, “I don’t think Pierson cares, but I plan to ask him about it soon. If I even have to…” After a thoughtful pause, he added, “They’ve been hanging out a lot with Pierson’s friends. I don’t think it’s a date.”

  Everly relaxed a little, not holding the sheet to her chest as tightly. The cool air of the apartment hit her warm skin, and she shivered a little. “Does that mean there’s about to be a bunch of obnoxious guys here?” She felt her lips pull down subconsciously. “We never have privacy here.” Her hand grazed his thigh lovingly.

  Henley pulled her against him, trying to warm her up when he noticed her shiver. With a nod, his throaty voice warmed her forehead. “I know, Ev. I’m sorry. Want to go to your place?”

  Being against Henley made her feel safe. And warm. Her eyes fluttered closed as she relished how it felt to be in his arms.

  “I wish I could just steal you from here forever,” she sighed, the faint sound of his heartbeat filling her ears. “You don’t really like living here with Pierson, do you?” A laugh fell through her full lips as her left hand grazed up his smooth arm.

  “Are you trying to ask me to move in with you?” His dimples were visible as he revealed his top teeth with a smile.

  She studied his face, her stomach twisting with nerves. “That’d be ridiculous, right?” Her eyes were flickering back and forth, in an attempt to read him. “We’ve only been together a little over a month. Known each other for a little over five…” She trailed off, needing him to say something, anything. She felt a full on ramble coming on.

  “When you know, you know.” He shrugged, and she felt heat spread over her entire face.

  “It doesn’t scare you?”

  “I’m over being scared of everything.” His expression had turned serious, and her heart throbbed heavily in her chest at the way his voice changed. “I love you, and I want everything that has to do with that.”

  Everly was never the type to be emotional. But hearing Henley say raw, vulnerable things like that did something strange to her insides. She brought her hand up to cup his face, her lips pushing onto his. It didn’t take long for the kiss to intensify, putting them right back where they were before they were interrupted by Pierson. Henley laid her back, his body falling between her legs. She could feel him even through the denim of her shorts. She sighed into the kiss, his lips drifting over her jaw.

  “Does that mean we’re roomies now?” She managed to say breathily, chewing on her bottom lip as he moved his kisses to the curves of her covered breasts.

  His fingers pulled the thin material of her lacy bra as his lips traveled down her skin, lingering between her small chest. “I think it does. Does that excite you, baby?” His voice was husky, and if she couldn’t feel him, she could tell how aroused he was by the tone of his voice.

  “God, yes.” she moaned, distracted by everything he was. Her fingers slipped into his hair, pulling slightly as he nipped at the smooth skin he was focused on. “Are you excited?” She breathed, her hips lifting against him involuntarily.

  Ever since New York, they had been even more inseparable then before— which she didn’t know would ever be possible. And their sex life exceeded her expectations about it. It was like they couldn’t get enough of each other. He drove her crazy in all the best ways.

  His hips met hers, rubbing to produce enough friction to emphasize his point. “What do you think?”

  “We should close the door,” she responded, not knowing how much longer she could hold out or be as quiet as she was being. The need for him was consuming her.

  ——————

  Strangely enough, her father wasn’t completely against the idea of Henley moving in. His only concern was how Ella would react, and Everly couldn’t help but be a little worried about that, too.

  “Listen, Lee. I trust you. I know you’re a smart kid, and you’ve never been careless. But your mother, ya know, she’s a little different when it comes to matters like this.”

  Regardless, Noah gave her permission to allow Henley to move in. With the stipulation that he has his own room— simply to appease Ella, and make it an easier sell in the long run.

  “I know you won’t stay in separate rooms, but humor me and pretend he has his own space.” Noah requested, and Everly agreed to make that work. If that’s what they had to do, its what they would do.

  “Are you okay with the terms?” Everly asked into her phone as she dragged her fingers across her comforter to entice the small cat to play.

  “Of course. I’m sure I have some things I never use that can be stored there.” He paused, “I don’t mind having to go to another room to get ready if it means staying with you.”

  Everly smiled against the phone, and Mason appeared in the doorway. “Hey, Mace,” she said, waving before he came in and sat on her bed.

  “Tell Mace I said hey,” Henley said, and Everly relayed the message.

  “‘Ello, Hen.” Mason had adopted Pierson’s nickname for him, and Everly gave him an amused smile.

  “You don’t have to get ready in another room, ya know.” She teased her boyfriend through the phone, also trying to get a rise out of Mason. It was a win/win.

  Mason rolled his eyes, a smirk on his face. “What are you two going on about?”

  “Babe, can I tell Mace?”

  "Let's warn him before he attempts to walk in on me, thinking it's you. We will all be roommates after all."

  Mason had cut his eyes in her direction, “Wut in the world is going on, Everly Presley?”

  She sighed before she replied, “Dad’s letting Henley move in!” Showing all her teeth in a playful smile, and Mason dramatically slumped over as his brown eyes rolled into the back of his skull.

  “Bloody hell, no.” A smile was evident on his lips, even with his frustrated body language. “You two are going to be so gross all the time, aren’t you?”

  Everly playfully pushed his leg. “Stop being a diva, Mason William,” she said, mocking his tone. “Hey, baby.” Redirecting her attention to Henley, she scooped up Lyric and nuzzled her fluffy white cheek. “What day do you want to do this?”

  Mason silently asked permission to take the cat from her, and Everly obliged.

  “Want to do it this weekend?” he asked.

  After working out the details, Everly said her goodbye, and fake pouted as she hung up the phone.
/>
  “You two are absolutely repulsive together. Especially since New York. Now, moving in together. What the hell happened while you two were away?”

  Everly stared at Mason, the question still processing in her head. Had she really not told Mason about her and Henley confessing their feelings? Making love for the first time? She grimaced.

  “Don’t be mad,” she began, which caused Mason’s eyes to lift from their focus on her cat to meet her brown eyes. “I don’t know how I haven’t told you, but Henley... Told me he loved me.”

  Mason’s eyes widened. “No shit? Blimey, that’s great, Eve!”

  “That’s not all.” She said, pulling her lips together. “We kind of did it for the first time. The first day of the trip.”

  “Everly, that was almost a month ago, and you just, forgot to mention this?”

  Everly threw her hands up, causing Lyric to dart off the bed. “Mason, you’ve been preoccupied with Pierce, which is fine. And, I kept myself pretty preoccupied, too.”

  Mason sighed, taking in the new information because he knew he couldn’t argue that all of his attention and time had been dedicated to the older twin. “Are you being safe, at least?”

  “Duh, of course.”

  He nodded, his body releasing all of the tension priorly filling his body. “Okay, in that case, tell me how it was.”

  “It was, way better than I thought sex could be.” Her face was heating up, because, for the first time, they were talking about her experiences and not his. What a turn of events.

  Mason nodded, pleased and amused to hear her say it. “I’m happy for you. At least he wasn’t just cramming it into you like that block jawed fool did.”

  “Mace!” Her face crinkled before her hands covered it. “I don’t even want to think about… I almost forgot it ever happened. I wish it wouldn’t have, okay?”

  “Fine.” There was a moment of deescalating silence before Mason’s thick accent was heard again. “Is he bigger than Tanner?”

  She glared at him. “I don’t know why I’m answering this, but yes.”

  “Aye, that gives me hope.” Mason laughed, his long curls bouncing with the movement. “I wonder if identical twins have the same details.”

  Everly closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. “I’m not going to tell you exactly how big Henley is, regardless if they are or are not.” She shook her head. “Even though, I’m pretty sure they are not.”

  “How would you know?”

  “Everyone’s different. I don’t think that being in the womb together would give them the same dick size. Be real.”

  Mason began to laugh again, way too amused by Everly’s discomfort in the topic.

  “Can we talk about something else?” she almost begged.

  With his laughter tapering off, he nodded. “Okay. What’s your favorite position?”

  “Mason.”

  “Everly?”

  She stared at him, his question unwavering. “You really want to know?”

  Nodding, he flashed his most charming grin at her. “I really want to know.”

  “I like everything we’ve tried, for different reasons.” She stated simply. “How do you chose one?”

  He looked proudly at her. “Good answer.”

  1

  More to This

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Henley

  Henley was sitting cross-legged in front of his brother, both of their hands on Henley’s mass of black clothing all over his bedroom floor. His twin’s long blonde hair was pulled up into a loose knot at the base of his neck, and they had just laughed over a joke Pierson made about Henley’s colorless wardrobe. They had boxes around them, both folding and placing clothes in each one. He had more clothing than he thought he did.

  “You guys are really serious, huh?” Pierson asked with his eyes on the task.

  “I love her, Pierce.”

  Nodding his head, Pierson smiled softly at his brother, “I’m happy for you, Hen.”

  Henley stopped what he was doing, his head turning slightly in confusion. “Really?”

  The laugh that slipped between Pierson’s lips was almost mocking. “Yes. Am I that awful?”

  “No,” Henley began, shaking his head. “It’s just all happening so fast, and I know mom’s going to hate it.” He took in a deep breath, his stomach aching once it was expelled. “I know this is meant to happen. She’s been sick the last couple of days, and all I have wanted was to take care of her. That’s not my usual game…”

  “She makes you a better person,” Pierson said.

  “I know.”

  After filling the boxes they were working on, he moved on to his books, a much heavier task. Pierson went to take a cigarette break, staring down at his phone the whole way out and back in. While he was gone, he texted Everly to ask how she was feeling. Mason wanted to spend a few days with her, just the two of them, and Henley respected that.

  Pierson was already grabbing books when Henley cleared his throat, “How are things with Mason?”

  The tension that filled the room was sudden, forcing Henley to chew on his lip to smother his grin. His brother’s face was flushed red, and he tried to wave him off. “We’re just friends.”

  “Do you like him?” Henley asked, trying to sound as supportive as he could. “Because he really likes you.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  Pierson didn’t seem to believe Henley, and it made him hurt for them. They obviously had feelings for each other, and they were letting their reputations or lack thereof get between them. Being with Everly had taught him a lot about taking chances.

  “He told me.” Pierson stood there, staring down at a dusty book cover. His eyebrows had lowered, making his eyes appear smaller. “Just go for it, bro. What do you have to lose?”

  “Not everyone risks everything for sexual attraction,” Pierson almost growled at him.

  “Good luck getting anywhere then.” Henley scoffed, now throwing his books a little harder. His brother always hit his nerves the wrong way. Pierson was the reason he and Everly chose to make this move. “I’m done trying to convince you both to get out of your own way. You both want to fuck each other—just do it. Who cares if it doesn’t work out in the long run? Maybe if you work out some of that sexual tension, you’ll both be able to talk it out.”

  “I don’t know, Hen..” Pierson sighed.

  “You’re not fucking the entire school, Pierce. Think about it.”

  Pierce didn’t say anything else about the subject, so they finished his room in a mostly quiet environment. Henley spent the time thinking about what his life would be like living with Everly. Would everything be as good as it is now? He could only hope. Now that they were taking the next step in their relationship, Henley was considering involving his parents. His dad probably wanted to know that he was paying for Pierson to stay in their apartment alone. As the supportive parent, Henley wasn’t worried about sharing the part of his life he was hiding. He did, however, fear his mother’s judgment. Pierson was her angel child.

  “Thanks for the help,” Henley said before placing a cigarette between his lips and grabbing his lighter. “The guys coming over tonight?”

  “Nah. Not tonight.” Pierson joined him on their small patio and lit up something herbal. It smelled of citrus and wood. Henley took in a deep breath, the scent combining with his tobacco in the most pleasant way. “Wanna get baked? For old times sake?”

  Henley released the nicotine with a smile, “Why the hell not?”

  ———————————————————————————————

  Henley was tingling from his head to his toes when Everly’s name lit up his screen. His smile was wide and goofier than it was charming. What were they even watching?

  “Hey, baby,” he said through a dry mouth and even drier lips, his eyes barely open.

  “Well, hello there. Someone’s enjoying themselves.” He could hear Everly smiling through the phone.
/>   “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he breathed, almost laughing.

  “Mhm,” she hummed, amused. “How’s the packing going? Are you done?”

  “We’re all finished,” Henley said, releasing the laugh he was holding onto for no reason. He felt like he could cry, the pressure building around his eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so high.

  “That’s good.” She laughed a little in response to him. “I take it you and Pierce are getting along?”

  “We always get along when we’re intoxicated.” He looked to his brother, who was meeting his unfocused stare. “Not always when we’re drunk, I guess.”

  “Ah, well, as long as he’s being nice to you, I won’t kick his ass.”

  Henley smiled to himself, relishing how protective she was. “Don’t have to worry about that tonight. Are you still with Mason?” Before she could reply, he tried to lower his voice some. “I told Pierson to sleep with Mason. I don’t know if he’s going to do it.”

  “I can hear you, idiot,” Pierson said, throwing his empty soda can at him. Cherry coke—Everly’s favorite.

  Everly laughed again. “Well, did you now? Alright. Probably not. They’re both too scared.” Henley could hear Mason asking Everly something on the other side, but he couldn’t make it out. “And yes, I’m still with Mace.”

  His head high was nearly dizzying. He usually preferred more of a body high, but if Pierce was smoking, he knew he was a goner. Pierson liked to smoke himself stupid. Henley felt pretty stupid at the moment, but he couldn’t reign himself back in.

  “God, I miss you. I wish I was there. How pathetic am I?”

  “Pretty pathetic... but I guess that means I am, too. Because I miss you a lot.” There was a moment of silence between them, but it was comfortable, like they were in the same room together, staring at the TV screen. “Do you want me to come get you? There’s no way I’m letting you drive like that. I can take you for ice cream, maybe sober you up a little bit?”

  “What about your best friend activities?” he asked, not against the idea.