Roommates Box Set #4-6

29. Alyssa

29

ALYSSA

“What do we do about this corner, Lyss? There’s no way Nana’s wheelchair can fit through here,” Spencer said. It was a Saturday afternoon, so we were all helping to get Nana’s place ready for her return.

Except the twins. They wanted to help, but their versions of assistance often completely halted our progress. Therefore, they were playing in the spare bedroom Nana had made into a play area. Every so often, we called on them for simple jobs.

I crutched my way over to Spencer. Now that the doctors had cut away the old, clunky cast and given me a smaller one, I was getting quite speedy. The only thing I really couldn’t do was get over here.

Just as our house was higher than Flynn’s, hers was higher than ours. The ground between here and there was uneven and quite steep in spots. Therefore, one of the men always had to carry me over here, although Flynn often joked he’d be happy to saddle up a horse for me.

I peered at the area of the hallway Spencer meant. To widen the passage, we’d need to cut quite a chunk out of the wall. That was going to be a lot of work. “Ask the contractor.”

Flynn happened to pass by just then. He shook his head—and pinched my ass. “Ask the foreperson.”

Spencer wasn’t in the mood. “You two are about as much help as the kids.”

“All right, all right, we’ll get on it.” I made Flynn follow me to the kitchen where all my plans and sketches were. We got right to work after a few minutes of fooling around.

Okay, maybe it was more than a few.

“Don’t let the twins see you,” Raphael said as he walked into the kitchen.

“We’ll be good.”

“Yeah. Good ,” Flynn said as if it was a foreign word. To him, it possibly was.

Overall, the renovation of Nana’s house was going well. Like Rafe’s house, hers had been built a long time ago, with lots of additions and changes over the years. Some parts were up to code and some weren’t. Some walls met at right angles and some floors were level—and others definitely weren’t.

We’d had some surprises along the way. There were bad ones, like lead paint, and some interesting ones, like a cache of vintage girlie magazines hidden in the wall. All three of my men had shown interest in that. But hey, I didn’t mind if they looked at pin-up girls as long as they provided free labor—and turned their attention to me at night.

Still, there was a lot of stress. We’d promised Nana she could come home as soon as the doctors released her, and that was happening next week. I didn’t know if we could get everything ready in time.

Though I slept a lot better now—and usually not alone—the following night I felt restless. Raphael cuddled me close, but I just couldn’t turn my brain off. Finally, I managed to wiggle out of Raphael’s arms without waking him.

As quietly as possible, I made my way to the deck. The night air chilled me, but it also felt good. I sat at the table and gazed at the stars, trying to still my racing brain.

Part of it was concern about getting Nana’s place ready in time, but that wasn’t all that was bothering me. It was easier to get around now, thanks to the smaller cast and my improved crutching skills. Which meant that it was about time I returned to Zee Tech. A few weeks ago, I would’ve been thrilled at that thought, but now I wasn’t sure.

I used to complain about being bored here, but now I couldn’t imagine what life would be like without bedtime stories with the kids, breakfast with the guys, physical therapy exercises with Rafe, or sign-language lessons with the kids. I didn’t want to miss any of those things, and I knew I would once I got back to work. I still texted McKenna and Dan from time to time, and they’d told me about the incredibly long hours they were working.

I intended to use every day of the six weeks Zee Tech had given me, but I still worried about what would happen once I went back.

As I mulled it over, I leaned back in my chair, my gaze scanning lazily over the deck—until I suddenly saw something staring back at me.

I shrieked and then clapped my hand over my mouth. Crap, what was that?

Slowly, I reached for my crutches, not wanting to scare the creature—mostly because I didn’t want it to make any sudden movements and scare me. But then there was a sound in the yard and it—I was pretty sure it was a raccoon—slipped through the bars of the railing and disappeared.

A moment later, heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. I didn’t even have time to worry about who it was because Flynn was already approaching me. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“What?”

“I heard you. Are you okay?”

“Oh. Yes. It was a raccoon.”

He pulled out a chair and sat next to me. “And it, what, mugged you?”

I chuckled. “No, it just surprised me.”

“Yeah, they can do that. They can also be total pains in the ass. That’s why we lock the garbage up so tight around here.”

“You do?”

He laughed. “I suppose they don’t send you to take out the trash much.”

“Nope, that’s not one of my chores.”

“They can startle you if you’re not expecting it,” Flynn said. “Armadillos, too.”

“You have those here?”

“Yep. A few years ago, I took the kids camping out in the woods and an armadillo crashed into the side of the tent. It scared the crap out of Lucas, but Charlotte just slept on, since she couldn’t hear it.”

“That’s nice that you took them camping.”

“I should again sometime, but they’d want to sleep in the treehouse, not a tent.”

“Probably.” I reached out with my good leg and pressed my toes against his calf playfully. “I have some rather fond memories of that treehouse myself.”

“I bet you do. So how come you’re not inside with one of the men of the house wrapped around you like a barnacle, dreaming naughty dreams?”

“Couldn’t sleep.” It felt like I’d used that phrase a lot over the past month. “Why are you up?”

“Sick lamb.”

“Is it going to be okay?”

He shrugged. “I think so. I was about to head to bed when I heard you.”

“I’m sorry I kept you up.”

He grinned. “You’re good at keeping me up. Since you can’t sleep anyway, why don’t you come over to my place and not sleep there?”

“Your place?” For some reason, that took me by surprise. I’d never even been inside his house, just the barn a few times to see the animals.

“Yeah. You sleep in Spence and Rafe’s bed—why not mine?”

There was no reason I could think of. Except the others might worry if they woke up and found me gone.

“Leave a note,” Flynn said after I told him that. He put his hand out as if composing in midair. “’Dear losers. I’m going to Flynn’s house to be his sex slave for life. All the best, Alyssa.’”

I giggled.

“What’s wrong with that?” he asked. “You can put a little smiley face after it.”

I just shook my head and got to my feet. “Give me a few minutes to put on some real shoes and write a note. I may edit your draft just a bit.”

He stood too and caught my face in his hands. He gave me an extremely thorough kiss. “Don’t be long.”

Flynn’s bedroom wasn’t what I was expecting. The bed was large, the furniture dark—it didn’t actually look that much different than Raphael’s. I’d thought it might be more exotic. Or even more erotic, like with handcuffs or floggers hanging on the wall.

It was exciting to be with all three of the men, but I also loved one-on-one time. When we were alone, Flynn was less bossy and more tender—sometimes. It depended on the mood he was in. Tonight, he took great care to make me come hard before he plunged inside me. He wielded his cock like he wielded his tools —with precision and power. He kept me whimpering, gasping, and begging for what felt like hours. But from time to time he paused to kiss me on the lips and to make sure he wasn’t hurting my leg.

When we both came to shuddering, body-rocking climaxes, he collapsed on his side next to me. Drowsily, I ran my fingers across his bare chest. Even when I was only half conscious, I loved the feel of his sculpted muscles under my hand. “That was incredible,” I whispered. We were alone in the house, but the darkness and shared intimacy made me want to speak quietly.

Evidently, Flynn felt the same. He nuzzled his nose against my neck. “Yes, it was.” He ran his finger across my lips and then gave me a soft kiss. “I love you, Alyssa.”

It took a moment to register. I felt love for him and for all of them, but none of us had ever said it before. “I love you too,” I breathed back, thrilled to be able to say it out loud.

He loved me.

That meant more to me than he could ever know. I wrapped my arms around him and drew him to me, my bad leg resting on top of his. It was easier to do that now the cast was smaller.

But as soon as my cast brushed against his leg, he tensed. Then he groaned, pushing away from me.

“What is it?” Had I somehow hurt him?

“Don’t say that, Alyssa.” His voice was full of pain. “Don’t.”

I was flabbergasted. “What’s wrong, Flynn?”

“It’s my fault. All of it. Your leg—Lucas—it was all my fault.”

“No it wasn’t. It was just bad timing. The kite just?—”

He didn’t appear to hear me. “I made you scream. I did that to you.”

“What?” His voice was like an anguished howl. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“Yes, I did.” He pressed his face against the pillow, and I could barely hear him. “When you were lying in the street. Your leg was twisted under you and the circulation was cut off, and I didn’t want you to lose it. So I twisted it back into place, and you screamed so loudly. God, I’m so fucking sorry. It was all my fault.”

“But my leg’s okay,” I protested. I reached for him, but he scooted back. “If anything, you saved it.”

“But you were there, in the goddamn street in the first place, because of me.” He sat up. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”

I’d never seen him this upset, and I didn’t think I’d ever heard him apologize before. It scared me—not because I felt unsafe, but because he was so anguished. Had he been holding in these bad thoughts ever since that awful day?

Flynn pushed away from the bed and stumbled into the living room, leaving a trail of covers strewn on the floor. Rather than try to grab my crutches and chase after him, I reached for my phone.

Spencer answered on the second ring. “Lyss, are you okay? Is it the twins? I’ll be right down.”

“No, wait, it’s not them, it’s Flynn. I’m over at his house, and he needs you.”

“What? Is he hurt?”

“I don’t think so. Please, can you just come over here? I wish Raphael could too, but someone has to stay with the twins.”

“I’ll be right over.”

By the time I crutched my way out to the living room, Spencer was pounding on the door. Flynn was on the sofa, his head buried in his hands as he leaned against the arm of the couch. He made no move to get the door, but it didn’t matter. Spencer evidently had a key, because the locks clicked and then he was there.

He strode immediately to my side and took me by the shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I said shakily. I fell into his embrace and clung to him, but I knew that my need for him wasn’t as strong as Flynn’s. Though I didn’t want to, I stepped away from the comfort of his arms and nudged him toward the sofa.

“Flynn?” His deep voice was full of concern. “What’s going on?”

At first there was no answer. Spencer asked twice more before Flynn said, “It’s all my fault.” It sounded like each word was ripped from his throat.

Spencer sat on the sofa and put his hands on Flynn’s shoulders. “What’s your fault?”

“The accident. Her getting hurt. And Lucas—god, Lucas almost?—”

“But he didn’t,” Spencer said. It was clear he was upset, too, but his voice was calm and firm for his brother.

“And I’m okay,” I said, coming over to sit on an ottoman by Flynn.

“I was on the phone,” Flynn said, his voice full of regret. “There was this newbie vet over in Basil Creek, and this mare was having a breach birth, and he didn’t know what to do… why didn’t I just tell him to call someone else?”

I reached out to squeeze Flynn’s knee. Spencer shook his head, perhaps worried that Flynn didn’t have control of himself, but I had to touch him. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“It was.” His voice was muffled as he cradled his head in his hands. “I nearly got you both killed.”

“You didn’t mean to, Flynn. We all know that.” Spencer tried to pull Flynn away from the arm of the sofa, but his brother shook him off.

“It wasn’t his fault,” I insisted, this time to Spencer.

“It was,” Flynn groaned.

“No, it wasn’t. Flynn, I was there. I saw what happened.”

Both brothers looked at me, and I realized that I’d never told them what had happened that day from my point of view. Flynn’s face looked awful, all pale and creased, but at least he’d looked up.

“Lucas was going to stop,” I said as firmly as I could.

“I thought he chased the kite string into the street,” Spencer said, tension in his voice.

“He was chasing the kite, but he wasn’t going to run right into the street. He was slowing down, but then Charlotte fell.”

Flynn’s mouth opened in surprise. “I’d forgotten that.”

“He heard her fall, and he turned around and tripped backwards over the curb. And then he couldn’t regain his balance.”

“God, Alyssa, if you hadn’t been there—” Spencer looked nearly as upset as Flynn.

I knew this was hard for him to hear, but I wanted to make sure Flynn understood. “Even if you hadn’t been on the phone, I doubt you would’ve run after Lucas, because he was stopping. There would’ve been no reason for you to think he wouldn’t.”

Flynn’s face was still white, but there were a few red splotches of color. “I still shouldn’t have been on the phone.”

“Bad things can happen very quickly,” I told him. “You can’t guard against all of them.”

“I should have. It was on my watch that you got hurt, and Lucas almost…”

“But he didn’t,” I said firmly, taking his hand in both of mine. “And I’m okay. Honestly. Yes, it was rough in the beginning, but now my life is good again. Better than I ever imagined, actually.” I included Spencer in my gaze and wished that Raphael was here.

Flynn’s voice was still hoarse. “I’ll never forgive myself for being on the phone.”

“But we will,” Spencer said.

“You shouldn’t.”

“That’s what families do,” I said. Maybe not the family I’d been born into, but this new family I was living with, or with my brother and friends like Kylie and Sierra.

Flynn turned to Spencer. “I thought you hated me.”

“No.” Spencer’s voice was quiet but sincere. “But it was hard for me to be around you at first, because it reminded me of what might have happened.”

Flynn stared at his brother. “Same here. I’d look at you and feel so damn guilty.”

I reached a hand out to Spencer so that I was touching them both. “It was awkward for both of you. For all of us, actually—but I honestly think we’re coming out on the other side of this. We’ll never forget, but things are good now, aren’t they?”

Spencer nodded. Flynn hesitated for a long time, but then he nodded, too.

“One thing I don’t get is, if seeing Flynn reminded you of what almost happened, why didn’t seeing at me do the same thing?”

“Because you needed help,” Spencer answered. “And I was so damn grateful that I wanted to do everything in my power to make things better for you. So when I looked at you, I didn’t think of the accident—I thought about how I could make things easier for you.”

“I thought I somehow drove a wedge between you two,” I said quietly.

Spencer stared at me and then pulled me over, settling me on the sofa between him and his brother. “We sure blamed ourselves for a lot of things.” His arm went around my shoulder, and Flynn clutched my hand. “Makes me wish Raphael were over here so he could confess his guilty secrets, too.”

Spencer was trying to lighten the mood, but he had a point. “Maybe he already did, when he said how hard it was for him to see you with me.”

“Maybe,” he said. Then he stood up, pulling me to my feet. “Come on, let’s go back to the house.”

I wanted to, but I was still worried about Flynn.

“You too,” Spencer said, and my heart lightened when I realized we didn’t have to leave him here alone. “There’s plenty of room on the bed. Maybe we’ll even drag Raphael’s ass up there, too.”

Flynn looked up at us with dazed eyes. “I’ll be okay.” His voice was still ragged, but steadier than before. “I just need some space.”

“Well, you’re not getting any,” Spencer said. “Come with us.”

“Please?” I added.

Finally, he nodded. I reached out my hand and he took it. Later, I fell asleep with Flynn’s arms wrapped around me and the other two men I loved close by.