Chapter 26
Twenty-Six
Arthur
It’s a quiet night as we take Bree to bed with us. She curls up tight against my side, still in a defensive position, and I worry about the security she lost tonight. Her home is no longer safe, and I can’t imagine how frightening that is.
Luckily, now that it’s summer I’m home during the day, so I can keep Bree company after Bennett and Jack leave for work. She’s quiet at breakfast, and I reach out to hold her hand under the table. She squeezes it, her expression tight and strained.
As Jack insisted, we drive to the police station in my hatchback to file the report.
I know cops won’t be much help, but at least we’re establishing a paper trail should GingerWatchman escalate.
Bennett suggested that with a police report in hand, we might be able to get more information about him from the streaming service.
As I expected, though, the police don’t care at all.
“Did he threaten you?” asks the deputy, looking bored as Bree tells her story.
“No, not exactly,” she says. “But he could be dangerous. He’s already expressed that he hates my boyfriends, and—”
“So, no threat?”
Bree falters, and I curl an arm around her to give her strength.
“I feel threatened,” she says in a firmer voice. “You need to do something.”
The deputy sighs as he pulls out some paperwork and has her fill it out. When she’s done, though, he takes it away, sticks it in a drawer, and tells us he’ll call if they find out anything.
I know that won’t happen. It’s up to us to figure this out, to protect Bree. With Bennett and Jack’s help, though, I know we can, and we don’t need any useless police to do it.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her as we get back in the car. “I had hoped they’d be more helpful.”
She shrugs. “I knew the moment I told them I’m a sex worker that nobody would give a shit.”
I frown, even though this nugget of truth shouldn’t surprise me.
On the way home, we go to the grocery store to get some food Bree will like.
She offers to make dinner, which is usually my job, but she seems like she needs something to focus on.
We decide to cook something elaborate that will take us the whole afternoon, and I’m thrilled to spend hours rolling out dough and simmering meat for a fancy pot pie.
Bree is quiet, though, and I know her whole world has been rocked. I play some fun music on the speakers in the living room while we work, taking every opportunity I can to touch Bree and show her my affection. She smiles a somewhat forlorn smile as I steal a kiss.
“Thank you,” she says quietly, leaning into my shoulder. “I’m glad I have you.”
That night, Jack even beats Bennett home from work. He’s furious when he finds out about our trip to the police station, but there’s nothing he or any of us can do.
After our delicious dinner, we all pile into the SUV and head over to Bree’s house to retrieve her belongings. Jack stands watch at the door as she packs a suitcase full of clothes, then gazes forlornly at her studio.
I pat her back. “Maybe we can set it up in the office. Let’s come back again tomorrow and get your equipment.”
“I don’t want to inconvenience you guys—” she begins.
“You’re not,” snaps Bennett, surprisingly vehement. “I’ll reorganize the office tonight, and we can always put some things into storage for a while.”
I’m glad to see this side of him. We are a united front in making Bree feel welcome in our home.
Once we’ve got her essentials for the next week packed up, it’s time to go. In the car, though, Jack broaches the subject I’ve been afraid to speak aloud.
“You either need to move to a new apartment, or move in with us,” he says in his bossy tone. “You can’t go back to this place now that he knows where it is.”
Bree lowers her head, and I only notice she’s crying when tears dribble onto her lap where we’re holding hands.
“I know,” she says quietly. “I know. I’ll… figure something out. Soon, I promise.”
“There’s no rush,” Bennett interjects. “Whatever you choose, we’ll be there to help out.”
She doesn’t say anything else the rest of the drive home, though, and we don’t push her. She’ll need to decide on her own what comes next without external pressure.
But I hope she picks us.
Bree
It feels like my whole world fell apart overnight. Suddenly, nowhere feels safe, even the satyrs’ home. If he was able to find my address, who knows what he’s capable of?
The next day, Bennett hears back from the streaming service, and they say exactly what I expected them to say: they refuse to divulge any private information about a user without a warrant. And no judge will issue a warrant for a simple note left on a door.
As much as I hate doing it, I announce on social media that I’ll be on another hiatus, though I don’t say why. My viewers are disappointed, as I expected, but I just don’t have it in me to perform even if we get my studio set up at Jack, Arthur, and Bennett’s house.
It’s really the worst time for morning sickness to set in. The next day, I spend hours kneeling in front of the porcelain god. Arthur buys me some antacid, but it doesn’t help, so I end up sleeping for the rest of the afternoon to stave off the exhaustion, both mental and physical.
I wake up to the sound of murmuring outside the bedroom.
“We have to do something,” Jack says quietly, but I can hear him through the door. “It can’t go on like this.”
“I’m digging,” replies Bennett. “I found some of his social accounts, and I think with some detective work, I might be able to figure out who he is.”
“Then we beat the everloving shit out of him, right?” says Arthur. I’m surprised to hear that from him.
Jack answers right away. “We do what we have to do.”
I don’t like the direction this is heading. They feel personally responsible for GingerWatchman, and that’s not right. They’ve already done so much by giving me a place to stay.
Getting out of bed, I open the door, surprising all three of them.
“Stop.” I prop my hands on my hips. “I’m going to get a new place. I’ll start looking tomorrow.”
I don’t miss Arthur’s face falling.
“Oh. Okay.” He jams his hands in his pockets and looks at the floor. “I’ll help you.”
Jack opens his mouth like he’s going to argue, then he takes in my unyielding expression and stops himself.
I feel bad for shooting them down, but I know where this all ends. I have to get a new number, a new address, maybe a new name. I might even have to start my business over, or find a new profession entirely. But I don’t say any of that aloud because I know it would make them angry.
My own anger is enough for me right now.
A week passes. I help Arthur around the house, fixing window screens and assisting with the landscaping.
Everything looks great from the curb, and I think some small family will love living here.
It looks homey and safe, and I almost regret that I’ll have to say goodbye to it when they find a new place to live and I do, too.
Each morning, I open the newspaper to look at available apartments, and search all the online rental groups.
But it’s hard to find something in this market at the same price as what I already have, and I can’t really afford more.
I don’t want roommates and I need two bedrooms, which is a lot to ask of my small budget.
But I can’t stay here either. I worry about GingerWatchman finding me again. What would he do if he discovered I was living with the satyrs? He might just try to burn the place down.
The best thing for everyone is that I find my own spot and make sure it’s discreet.
Over the weekend, I join the guys in house hunting, and it’s the bright spot in my life.
I love seeing all the potential, fantasizing with them about what furniture will go where and which rooms will belong to the babies when they grow up.
It’s a fun exercise to envision their future, where a playset would go in the backyard, or what cupboards the little ones might get into.
The realtor is clearly annoyed, though, when Jack refuses to commit.
“We have to find the perfect thing,” he says, and then his gaze slides over to me. “Somewhere we can envision ourselves living. Somewhere we can all belong.”
The centaur huffs. “I’ve shown you everything in your price range.”
Jack shrugs. “Then I guess we’ll just have to wait until the right thing goes on the market.”
Personally, I don’t know what’s missing in any of the homes we’ve looked at, but it’s his house in the end.
Then, finally, I get a notification for a new place that just opened up. It’s a single room apartment in a gated community, which is exactly what I need. It’s much smaller than my old place, and a lot farther outside of town, but I call them up and schedule a viewing, anyway.
I can see it hurts Arthur when I tell him. I’ve sensed for some time that he wants me to stay, but isn’t willing to say it out loud. So I suppose it’s up to me to broach the issue and clear the air.
Sometimes, if I’m feeling well enough, we go inside for lunch and then have a mid-day naked adventure. I decide to wait until after, when my thighs are coated in satyr cum and Arthur is panting next to me, to bring it up.
“Look,” I begin, stroking the tawny fur on his chest, “I know you want me to move in.”
He freezes under my hand. “Well, uh… I mean…”
“And I hope you know that me looking for a place doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”
His ears perk up and he stares at me. “You love me?”
Oh. I guess I hadn’t said it out loud yet.
“Yeah. I do. I love you a lot.”
His face melts into adoration. “Aw, Bree. I love you, too.” He flings his arms around me and rolls me up in them. “I’m so happy to hear that.” Then he glances down at me. “Bennett? Jack?”
“Well, yeah. All of you mean the world to me.”
Then Arthur’s brow creases. “So why don’t you want to live with us?”
“It’s not about you.” I rub his arm, trying to convey how I feel even though it’s complicated. “I loved having the independence of my own place. I’m afraid to lose that. I don’t want to rely on you and burden you with that.”
He genuinely looks confused. “Why not? You’re a part of our family now, Bree. You’re carrying our fawns. You eat at our table and sleep in our bed. I hate to break it to you, but you’re in it now. And being family means we do rely on each other. We’re better together.”
I like how all of this sounds so much, but is it true? It has felt that way for the last few weeks, like everything just works the way it’s supposed to work. Like we naturally fell into a pattern that makes sense.
“Bree.” Arthur peers down right into my eyes.
“We want you. Don’t ever doubt that. We want you for you and everything that comes with you.
And if that means you want your own place?
Fine. I’ll be disappointed, but I’ll live.
I just want what’s right for you. That’s all Bennett and Jack need, too.
To know that you’re happy with whatever living situation you’re in.
” He leans closer and cradles my face in his hands.
“The thing I don’t want to see is you acting out of fear.
Picking up and moving your entire life because you’re afraid of this guy.
And I think you’re trying to protect us. ”
He’s not wrong. How does Arthur see me so clearly?
I sigh and lie down with my head on his arm, feeling exhausted, and not just because of the pregnancy. I’m emotionally drained from how much I’m carrying, and maybe it’s time to let it go.
“Come on,” he says when I don’t speak. “Let’s go look at that apartment. Then you can decide what to do.”