22. Willow
CHAPTER 22
WILLOW
TAKE ON THE WORLD - YOU ME AT SIX
“You trust me?” Killian rumbles.
“I’m not entirely sure.”
He keeps me pinned against his side so that I don’t trip over while I’m blindfolded. I’m not a huge fan of surprises, and I have no idea what he’s planning. I haven’t left the cabin in a while, so Killian seems determined to get me out.
My foot hits what feels like a rock, and I almost stumble. He catches me mid-fall and instead of guiding me by hand, I’m lifted into his burly arms instead.
“Kill!”
“I’ve got you, baby.”
The note of satisfied possession in his voice sends a shiver down my spine. If I thought he was protective before the miscarriage, the past two weeks have revealed his certified obsession with keeping me safely cocooned within his reach.
“Why do I need to be blindfolded?”
“I told you. It’s a surprise.”
“You know, I hate surprises.”
“You’re not gonna hate this one,” he says knowingly.
The scent of pine trees and spring blossoms perfuses the warm air around us. I’ve stayed cooped up in their cabin while recuperating, but it feels good to be outside. The transfusion took its toll, worsened by the trauma of everything that’s happened.
For the first few days, I was too exhausted and broken to even move. The guys looked after Arianna, doting on me and bringing the medication I was sent home with. It was nice at first, but I’m ready to be a bit more independent now.
“If you’re taking me to see Lola, then don’t bother.”
Killian sighs. “You can’t avoid her forever.”
“Sure I can.”
“She’s dropped by every day to try and see you.”
“I said no. I’m not talking to her.”
His arms tighten around me. “She’s hurting right now. I know you’re angry with her, but she deserves a chance to explain herself at least.”
My heart twinges. “Would you give her a chance?”
“Yeah. I would.”
I haven’t had the strength to face Lola and learn the truth about my mother. If I start to pull at that thread, I don’t know if I’ll be able to hold everything together for Arianna’s sake. I’m already struggling to be a parent as it is.
“Nearly there,” he reveals.
“We’ve barely walked anywhere. Are we at Ryder’s cabin?”
“Nope. Keep your eyes closed.”
Setting me back down on my feet, Killian slowly removes the blindfold, and I keep my eyes squeezed shut. He takes my hand, leading me two more steps before halting.
“Okay. Open them.”
I peel my eyes open and blink hard. We’ve walked across the cobbled road. I’m staring at the abandoned cabin the guys grew up in, but something has changed. I can actually see through the previously grimy windows now.
Glancing around, I realise the overgrown jungle of a garden has been tamed, chopping down huge tufts of weeds and wildflowers that previously made the path impassable. The outside is different too. It looks almost brand new.
The wooden panels of the cabin have been stripped down, sanded and stained a flawless brown colour, highlighting the natural lines of the cherry wood. There’s a massive red velvet bow wrapped around the garden gate.
“What is this?”
“Your home,” Killian says simply.
“I don’t understand. This is your home.”
“We want you and Arianna to live here.”
I gape up at him. “What?”
Ducking down to my height, Killian cups my cheeks in his palms. “It’s yours, Willow. We changed the deeds and everything. This is your cabin now.”
“You… did that? For me?”
“I would do fucking anything for you. We all thought that you should have a space you can call your own. I know living with us three can’t be easy.”
I’m too shocked to form a coherent thought. Killian grins at me, placing another kiss on the tip of my nose. His lips meet mine next and his kiss sets alight fiery butterflies in my belly. He’s giving me a home. My own slice of Briar Valley.
An excited hoot breaks our kiss.
“Babe!” Zach bellows.
Killian takes a step back. “Incoming.”
Jogging over to us in his usual tight blue jeans and plain t-shirt, Zach throws his arms in the air in a dramatic ta dah motion.
“So, what do you think?”
All I can do is stare at them both.
“Say something,” Killian urges.
Zach studies my face. “I think she checked out.”
“We’ve officially broken her brain.”
“You’re the one that ordered the fucking bow!” Zach accuses.
“It was your idea,” he hits back. “I warned you it was too much.”
Tuning their usual bickering out, I stare up at the cabin in awe. It feels like the ground has given out beneath me. I’ve never owned a house before, or even lived alone.
A grumbling engine pulls up on the grass verge. Ryder waves at me from behind the wheel of the restored VW beetle he’s been working relentlessly on.
“The party has arrived,” he shouts.
Arianna leaps out of the passenger seat in a blur of hyperactive energy, but she still obediently waits for Ryder to take her hand, so they walk over together. She’s attached herself to him in particular, loving his playful energy.
“Mummy! Mummy!”
I catch her easily, propping her on my hip. “Hey, baby.”
“Micah said there’s a present here for me.”
Right on time, the door to the studio over the road slams shut. Micah appears, jogging across the grass. He’s back in his messy clothes, and his light brown hair is sticking up in all directions with streaks of dried clay flaked on his cheeks.
When he spots us outside the cabin, a smile spreads across his lips, causing his pierced nose to curl up in a satisfied grin. Smiling transforms his entire appearance, brightening his usually sullen aura.
“Am I too late?” he greets, tucking an arm around my waist. “Sorry, angel. Time ran away with me after my phone appointment with Doctor Holmes.”
“You’re right on time.”
“Oh, good. I was worried.”
Micah pecks a gentle kiss against my cheek. Between all of the touching, I’m feeling hot and bothered. After coming out of the hospital, it was clear that something had changed. They’re all touchy-feely now, even in front of each other.
It freaked me out at first, but when it became clear that all they wanted was to make me feel at home in their cabin, I soon got used to being the centre of their attention. Just don’t ask me what this all means. That I don’t know.
“Are we all here now?” Zach squeals. “I’m so fucking excited.”
“Language,” Killian scolds him. “There are little ears present.”
Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, he pulls out a set of keys on another neatly tied velvet bow. Killian hands them to me with a pleased smirk contorting his lips.
“Here you go.”
Arianna watches me take them. “What’s that?”
Taking her from me, Killian lifts her up into the air before swinging her around until she’s squealing. “You like living here, peanut? In Briar Valley?”
“Of course!” She smiles wanly.
“Would you like a princess’s castle all for yourself?”
Her mouth falls open and her brilliant blue eyes widen with even more excitement. The way that Killian beams down at her takes my breath away. His inner grumpy asshole is nowhere in sight around my little girl.
“This is your new home, Ari.”
Following his pointed finger, she looks up at the cabin and lets out an ear-shattering scream that can probably be heard from across the valley. Arianna takes off at full speed, running towards the repaired porch steps.
Killian snorts. “I’ll take that as she’s pleased.”
Zach tucks me into his side, while Micah bravely takes my other hand. With both of them touching me, my skin begins to tingle. They’ve been doing this a lot. I quite like being sandwiched between the twins and their built chests.
“Ready to go inside?” Zach asks excitedly.
“As I’ll ever be.”
Micah squeezes my fingers. “Let’s go in.”
With the front door unlocked, we all filter inside the empty cabin. The small kitchen and living room are lit by bare bulbs hanging from the high, gabled ceiling. It needs a good clean and a fresh lick of paint, but the space is spacious and airy.
It’s big enough to fit our whole group comfortably, the entire room lined with floor-to-ceiling windows that let the natural light in. I twirl on the spot, lost for words.
“I want to see my bedroom!” Arianna yells.
Running towards the back of the cabin, she shouts for me to follow. Still holding Micah’s hand for support, I duck inside the three decent sized bedrooms that lead off a carpeted hallway.
They’re all empty and lined with original wooden floors, gleaming with fresh varnish that highlights all of the stunning imperfections. It’s a complete blank canvas.
“I’ll give you a moment,” Micah offers.
Pressing a kiss to my knuckles that leaves me blushing, he releases me and returns to the kitchen where Zach and Ryder are talking about replacing the admittedly dated cabinets.
I step into the master bedroom at the very back of the cabin, noting the wet white paint covering the walls. The thud of heavy footsteps soon joins me.
“I wanted to get it all painted in time, but we can do the rest together.” Killian’s firm pectorals meet my back. “We also need to go furniture shopping.”
“You’re not spending money on us again.”
His breath stirs my hair. “Don’t fight me on this, baby. We give all newcomers the same treatment. Arianna will need to choose all her princess crap herself though.”
“Don’t fancy shopping for pink sheets?”
Turning me in his arms, Killian slides a finger beneath my chin to tilt my lips up to his. His eyes bore into me, full of heat. They’ve treated me like broken glass, giving me time to rest and heal. Now, he’s looking at me like a starved man.
“I’m more interested in choosing your bed and breaking it in.” His teeth playfully nip my bottom lip. “I called first dibs.”
“First dibs?”
He gives me a crooked smile. “Yep. We need to christen every single room.”
“Sounds like a challenge.”
“I think that I’m up to the task.”
Feeling brave, I decide to take a risk.
“What does this all mean, Kill? The four of us?”
“Well, the twins are enamoured with you, and I’ve made my feelings very clear. We’re all done hiding the way we feel. Life’s too short, right?”
“What are you saying?” I breathe unsteadily.
“I’m saying that we want to be with you. All of us. I know it’s unconventional, but this is Briar Valley. We don’t do normal here. It’s fucking overrated.”
The look in his fire-lit eyes is almost frenetic. I feel dizzy with the overwhelming urge to throw my arms around him and take this leap into the unknown. I want to be happy, but I can’t choose. They’re all so special to me.
Killian’s brows furrow. “What is it?”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to choose.”
“No one is asking you to choose.”
“But you will one day, won’t you?”
He shakes his head. “No, we won’t ever make you choose. We want you and if you want us back… then we’re yours. That’s it. We’ll find a way to make this work.”
“Someone might get hurt.”
“What’s life without risk?” he points out.
Seizing a flicker of courage, I twine my arms around his thick neck and stretch up onto my tiptoes to kiss him. We’ve barely touched since the miscarriage. I didn’t think I ever wanted to be touched again after all the pain and turmoil.
I’m ready to change my mind. Killian’s lips seize mine in a fevered dance, his tongue pushing into my mouth as he grabs my hips tight. Going with what feels natural, I draw my legs up and hook them around his waist.
Killian holds me against his huge frame, his hands moving to knead my butt. I can feel every hardened inch of him. His erection is pressing into me, and the emotional hell of the past two weeks dissipates.
“I want to be the first one to fuck you in this room,” he whispers. “I’m going to bend you over the bed and bury my cock inside that tight little cunt of yours.”
“Better buy a bed then,” I moan back.
“It’s the first thing on my list.”
His mouth slants against mine, our tongues dancing together. Palm smacking against my ass cheek, he keeps me attached to his waist, our bodies flush together. If we were alone, I’d take him right now.
No one would blame me for never wanting to sleep with another man for the rest of my life. But over the months I’ve been here, my mistrust and fear has been chipped away. They’ve given me the time and space to embrace my sexuality again.
“Mummy! Come see my bedroom!”
Killian gasps as he breaks the kiss, setting me back on my feet before she catches us in a compromising position.
“She’s going to be a cockblock, isn’t she?” he groans.
“Oh, for sure. Welcome to life with kids.”
“Awesome. I’ll end up locking her out of the damn cabin.”
“Killian!” I exclaim.
“Only joking.”
He takes his time kissing me again, exploring every inch of my mouth in a tender caress. Breathless, I’m dragged from the bedroom when he’s done driving me wild.
We step inside Arianna’s bedroom a few metres down the hall. She’s claimed the second biggest room and lays spreadeagled on the wooden flooring in a star shape.
“Ari! You’re far too small for all this space.”
She pouts at me as she rolls around. “No, I’m not. It’s perfect! I’m a growing girl, you know. I’ll be as tall as the giant soon.”
Killian snickers. “You tell her, peanut.”
I punch his shoulder. “Behave.”
Leaving Arianna to explore her new room, we walk back into the kitchen. Zach and Micah are measuring the many windows for new curtains, but they both stop to look back at us, noting our hands tangled together.
Their identical smiles make it almost impossible to tell them apart for a mind-bending second. If it wasn’t for their slightly different hair lengths and Micah’s nose piercing, I’d be in serious trouble. Even their grins are identical.
“You know, I heard the most delicious noise a moment ago.” Zach lifts the tape measure up, acting coy. “Did you hear it too, Mi?”
Micah blushes beet-red. “Well, maybe. Um, no. I don’t know.”
Laughing hard, Ryder doubles over. “Such a smoothtalker.”
Zach is staring at his twin brother like he’s an alien stranded on earth. “You’re really starting to cramp my style, little brother.”
“I’m literally three minutes younger than you.”
“And don’t you forget it either.”
“You ain’t so smooth yourself, kid,” Killian chips in.
Looking horrified, Zach lays a hand over his heart. “I am far more charming than your uncivilised ass. You have about as much appeal as a grizzly bear.”
“Maybe I like grizzly bears,” I say with a wink.
Fist-pumping in a very non-Killian manner, he takes the tape measure from Zach’s hands and resumes measuring all the windows. They all start arguing about some structural changes that I don’t understand.
Their voices fade out as I survey the cabin, feeling light for the first time in weeks. This is it—the fresh start we wanted. I’m not na?ve though. I know we have got a long way to go yet.
The guys still want answers about my past. I’ve begged them to be patient with me, and they’ve backed off while I took the time to rest and recuperate. But their patience is going to expire sooner rather than later. Lola’s too.
Regardless of the trouble ahead, this moment feels like a step in the right direction for the first time. Without planning it, I’ve ended up with three incredible people by my side.
I’ll get through the dark days to come.
I trust them to save me from myself.