Serena
I wake the next morning as the sun shines into the bedroom with Midas’s arms still wrapped around me, holding me close to his chest. His eyes are still closed as sleep holds him. I take the chance to take in the man that was once such a nuisance to me, but now is everything to me.
We had a rocky start, with the bet and the way he treated me, but he has proven to me that he is a better man than he lets the world see. Midas may have a rough exterior, having to be the biggest and baddest guy in the room, but he is such a softy for the ones he cares about. I have seen it when he is with Odin and Zeus, but I never thought I would be one of the people who got to have this part of him.
I take in the sharp line of his jaw that looks like it was cut from marble. His naturally tanned skin that seems to be kissed by the sun. I trail my hand down his chest, feeling every ridge of muscle that lines every inch of his body. He is perfection.
My fingers trail down his abs until they reach his boxers. “If you keep that up, I am going to do everything I have wanted to do to you since the moment I saw you, and we won’t be going to school today.” His voice is gruff from sleep.
I chuckle as I remove my hand from his warm skin and sit up. Midas sits up next to me and looks deep into my eyes. I get easily lost in his amber eyes. The flecks of gold seem more prominent in the morning light streaming in through his window.
“Do you want to talk about last night?” He asks.
“Nope.” I pop the P.
Talking sounds like the worst idea in the world right now. Yes, I know I went through my like thousandth traumatic experience. They are coming so frequently now that they almost seem normal. Just another day of the week. Compartmentalizing works.
He nods his head, accepting that I want to pretend like last night never happened. Life would be easier if I could forget it, but again, compartmentalization. It’s a lifesaver. Unhealthy, yes. Working, also yes.
I get out of his bed and put my dirty clothes back on. Midas has such a hunger in his eyes you would think I was doing a strip tease for him instead of putting on the muddy clothes I wore while running for my life last night.
Once I am dressed, he finally gets up and dresses in a pair of dark jeans, a white t-shirt, and his leather jacket. He places his hand on my back as we walk down the hall to the main living area of the home. Everything is still quiet, and it doesn’t look like his father came home last night.
I silently thank God for that, not wanting to see him. We walk in silence across the lawn towards my house. The door is unlocked, so I open it and find Mom in the kitchen with music playing as she has her cup of coffee. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee is like a wake-up call I didn’t know I needed. I take a step towards the kitchen but stop mid-stride as I remember what I look like.
“Go get changed. I will make you a cup and chat with your mom.” Midas says as he pushes me towards the hallway that leads to my room.
I watch as he walks into the kitchen, distracting my mom so I can shoot down the hall to my room. Once inside, I close the door behind me and peel the nasty clothes off myself. A part of me wants to burn them, but I love my leather jacket and I refuse to lose it.
I toss everything in the laundry hamper before jumping into a quick shower. I set the water as hot as I can take it and quickly get cleaned. Now that I am alone, my mind runs wild as I try to wash those memories away. But it doesn’t matter how much I scrub at my skin, those memories will never leave. The feeling of his hands on me. The way he breathed in my ear. He didn’t speak this time, but I could never forget his voice even if I tried.
Though the way he touched me this time was different than last time. The first time, his hand gripped me in a much less demanding way. Almost like he was reluctant to take me the first time around. But this time, he held on to me like his life depended on it. If it wasn’t for Michael, I would be gone.
Ok. So compartmentalizing works while I’m with others, not by myself. Good to know.
I shut the shower off, not wanting to dwell on the thoughts anymore and knowing I needed to get ready for the day. I dried off as rapidly as I could before dressing in a pair of dark jeans and a baby blue top. I wanted to put my leather jacket on, but it is still coated in mud, leaves, and other debris from last night.
I pull my hair into a high ponytail and apply a light layer of makeup, mainly to hide the dark circles under my eyes. When I feel ready enough to face the day, I walk out of my room and down the hall towards the kitchen. I can hear a hushed conversation between my mom and Midas. Curiosity getting the better of me, I stop at the entrance and listen.
“You are your father’s son, aren’t you, Midas?”
“I am nothing like him.”
“Yes, you are. And I swear to God if you hurt my daughter, you will have to deal with me.”
“The last thing I would ever do is hurt . She has been through enough already, and I will do everything in my power to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I care about her more than I have ever cared about anyone. Whether you believe that or not, it is the truth. You don’t know me well, but someone once told me that we protect the ones we love with everything we have. That is what I plan on doing.”
Mom audibly inhales, shocked by what he just said. She isn’t the only one. I knew how Midas felt, but to hear the words out loud and being spoken to my mother of all people, makes my insides melt. I peek my head around the corner, needing to see the man who basically just confessed his love to me. Midas’s back is to me, and my mom is staring blankly at him, her hand covering her mouth.
“I hope you mean those words, Midas.” Her voice is slightly muffled behind her hand, but the power of her words is strong.
“With every fiber of my being.”
I take this moment to walk in. I clear my throat and both turn towards me. Mom drops her hand from her mouth and gives me her bright smile that has always told me that everything is going to be alright. The one that was always there for me when I was having a bad day, or feeling down.
“Are we ready to go?” I ask.
Midas nods his head before saying goodbye to my mom and walking over to me. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and looks down at me with such a serene look on his face, one he rarely wears. I can’t help but return it.
Mom looks between the two of us, like she is seeing a ghost from her past. I wonder if the guy she used to date back in high school was like Midas. Maybe that’s why she hasn’t said much about the two of us being together. She knows the mistakes of her past. Her past doesn’t dictate my future, I hope she knows that.
I say goodbye and walk out the door with Midas. His bike is still parked on the street between our two houses. Odin and Zeus are already outside waiting, laughing and playing around. I stop my strides as I watch the two of them shove and roughhouse with each other, looking so carefree.
Zeus gets Odin in a headlock and laughs wildly as Odin tries to punch him in the side. A giggle escapes my lips, causing both to stop and look up at me. Odin shoves Zeus off of him before racing towards me. He scoops me up into his arms and twirls us around. I wrap my legs around his hips as I hold on, laughing freely for what feels like the first time in a long time.
After a few more spins, Odin finally puts me down and wraps his arm around me, leading me towards his motorcycle. “Come on, babe. Let’s go to school and pretend like life is normal.”
The morning zoomed by, and it’s already lunchtime. I had to run towards the cafeteria from my last class, hoping just to get a few moments alone with my friends.
I care about the guys so much, but the constant shadows that they have become is… a lot. I understand why. I do. But I need my own space. That was why I went to the lake by myself last night. And after that, they have become even crazier. I wouldn’t be surprised if they chipped me so they can always find me.
They aren’t in the cafeteria when I arrive, and a sigh of relief leaves my lips. I spot Evie, Grace, and Naomi sitting at a table in the back corner of the room, casually chatting. I watch for a moment.
Grace and Naomi are holding hands, looking so in love with each other. They fought their feelings for so long, and to see them finally open and happy makes me feel so happy for them.
I haven’t known them for long, but the three of them have become more important to me than I ever could have imagined. I came to this school with the mentality that I would be a loner. I wasn’t going to make friends or get to know anyone. I planned on keeping my head down until I graduate and then moving back to a life that would have destroyed my soul.
Now, I couldn’t picture my life any other way. Granted, I would love to not have the stalker problem, but besides that, life seems perfect here.
I sit down at the table and greet my friends. The conversation naturally flows as they continue talking. Naomi asks me what is new with me, and I freeze. Completely unsure what to say. Do I tell them the truth, or do I just ignore it like I have been?
Avoidance has been working so far, and that’s my plan. Is it a healthy coping mechanism? No. But it is working for now. The last thing I want to do is drag my friends into this mess. I have no clue what the stalker is capable of, and I wouldn’t want to be the reason that something could happen to them. I love them all, and it would kill me if something happened to any of them.
Evie already almost got caught in this mess. She was there that night, and if it wasn’t for a miracle that she had to go home, she could have been hurt too.
I give them a non-answer, telling them nothing is new with me. Just busy with school and the guys. They don’t push, thankfully, accepting that my life is that boring, and the conversation starts flowing again. I don’t add much, but just being in their company is already making me feel better.
I can feel when the guys walk into the cafeteria. The air turns electric, sending jolts down my spine. I look over my shoulder at the three of them. Déjà vu of my first day here is hitting me hard.
The three of them walk in like they own the room, and all eyes are on them. The only difference this time is that they don’t have a crowd of girls following and touching them. Their eyes are solely focused on me as they walk this way.
I shake my head, not wanting them to pop the bubble I am in right now. I can see Midas not liking my answer, but Odin grabs his arm and drags him to their usual table. I give him an appreciative smile. He responds with a flirty wink that makes my panties wet.
Why does the smallest thing make me horny for them?