Chapter 5
FIVE
SEAN
Lauren.
My Lauren.
My Lauren…who is also…Noah’s Lauren.
The words fly out of my mouth before I can stop them. “Fuck me.”
The words must short-circuit Lauren out of her own shock because she takes my hand and jumps up to her feet, staring at Noah as she says, “Sean.”
Noah’s head swivels back and forth between the two of us, confusion lining every feature of his face. “Do you two know each other?”
“No!” Lauren says, at the exact same time that I say, “Yes.”
Noah pauses. “Which one is it?”
My eyes sweep down her body from head to toe.
This is undoubtedly my Lauren. Just with new hair.
I raise an eyebrow at her when she looks back at me like a deer caught in headlights. Her skin is as white as a ghost, which says more than enough considering she was summer-tanned mere seconds ago. Her voice shakes as she responds. “We sorta, kinda know each other.”
Now both of my eyebrows raise as I stare down at her. “So much for that deal of always saying the truth when we’re in each other’s presence.”
Her eyes nearly pop out of her head at those words. Almost as if they were the final confirmation that she’s well and truly fucked. Noah turns his attention from the both of us, solely to her. “Okay, what’s going on? How do you know Sean? What deal is he talking about?”
Almost as if she has the ability to turn blinders on, she chews on her bottom lip and pretends I don’t exist at all. She turns to Noah, saying, “Is there somewhere we can talk? Please?”
It pisses me the fuck off.
One night changed me. I didn’t even know that was possible. I’ve been searching for this girl for over a year now—refusing to date or fuck anyone else—and now, she’s ignoring me entirely.
Whilst dating my goddamned stepson.
What a cosmic fucking joke.
I’ve never seen Noah look so confused, but he simply takes her hand and leads them into the house. And I’m left standing here, jointly wondering what the fuck I’m going to do.
NOAH
Out of my dozens of potential outcomes, I didn’t see this one coming.
And I don’t even truly know how to feel about it.
I run one of my hands through my hair. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more stress in my life. I turn to Lauren as she sits crisscross on my childhood bed.
“So, you and Sean…fucked…before you met me.”
She’s sawing at her bottom lip again. “Yes.”
“And you didn’t know we were close or anything?”
Her head shake is firm. “I would take a lie detector test right now if I could. I haven’t seen him in over a year.”
I turn to look back outside the window overlooking the pool, scanning for the man of the hour.
Ever since we left to talk, the party has dwindled significantly, and I’m both thankful and bummed.
I didn’t want to ruin the man’s birthday, but I also couldn’t let whatever was about to unfold spiral out of control.
I swallow roughly as I ask my next question.
“Do…did he tell you? About us? And sharing?”
Her answer is a quiet whisper. “Yes.”
My eyes close.
Goddamn it.
No wonder she turned white with anxiety. Not only was she panicking about seeing a one-night stand—that happened to be my stepdad—but she probably thought she walked into a threesome with zero consent.
I don’t even have the courage to look back at her when I respond. “Do you think it’s gross?”
Lauren chokes on a laugh. “I literally just told you that I fucked him through a glory hole, and you’re asking me if I find you gross? Don’t you think you should be repulsed by me instead? I’m waiting to get dumped right now.”
Jesus Christ.
I don’t know whether to be extremely turned on right now or even more nervous. But this is something I need to know. “Answer the question, please.”
I jump when her arms snake around my waist. I didn’t even know she got up.
She presses her nose into the middle of my back, nuzzling into my warmth.
Regardless of the plethora of thoughts swarming through my brain, it makes me relax, and I grip one of her hands as she responds.
“No, Noah. I don’t think it’s gross. Everyone is consenting adults, and people like what they like. It’s not like the man raised you.”
I nod my head.
I needed to hear that.
She hesitates before asking, “Have you two been together while we’ve been seeing each other, though?”
I’m instantly shaking my head. I turn around to face her, cupping her heart-shaped face in my hands. My words are raw. “Absolutely not. It’s just been us. And frankly, I think I’m starting to fall in love with you. But I won’t lie that…it’s been a want, sure. But no, no cheating.”
Her lower lip wobbles. “You love me?”
“I do. You make me happy.”
“But…?”
“But…this is what I like. This is what makes me happy. This is what makes us happy. One woman, just for us. Sexually, romantically. Exclusive. That’s why I’ve been so on edge today.
I knew this would come out, somehow. I just didn’t think it would happen like this, with there already being history. ”
She makes a little scoffing sound as if to say no shit, and it makes me smile. “Yeah, I kinda pieced that part together.”
Now it’s my turn to make that odd sound. “So…?”
She instantly knows what I’m questioning. “I’ve never done the whole sharing thing, outside of just sex. I don’t really know how it works.”
I feel guilty for the hope that blooms through me.
She’s not running for the hills, at least.
Lauren continues. “But I’m willing to try. As long as he doesn’t despise my existence.”
I shake my head. “Believe me. He’s told me for literally a year now how he didn’t know if he could share again…because he may have found the one.”
Her eyebrows rise in shock. “The one?”
Deciding to pull a fuck-it moment, I lean down and pick her up, carrying her to the bed.
She lets out the cutest sound of surprise, and when we land on my bed, I make her straddle my lap.
“Mhhm. I was jealous every single time he brought it up. How could I not be? We would fool around sometimes. And I kept wanting to know what was so special about this girl. I wanted to experience that.”
My eyes roll when Lauren settles her weight down on me entirely, and as luck would fucking have it, grinds against the boner I’ve been fighting. A grunt leaves me as she says, “Well, now that you know who she is, what do you think?”
“I think I understand why he’s been so ruined.”
Her eyes line with tears.
I don’t know everything about her past yet, but I know more than enough to conclude that she’s never felt genuinely loved.
And fuck, if I don’t want to change that.
With Sean.
Moving my hands to unbutton her shorts, I hiss out another breath when she grinds into my cock again. “But I regret to inform you both that I need you one more time before we face whatever conversation this will be.”
A giggle leaves her, turning into a moan when I grind up into her. A part of me actually hopes Sean is standing outside the door right now, but I push the thought away anyway.
We have one main rule—no toxicity.
Lauren can’t be any different.
But as she gets up and peels off her clothes, straddling me again stark naked, I ask—more like demand—the one question that’s been turning me on for hours now. I tug a piece of her white hair, forcing her down to me as I growl out, “Fuck me while you tell me what my stepdad did to you.”