48. Rae
Rae
Iinsisted I didn’t need to be taken to the hospital, yet I’m currently sitting in the back of an ambulance.
I already know the news is going to have a field day with all the cops and emergency vehicles at my house.
I can see the headlines now. I don’t need to make things worse by going to the hospital when I’m fine.
I mean, as fine as I can be. I’m scared shitless, and my head is killing me, but I’m alive and that’s what matters.
I also wouldn’t let Grayson and Asher leave my side.
Not that they were trying to, but the paramedics were insisting they need to be looked at as well and the cops were trying to talk to all of us.
Another car pulls in. The cops that are blocking the entrance try and stop them, but I see it’s my dad’s car and tell them to let them through.
My mom doesn’t wait for them to move; instead she jumps out of the car and jogs over to me, tears in her eyes as she cups my cheeks.
“Honey, oh my God, what happened?”
“I’m okay, Mom, it looks worse than it is,” I try to tell her, glad she didn’t see how much blood there was before they cleaned me up and put the bandages over the cut.
“I’m so sorry,” she starts to cry and I pull her in for a hug.
“Why would you be sorry?” I question.
She sniffs and tries to hold herself together, looking at me once again. “I’m just sorry this happened.” She looks to Grayson and Asher who stepped back a little to give us space. “I’m glad you both helped her.”
“Of course.” Grayson nods.
“Always,” Asher agrees.
My dad runs over, pulling my mom and me into a hug, like he needs to hold us both to know that we’re right here.
“If I see who did this, he’s dead,” my dad declares and I huff out a breath.
“They took him already. But I think you’d have to get in line,” I tell him, and he looks up at Grayson and Asher.
“Thank you for keeping my girl safe,” he tells them both. If anyone was going to be worried about how my dad would react to our relationship, I don’t think he could be mad at either of them now.
My mom mumbles into our group hug, “I don’t think she’s your girl anymore.”
“She’ll always be my girl, Superstar.”
I hug my parents tighter, loving that they so easily accept something many probably wouldn’t. Even if this didn’t happen, and how I wish it didn’t, they would always be here for me and would accept and love me and who I’m in a relationship with.
The sound of more cars approach, and I tense, anticipating the media circus that’s about to occur.
“Who called my parents?” Grayson asks, and I look up to see Colton and Brynn rushing out of their own car that just pulled up.
“Please tell me you guys didn’t call in the entire assembly,” I grumble.
“I just called Brynn,” my mom explains.
More cars pull up.
“And then she probably called Chandler,” she continues. “Who I’m sure called Audrey.”
I groan. So much for this not becoming a circus.
“Mom? Dad?” Grayson questions, and I look up from my parents hug to see Brynn throw herself into her son’s arms.
“Are you okay? Is Rae—” Brynn cries, looking up at Grayson, then over to me, and then throws her arms around both my mom and me.
“I’m okay.” I think I’ll be saying those two words a lot for a while.
They drop their arms, and I look over at Asher who shifts on his feet. I notice when he moves to push his hands into his pockets he winces in pain. I scoot closer to him even as I hear the rest of the crew arriving.
“You’re hurt,” I state.
“I’m fine.”
“So am I.” I give him a look because we both are lying.
Grayson closes the distance between us, and wraps me in his arms. I accept his affection, needing it.
I don’t even think twice about lifting my chin, silently signaling what I want from him.
Without hesitation he drops his lips onto mine for a gentle kiss.
At the same time, I reach my hand out to Asher, grabbing his and pulling it toward me.
“Finally,” I hear my mom sigh.
I break the kiss with Grayson and look over at our moms who are embracing each other tightly while Chandler approaches followed by Vince, Brent, and Matt. Audrey and Charlie aren’t far behind either.
“We’ll officially be sisters,” Brynn squeals, holding onto my mom. I’m glad they’re finding a small bright spot in this situation; it makes me laugh.
“Me too, kind of!” Audrey announces joining their hug, which they accept easily.
Colton looks from them toward my dad. “You okay with this?”
My dad just shrugs. “Do I have a choice?”
Matt comes up to my dad, slapping a hand on his shoulder. “If you want to kick Wheeler’s ass, I’ll back you up.”
My dad scoffs, “I’m not beating up a kid.”
I roll my eyes at him still calling Grayson a kid.
“I’m not talking about that Wheeler. His dad.” Matt nods toward Colton.
“Why would I want to fight him?” My dad shoves Matt lightly.
“Because his kid is with yours. I know if anyone touches either of my girls, they’ll pay.”
I roll my lips together but keep to myself how I don’t think Evie and Maya are going to be virgins forever.
But I especially keep to myself the crush I know Maya has on my brother.
I don’t think anything has happened between them, and maybe nothing ever will.
If it did, it sounds like my dad wouldn’t have the chance to be a pacifist.
“What about Mann?” Matt asks, referring to Charlie. “Want to fight him?”
“McQuaid, I’m not fighting anyone,” my dad huffs.
“That’s no fucking fun,” Matt grumbles.
“Well, I’m glad our moms are happy about us,” I try and joke.
Asher pulls me into him, pressing his lips against my hair. “Wouldn’t matter either way, we aren’t going to let you go.”
I look up at him with a small smile. “Good, because there’s no one that could ever take me away from you guys.”
Matt’s voice draws my attention. “I’m just saying, if I were you, I’d do something about it.”
“I think now would be a good time to remind you that you are in a polyamorous relationship too,” Colton emphasizes.
“I don’t want either of my girls with a guy like me either.” He throws his hands up and drops them down.
“That’s reassuring.” Chandler shakes her head at her partner.
“To be fair, I don’t really want them with a guy like you,” Vince adds unhelpfully.
“I don’t remember asking you.” Matt turns to him.
I look up to Asher. “Did you miss this?”
“Did I ever tell you about the coaches at the gym I trained at?”
I furrow my eyebrows, not sure what this has to do with anything, and shake my head.
He nods. “I will, but this isn’t anything new to me.” He tilts my head up to tease a kiss over my lips. “And yes, I did kind of miss this.”
After we manage to convince the cops, paramedics, and our entire families to leave I let out a sigh of relief. Though, walking back into my house has a wave of panic coming over me again. Even with Grayson and Asher with me, I turn around, unable to look at them.
“I don’t want to be here,” I state firmly.
“Then we don’t have to be. Let’s go to my house,” Grayson suggests easily.
I expect Asher to argue with him, but he doesn’t.
He does, however, guide me to his car and when I expect Grayson to argue with him, he doesn’t.
I don’t know if they’re being civil for me and what I went through tonight. Or maybe they are truly accepting this as our reality.
As soon as I sit in the seat, my head lolls back and I close my eyes, the weight of everything hits me. I can’t even open my eyes when I hear Asher climb in and start the car.
We start to move, the jolt has the flash of a memory of Collins hand whipping out with the butt of the knife and hitting my head.
My eyes shoot open as I gasp, and Asher looks over at me, immediately grabbing my thigh.
I take his hand in my own, trailing my fingers over the wrap the paramedics put around his knuckles, even though he tried to insist he didn’t need it.
Neither of us say anything at first, I just hold onto his hand while it rests on my leg, and he follows Grayson’s car to his house.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” he admits, and I can hear how much it bothers him.
“You couldn’t have known.” I shake my head. “But you came.”
“We always will.”
I smile at him saying “we.”
Again, we’re quiet, but I don’t mind it. I feel grounded with his hand on me, but I can’t close my eyes again. I don’t want to remember everything right now. As tired as I am, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to go to sleep without the painful memories resurfacing.
“I talked to my sister,” Asher admits quietly.
“You did?” My eyes widen in shock.
“Yeah, turns out you were right.” He laughs lightly, and I’m thankful for the distraction of his confession.
I smile. “I usually am.”
He squeezes my hand. “Turns out we have more in common than I realized. And she didn’t know about me.”
“If she did, you have to know she would have been in your life sooner.”
“I know,” he admits, looking over at me with a small smile. “I also told my coach back at Uncaged I want to stay in Denver.”
I freeze, afraid if I make too sudden of a movement that’ll change what he just told me. “R-really?”
“Yeah, I have something pretty important here I don’t want to leave.” He looks at me, and I can’t muffle my smile even if I tried.
I want to tell him I love him right now, because I do. I fucking love this man. But I want to tell them both because it’s not just Asher and me. And it’s not just Grayson and me. It’s all three of us. Which is exactly how it should be.
Grayson’s house isn’t far from mine, and as we pull up, I already feel myself relaxing. I hate that my house won’t be a safe place for me anymore, but having these two with me will help.
My door is opened as soon as we stop, and Grayson is there pulling me out, holding me against him while we walk inside and Asher follows closely behind us. Once we’re inside, I feel better not being in the space of the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.
Grayson spins me in his arms, cupping my face to force my eyes up to his. Without an ounce of hesitation, he opens his mouth and confesses easily, “I love you, Sunshine.”
He doesn’t even let me respond because his lips land on mine in a kiss that shows truly how much he means it. Like he’s repeating over and over how much he loves me with his mouth on mine.
I feel Asher get closer to my back, his hands resting on my waist, gripping me, and then gently pulling me closer to him as well.
I break my kiss to turn toward him. Standing between the two of them, towering over me and surrounding me like this, has me feeling like I’m invincible.
Nothing could possibly ever happen to me again, not when they’re here.
“I never expected you to be as important to me as you became. I may not always be good at the feelings and shit, but I…” Asher hesitates and I see how difficult it is for him to say anything more.
“I love you,” I tell him, hoping that if he hears me say it it’ll help. But he doesn’t even need to say it to me for me to know. I turn toward Grayson again. “And I love you. I know this may not be what you expected for us.”
Gray chuckles. “Not exactly, but I don’t mind it.”
“Me either. Wheeler is away for games a lot. I get you to myself more,” Asher jokes, earning a glare from Grayson.
“I’m going to make sure we don’t go to playoffs just so I can get to the off season sooner,” Grayson deadpans.
I whirl around toward him so quick it has my head throbbing. “You better not.”
“I’m just kidding.” He smiles. “Maybe.”
I shake my head at him. “I’m not having the Dragons ending up with a losing streak all because of me.”
“Come on, good girl, you need to lay down,” Asher insists, pulling me into him and walking me over to the couch.
“In a bed,” Grayson corrects, leading us toward his bedroom.
All I can do is follow; they have me sit on the edge and start removing my clothes. I raise my arms up for the shirt, and my hips for my pants. They aren’t touching me in any way that could be sexual, but I wish they would.
I want to forget tonight, and I want to feel them. I want them to erase everything that isn’t them. I want them to replace the worst day of my life with better memories I can have instead.
When Grayson moves to pull one of his shirts over my head, I stop him with my hand on his stomach, pushing his shirt up, revealing his toned stomach, leaning forward and running my lips along his waistband and onto his abs.
“What’re you doing, Sunshine?”
“Touching you,” I murmur.
“You need to rest.”
“I don’t want to, not yet.” I look up with pleading eyes.
“What do you want?” Asher steps closer to me, next to Grayson.
“I want you both.” I swallow. “I want you to distract me. Make me forget everything about tonight that isn’t you guys.”
They both nod.
“We can do that,” Asher agrees.
“But,” Grayson speaks up. “We’re taking it easy on you. You’re hurt and you need us to love you, not just fuck you.”
I smile up at them, kissing Grayson’s abs once again. “I know you guys will always take care of me.”