41. Hadley
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Hadley
A sharp noise jerks me out of the exhausted slumber I had fallen into, snuggled between all my guys.
Austin shifts away from me to turn off his alarm. I peek my eyes open, seeing Conrad’s blue eyes staring back at me.
He tucks my hair behind my ear. “Thanks,” he whispers.
“For what?” I ask, scrunching my eyebrows together.
“For saying yes,” he says, resting his hand on my cheek. I turn my head, kissing his palm.
Austin shifts over, snuggling back in behind me. “I don’t want to get up right now,” he groans.
We need to, though. Grayson will be dropping Evelyn off soon.
Apparently, he took her to the park and fish hatchery today, so the guys could show me all of this. The fact that he accepts all this now is still kind of baffling, if I’m honest.
Despite the longing I feel to lie in this bed with these three men for the rest of the day, I want to see Evelyn, too. She is as much a part of this life as any of us is.
I love that girl so damn much, and I can’t wait to be a part of her life every day. In whatever role that works itself out to be. I’m not in any rush.
Wriggling out from between them, I start to move off the bed, but see that Brooks is still sleeping. Smirking, I crawl over him and start kissing down his cheeks, jaw, chest, stomach.
“I should probably just keep pretending I’m asleep, so you’ll keep kissing further south,” his sleepy voice meets my ears, his hardening dick pressing against me as I crouch over him.
Peeling back the sheet, I smell the fresh soap on his skin. He must have showered after everything earlier. I was so drained. I don’t even know.
My lips press one single kiss to where he wants a whole lot more, making him groan and reach for me.
I giggle, vaulting off the bed. He sits up abruptly, looking at me like a predator and I’m his prey. Oh, hell yeah. I can get on board with this… But… later.
I hold up my hand in front of me. “Later.” He growls, fisting his hands at his sides. “I promise I will kiss you wherever you want later for however long you want me to.”
His eyes glimmer with mischief at my offer.
I shrug my shoulder. “I want to see Evelyn, though.”
His whole demeanor softens as he steps toward me. He keeps walking until his lips are right at my ear.
“Evelyn time, then my-cock-meets-your-hot-as-fuck-mouth time.”
A laugh breaks free as I nod into his neck, and he gives my cheeks a quick kiss before pulling back. Glancing around the room, I don’t find any of the clothes I had on earlier.
“Where are my clothes?” I ask.
“In the hamper,” Conrad says, pointing to where one sits beside the dresser.
“I can’t just wear your clothes all of the time.” I motion to the three of them.
They all get a look like they’re actually contemplating that, and that it might not be a bad idea. Internal eye roll… Men. But why do I kind of love it?
“As hot as that would be, you don’t need to.” Conrad gestures between the dresser and the walk-in closet. “Most of your clothes are already here.”
“Wait. What?”
“We were being hopeful,” he says, sliding his jeans back on his toned legs.
“But how did you get all of it, and how did I not notice?”
Brooks wraps his arms around me from behind, now fully dressed. “We left some of your clothes over there, so you didn’t notice. Your mom helped us.”
I whip around in the cage of his arms. “My mom knew?” He nods with a softness in his eyes. “And she was okay with it?”
He nods. “She was.” He cringes as something crosses his mind.
“She did say she would chop my balls off and feed them to a bear if I hurt you, though, so you know I’m not going to do that,” he adds, a shiver moving over his entire body.
I can’t help but chuckle because, of course my mom would say something like that. I turn around, facing Austin and Conrad. “Did she say that to you guys, too?”
“More or less,” Conrad says with a shrug. “Let's just say I will be keeping my dick far away from the tires on her car.”
What the fuck, Mom? I continue to laugh, covering my face with my hands.
Austin hands me a pile of clothes. My clothes. From my closet.
“Thanks,” I whisper, slipping into the leggings and sweatshirt.
Apparently, we aren’t going anywhere.
“Do I need to worry about your dick, too?” I ask Austin, pulling my hair up into a ponytail.
“You’re the only one who ever needs to worry about my dick anymore,” he says, wrapping his arm around me.
Why was that so sweet? My head falls against his muscular chest as I groan.
A beep sounds as the front door is opened. “Everyone had better have clothes on,” my brother’s grouchy voice shouts out.
“Why wouldn’t they have their clothes on?” Evelyn giggles. “It isn’t bath time.”
The four of us try to contain our laughter as we make our way down the hallway and into the living room.
“Hadley,” Evelyn shouts, sprinting for me.
I crouch down as she launches herself into my arms. Fully committing to all of this with the guys means I get to let my love for Evelyn settle a little deeper into my heart.
I hug her harder than I ever have before, knowing not a single day is going to go by for the rest of my life where I’m not going to care about this girl.
She pulls back, and I kiss her forehead. Her head tilts to the side. “Why are you crying?” she asks.
I swipe under my eyes. I guess I am. “I’m just happy,” I tell her.
“So, I take it you said yes,” my brother says from the opposite side of the room. I give him a teary nod. “This is what you want?”
I stand, sliding Evelyn’s hand into mine. My eyes move from her to my three men, who are standing behind me. I drag in a deep breath, looking at Grayson again.
“It really is,” I tell him wholeheartedly because there isn’t anywhere else in the whole world I would rather be than in this home with these people. My people.
“I guess I’ll go get the surprise from the truck then,” my brother says, marching back out to his truck.
Another surprise. A girl can only take so many in one day.
Evelyn is bouncing with excitement, her hand clutching mine. I guess she knows what the surprise is.
Just when I start to think of what it could be, the front door swings the rest of the way open. A very familiar blur of black fur darts into the house. Cash.
I drop to my knees, and he sprints toward me. He screeches to a halt just before he tackles me to the ground.
My face is buried in his soft fur. I don’t know why he’s here, but I’m so glad I get to see him.
“Hey, boy. I miss you,” I mumble into his fur, teary-eyed for the umpteenth time today. Over his head, I turn and look at all the men in the room. “What is he doing here?”
“Grayson was bringing him back home,” Austin says.
Home. Home?
My jaw hinges open. “You guys adopted him.”
Conrad, Austin, and Brooks all nod. Just when I thought I couldn’t love them any more.
“Thank you,” I mouth to them. Standing up, I watch as Cash and Evelyn run around the sectional together.
“Is Nova okay with this?” I ask, trying not to laugh.
Brooks shrugs. “She gets kind of annoyed by him, but I think she’s happy to have someone else to play with Evelyn. Then, she can sleep in peace.”
I glance over to the corner of the room, where Nova is doing exactly that in her dog bed, ignoring all of this chaos.
Grayson stares between all the men behind me. “Remember what we talked about,” he says, pointing a finger at them.
A glance over my shoulder shows them all just nodding. When did they talk to him?
“Bye, Evelyn. Thanks for hanging out with me,” he tells her as she takes a break from chasing Cash around to give Grayson a hug.
I follow behind her, wrapping my arms around him when he stands back up. “Thank you,” I tell him, hugging him tight.
He nods, knowing I’m thanking him for more than just taking care of Evelyn today. I’m thankful for him always being there for me, for accepting this unconventional relationship that’s found me, for just being him.
His hands slide around either side of my face. “Just be happy. Okay?”
I want to tell him I want him to find whatever makes him happy too, but I don’t think he’s there quite yet. Maybe someday soon.
I nod, blinking away my tears. He kisses my forehead and heads out the front door.
Turning around, I’m faced with the sight of my future standing before me. Conrad. Brooks. Austin. Evelyn.
This world might not be perfect, but as long as I have them, I know it’s going to feel damn near perfection every single day.