Chapter 8
Haven
Sprawled out on my couch, my apartment looks like I rage-quit life halfway through cleaning.
My setup’s still cluttered from last night’s stream, my mouse half-balanced on my keyboard and empty snack wrappers shoved behind my monitor.
I barely have time to even start a plan before the sound of my front door distracts me.
Cassie lets herself in without knocking just to pause in the doorway and wince before she says a word. “…So this is how we’re greeting company now?”
I glance up from the couch. “I’ve been busy.”
She lifts a brow and plops down beside me. “Is the busy part where Carter and Tate are coming over again and you didn’t warn me?”
“You knew they were coming eventually.”
“Yeah, but like, today?”
“Yes,” I say, grabbing my water bottle and trying not to sit back down on a pile of throw blankets. “I’ve only known since yesterday anyways.”
“So what you’re saying is, you’ve only had a full 24 hours to spiral again? Impressive.”
I groan. “Cass.”
I do have to admit though, without her at times I would’ve spiraled right off the fucking planet.
“What?” she says, laughing. “I’m supportive. This is what support looks like.”
I shoot her a playful look. “Do you want to see them or not?”
“Absolutely. I’ve been waiting for this moment since you first told me about your little chaos triangle.”
I ignore that, mostly. “Then help me make this place look like I wasn’t raised by wolves.”
She cracks her knuckles. “I got you.”
We start with the living room, her scooping up cups and wrappers while I straighten the couch cushions and grab a laundry basket for all the blankets I’ll pretend I folded later.
She makes fun of the five lip balms on my desk, I mock her for the travel cup that’s been sitting in her car since January.
It’s familiar, fun, the kind of easy I forgot I needed.
Somewhere in the middle of it all, the nerves creep back in.
Carter and Tate are coming. I don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to act normal when just thinking about them makes my whole body remember everything.
Cassie’s elbow-deep in my silverware drawer. “So… do I finally get to meet the other one this time?”
I pause mid-swipe on the coffee table. “You say that like he’s an actual ghost.”
“You realize I’ve never actually seen him, right?” She turns around holding up two mismatched forks like they’re evidence. “I’ve seen Carter, had coffee with Carter. Approved of Carter, but Tate?” she waves around of of the forks. “The unfiltered, mask-core twin? Still a mystery.”
“You had dinner with your mom that weekend,” I point out.
“Tragic timing. I missed my chance to lay eyes on your morally questionable gamer. Do you know how emotionally damaging that is for a girl?”
I groan. “Please never say that again.”
“What? It’s iconic. Two hot twins, one sassy streamer? I’d watch the hell out of that show.”
“This is my life, not fan fiction.”
“But it could be fan fiction. Especially if you let me meet them today.”
I roll my eyes with a smile. “Why not?”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Wait, seriously?”
“Sure,” I say, tossing the last of the throw blankets over the arm of the couch. “You’re already here, you helped me clean. Might as well.”
“Hell yes.” She claps her hands like she just got upgraded to first class. “I promise I’ll be chill.”
We finish up cleaning, Cassie vacuums while I do a frantic sweep of my bathroom and light my best candle like I’m summoning the gods of Not Gross. The apartment looks halfway decent by the time we collapse onto the couch. “I’m starving,” I groan.
“I’m already opening the delivery app,” she says, waving her phone. “Burgers?”
“Yes, and fries and possibly a milkshake, order triple of everything actually, Tate eats just as much as Carter if not more.”
She cackles as she taps in the order when my phone vibrates.
Carter: 2 minutes out, sweetheart
I stare at the screen for a second too long, my fingers tighten around my phone. “They’ll be here any minute.”
“Breathe Hav.”
There’s a knock on the door. It’s not even loud, just three easy knocks that I know are from Carter. I feel every single one of them like a drop of adrenaline straight to my spine.
Cassie glances up from her phone, eyebrows raised. “Showtime?”
“Shut up,” I mutter, wiping my palms on my leggings and walking to the door. I crack it open to Carter smiling like he’s been counting down the seconds. Tate is leaned against the doorframe.
“Hey,” he says, voice warm and instantly unraveling me. “Missed you.”
I open the door wider and he pulls me into a hug without hesitation, arms wrapping around my waist like I’m the one thing anchoring him to the planet. Tate steps in after him, his eyes raking over me. “You look exhausted.”
I blink. “…Hi to you too.”
“It’s a compliment.”
I roll my eyes, but my face is hot. Behind me, Cassie clears her throat, both of them turn.
Carter’s smile instant. “Hey, Cass.”
“Took you long enough,” she says with a laugh, brushing past me to give him a quick one-armed hug.
Tate watches them both, one brow arched like he’s sizing her up. I know she’ll approve of him just like Carter, but I still feel nervous.
Her eyes slide to him. “And you must be the infamous twin.”
“Infamous?” Tate drawls, lips twitching. “I haven’t even done anything yet.”
“That’s what worries me.”
“Cassie,” I warn jokingly. “Be nice.”
“I am being nice. This is my nice voice.”
Tate grins, and steps inside, dropping his bag by the door. Carter plops onto the couch, his eyes sweeping the living room. “You cleaned,” he says, impressed. “Or buried the mess with cozy throw blankets.”
“Cassie helped,” I admit, nudging her.
“She’s the miracle worker, I simply motivated her.” Cassie says, sinking into the armchair.
Carter grins. “Noted. I owe you a coffee or five.”
Tate meanwhile does a slow glance over of the room, his eyes slide over to where I’m still standing awkwardly, trying to pretend I’m not overly aware of both of them being here.
“You light a candle for us?”
I nod. “Yes, Tate I summoned you with chaos amber and feral musk. Might’ve carved a spell into the carpet, too.”
He drops onto the couch with a grunt, stretching his long legs out.
Cassie watches him, eyes narrowed slightly. “So are you always like this, or is today special?”
Tate shrugs. “Depends on how much caffeine I’ve had.”
Carter shoots me a smile that grounds me immediately. “I’m glad we came Haven.”
“Me too.” I mean it, every word, every second. I already feel the stress at bay and they’ve been here less than ten minutes.
The doorbell goes off a moment later. Cassie hops up to grab it, and I follow her to the door while the twins stay sprawled across the couch.
“You’re blushing,” she whispers as we grab the bags.
“I am not.”
“You so are.”
We spread out the food on the coffee table, burgers, fries, milkshakes. Carter helps unwrap everything, his fingers brushing mine more than once. Tate leans back with his drink, watching our dynamic quietly.
It’s comfortable, stupidly comfortable.
Cassie licks fry salt off her fingers and tosses the last napkin into the takeout bag. “Alright,” she says, standing and stretching. “I’m gonna get out of your hair before things get weird.”
Carter chokes on his milkshake. Tate just lifts a brow, looking extremely unbothered.
“You sure? You could stay for a movie.” I ask, half teasing.
She snorts. “Tempting, but I like to keep a little mystery between me and your boyfriends.” She pulls me into a hug before I can say anything else, whispering, “Text me everything. I mean everything,” in my ear, then gives the guys a quick, two-fingered salute on her way out.
The door clicks shut behind her, and then it’s just the three of us. For a second, no one moves. Carter leans forward. “Movie?”
Tate shrugs. “Sure. Pick something scary.”
“Pick something that won’t keep me up all night.” I yawn, flopping onto the couch between them and grabbing the remote.
Carter settles on one side, his arm draped casually behind me. Tate claims the other, legs stretched out, fingers tapping absently on his knee. We scroll, we bicker, and finally land on something none of us are fully invested in.
The movie plays, some horror sequence I’m barely understanding. Someone screams on screen, but the only thing I’m aware of is the heat coming off both of them. Carter’s hand is the first to move, slow like he’s not trying to rush it. His fingers graze over the top of my thigh, then settle there.
I shift slightly and every nerve under my skin is catching fire.
Tate’s hand slides lower, just enough to mirror Carter’s.
He doesn’t pretend it’s innocent, he never does.
That’s one thing from him I’ll never get enough of.
He moves like he’s playing a game, one he plans to win with minimal effort and maximum chaos.
Carter’s fingers press a little firmer, drawing a lazy circle through the fabric of my leggings. His voice is a whisper when he leans in. “You’re shaking, baby.”
Tate leans closer on the other side, his voice wicked against my ear. “She should be. Sitting here, between us, squirming while we pretend we’re watching a movie? That’s fucked up. You like it don’t you?”
My lips part. I try to answer, but nothing comes out.
Carter kisses the top of my shoulder, his breath warm against my skin. “Are you nervous?”
“She’s desperate,” Tate drawls out, his hand sliding higher, his knuckles grazing the inside of my thigh. “I can feel it. You wanna be good and keep still, huh? You wanna let us touch you while this movie keeps playing in the background like nothing’s happening?”
My hips jerk just slightly.
Carter’s fingers tighten. “Tell us if you want to stop.”
“Or tell us what you want more of.” Tate adds.
I still can’t speak. My thighs are trembling, my pussy is already aching. Their hands climbing, inching closer to where I need them most, one sweet, one savage, both of them making it impossible to breathe.