14. Chapter 14 - Layrin
Chapter 14
S taring down at my phone, I had two missed calls and ten unread texts, all of them from Cin. By the time I got to the last one that demanded I call her in the next ten minutes or else she was going to do “some illegal shit” to track me down, my eyes had widened. I definitely couldn't have that. The guys would kill me. Looking down at the time, I realized it was two minutes away from the deadline, so I called her.
The phone hadn’t even finished its first ring when her voice screeched, “What did he do to you? I’ll track him down like the dog he is and—”
I quickly interrupted. “Cin. Cin! Nothing is wrong. Nothing bad has happened. I’m all good.” I couldn’t keep myself from laughing at the end because she really was about to go on a warpath.
Heavy breathing was all I could hear until she cleared her throat. “Then tell me where you are, and I’ll pick you up.”
“What's going on? Can I talk to her?” Elio’s urgent voice came from the background, but Cin shut that down real fast.
“Yeah, no. You're the reason we’re in this situation. You handed her over on a silver platter to him .” The way she emphasized the last word, I knew she was sending Elio dagger eyes right now, and I bet he was sending them right back.
Thank god the guys and I had gone over what I was going to say. I took a small breath, making my voice as carefree as I could make it. “Cin, that's not necessary. He was about to take me back to the dorms. I’d just gone to the bathroom when I saw your text and knew it was an emergency.”
“If everything was really fine, why didn't you answer any of my calls and texts earlier?” Her tone was a little accusatory, but I let it roll off me.
“My phone was in my bag, and I didn’t hear it vibrate over the music playing in the coffee house.” At her inhale, I continued. “It was a good talk, and he helped me figure out the direction I want to go in while I’m here.”
There was silence for a second before she puffed out a breath. “So, nothing bad happened to you? He didn't try to force you to do anything?”
I giggled. While I felt a little bad about lying to Cin, it was cute how fast she was coming to my defense. It was why I was having a hard time believing the guys’ assertion that she would use my closeness with them against me. “No, nothing like that. Just simple talk about what I want to do with my life. Where do I see myself in three years, five years, ten years? Do I have any hobbies or interests outside of school that could help me find my career path? Normal stuff like that.”
I couldn't make out her grumbles through the phone, so I asked, “Didn’t you have a mentor meeting? What did you guys talk about?”
She got silent again, then called out in a frustrated voice, “Stupid boring stuff like that. So, are you coming back now? I can have popcorn and a funny movie ready by the time you're in our room.”
The seed of doubt the guys had planted began to take root. Rion had warned me that she wouldn’t give me any specific or direct answers. My stomach clenched, and I sagged against the wall, hunched over, the phone pressed to my ear.
“Great.” I tried my best to keep my voice upbeat. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Okay. And if you’re not back here in twenty—”
“Thirty,” I countered, knowing it would take twenty just to get back to campus.
She growled, “If you're not back in thirty minutes, I’m calling again.”
“Cin, what’s going on? It's not like I’m with a serial killer!” My patience was running thin.
“Lay…” Her voice took on an eerily serious tone. “Not all men are good guys, and it's ten times worse here.”
Straightening up, I clenched my phone. It felt like I was finally getting somewhere with her. “I’ve been around bad people for most of my life. I can handle myself.”
“It's not the same thing.”
Raising my eyes to the sky and releasing a weighted sigh, I said, “You know you're the second person who told me that today. I want you to guess who else that was.”
When a growl came from the phone, I knew she’d caught on to who I meant. “Easy for him to say when he’s also one you should be worried about.”
Stomping my foot, I stood up. I’d had enough of this conversation. “Well, Cin, with all the warnings I’ve gotten lately, that means I shouldn't make friends with anyone and should treat all parties like they’re pointing a gun at me. Is that what you're saying?”
A chill ran up my spine, and when I turned around, three sets of hazel eyes were tracking me like hunters, all with thin-lipped faces. I cocked my eyebrow at them, talking to both Cin and the brothers at the same time. “Is that what you want? You want me to stop hanging out with anyone, you included ? Because I don’t want that. I don't want to believe that you would hurt me because of some feud between your families.”
There was only silence from the other end. My eyes narrowed, and I took a step closer to the brothers. “I will be making friends and acquaintances as I see fit. Dangerous or not. I would expect my friends to not only understand that, but respect it. If you are so worried for me, you can watch out for me and communicate your concerns with me. We can make a plan together, but I will not let you, or anyone else, dictate my life for me.”
Ravi was the first to break. Kneeling before me, he nodded, circling his arms around my middle and laying his head on my stomach. I ran my hand through his hair as Cin said, “You're the first female friend I’ve made on my own. I just want to look out for you the best way I know how… but I can respect what you’re saying.”
Smiling wide, I looked at the other two boys. Roux kicked off the opposite wall, glaring at me, before he shrugged. With a small nod, he walked off. “That's all I ask, Cin. I’ll be back soon.”
Hanging up just in time for Ravi’s arms to tighten around me, he exclaimed, “I will always protect you and respect you.”
I didn’t know what came over me. All I knew was that I had two out of the three, and I wasn't going to give up until I had all three agree with me. Slowly, I bent over, but my eyes flicked up to meet Rion’s full attention as I kissed Ravi’s head. Rion’s fingers twitched, and the air in the room went up a few degrees until the tension became so thick I could barely breathe. I whispered along his silky golden-rayed locks like an old lover, “Thank you, Ravi. I will always appreciate your dedication.”
I should’ve added “to our friendship” at the end, but I didn’t. I wanted to not only see Rion’s reaction, but hear Ravi’s too.
Ravi gave a small moan, burrowing his head into my stomach before popping up. He faced me for a second, cupping my face. His thumb ran along my cheek as his eyes begged me to see something, to believe something, but I wasn’t quite sure what. “Always, Rin. Always for you.”
My heart seized for a moment, and I was unable to respond when he let go of me, turning away to walk down the hallway, mumbling about finding a way to preserve his hair. I shook my head, hitting my chest to restart my heart after his declaration that felt like more than a promise.
A smooth, stern voice sounded next to my ear, causing me to jerk back. “We’re just trying to protect you.” When I slowly turned, Rion’s face was only a breath away from mine. His clean lavender and bergamot scent filled my head, causing it to cloud over even as I pretended he didn't have an effect on me.
His eyes narrowed on my lips as he brushed a piece of my hair back. “We failed you back when we made that promise, but we don’t intend to fail you again.” He leaned just a centimeter into me, causing my pulse to pound in my ears. My eyes snagged on his lips while longing built up in my belly. My fingers twitched with the urge to run along his arms, his back, to make him feel just a hint of what he was doing to me. His lips brushed against my cheek. “We all respect your decision.”
I let his words sink into my skin, and for just a second I closed my eyes, savoring the build-up of tension. Craving more, my body swayed forward on its own. I wanted to feel our chests meet, for me to be able to take a long, deep sniff of that clean, fresh scent that was only Rion’s.
When my chest met air, I pulled back, eyes snapping open to see an empty hallway. I stood in that hallway for a few seconds, clutching my chest as my breathing came out short and rapid. What was that all about?
Logically, I knew what it was—attraction. From the moment I saw Ravi, I was desperately attracted to him. The brothers had always been lookers, even as kids. I used to call them the princes because they shined too bright, so of course they would grow up to be gorgeous.
Rubbing at my chest, I knew that this wasn't just attraction. It was hot and heavy, practically burning in my veins at certain moments. Sometimes my breath would be caught in my throat, or my eyes would feast on them like they never wanted to stop. I’d never felt this level of wild, untamable want.
“You ready, Rin? I don’t want Cinzia to send out a search party.” Ravi appeared with my bag in hand. Turning in his direction, I kept my face to the ground as I followed him.
I was going to need to sort through all of this because while I knew we’d agreed to be friends, my body wanted more.
The car ride was quiet. I kept my face turned away, looking out the window as Ravi drove. He asked me a million times if I was okay, and I told him everything was fine. When I said I just needed to be alone to deal with some feelings, he seemed to understand.
He dropped me off in front of my dorm, grabbing my hand, turning it around, and kissed my wrist. “From now on, you’ll be seeing more of us. Just remember not to use our names. Call us Ambros. Everyone else does, so it'll make it easier.” I nodded, thanking him for the ride as I clutched the hand he’d kissed and got out.
Cin was waiting on my bed, standing as soon as I opened the door, throwing her arms around me hard enough that I gasped from the impact. She seemed to catch on that I wasn't in the mood to talk about anything, so she put a bowl of freshly popped popcorn in front of me and patted my bed. Her laptop was open with a movie already queued up, and I laughed so hard during the movie that I fell off the bed, which just made us laugh even harder.
As we got ready for bed, Cin piped up, “So, you like him, eh?”
My brows furrowed. I was about to ask her who she was talking about, but then I remembered the boys were only one person to her. My mouth pinched as I thought of the best way to answer. “Like? I don't think that's the right word… but I did have fun with him, and he gave me great school advice.” I needed to keep up with that lie so she bought the whole mentor thing.
She stared down at her hands as she sat up in bed. I didn't like that look, wanting to understand it more. “Cin, are you really that worried?”
Her eyes closed for a second, taking a beat before she opened them and smiled at me. “I’m the same amount of worried about Ambros as I am about Elio and Luca being around you, but I made a decision today.” She glanced at her phone with a frown before giving her attention back to me. “While I’m a Ricci, I’m also your friend. It's on me to make both of those work.”
I winced at her words. “Is it really that hard to be both?”
Her smile wobbled, her eyes turning down as she explained, “Yes. Here, family is absolute. Friends, teachers, students, lovers, all of them are expendable, disposable. I don't want to treat you like that.” Her eyes flicked up to mine before she smirked. “I kinda wanna keep you. Who else is going to fall off the bed to make me laugh?” I threw my pillow at her, but she ducked at a surprising speed.
Laughing, she threw it back, but I caught it. “I’m sorry it's so hard to have friends. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve made more friends here than I have in my entire life.” Her eyes went wide, and I gave a humorless laugh. “Yeah. I’m more cautious than you think.”
Nodding to me, she moved to lie down. I grabbed a handful of my covers and pulled them back to settle in. Instead of the normal churning of my stomach at the thought of going to sleep, it was calm, settled. Glancing over at Cin, I noticed she was all tucked in and out for the night. I hoped that I wouldn't have a nightmare, but even if I did, I knew I was safe. The boys had made a soul-searing promise to me today, and I believed in it wholeheartedly.
The next few weeks went by in a blur. I had my normal English 101 class with Elio, and the only difference was that the professor introduced us to a temporary teacher's aide. Rion stepped out and introduced himself as Ambros to the class. Of course, Elio did not take this change well, immediately folding his arms while muttering obscenities.
I kicked at him, which turned into us having a footsie fight until the professor interrupted. So, basically, everything was normal except for the laser beams Rion sent Elio, giving the latter ideas. Now, class was a constant subtle fight between Rion and Elio to see who could get away with touching Layrin the most.
There was a lot of leaning over my shoulders, touching my arms, and excuses to hold my hand or play with me. It made class exhausting , and it wasn’t any easier to get work done outside of class either. Elio had to reschedule our meet-up, and by the time we did, one of the triplets somehow figured out where he was going to take me. No matter how many times we changed plans, one of the triplets wound up sitting at a nearby table or picking up food from the same restaurant. It always put Elio in a bad mood, which meant little progress on the project.
After our big reunion, the other brothers also started to show up more frequently. Ravi would find me at lunch, during a coffee break, or while working in the library. Once I got used to my schedule, I started making time to go to the student gym, and whenever I was there, so was Roux. All he did was watch from afar, occasionally leaving me a smoothie in my locker or filling up my water when I wasn't looking.
Cin would get a little snippy with them, but after a glance at me, she’d close her mouth and put up with whichever one it was in silence. It wasn't the best situation, but it was a start.
We still kept up the appearance of the “mentorship,” which was basically code for me coming over to their place to hang out with all of them. That was the thing I missed the most about the past, the fact that I could hang out with all of them out in the open.
The second time I came over, they had me program my thumb print, retinal scan, and voice code into their house system so I could get in whenever I wanted. They scoffed when I tried to protest that it was too much, and Rion brushed off my concerns with an excuse about upgrading the system now that I was coming over more. I kept my mouth shut, but how the hell did you make it even more secure?
It was Friday, and after yet another heartfelt reassurance to Cin, I went out to the Uber the guys had gotten for me. Last time I drove my car to their place, Ravi came out, face marred in horror, waving his arms around like a crazy person. Somehow, my car “wasn’t safe for a jewel like me.” Rion proceeded to point out everything wrong with my car while Roux leaned against the garage, frowning and shaking his head.
That night, we argued back and forth for hours. They wanted to buy me a new car, but I wanted to keep mine, knowing it still had some life in it. We finally compromised, deciding that I would take an Uber on their dime since they were the worrywarts. After that, I just had to use my key card at the gate and get through their three-step ID process.
That done, I hung up my backpack in the closet, placing my shoes next to the three sets along the wall like it was second nature. There was some kind of buttery, garlicky goodness in the air, and I couldn’t wait. My stomach was already rumbling.
Making my way through the front room, I smoothed my skirt down. I had gone with the typical college girl look today—worn out crewneck sweater with a white cami underneath and my favorite black skirt. I was finding out that when I knew I was going to their house, I put a little more effort into my outfit, wanting to look cute for them. It was ridiculous, but it was the first time I felt like I actually cared about what I wore.
Noticing a black and green jacket draped across the back of the couch, I shook my head. Ravi.
Rion was a bit picky about everything having its place, but Ravi had a very fluid mindset. It was more like, wherever he put something must be its proper place. Snickering to myself, I picked it up and put it on the coat rack.
“Rin?” Rion’s voice called from the kitchen, and I made my way around the corner.
“Hey, Rion, I just—” I stopped short, my knees growing weak as a flutter worked its way through my belly. Rion was standing in front of the stove, where pots bubbled, filling the room with a delectable scent. He was stirring one of the pots while sautéing something in the other, making it look easy to juggle both things.
He looked over his shoulder, making a simple outfit of jeans, a tight white t-shirt, and a red apron look like a Playgirl spread. He motioned for me to sit at the island. “Good. You’re here. I need a taste tester.”
I wobbled my way over to the stool as I covertly wiped the drool from my face, glad that he had his back turned so I could collect myself. The room had become sweltering in two and a half seconds, and I knew for a fact it wasn't just because he was cooking dinner.
Silently fanning myself, I tried to calm my body while his attention was elsewhere. It was getting worse the more I hung out with them. Instead of the nightmares I was used to, I was starting to have sex dreams. Most of the time, they featured only one of them, but occasionally my overactive imagination had all three present. Once I started waking up damp, I realized it was getting out of control.
I needed to work this out of my system, but I trembled at the thought of hitting on any of them. If doing that caused a rift between the brothers or problems in our friendship, then I knew even if my body wanted it, the rest of me didn't. They meant more to me than a fling even though they were working up my libido like it was a balloon ready to pop.
Cin would tell me to fuck some rando to get it out of my system, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t have it in me to do that with someone I didn't know. Sex with strangers was not my bag. Every time I had done anything remotely sexual, it was with someone I not only knew, but could tell was actively trying to pursue me. With the brothers, I was constantly questioning whether those touches and looks were friendly or just my mind wanting more.
Rion turned around, holding a spoon with red sauce, forcing me to straighten up. He blew on it a few times to cool it down for me before he reached over. “Here. Tell me if it needs more salt.”
I leaned forward, mouth open, and he carefully placed the spoon on my lips. While his eyes were glued to my mouth, mine eyes were watching how his brows furrowed and his eyes brimmed with anticipation. Closing my mouth around the spoon, my eyes shut as I let the sauce coat my tongue. The sweetness of the tomatoes and the spiciness of the garlic smoothly blended together, and although the diced-up chunks of spicy Italian sausage burst in my mouth, the basil aftertaste soothed it.
Rolling my eyes, I moaned. “Oh my god, that's good. I'm not even joking. It's the best I’ve ever had.” Biting my lip, I was debating on asking him for another spoonful, simply for taste-testing purposes, when I looked up and was met with a dazzling smile that went from ear to ear.
The sight bewildered me, making my stomach become knotted. My tongue was tied up, and my brain was befuddled. It was so rare to see a true happy smile from him that I knew this was my kryptonite. If he asked me to do anything right now, my immediate answer would be yes. No questions asked.
He stuck the spoon in his mouth, licking up the sauce I’d left behind as he stared at me with hungry eyes. My breath hitched and my heart pounded. As subtle as I could, I rubbed my thighs together. He gave the spoon one more sensual lick before his deep, velvety voice said, “You’re right. It's damn good.”
We stared at each other, tension growing with each rise and fall of my chest. I was seconds from saying fuck it, about to launch myself over the island when the door opened.
“Rin, you here? Roux and I got drinks since he finished all of the ones you like.” Ravi’s voice was like a shot of cold water splashing me in the face. Abruptly, I leaned away, shaking my head to try to disperse the lustful thoughts from my brain.
Ravi zipped around the corner, dropping both plastic grocery bags as soon as he saw me. I saw only a flash of chest beneath his unbuttoned button-down before his arms wrapped around me, plastering himself to my body. It was a normal big, expressive hug for him, but with my heightened senses, I caught myself closing my eyes and taking a deep inhale of his sweet woodsy scent. Visions of him widening my legs with his body, rubbing himself against my center as he cooed sweet words in my ear, engulfed me.
The sound of Roux complaining about Ravi dropping the drinks brought me back to reality. What the fuck was I just thinking? I tightened my thighs and reminded myself that this was my friend Ravi. I needed to take a breather. My body stiffened up, and I patted him on the back, thanking him for the drinks before I excused myself. My feet swiftly brought me to the bathroom while my pride ignored just how quickly I was moving.
Turning on the faucet, I splashed cold water on my face, taking a few breaths before I looked in the mirror. “Calm the fuck down, Layrin. You're not a teenager. You are in control of your own body and feelings.” With each inhale, I focused on slowing down my heart rate.
It was simply attraction, and that was it. It was totally normal. We were all adults in our twenties. Having sexual thoughts and dreams about them was bound to happen. I just needed to make sure I kept that to myself. Kept it locked up inside so I didn’t disrupt the nice ecosystem we had going.
That's right. All of this will be fine as long as I keep it to myself.
When I finally felt like I was centered and ready to spend a fun, peaceful dinner with my three friends, the door rumbled. I yanked it open, ready to tell whoever it was that I was fine, but when my eyes connected with a set of narrowed eyes and a protective, crossed arms stance, tingles ran through my lower body. Curse these boys and their identical faces! Why does Roux have to look like a sexy, grumpy man?!
Swallowing hard, I barreled my way through Roux with clenched teeth. “I’m fine . Ready to eat.”
I couldn’t pay attention to his grumbly voice behind my back because I was already having a hard time holding myself in check. Keeping my head down, I plopped myself into a seat at the corner of the table, my back to the wall so I wouldn't have any surprise touches I couldn't see coming.
Glancing at the table, a bottle of uncorked red wine was in the center, so I snatched it up, along with one of the glasses. Yes. I needed something to calm my nerves and smooth out the jagged edges.
“Rin, are you—”
Filling up my glass, I turned to Ravi, smiling wide. “Of course. Just thirsty.”
His hesitant voice called me to look at him as I brought the wineglass to my lips. “We got you non-alcoholic drinks since you normally don’t…” He trailed off when I took my first long swig. At first, I wanted to grimace at the dryness of the taste, but that lasted until it filled my mouth. An unexpected sweetness lingered, finishing off smoothly at the end.
“That was surprisingly good.” I pointed to the bottle, taking another gulp before I continued. “And you are right, Ravi, normally I don’t, but that was because of my environment and the people in it. Being here with you three… I can trust you three, right?” There was an odd silence in the room before the brothers took a step toward me in unison.
It felt intimidating as well as exciting, having all of their attention on me at once, so I took another drink. Downing my glass, I reached for the bottle again, raising my eyebrow at them in question.
“Of course, Rin. You are always safe with us.” Rion watched me pour another healthy glass of wine. I was feeling much more loose, now able to sit down with the three of them, eat some good food, and have fun without all those intrusive thoughts. Rion pointed to the bottle. “Also save some for us. I picked that bottle out because it will pair well with the gnocchi.”
Putting the bottle down, I tilted my head and winked at him. “You got it. The rest is for you guys.”
Eyeing the bottle, Ravi picked it up with a chuckle. “Sure, half a bottle for the rest of us. Totally equal ratios.”
Giving him a sly smirk, I saluted them as I sipped at my full glass. I felt fine now, perfectly and completely fine.