Chapter 38
“Hey, Memphis, it’s me, Noah. Can I come in?”
“Yes, come in, I’m in here,” I call out to him. I’ve managed to get out of bed and hobble into the living room.
He walks in, and when he sees me, his chin wobbles. I’m looking at a man that has tattoos all over his body, who’s in an active TPE lifestyle with one of the toughest Doms I’ve ever seen. And he’s about to cry. With his hand covering his mouth as he holds back a sob, he sits down next to me.
“Memphis, what the fuck happened to you? I hope the bastard that did this is rotting in prison.” He tenderly brushes my hair from my forehead as his gaze roams over my face. “Do you want to talk about it, or shall we put the telly on and binge watch MasterChef?”
I smile but join him crying. I haven’t really given myself or been allowed to have time to wallow. “Can we do both?” I ask through a hiccup.
“Are you hungry? We should order pizza and stuff our faces too.” Noah pulls out his phone and is ordering before I can even reply.
I smile at him and wipe the stray tears from my cheeks.
“I’d suggest a beer, too, but I imagine you’re looped up on pain meds.
We’ll have to over caffeinate on full-fat Coke instead.
I think Royal might have something to say about me getting you drunk. ”
He’s like fresh air after all the heaviness of Royal’s demands, protection, whatever it is he’s been doing. “Shouldn’t you be working?” I ask after he collects the DoorDash and opens all the boxes.
“Nope, Saint has taken care of all of it. I’m yours for as long as you want. All I need to do is keep you company until you’ve had enough of me. Then he’ll come and get me and bring me back tomorrow.”
This bothers me a little. Is this Royal’s way of keeping tabs on me?
I don’t like the idea of Noah reporting back.
He notices my silence and looks at me. “I’m not here to report back; I wouldn’t even if they ask.
I’m your friend, Memphis, at least I think I am.
This is nothing but a few hours of company while you’re cooped up in here.
Although this is a great flat. I only lived in it few months, but I felt very settled here. ”
“Can I ask you about your relationship with Saint? I don’t mind if you say no, but I’m moving into new territory with Royal, moving away from the nurturing need I had when I first joined the scene.”
He nods as he bites into a slice of pizza. “Ask away, you’ve seen plenty of times what kind of kinky shit me and Saint get up to.”
I grab a slice, and while it still hurts when I chew, I devour the first slice while Noah tells me about how he found himself with Saint.
A fair few of the things he talked about doing and wanting to do made me blush or swallow hard.
More than a few had me squirmy and feeling horny.
He laughs when he sees my reaction. One thing I don’t think I’ll be doing with Royal is being shared.
“So that’s a no from you, is it?” Noah laughs when he sees me recoiling from that. “I love it, because I get to prove how much I love Saint. The look on his face when we’re with someone else, whether it’s another sub or a Dom, and having two cocks in your arse is something else.”
The conversation shifts naturally into me talking about me and my past. I tell him about Royal finding me when I was fifteen and sleeping in the doorway of the gym after being kicked out.
“I had no clue what to expect when I walked into Kip and Robin’s house.
He could have been out looking for kids to groom. ” I laugh at the thought of it.
“Saint took me there the first day I turned up. He knew I didn’t have anywhere to stay. I think it was about six weeks before I moved in here, maybe longer.”
I don’t realise how late it’s got until Noah’s phone chimes. “Oh, that’s Saint checking in.”
“You’d better go. Thank you, Noah. For everything you’ve done today. You’ve really cheered me up.”
“No worries. Are you okay getting to bed and everything. I can help you with a shower, if you want.”
I debate saying yes, but if Saint is waiting for his boy, I should send him back. “No, it’s okay, I’ll manage.”
“Don’t be daft. C’mon, it will only take ten minutes. It’s not like we haven’t seen each other’s junk before. Are you okay getting your hair wet, with the stitches and all?”
I bust up a laugh, then groan because my ribs hurt so much. “Okay, thanks. Yes, to getting my hair wet but no scrubbing near the stitches.”
Ten minutes and a few more tears over the bruises on my body, I’m clean and in a fresh pair of sweats and a T-shirt. Noah gives me a gentle hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and call if you need anything and I mean anything.”
I press call and wait for him to answer.
Noah has been a godsend and definitely my new bestie, but I want Royal.
Over the last four days, my bruises have faded to an ugly mismatch of yellows and greens.
The brace on my knee isn’t as awkward now that I can manage the pain, and I’ve got some physio next week.
I smile when his warm voice answers. “Hey, love. How’s it going?” It’s a genuine question, no ulterior motive or desperate need to fix something.
“It’s good. I’m going stir crazy, and I’m hungry.” I smile when I hear him blow out a low breath. It’s not the first time we’ve spoken, but it is me wanting to leave and be with him.
“I’m on my way.” I can hear the smile in his voice, and I match it with my own.
I shoot a WhatsApp to Noah, telling him what I’ve done. He comes back with a GIF of a lady swooning. He’s such an idiot, but I send back a laughing emoji.
Is it too much to be waiting by the door for a whole ten minutes before I hear him coming up the stairs? Tough shit. I’m so eager to see him, I almost hobble down the stairs to greet him.
He stops when he sees me, his gaze warming my skin.
It’s not a look to see if I’m okay. It’s hot, his eyes blazing with desire.
My stomach tightens as my heart pounds in my chest. Without saying a word, he’s pressed against me, his mouth on mine in a scorching kiss.
It feels like forever since he last kissed me this way: His tongue stroking languidly over my own, dipping in and out of my mouth, making me chase it into his mouth.
I don’t know how long we stand there, but it’s long enough to make my knee hurt.
But his erection pressing against my stomach has me gripping him tighter, holding him closer.
I don’t want this to end. But oxygen, or lack of it, becomes an issue, making us break apart.
“I’ve missed you,” I tell him as I drink him in. I follow his tongue as it sweeps slowly over his bottom lip.
“Yeah? I’ve missed you too. You spent a lot of time with Noah, didn’t you?” There’s no hint of snooping or prying, just a genuine enquiry.
“Yeah, he’s awesome. I have a new best friend.” I chuckle, but it catches when I think of Finn and the fact that he isn’t answering any of my calls and texts.
Royal laughs, then leads me back into the flat. “You’re looking so much better, do you feel it?”
“I do.” I hold back on telling him about the nightmares. That in my head, I’m trying to fight Simon off, but he just keeps getting bigger and stronger. Overpowering me with fists until I wake up gasping for breath.
“There’s a but there, something you’re not saying. You’re not sleeping, are you?” His thumb strokes under my eyes.
I’m not going to lie to him, not after all we’ve been through, together and apart. “No, not much.”
“We can work on that together. What do you want to do?”
“Are we too late for brunch at your dads’?”
A smile sweeps slowly over his lips, broadening into a wide, happy smile. “I don’t think they’d care if it was midnight. Everyone is looking forward to seeing you.” He looks around the room. “Have you got everything you need?”
I nod. I’m grateful that it’s summer, with the brace on my knee, wearing jeans is too difficult. With the warm weather, I can get away with shorts. I’m using the crutches the hospital gave me too.
Royal kisses me again when him pulls the seatbelt around me, making me laugh. “I can do this myself, y’know.”
“Indulge me. I haven’t seen you for nearly a week. I want to touch you any chance I can.”
We talk about what we’ve done this week, obviously mine was kind of boring since I was stuck in the flat, but having Noah come and see me after he’d finished work made it bearable.
Royal tells me all about the summer camp they run every year at the gym. It’s been registration week, so it’s been hectic for him and Knox. Kip is helping, too, and I’d like to go along and see it.
We get to the house, and the drive is full of cars, even Drake’s. “Drake’s been around a lot lately, hasn’t he.”
“We can never keep track of him. One month we can’t get rid of him, then we won’t see him for weeks. We’ve learnt not to ask.”
I ponder this, wondering if I’ll get a straight answer or even an answer at all. “He had something to do with Simon and him losing everything, didn’t he?”
“You’ll have to ask him,” Royal says, neither confirming nor denying as he switches off the engine.
We open the door, and Royal holds it open for me so I can hop over the step and in. The noise is the same as always, everyone talking at the same time, just with different people. Royal goes ahead of me and, as usual, claps his hands to announce his arrival.
Then the cat calls and jeering follow.
But when I step through the door into the busy kitchen, silence descends.
Robin lets out a cry and rushes to me, patting all the uninjured parts as if checking I have all my limbs. “Oh, Memphis, we’ve missed you. I’ve been so worried.”
“I’m fine. I’m back now.” I look at Royal and know it’s true.