30. Tori
30
TORI
Waking up next to Lucas was a pleasant surprise the next morning. Part of me was embarrassed about what we’d done, but I also felt good. My body felt loose and limber, the way it did after a powerful orgasm.
Except I hadn’t experienced an orgasm that strong before.
Since he was still asleep, I hopped into the shower. As I slid the soap over my skin, cataloging all the parts of me he’d caressed last night, I realized that was the first time a man had made me come. The guy I’d lost my virginity to in high school hadn’t. And there’d been one date once who stuck his hand down the front of my pants, but he hadn’t known what the hell he was doing.
Lucas sure had.
It was amazing how much I’d learned about my friend in just one night. That he had a magnificent body under the rather conservative clothes he wore. That he knew how to use his mouth, lips, and tongue. And hands… the list went on. I shut off the water and couldn’t stop thinking about him.
He was such a good man. Kind, caring… in a way, I wished he had asked me out last year. Things might have ended up very differently. But then I wouldn’t have gotten to know Jayden and Kyle as well, and that thought was an upsetting one.
And speaking of Jayden, why was I hearing his voice?
I dried off quickly and wrapped a towel around myself. It was too steamy from the shower to put on my dress yet, so I opened the door an inch to let in some fresh air.
Through the crack in the door, I could see the sink and the mirror above it. And when I craned my head to the side, I could see Lucas’ reflection. Wow, he looked good. The white dress shirt we’d bought yesterday fit him well. It was tucked into the black pants that fit snugly. How had I never noticed what a cute butt he had?
The black tie we’d purchased hung open around his neck. He had his phone propped up on the dresser in front of him, and he was scowling.
“That didn’t work, either.” He yanked on the ends of the tie, obviously frustrated.
“Just watch the video again.” When I squinted, I could see Jayden’s face on the screen.
“I couldn’t figure it out.” Lucas sounded irritated.
“Dude, you built a fucking robot when you were six.”
“Robots don’t wear ties.”
Throwing my hand over my mouth, I looked away, trying to laugh silently. It was pretty damn hilarious that the smartest guy I knew couldn’t tie a tie. And that he was being coached long distancely.
“Just do what I do,” Jayden said.
“But it’s all backwards.” Lucas sounded like a sullen little boy, and it was cute as hell.
After another minute or two, Lucas’s tie looked worse. “Fucking hell,” he muttered.
“Dude, you look like you’re making a noose.” Jayden was silent for a moment, and I could almost feel his frustration from here. “I’m calling in reinforcements.”
Lucas’s head snapped up in alarm. “What? No. Jayden, don’t! No! Jay—Hey Kyle.”
“Hey.”
Holy shit, Kyle was going to teach him how to tie a tie? This could very well end in disaster, but it was still the funniest thing I’d heard of in a long while.
“Start with the wide end on the right,” Kyle said.
“It is.”
“Oh. Guess it’s backwards. Put the wide end over the narrow end.”
School was in session, and the instructions went on as I watched through the mirror.
“No, bring the wide end up. The wide end.”
“I’m trying,” Lucas snapped. And he tried for a couple more minutes with Kyle giving instructions in what was—for him—a relatively patient voice.
And finally, it looked correct, at least from my vantage point.
Kyle seemed to agree. “I think that’s it. Just slide the knot up to tighten it.”
Lucas did so and then cautiously removed his hands, as if afraid the whole thing was going to fall off.
“Yeah, that looks right,” Kyle said.
Lucas examined himself in the mirror over the dresser and smoothed the tie down. “Thanks.”
“Welcome.” There was an awkward silence. “Is Tori’s mom really marrying that loser?”
“Afraid so.” Lucas sighed. “She’s pretty upset.” That much was true, but he’d found one hell of a way to distract me last night.
“Tell her…” Kyle hesitated. “Shit, I don’t know what to say. Think of something supportive and tell her I said it, okay?”
“Will do.”
Lucas ended the video call, and I eased the door shut as quietly as possible. The interaction between the two stepbrothers had been wildly entertaining, but also strangely heartwarming. And it touched me that Kyle clearly didn’t know what message to send to me—but wanted to do so anyway.
I thought it over while getting dressed. I loved seeing the two of them work together, like they had when they’d gotten my necklace back from Todd. Or even if they didn’t work together, it would be nice if they could just be civil.
Maybe once we got back, I could try to figure out some way to help them get there. Jayden might help, too. He wasn’t scarily smart like Lucas, but he was smart in his own way, and he was excellent at reading people.
Plus, we were overdue for a nice long chat in the hammock. It was always so damn peaceful lying against him as we talked quietly.
God, I’d just slept next to one man, and now I was thinking about lying next to another. And my date with Kyle was tomorrow evening. I hadn’t forgotten that, and I didn’t want to. My mind was in the gutter, but that served a purpose today. It helped keep me from agonizing over the wedding ceremony we’d soon attend.
Thinking about war and famine would be preferable to thinking about that, so it was a real treat to keep my mind on the three hottest men I knew.
And the intimate moments we’d shared recently.
But once we got to Macon, I knew I wouldn’t have any way to hide from the horrible truth about what my mom was committing to.
He got me through it. The ceremony was as awful as I’d anticipated, but Lucas stayed by my side the entire time. He somehow knew when I needed a hug. Or to hold his hand. And I swear, a few times, he slipped his arm around my waist right when I was thinking of bolting.
And he kept up the conversation, too, so that I wouldn’t have to. He asked my mother questions. He shook Doug’s hand and called him sir. Not because he respected Doug—but because he respected me.
He was my rock, and afterwards, I barely had time to tell him that before collapsing into exhaustion in the car. Emotional exhaustion, which was somehow worse than the physical kind.
I woke up from time to time on the trip north, and each time Lucas was there, driving steadily. Urging me to drink some water. Patting my leg.
I didn’t fully become alert until the elevation rose, and we switched to those winding, twisting roads leading up to Lucas’s house. Then I wiped my eyes and attempted to do something with my hair. It had fallen out of the updo while I slept.
Jayden’s car and Kyle’s truck were parked out front when we got back, and the sight made my spirit feel lighter. I wanted to see both of them so badly. Maybe because part of coming home was coming back to them?
Whatever it was, my eyes lit up when Jayden stepped onto the porch, and I threw myself into his arms. He held me close and ran his fingers through my hair.
“It feels like two years since I last saw you,” I said. I wanted to drag him out back and nestle together in the hammock. Last night had all been about Lucas, and tomorrow night was my date with Kyle. Right now, I craved some quality time with Jayden. He was the only one who had never made me worry about how he was going to react.
He was so laid-back, and easy going, and he made me laugh and feel good about myself. I ached to feel his body stretched out next to mine. What did it say about me that I wanted to do that just one day after sleeping next to Lucas? But right now I wasn’t going to chastise myself because I was too glad to see him.
“It does feel that way.” He stepped back as Lucas arrived on the porch with our bags from the thrift store, but he kept his arm around me. “I’m very sorry your mom went through with it, but I think it was the right call to attend this morning. Even if it was hard.”
Looking away, I nodded. “Yeah, probably. A friend told me that.”
Lucas smiled as he started to go inside the house, but Jayden stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks for going with her.”
“Yes, thanks,” I echoed.
We went inside. “You must be tired,” Jayden said.
I smiled softly. “I slept most of the way in the car. Lucas deserves some rest, though.”
“I’m good.”
Jayden grinned. “In that case, I have something I’d like to show you both. Let’s go downstairs—Kyle’s there.”
“I’ve seen Kyle before,” Lucas grumbled, but without the usual anger.
“You haven’t seen this.”
I wasn’t sure what to expect as we descended the stairs. Maybe a little less clutter, but Jayden stepped in front of me as I reached the bottom step, trying his best to block both Lucas’s and my view.
We followed him as he walked backwards until he finally stepped out of the way, revealing a bedroom.
“Holy shit,” Lucas said softly, while I gaped in surprise.
How the hell had they done this in one night? There was an area cleared that was at least 12 by 12 with a queen-sized bed in the middle. It had a blue comforter stretched neatly across it. There was an end table, a dresser, and even an area rug, plus a floor lamp. It looked cozy—livable, even actually inviting. Yes, if you looked beyond that, there was still clutter, shelves and boxes stacked haphazardly around the edges of the room, a graveyard of forgotten junk and old stuff that hadn’t yet been sorted through—but there was a clear path to the bathroom.
And on the far side of the bedroom, Kyle stood, a smug look on his face as he held a long stick in his hand. Wait, not a stick—a pool cue. He was leaning against a gleaming pool table, the polished wood and smooth green felt practically glowing in contrast to the chaos that surrounded it. Where the hell had that come from? I was pretty sure it hadn’t been under Great Aunt Mabel’s things.
I rushed over to it, temporarily ignoring the hot-as-hell man leaning against it, and examined the smooth surface. This was a real pool table, not the kind you might pick up at a discount store.
Lucas joined me. “How the hell did you guys get this down here?”
“Very carefully,” Kyle said.
I glanced up at him, returning the grin he gave me. He had on a long-sleeve maroon t-shirt, a few open buttons at the throat, that was so tight it was like a map of his muscles. His black jeans were tight, too, and the overall effect was pretty damn hot. Too bad the view had been wasted on Jayden.
“What happened to the idea of an exercise room?” I asked.
“There’s still space,” Kyle said. “When we get the rest of this cleared out.”
Lucas examined the pool table, his hands on the smooth wood around the rim. “Where did this come from?”
“When we went to the storage unit to get Jay’s bed, and someone was getting rid of it. No clue why, but it seemed too good to pass up.”
“But how did you get it down here?” Lucas asked.
“With the help of half a baseball team,” Jayden said.
Wow. I would have kind of liked to see that.
It was hard to believe, but the basement looked good. Nearly half of it was a usable space. The other half still resembled a hoarder’s haven—boxes, bins, mismatched furniture, and stacks of books shoved against the walls. But how the hell had they done all this? We were just gone one night, and that made me worry.
Lucas was now examining the bedroom, while Jayden sat on the edge of the bed, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Like Kyle, he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but his clothes were a lot looser. Still, he had on a light gray t-shirt that looked good on him.
I leaned against the pool table next to Kyle. Keeping my voice down, I said, “You were supposed to be working on your paper.”
He laughed. “I did. A lot. Jay is almost as much of a slave driver as you are. We got a lot done.”
“We did,” Jayden confirmed. “It’s actually in pretty good shape.”
“Really? You guys are amazing. You did so much.”
Kyle put his arm around my shoulders. “I figure if you and I spend some time polishing it up tomorrow, it should be good to go. I can’t work on it tomorrow night, though. I’ve got a date.” He winked.
Ignoring the fluttery feeling that radiated through my body, I bumped my hip against him and then got up to check out the rest of the new bedroom. “So this is your room, Jayden?”
He nodded.
“And Kyle’s got his room upstairs.” I moved over to Lucas and took his hands in mine. “It’s time for you to take your bedroom back. I’ll sleep on the sofa or hell, I’ll put a sleeping bag on top of the pool table. But you need your own space.”
“So do you,” he said softly.
“This is your house.”
“But you live here, too.”
“Do I?” I looked around, seeing confused faces. “I mean, is this what we’re doing for the rest of the semester or is it just for now? I thought it was just for now when I moved in.”
“We didn’t,” Jayden said.
“But nothing was planned. Within a matter of days, you went from two people living here to four. And we kind of never stopped to figure out the logistics.”
“Like what?” Kyle asked. He was idly twirling the pool cue. I wondered how well he played. He was good at many sports, not just baseball.
“Everything,” Jayden said. “She’s right. We’ve all been so busy with school that we haven’t ever really tried to figure this out.”
“Figure what out?” Lucas asked.
“Cooking. Cleaning. Groceries. Bathroom sharing and schedules. These are things that roommates or housemates should discuss,” Jayden said.
Kyle scowled. “So we’re going to regulate everything? Like chore charts and that crap?” Clearly, he wasn’t a fan of the idea.
“Not over regulated, but don’t you think we should have some semblance of a plan?” I asked. “And I’m going to pay rent, just like Jayden does.”
“That’s not necessary,” Lucas said. He was leaning against the support column in the middle of the basement, but he looked like he might start pacing at any moment. “Our household expenses haven’t gone up, and you already pay for your share of the groceries.”
“Probably more, since you eat so much less than we do,” Jayden added.
They were trying to be generous, but they were missing the point.
“Guys, I didn’t move in here because I was looking for a free place to stay. I moved in because I was looking for a decent place to stay. As in one that wasn’t awful.”
“Have you seen the rest of this basement?” Kyle asked, and I ignored him. This was important.
“I like it here. I like living with you guys. But I can’t stay if you don’t let me pay my way.” The thought of leaving was distressing, and not just because I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I sat down on the bed next to Jayden.
Looking at each of them in turn, I tried to figure out which one of them I was most likely to get through to.
To my surprise, Lucas spoke next. “All right, I’ll look at our expenses and make a budget.” He glanced Jayden’s way. “For your sake, too. You’ve been paying half the electricity and gas bill, but now it should just be a quarter.”
“Thanks, man,” Jayden said. “And as for the rest—the chore charts and all—” he threw a pointed look at Kyle, “Maybe we can meet once a week until we figure it out. But the sleeping arrangements can’t wait that long.” He caught Lucas’s eye. “Tori’s right. You need your room back.”
“I’m fine on the couch,” Lucas insisted. Now he did start pacing, while also rubbing the back of his neck. He was no longer the self-assured man who’d gotten me through the awful ceremony this morning.
Jayden let out an exasperated sigh. “Dude, you had a date the other night, and you didn’t even have a place to get ready.” His eyes cut to me. “A date with a really hot chick.”
I gave him a quick wink before focusing on Lucas. “You still managed to clean up nicely. But you’re moving back into your room—end of discussion.”
Kyle straightened up, as if the conversation was done, but I had a feeling it wasn’t. Lucas still hadn’t agreed to take back his room, for one thing.
Jayden seemed to realize that. “We’ll find another place for Tori to sleep. We’re not going to make her sleep in the bathtub, dude.” He looked around. “We cleared space for one bedroom down here—maybe we could make another one and get one of those portable room dividers or something.”
“Maybe,” I said. My eyes drifted past the cozy lamplight illuminating Jayden’s new room out to the mounds of clutter. I couldn’t see us getting through the rest of that any time soon.
There was one very obvious solution, but either they hadn’t thought of it—or they didn’t want to suggest it. “Here’s the thing,” I began, and I ran my finger along the top of the blue comforter. “This is a really big bed. If Jayden wouldn’t mind, maybe I could… I mean, it’s not a big deal. Lucas and I slept together last night.”
Utter silence met my words—and Kyle and Jayden were staring at me, jaws dropped.
“She means we slept in the same bed,” Lucas clarified.
“Oh,” Jayden said. “Okay then.”
Kyle didn’t say anything, but he studied my face, and I could feel my cheeks flushing. Hopefully, he wouldn’t take that as a sign that Lucas and I had done anything more than sleep next to each other.
Which, of course, we had.
“I don’t mind if you don’t mind, Tori.” Jayden’s gaze was on the space between us. “Unless you snore like a lumberjack or something.”
“She doesn’t,” Lucas said, but he had a frown on his face. “If that’s what you want, Tori, I guess?—”
“Homeowner’s meeting,” Kyle snapped. “Right now.”
We all gaped at him. He stared Lucas down and then jerked his head toward the storage room in the back.
Lucas looked bemused for a long moment, but then he followed Kyle.
Jayden and I exchanged a puzzled glance as they went in and closed the door behind them.
“What was that about?”
“I have no fucking clue.” Jayden sounded just as baffled as I was.
“Should we—is it time to escape to the hammock?”
Jayden laughed. “Let’s wait and see who’s left standing when the door opens.”
“Okay.” I ran my finger along the blue comforter again. “Is this new?”
“No, I had it in storage.”
“And the nightstand and rug?”
“No, believe it or not, we found those here in the basement and cleaned them up. The only thing I brought was the bed and the dresser.”
“And the enormous pool table.”
“And the enormous fucking pool table—which they were getting rid of.”
“That must’ve been a beast to get down here.”
“It was.”
“I can’t believe that with all that happening, you still had time to help Kyle with his paper. Thanks for doing that.”
“You’re welcome. It’s the least I could do for you.” He looked away for a moment. “I hate that I couldn’t go with you yesterday.”
“You had a test.”
“Yeah, but I was the one who was there when you found out. It should’ve been me driving you.”
“Hey, I drove some of the way.”
He looked at me in mock surprise. “You know how to drive?”
I laughed. It was well-deserved teasing. I was serious about paying rent, but if the three of them wanted to keep driving me to and from campus, I wasn’t going to say no. It was more fun. And hell, carpooling was better for the environment. But I realized that Jayden’s smile didn’t quite meet his eyes.
“I wish you could have gone, too, but Lucas was really great. And… we kind of hashed some things out, which we were probably a bit overdue for. Like this conversation is today.”
“That’s good.”
“How did it go with your test?”
Before he could answer, the door opened and Lucas came out, followed by Kyle. Neither was bleeding or had black eyes, so that was a plus.
Kyle returned to the pool table, sitting with his hip on the edge. Lucas eyed the space between Jayden and me but then leaned against the support column again.
He looked at me. “I’d still prefer that you keep my room, but if you’re insistent, then until we figure out a more permanent solution, maybe sometimes you can stay down here with Jayden, and sometimes stay up in my room with me.”
“And sometimes with me,” Kyle added.
“No way, dude,” Jayden said, at the same time Lucas gave a very firm, “No.”
What? Wasn’t that what Lucas had just suggested? I looked at Kyle.
He crossed his arms and his voice grew chilly. “Just so we’re on the same page, is the problem that I’m some kind of a predator or that Tori is an empty-headed girl unable to control herself?”
Lucas’s jaw dropped.
“Yeah, I’d kind of like to know that myself,” I said, and Kyle and I exchanged a look of solidarity.
Jayden held up his hands in surrender. “Point taken. I recall my objection.”
“Good,” I said, looking him in the eye. “Because I’ve already had to give Lucas my speech about how I don’t need protecting. I’d hate to have to give it to you, too.”
We all looked at Lucas, who didn’t say anything but didn’t look away. Finally, he sighed. “I’ve heard it enough that I could probably give it to him.”
“It doesn’t seem like it’s sunk in yet,” I pointed out.
“Alright, I apologize.” His words were directed at me, but he sent a quick glance in Kyle’s direction.
“Me too,” Jayden said. “And I think we can make this work. Tori, since you slept with Lucas—er, shared a bed with Lucas—would you like to sleep down here tonight? And then tomorrow, maybe Kyle could let you?—”
“No,” Lucas cut in. “You’ve had a rough few days, Tori. Stay in my room for the rest of the weekend. We’ll start the bed-sharing on Monday. You shouldn’t have to share a bed with someone right after a late night.”
From the look on his face, it was clear he meant that Kyle and I shouldn’t share a bed after our date.
And… well, he might have a point there. I exchanged another look with Kyle. Instead of being mad, dark amusement flashed through his eyes.
“Yeah, that’s probably good advice.” The look he gave me was heated. “Remember what I said was going to happen when you saw me in my suit?”
It took me a moment, but then I recalled his words, and I bit back a smile.
“So we’re good here?” Jayden asked.
“For now. But we’ll have weekly meetings until we figure this out, and I’m definitely going to start paying rent as soon as Lucas figures out the amount. Right?” I looked them in the eye, one after the other.
“Right,” they echoed.
They all appeared to be in agreement.
For now.