18. Aurora
M y head is pounding, my mouth is dry, and my entire body is on fire.
I open my eyes and blink rapidly, trying to adjust to my unfamiliar surroundings.
The room is dark, even though I can see a slither of light pouring in from behind the curtains and I strain my eyes to try and focus.
There is a dark bookcase sitting next to a desk along one of the walls, and when I spot the stack of history books I know instantly where I am.
Everest has had an affinity for history ever since we were kids, and can recall so many events and facts that it blows my mind.
What I can’t recall however, is how I got here?
What the hell happened last night?
Everest is wrapped around me from behind, like he has been every morning this last week, except today both of us are completely naked, and when I try to stir in his embrace, he only tightens his hold around me.
“Ever,” I whisper, nudging him gently, but all he does is shove his head deeper into the crook of my neck, trying to ignore me. “Ever, come on, wake up.”
He groans, clearly unhappy to be woken, which is funny to me because he’s usually always the first one to wake up. He’s struggled sleeping his whole life, but apparently not last night.
“It’s Saturday, Ro,” he grumbles beneath his breath, pulling me against him and stroking his hands against my stomach. “Go back to sleep.”
Well clearly, he seems perfectly content with whatever reason I am here in his bed, completely naked, but if he could join my level of panic that would be great.
“Did we have sex last night?” I ask, and his eyes snap open, narrowing completely, as they take me in.
“Aurora, I’ve slept with many girls, and unfortunately you are not one of them,” he grunts with a slight laugh, and I stare at him in disbelief.
Does he think this is funny?
“I’m well aware of your reputation, Monroe the hoe,” I scoff, shoving him away from me, and scrambling from his bed.
The bed where he has fucked more girls than I’d like to know, I recall, as a whisper of a memory floats back to me through my hungover haze.
“Oh come on princess, I didn’t mean it like that,” he rushes out, reaching to grab my arm, but I’m already gone.
My dress and tights are crumpled up on the floor, with my underwear in tatters beside them, and my eyes dart around for something to put on.
I hear Everest climb out of bed behind me, grabbing one of his clean jerseys and passing it to me, before pulling on a pair of shorts.
Only once the jersey is covering me, do I turn to look at him.
“What happened last night?” I ask, glaring at him in contempt, and he sighs.
“We fooled around a little, that’s all.”
“That’s all?” I scoff a laugh, because of course that’s how he would see it, he’s probably had nights like last night a hundred times over.
I’m just another notch on his fucking bed post, and I don’t know why I’m surprised by it.
“Okay great,” I add, grabbing my stuff and turning toward the door to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“Home, wouldn’t wanna overstay my welcome, you might have other bed friends coming over to fool around.”
“Aurora,” he grits through his teeth, his hand snapping out and slamming the door from behind me as I try to open it, but I shove him aside and open it anyway.
My plan is to go home, but the second I hit the bottom of the stairs, with him hot on my heels, I find Griffin, Harden, and Bishop all sitting around the kitchen island now staring intently at me.
I pause, making Everest slam into my back, nearly knocking me off my feet so hard that he has to reach out and grip me to keep me in place.
“Well, fancy seeing you here, little Gray,” Bishop calls out, flicking his eyes between the two of us, but my focus isn’t on him, it’s on them.
Griffin is looking at us both like he has never seen us before, his eyes taking in Everest’s shirtless form, and me in his jersey, as fury and pain swirl up inside of him, but it’s nothing compared to Harden.
Harden’s face is almost an unreadable mask, almost, except I know him too well for him to hide all of his feelings from me.
There is a mixture of knowing and jealousy in his eyes, but more than that there is an anger I’ve never seen in him before, as his eyes trail over the jersey I’m wearing.
He’s pissed, and it cuts me deeper than I thought possible.
People often mistake Griffin as the crazy one, with his loud and brash nature that always dances along the line of danger.
He’s wild, but it always has a focus, and can be easily dimmed.
Harden is different, his fury is like ice, stone cold, far spread, and difficult to thaw.
He’s the invisible danger that you don’t worry about until it’s too late, and it's definitely too late for me.
“Did Everest Monroe just have his first sleepover,” Bishop continues, clearly not picking up on the tension, as Ever has no choice but to grip my hip and guide us over to the kitchen to converse with them.
Bishop pours us both a cup of coffee, sliding it over the counter.
“Damn, I’m like a proud papa bear right now, cheers you little brother-sister fuckers,” he adds, and I choke on my first sip, as he just so openly states our forbidden desires.
Before I can open my mouth to defend us, Griffin cuts in sharply. “So this is really happening then, you two are together?” he asks, a seething bite to his tone, as he glares between us, and I swear every single one of them holds their breaths for my response.
They’re not stupid, and neither am I. We all know this has been simmering below the surface for years, and we’ve danced around it long enough, but still I can’t bring myself to say yes.
Saying yes would also be saying no to them, and I can’t.
“I just fell asleep drunk, nothing happened,” I quickly rush out and considering I barely remember anything after playing beer pong with Bishop, it’s not technically a lie.
My words have Everest’s grip tightening around my waist. “Nothing happened?” he repeats with a scoff, shaking his head, and even though I can’t remember, I know my answer was the wrong one.
“Excuse us a minute, it seems someone needs reminding who she belongs to,” Everest grits, grabbing both of our coffees and slamming them to the counter, before dipping down and tossing me over his shoulder.
There is no point fighting, not when I can feel the tense set of his body as he carries me back upstairs, not stopping until we are back in his room and the door is slammed shut. His chest is rising and falling heavily, as his ocean eyes bore into mine.
“Listen closely because I am only going to say this once,” he starts, collaring my throat and pushing me against the door, until he can trap me between it and him.
“You’re fucking mine, do you understand?
Just because we didn’t fuck, doesn’t mean you don’t belong to me.
I could fuck a thousand girls and it wouldn’t erase the stain of you from my soul, so don’t fucking test me, Aurora,” he spits, his fingers flexing around my neck, as he stares down at me, and something ignites deep in my chest at his words.
“So you’re finally admitting it then, that things have changed between us?” I ask hopefully, but it only makes him angrier.
“There was never anything to admit princess, you have been mine since the moment I laid eyes on you, this was only ever going to end one way,” he tells me firmly, and though I’ve waited a decade for these words, my heart still aches at the sound of them.
I know I shouldn’t push it, that I should let him be his usual brooding self and give him time. Time to deny this, time to contemplate it, but I can’t take it anymore, I need to know where we stand.
“So we’re doing this then? You and me?” I confirm, searching his stare, and he nods, stunning me, but still I push on. “And what about them?” I whisper, and his eyes narrow, just like I knew they would.
I don’t have to say their names or confirm my meaning, he knows exactly what I’m asking, even without saying the words. “This isn’t about them, it’s about us, Aurora, just you and me,” he tells me, dropping his head to mine, but I’m already shaking mine and pushing him back.
“Everest, I can’t help the way I feel about them, just like I can’t help the way I feel about you. And I know it’s wrong, but it’s just how I feel.” I put all my truths on the table seeing no point in hiding them now. “It’s all of us or nothing,” I add.
“And what if I say it’s nothing?” he spits, searching my stare, and though he’s pissed, I reach up and drag his head back down to mine.
“We’ve never been nothing, Everest, we were always meant for more.” I pair my words with the gentle press of my lips against his own, a kiss which he quickly deepens, his tongue exploring my mouth like he might die without stealing the air from my lungs.
It’s a kiss that’s claiming, that attempts to erase the thought of anyone else, and for him I wish it would work, but it won’t and he knows it.
When he pulls away, he’s panting, his eyes still lined in anger, but there is also an understanding, or at least a partial one. “I’ll need time to adjust,” he forces out, and though it’s not much, it’s a start, and that’s all I need.
“That’s fair,” I agree, knowing how hard it has always been for me to see him with other people, so I’m sure it’s worse for him with his best friends. “And for you, no more girls, right?” I ask, and he laughs.
“Aurora, you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted, everyone else was just a distraction,” he starts, and when I don’t respond, he adds, “No one but you.”
“I’ll take it, now come on, let’s go have breakfast,” I smile, pushing him away, and delighting in the way his eyes dance down my body as I turn and open the door, only for him to press me against the frame from behind.
“Yeah, let’s go and show them how fucking good you look with my last name across your back princess, see how hard they want to fight me to make you theirs.”
His words are filled with nothing but possession, as he leads me back downstairs and parades me into the kitchen like I am his most prized possession. Griffin, Harden, and Bishop are all still there drinking their coffee, and they stop talking abruptly, clearly having been discussing us.
“Yes, this is happening,” Everest declares to them all, and my eyes widen in surprise, as all three of them stare between us.
Well shit. I guess I’m now Everest Monroe’s girlfriend.
His first girlfriend.
Devil help me.