20. Aurora #2
Ever’s hands roam my body possessively, his mouth trailing up and down my neck and jaw, not caring that the other two are openly staring at us, and it only makes me hotter.
Things may feel back to the way they used to be, but they have also changed dramatically.
Our dynamic is no longer friendship, but something more.
Something burning bright, and it seems Griffin can’t help but fan the flames.
“Why don’t you come sit on my knee, sweetheart?” he asks boldly, tapping his lap, inhaling deeply on the joint in his hand, and then blowing the smoke toward us.
“Why don’t you shut the fuck up?” Everest grunts, glaring at him from behind me, and I squeeze his hand in silent warning.
Not that Griffin is deterred, but then again he’s always had a penchant for danger.
“Oh come on, don’t I deserve a special treat for my birthday?” he muses in question, following the trail of Everest’s hands as they openly caress my thigh.
“How about a black eye to go with your busted lip?” Everest asks, dipping his hand beneath my dress, and I can’t help but think his mouth is saying one thing, but his actions another.
“How about a game of truth or dare?” Griffin replies, his stare zoned in on the movement of Everest’s hand beneath my dress, and I can’t help but gasp as his knuckles brush my center.
I know Everest is contemplating his request, because I feel tension flood his body, not that he shows it of course, but I know him better than he thinks.
“As long as you don’t push your luck,” he finally says, snatching the bottle of champagne from me with his free hand, and swallowing a few mouthfuls as Griffin smiles wickedly at his victory.
“Okay, RoRo, you’re up,” he starts, bringing his focus back to me, his stare flicking between my eyes and Everest’s hand. “Truth or dare, sweetheart?” he asks, as Everest lets his fingers brush my thigh and center once more.
“Truth,” I gasp like a coward, needing a moment to gather myself before this goes any further, especially with the way both Griffin and Harden are looking at me.
The first with nothing but desire and need, and the second with exasperated lust. We need to time this perfectly, or it will likely all explode.
Griffin laughs at my response, no doubt calling me a chicken in his mind, as he takes another deep drag of the joint in his hand. “Do you want to fuck everyone in this room?” he dares to ask, as Everest's hand flexes roughly around my thigh, making me squirm in his lap.
There is no point in lying, that is one truth they all already know, so I feel no shame, as I nod. “Yes, I do,” I breathe, holding his stare and noting his excitement, before flicking my eyes over to Harden, who is gripping the arms of his chair so hard that his knuckles are turning white.
“Truth or dare, sweetheart,” Griffin asks again, pulling my gaze back to his, and Everest curses.
“She had her fucking turn,” he snaps, but I hold Griffin’s stare, the tension now brimming all around us.
“Dare,” I say without regret, ready to blur all the fucking lines left between us, making Everest curse again.
“I dare you to…” Griffin starts, before he is cut off.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
A firm knock on the door startles us all, obliterating the building tension as all four of us snap our heads over to the door.
“Fuck sake,” Griffin groans, flopping his head back on the sofa, as Everest grips my hips tightly, shifting me off his lap and onto the chair.
“Who the fuck is knocking on the door at this hour?” he snaps, storming toward it angrily, and I can’t say I blame him, it’s almost 6:00 A.M. on a Saturday morning and the party has long since ended.
“I don’t know, but someone better be dead,” Griffin snaps, bringing his head back down and eyeing me with nothing but lust.
Everest is only gone a few seconds, before he returns to the living room. “Who was it?” I ask, just as two police officers appear at his back.
Panic floods my system as I snap upright in the chair, shoving the bottle of champagne to the floor, as Griffin curses and stubs out his joint. Not that it matters, the officers aren’t looking at either of us, they are looking at Harden.
“Harden Haze?” The male officer asks, and there is no fear or wonder in Harden’s stare as he looks back at them, just the blank mask he has perfected over the years.
When he doesn’t respond, the officers flick their eyes between the rest of us, and I push to my feet and move to stand beside Harden. “He doesn’t talk,” I explain quickly in his defense, before dropping down in front of Harden and moving my hands rapidly.
Did you commit a crime? I sign to him, his eyes following the movement, and I swear I see amusement in his stare. Tell me now without the details so we can figure this out.
“We can get an interpreter here if it helps,” the female officer cuts in, and I flick my gaze to her, before focusing back on Harden and searching his eyes with my own.
Just find out what they want. He finally signs back, and the officers seem to perk up as he responds to me.
I want to reach out and offer him some reassurance, but instead I nod and rise back to my feet, only mildly surprised when he follows “He said whatever you need to discuss, you can do it in front of us, we’re his family,” I tell them, and the other two boys both nod in agreement, moving to stand with us, as the officers share a solemn look.
It doesn’t matter what is happening between us, this is always our number one focus, always having each other’s back.
The male one then steps forward with a sigh, “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, son, but your mother, Gemma Haze, was found murdered in her home last night.”
Shock and horror slams into me at his words, my focus snapping back to Harden, and whatever else the officer says is lost to the white noise, as Harden slips his hand into mine for the first time ever.
He’s holding my hand.
His grip is burning, branding, and tighter than anything I’ve ever felt, and it should delight me, even though I knew his breaking would always come at a cost.
But this?
This is too high a price to pay, and now nothing will ever be the same.