Harper
When I come out of the shower into my room to get ready for bed, the webcam is live, but earlier no one else was on. It’s been a while since I’ve taken a shower on my own, so I took my time to shave and just let the water pour over me.
“Hey, sunshine.” Nico’s voice makes me turn to look at the screen.
No one else is around yet. I tuck my towel in and sit in my desk chair facing him. The anger I felt earlier is gone, but I’m still a little wary.
“I’m sorry about earlier.” He runs a hand through his hair. His dark eyes seem haunted. “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”
I release the breath I was holding. “I’m not a prize or a competition you can win by defeating anyone else.”
“I know, but it’s hard not to think that way.” Nico leans his arms on his desk. “I don’t know if you remember this, but I’ve always been competitive.”
I bark out a laugh, remembering his fits when he was losing at something. The pouting and tantrums until he turned it around. “You’re just lucky I didn’t really care and always let you win.”
He smiles softly, and my pulse leaps a little. “Yeah, that probably didn’t help me figure out how to lose graciously.”
“Maybe, but what have you lost, Nico?” I tuck my wet hair behind my ear. I have no makeup on and a towel, but I’m comfortable. “I’m here. Your friends are here and willing to share with you. Maybe we don’t measure up to New York, but—”
“You’re better than New York, sunshine. I just can’t get out of my head. I want to make it up to you.” Nico’s eyes capture me, and I see that guy who climbed the stands to find me again. The one that makes my heart beat quicker. “Please, sunshine.”
“We can do dinner sometime this week.” I’d already decided to offer that. “So we can talk. But just talk. We need to figure out who we are now. I won’t let you win all the time.”
He smiles. “I don’t expect you to.”
“Fuck, it’s like sucking on candy. Too fucking sweet.” Caden sits down at his computer. “You two are like a Hallmark movie brought to life.”
I laugh. “Have you ever watched a Hallmark movie, Caden? Because I don’t think what we do would qualify.”
He shrugs. “I’ve seen a few memes. Why do you still have your towel on, little nympho?”
I shake my head and stand. Arching an eyebrow, I put my hand on the knot and then turn to my dresser.
“Fuck, when did you become a tease?” Caden groans.
“Isn’t that what girlfriends do?” I reply over my shoulder as I grab a pair of panties, sleep shorts, and a tank.
“Nico knows what girlfriends do. So, Nico,” Caden says. “Are girlfriends teases or do they do what their boyfriends tell them to do?”
“Fuck, man. I’m already in the doghouse.” Nico chuckles. “You’ll have to figure this one out on your own.”
I glance at Nico, who gives me a cocky smile. Maybe, something new can grow. Time will tell.
“All right, we’ll put it to a vote.” Caden leans back in his chair as I sit on the edge of the bed.
“What are we voting on?” Jack sits down with a glittery smiley face painted on his cheek.
I laugh. “What’s on your face?”
Jack touches his cheek and smiles. “Lucy got a bunch of new makeup and wanted to try it out. I’m lucky I escaped the whole makeover.”
My phone buzzes, and I stand to go to it. I’ve got a pic from Jack in my messages. I open it to see a little girl who looks a lot like Jack with sparkly makeup everywhere. Eyelids, lips, cheeks, her nose, her forehead, even some on her ears.
“You would have made it work.” I glance up and he grins.
“We’re voting on whether girlfriends do what they’re told or if they’re allowed to be teases,” Caden announces.
“Are we having issues already?” Eli’s camera pans until he has the laptop on his lap and his face and bare chest come into the frame.
“Harper flaunted herself in that towel and then refused to drop it.” Caden gestures at the computer.
“Technically, no one asked me to drop it. You asked why I had it on.” This is what I like about these guys. These moments. The sex is phenomenal, but having them here, talking and laughing, I’m pretty sure they’ve broken me for any other relationship.
It fills this need that I didn’t even realize I had. I’ve been lonely for so long that I took the bits and pieces I could from the two people who supported me: my mom and Kenz.
But I don’t feel like I’m getting the scraps with these guys. Mom and Kenz want to spend time with me, but it’s different. We find time to hang out. Mom has work. Kenz has Brandon and school.
The guys have me.
“So we’re voting on what then?” Eli asks.
“Whether she can be a tease or if she should do as we say. Nico refused to help because he’s in the doghouse.” Caden’s face turns contemplative. “Wait, can she put us all in the doghouse?”
I laugh. Pretty sure they won’t allow that one.
“If she does it by riding my cock until she comes—” Jack smirks at me. “I volunteer to be in the doghouse.”
Nico shakes his head, but he has a smile on his face. There’s less weight on him too.
“But she also made him lose his night with her.” Caden shakes his head. “Not worth it, but we should definitely discuss that as well. Fuck, do we need an agenda for these things? This is getting complicated.”
“Princess, lose the towel.” Luke drops into his chair and runs a hand through his blond hair. Tension rides his shoulders.
“But this is so entertaining.” I stand and drop the towel to put on my panties. Then I put on my pajamas and turn to find them watching me. I smirk. “Sorry, brief show. We have school tomorrow.”
“So it takes Death—” Caden begins.
Eli interrupts, “You never asked her to lose the towel, Caden. Sometimes you just have to demand or ask nicely. Harper can be reasonable. Isn’t that right, kitten?”
“Yup.” I pop the p and wait.
“For the record, I would have voted tease.” Caden stretches his arms over his head, and just the sheer strength in his body is impressive. A little shiver goes through me, and he winks.
“We need to discuss nights.” Eli leans back against his headboard.
“Uh, so my mom...” Oh, fuck, how do I say this? “When I told her about Luke and Caden being home alone, she said if it makes me feel safer, one of them could stay with me in the guest bedroom when she works nights.”
Luke smiles like he knows he’s not sleeping in my guest bedroom. “When does she work nights this week?”
“Not tonight, but Monday through Friday.” I sit down at my desk and grab the ice pack I brought up, putting it between my legs where I’m sore from everything that happened today. “We can work out a schedule based on those days, since Mom gets home at six in the morning.”
“So that’s Caden, and Jack and I for a night alone with you.
Probably ought to space them out, so we don’t wear you out for school.
” Eli taps his finger against his lip as his eyes scan something on his laptop.
“Monday for Caden and Wednesday for us would probably be best. That way you’ll get sleep the other two nights. ”
I bite back a sarcastic laugh, because those other nights I won’t sleep alone, and it’s doubtful I’ll get a full night of sleep.
“I’ll have dinner with Nico on Tuesday and Luke on Thursday. That way I get a couple of dates in, too.”
It’s hard to read Luke right now. He’s here, but he seems preoccupied. He would have won that night with me, if I’d let him play. Maybe I can find some other way to give him a night. One that won’t make him in more pain.
Eli clears his throat. “Do we want to discuss your dinner—”
Luke shakes his head in warning.
My heart clenches. I’m not sure we can talk safely in Luke’s house anymore.
“Do you have your homework done, princess?” Luke’s blue eyes meet mine.
I nod, though I’m tempted to tell him no and hope he shows up. “I have a few scholarship essays to work on before bed tonight though.”
He nods. “Then we’ll work for a while before we go to sleep.”