Chapter 64
Hostile Environment
Nico
I wait in the living room while Mom finishes in the kitchen. I’ve never been this anxious about having someone over. My mom met most of my girlfriends. We even had dinner with them, but this feels different.
Harper means more than those girls.
Those girls were being introduced to my mom for the first time. Mom knows Harper from back when we were kids. What will she think of Harper now that she’s grown? Now that I’ve claimed her as my girlfriend.
Luke made it very clear in the locker room after practice that she can be my girlfriend for my parents, but that’s it. Possessive asshole probably never thought maybe Harper would like to have a title besides ours.
The doorbell rings, and I open the door.
“Hey.” Jack walks in, followed by Caden. “Dude, it smells delicious in here.”
I smile and rub the back of my neck. I never had these guys over when we were kids either. “It’s the best.”
Before I can shut the door, Eli walks up the steps. “Nice place.”
We’re down the street from Eli’s house. The house we have now is a lot bigger and in a better neighborhood than the one down the block from Harper’s. I miss that old house. We felt like more of a family when we lived there.
Dad didn’t work all the time, and Mom didn’t feel the need to escape the house and her family. In New York, we all went our separate ways. Basically had our own lives. I’m not sure what was so urgent to lead us back here, but I can’t help feeling grateful for whatever it was.
We sit in the living room while we wait for Harper and Luke. It seems like we’re always waiting for them.
“How’s this going to work going forward?” It’s been weighing on my mind. “Harper’s mom doesn’t work thirds all the time.”
“We’ll have the weekends.” Caden leans forward with his hands clasped between his knees. “There are some spots at school. Lunches. Just because we can’t sleep together doesn’t mean we can’t hang out.”
Maybe it’s for the best. Harper needs time outside of us. She must have had some life before the guys swooped in and took it over.
“I’ve got a plan for tomorrow night.” Eli looks around the room, taking in everything. Mom’s unpacked a lot, but a few boxes remain in the corner. “Harper’s staying at my house.”
Jack chuckles. “Until your parents find her and kick her out. You’re better off sneaking out to sleep with her at one of the other guys’ houses.
Or fuck, say you need to study late and just stay the night at Caden’s.
It’s not unrealistic for us to have a test and, with football, not a lot of time to study for it. ”
“We just need to be on the same page.” Eli nods. “I want a night alone with her.”
“When we get past the last barrier, we can make arrangements.” Caden rubs his hands together. “I have a plan if we can all stay at my house tomorrow night.”
The doorbell rings before he can tell us. When I open the door, Harper gives me this smile that makes me want to forget about the other guys and take her back to my room, so I can take my time and explore every inch of her. I swear my heart thumps hard in my chest at the sight of my girl.
Luke follows her in, touching fists with Eli as he takes a seat beside him.
I draw her into the living room, and my mom pokes her head out of the kitchen.
“Is that Harper?” Mom grins, wiping her hands on a towel as she looks around at the guys. “And I’ve seen you all on the football field, but you’re a lot bigger than I remember.”
“Mom, this is Jack, Caden, Luke, and Eli.” I didn’t have a lot of friends in New York to have over. I hung out with guys at school and at parties, but no one really meshed well with me.
“It’s good to see you again, Mrs. Lee.” Eli stands and offers her his hand. She shakes it.
Her cheeks flush as she looks up at Eli, and the others stand as well. “Definitely not little boys anymore.”
When she turns, her gaze lands on Harper next to me. Her smile softens. “My goodness, how you’ve grown.”
“Hi, Mrs. Lee.”
Mom pulls Harper into her arms and hugs her. “I’m so glad you and Nico found your way back to each other. His other girlfriends were such snobby girls.”
Harper glances over her shoulder at me, and I just shrug. I’m not with those girls now, but I liked them at the time. The truth was, they were never her. Never Harper.
Mom steps away from Harper and looks her over. “I can’t imagine you without pigtails and scraped knees.”
Harper smiles. “I can’t wait for your famous lasagna.”
“I hope you don’t mind we aren’t formal.” Mom glances at me. “I couldn’t find the dishes I wanted, and there are still so many boxes in the dining room. We can squeeze in around the kitchen table.”
“It’s fine, Mom. They aren’t expecting a full dinner service.” We follow my mom and Harper into the kitchen, and the smell in here is even better. In the center of the table is a glass dish of lasagna, brimming with cheese and tomato sauce.
“This smells fantastic, Mrs. Lee.” Caden sits, and his eyes go to Harper.
But Mom has plans apparently. “You’ll sit next to me, darling, and Nico can sit on your other side.”
Mom releases Harper. I take Harper’s hand and give it a squeeze to reassure her. We all sit down as Mom adds garlic bread to the table.
“Do you mind serving, Nico?” Mom grabs her napkin and puts it in her lap.
“No problem.” I make sure everyone has a slice of lasagna as they pass around the garlic bread. Harper puts a few pieces of bread on my plate before passing it on.
We settle into our seats, and for a few minutes, it’s quiet as everyone begins to eat.
“This is amazing,” Jack says with his mouth full.
“Thank you.” Mom blushes. “So how is everyone’s school year going? What classes do you have?”
Everyone shares a few of their classes. When Harper mentions art, Mom smiles indulgently.
“At dinner yesterday, Nico told me about his first assignment in art class.”
I need to stop her before she accidentally calls Harper out about her partner. “The guys don’t want to hear about art, Mom.”
“Nico, you don’t have to be modest. He received awards in New York for his pieces.
I find it interesting your art teacher divided up the class the way she did.
Everyone with a partner, but you didn’t get to choose.
” Mom smiles as she looks around the table.
“It’s a good idea to pair up people outside of their friend groups. ”
Harper’s worried eyes flash up to mine. Hopefully Mom will let it drop. I didn’t tell the guys about Tanner because Harper didn’t want to make it a thing. But given their reaction to him the other day and Caden’s story, it’s a big deal.
“Weren’t you saying no one was put with their friends?” Mom looks at the breadbasket and sees it’s empty. “Oh, let me get more garlic bread.”
“What’s your mom talking about?” Luke asks quietly as soon as she’s on the other side of the kitchen. His eyes don’t leave Harper.
“Art class partners for a project. I’m paired with Angela Harris.” I lean back in my chair, and Harper takes my hand under the table and squeezes it. “Penny got stuck with William Frank.”
“Will’s a good guy.” Caden points his fork at me. “He’s been in my art classes for years.”
“Penny doesn’t seem to think so,” Harper comments.
She probably would have been fine if she hadn’t said anything.
Mom brings the bread back to the table and sits. “Anyway, I think what the teacher did is a good thing. You don’t get to pick who you work with in the real world.”
“Who’s your partner, Harper?” Luke’s gaze never falters from her, even though she doesn’t meet his eyes.
She blows out a breath and looks to me for reinforcements. Fuck, I wish I could help her with this, but she’s the one who wanted to deal with it and keep the guys out of it. Besides, it’s only been two classes. It won’t be that big of a deal if we tell them now.
“Tanner Lewis.” I lift my gaze to Caden.
He freezes for a moment. His gaze meets Harper’s, and she flinches.
“It’s a project that’s completed during class time,” she rushes out. “There was no changing partners, so I figured there was no point mentioning it.”
Mom catches on to the tension. “Do we not like Tanner Lewis?”
“He’s not a nice guy.” Harper pushes her lasagna around her plate.
“That’s a shame. Nico says Angela is okay.”
Thanks, Mom. Harper arches her eyebrow when she lifts her gaze to mine.
I shrug. I wasn’t about to tell my mom the chick wants to fuck me.
Mom smiles. “It’ll be a good life lesson then.”
Yeah, don’t discuss things with my mom ever.
Harper
“Dinner was lovely. Thank you again for having me over, Mrs. Lee.” I’m putting off leaving. Caden is furious. Luke looks like he’s going to spank me. Eli and Jack worked the whole meal to keep the tension from being obvious to Mrs. Lee.
“I expect you to be around a lot. Now that you two are dating.” Her gaze drops to our hands woven together.
“Of course.” I honestly hope Nico can talk some sense into Luke before he punishes me. I decided to keep it from them so it wouldn’t become a thing. Caden doesn’t need to be reminded of what that fucker did to his sister.
“We’re headed to Luke’s to do some homework, and then I’ll be home.” Nico kisses his mom on her cheek before steering me out the door. “You can ride in my car, sunshine.”
We hurry to his car, and he holds open the door for me. Caden and Luke hang back, watching us. They’re talking quietly.
“Change of plans.” Luke steps forward as Nico closes my door. “We’re going to Caden’s.”
Nico nods and steps away from the car, but I can still hear them.
“I’m there to watch him with her,” Nico says. “They’ve barely talked. I can protect her, Luke.”
“We’ll talk when we get there.” He claps Nico on the shoulder. “Don’t think you can protect her from us.”
Nico’s words are lost to me as he lowers his voice. Luke’s gaze grabs hold of mine, and I’m pinned in place by him. He doesn’t like that I kept this from him, but my life doesn’t have to be an open book to these guys.
Luke shifts his gaze to Nico, releasing me. I draw a breath into my starving lungs. Fuck. Tonight might be a shit show I’ll be the center of. Wanting to avoid any more captured gazes, I purposely look away from the guys while they finish talking.
The car door opens, and Nico climbs in. “We should have told them from the start.”
“Why? It’s literally been a day, and nothing has happened.” I throw my hands up as Nico drives to Caden’s house. “Why must they know every aspect of my life? Seriously it’s a fucking group project. They can’t control who the teacher assigns me.”
“This isn’t just someone, sunshine.” Nico’s voice is calm as he takes the turns. “We both don’t know how deep this goes, but we know enough to be wary of the guy. Who’s to say he won’t take advantage of this? We don’t know Tanner. They do.”
“She drew them randomly.” I blow my hair out of my face as I rest my head against the seat.
I didn’t know Tanner. Don’t know Tanner. Yes, he tried to trick me to get revenge on the horsemen, but that didn’t and won’t happen.
And now I’m probably heading to get punished. Part of me is secretly thrilled at the prospect, since it will be a private punishment and not a public humiliation.
Nico pulls in behind Caden’s car and turns off the ignition. “I can’t go against the guys on this one, Harper.”
I look down at my hands in my lap. “I know.”
He was my friend first, but I’m not the one he saw every summer. I’m the one who hid herself away. He ghosted me and that hurt. I’m lucky I found Kenz or I would have had no one.
“Hey, I won’t let them take it too far.” Nico cups my cheek and turns my face to his.
“What’s too far, Nico?” I bite out. It’s been building in me all day with the Cheermonsters and Nico. I’m just done. “Spanking? Whipping? Torture? Where’s the limit on what they can do to me and you’ll be like hey, guys, maybe we should think this over?”
“Harper—”
“No, you chose. All those years ago, you chose them over me. And you’ll continue to do that.
You’ll follow their edicts because you’re one of them.
” My throat thickens, and tears press forward, but I hold them back.
“For a second, I thought you were mine too, but I’m wrong. You’re just another owner.”
I get out of his car before he can hold me back. I’m angry at myself for thinking he could be something other than a horseman. That maybe he would be on my side. Not always, but occasionally.
He took me out for lunch so he could fuck me with his jersey on. Not because I’m special.
I swipe at the tear that escapes down my cheek. I’m not special to these guys. I’m another hole for them to fill. Somewhere along the line, I stopped believing I’m only a toy for them to use. Maybe with Caden’s constant future talk, I bought in just a little.
Fuck them. I don’t need any of them. They can use me as their pet until the end of this year, and then they’ll be out of my life forever.