33. 33 – Alyss
33 – Alyss
“ T hey’ve given us steak tonight.”
I glance around. Chess is leaning against the wall of the bathroom. “A last supper, I guess.”
A final meal.
Slowly, I shift back, letting the water run over my hair. Chess holds something up. “They sent us clothes too. And these.”
I squint. “Is that a toothbrush?”
He nods, tossing it onto the counter. “Maybe they could smell your breath.”
When I glare at him, he swipes it and tosses it at me. The toothpaste follows. I immediately squirt it onto the brush and shove it into my mouth.
My eyes close. Heaven.
I’d sell Chess’s left nut sack for some floss right now. Possibly both. Frowning, I point at him with my spare hand. “Mwah bwef smeh oses.”
He starts to laugh. “What?”
I yank the toothbrush away, turning to spit. It washes away down the drain as I go in for a second go. “My breath smells like fucking roses next to yours.”
I stick my tongue out at him, and he smiles as he moves to the counter, pulling out his own toothbrush. But it’s a sad smile.
I watch as he cleans his teeth before he turns off the faucet and peels off his shirt. “What are you doing?”
Chess strides over, nudging me out of the way. “It’s our last night, Alyss. I’m already sharing you. I want to shower with you. Ideally that would involve being inside you too, but I’ll take what I can get.”
Sharing you.
“Chess.” I swallow. “You know, you and me—.”
“Forever,” he says instantly. He gestures at me to turn around, and I sigh as he runs his hands through my hair, working out the knots. “No matter what, Lyss. I’ll join a queue if I have to. Fuck knows I can’t blame them for it.”
“It’s this place,” I whisper. “Everything feels… more .”
Or maybe not. Maybe it’s just these men. Fuck knows I didn’t have the urge to rodeo on Bruce’s cock.
Thank god.
Chess. Hatter. Buck. Even Aiden and Kayden. They all make my heart skip a beat.
Would it be so bad?
Sighing, I close my eyes. Chess is watching me when I open them again. “You deserved so much better than me, Chess.”
I’m not talking about this sudden weird quirk in our relationship. The possible… additions.
I’ve been so cold to him. So angry—
Chess spins me, his hands landing on my face. “You listen to me. I’m convinced that every single good thing that has ever happened in my life is because you were part of it, Lyss. You think your grief is going to push me away? It’s not. I only ever wanted to share it, but you wouldn’t let me.”
My head lowers. He tips it up.
“I love you,” he says fiercely. “You’re my forever, Lyss. Even if we both die tomorrow, you’re always going to be my forever. Even when you’re being a brat.”
My tears mix with the water. “I love you too. Sorry I don’t say it enough. Even when you’re an asshole.”
I wrap my arms around his neck, our bodies pressing together beneath the water. Chess lifts me, his touch as familiar as breathing as he presses me back against the cool wall.
His lips move to my neck. “Is your back cold?”
“Cold?” I’m on fire . He’s always made me burn.
Chess fits against me easily, sliding in with a groan. “You feel like coming home, you know.”
I know what he means.
My teeth sink into his shoulder. “Stop it. You’re giving me the good stuff in case we die and it’s freaking me out.”
He laughs, but it sounds broken as he slides his cock out and back in, my breath catching in my chest as he stretches me. “I’ll save it for tomorrow night, then.”
He swaps his words out, distracting me with kisses. Our lips barely separate, chasing each other as he pushes in and out of me, my hips wrapped around his waist. I sink my fingers into his wet hair, holding onto him tightly.
When our lips pull away, he stares at me, water droplets flecked across his cheeks. “You okay?”
I swallow.
Adam left him too.
Adam left him, and I locked him out.
But I think I’m done locking Chess out.
“If we get out of this,” I whisper. “I think I’m ready to go home, Chess.”
His face… it crumples. He hides it, hides his expression in my neck, the edge of his stubble brushing against my skin, his cock buried inside me.
“About fucking time.”
***
"So…,” I murmur. Chess holds up a shirt, and I pause. “Is that fresh?”
“They’re giving us the good stuff.” He tosses it to me and I hold it against my naked body. “You’re not putting it on?”
He catches my glance toward the door before I can stop it. His eyebrows flick up.
“I’m going to hate every second of this,” he mutters. “Every damn second.”
I stop. “Do you… mean that?”
We stare at each other.
“If I asked you… not to.” He clears his throat. “Would you still?”
I think about it. “The Chess that I love wouldn’t force a decision like that on me. He’d want me to make it for myself. No matter what it was.”
His eyes narrow. “Sneaky. But true.” He sighs. “I’ll behave myself. Mostly. Hatter seems… decent enough.”
My stomach flips. “He does.”
“Buck too.” Chess reaches up to scratch against his bare shoulder. My teeth marks are barely visible. “I’m withholding judgment on the twins, though. I haven’t seen enough of them yet.”
I linger, still clutching the shirt. “Is this my group or yours ?”
He half-smiles. “So it is a group? It’s yours. But you know I’m not gonna change, Lyss. You’re always gonna be my priority, no matter who I’m sharing your bed with.”
My cheeks flush scarlet, warmth settling over my skin. “I don’t want you to change.”
He’s close behind me as I pull the door open and walk out.
The low hum of conversation trails into silence.
I clear my throat. Then I stare down at the shirt, still against my chest.
I definitely should’ve gotten dressed for this conversation.
“Trouble.” Buck’s voice sounds strangled. “What are you doing?”
The twins sit up in unison, flowing off the bed. Neither of them are wearing shirts.
Hatter… his eyes move over my skin, trailing heat in his wake.
“I have decided,” I say awkwardly. “That there… there might be… um. The possibility of a group. And… vacancies?”
Silence. Aiden begins to grin.
“In the future,” I blurt. “If we… you know. Survive. Which feels quite unlikely. But… yeah.”
Cheeks burning, I flick out the shirt and shrug into it. “I’m not sure why I had to say that naked. Sorry.”
“Please don’t apologize,” Aiden murmurs.
Buck comes closer. And he brushes his hand against my cheek. “Full points for effect, trouble. Is there an audition?”
“You have to dance,” Chess deadpans behind me. “And sing.”
Buck looks mildly concerned for a moment, until I shake my head. He lets out a breath. “I mean, I would. I’m not saying it would be a winner, but I’d give it a try.”
Smiling, I glance down at his hands.
He lifts them to show me. “Still shaking. You sure you want me as part of this show?”
There’s humor in his voice, but his eyes… they’re wary.
Buck inhales sharply when I lean forward.
I press my lips to his before pulling away. “I’m sure.”
“I’ve suddenly found an additional will to survive,” Kayden murmurs. “It’s a miracle.”
Buck blinks at me, and twin spots of color flare on his cheeks as he reaches a hand to rub his neck. “You and me both.”
I turn to look at Hatter. He smiles at me, but he doesn’t say anything else. Instead, he gets up. “I’m going to take a shower. Use one of those toothbrushes.”
My stomach flips as he vanishes behind the door.
“He’s a complicated man,” Buck says quietly. “But a good one.”
My brows crease as I stare at that closed door. “I know.”
***
I roll over, punching my pillow in irritation and nearly catching Chess in the face.
“Can’t sleep?”
Pausing, I glance across the room. Aiden and Kayden are both watching me, their blue eyes a deep, dark sapphire even under the nasty strip lighting they never fucking turn off.
When I shake my head, they glance at each other.
Both of them stand up, and push their beds together. Aiden settles back down, and holds out his hand in a silent question.
I look down at Chess’s sleeping face.
He doesn’t stir as I slide my legs out of bed. The floor feels like ice beneath my feet as I dart across the room, climbing up between them. They shift apart to make space, and Kayden pulls his pillow out from behind him.
I shake my head. “Don’t do that.”
When Aiden pats his leg, I frown.
“Lay down.” A small smile appears. “I’m comfortable.”
He is comfortable. His thigh is solid beneath my head, but his fingers brush through my hair, playing with it. “Bad dreams?”
From this position, I can clearly see Hatter across the room. He’s sleeping, or pretending to.
He’s avoiding me, and I don’t know why.
“I don’t need bad dreams,” I whisper finally. “Reality is bad enough.”
I’m not superhuman.
I’m scared. Petrified about tomorrow, and what it will bring.
Who I might lose.
Aiden doesn’t stop stroking my hair. “That feels nice.”
He hums lightly, a comforting sound. “All we need is a bedtime story.”
“Tell me one.” I shift, glancing up at them both. “Tell me a story… about you. How did you end up here? Or… anything, really.”
Anything that gets me out of my own head and gives me more information about what’s going on inside theirs.
They exchange looks. Kayden nods, and Aiden looks down at me.
“Close your eyes.”