61. Neomi
The movie has been playing for at least twenty minutes before I realize I have no idea what’s happening on the screen.
An action scene plays out on the television. Cars are racing through city streets, someone shouting over the sound of tires screeching, but I can’t be bothered with a movie when I have the two most beautiful men in the world cuddled up beside me.
Dinner turned into wine. Wine turned into a movie that none of us seemed particularly invested in. Now the lights are low while the quiet comfort of the evening settles over us.
Gabriel sits beside me with one ankle resting loosely over his knee, his attention moving between the screen and the skin of my thigh.
I try to focus on the movie again. Something explodes on the screen, a car flips over another car, someone yells something dramatic. My eyes blur and I blink, realizing I’ve just missed another entire stretch of the plot. A yawn slips out before I can stop it.
Lars glances down at me. “Are you tired?”
“A little,” I admit, rubbing my eyes before stretching my legs.
“A little? You’ve been half asleep for the last ten minutes,” Lars teases.
“I have not.”
“You definitely have.” Gabriel’s quiet laugh drifts from the other side of me.
Lars shakes his head with a small smile before reaching for the remote and turning off the TV.
“Let’s get you to bed, Bella.”
The room falls quiet once the television goes dark. Gabriel glances toward the windows, then toward the clock on the wall before pushing himself forward on the couch.
“I should probably get going.”
The words come easily, the way someone says goodnight after an evening that’s run its course. But I don’t want him to go. I look into Lars’ eyes trying to silently send the message.
Lars grins and looks at Gabriel. “You can stay if you like.”
Gabriel pauses.
Lars gestures toward the hallway. “We have plenty of space.”
For a second, I watch Gabriel process the offer. His expression doesn’t change much, but there’s a flicker of something thoughtful behind his eyes.
I stand and nudge his shoulder gently. “You don’t have to go home tonight.”
Gabriel pauses for another moment before his features relax.
“In that case,” he says, standing, “I’d like to stay.”
Lars stands as well, stretching once before turning off the remaining lights in the living room.
“Good,” he says calmly. “Let’s go to bed before she falls asleep out here.”
“I’m not that tired,” I protest as I slide off the couch.
The room is dim when we reach the bedroom, the soft glow of the bedside lamp spilling across the floor in a warm circle of light. I push the door open and step inside first, already tugging my sweater over my head as I move toward the bed.
The room carries the quiet familiarity of a place I’ve begun to think of as ours. Lars’ watch sits on the nightstand beside the lamp. One of his books lies open where he left it last night. The curtains are pulled halfway across the windows, leaving the city lights to shimmer through the glass.
I slip beneath the covers and settle into the center of the mattress, beneath the cool sheets while the two of them linger near the foot of the bed.
For a moment neither of them moves. I glance up at them.
“Well?” I ask, teasing. “Are you both going to just stand there or are you going to come cuddle with me?”
Lars lets out a quiet laugh before reaching for the hem of his shirt. He pulls it over his head and drops it on the chair near the dresser, then shucks off his pants before he crosses the room and climbs into bed behind me, the mattress dipping beneath his weight.
Gabriel kicks off his shoes, shrugging out of his shirt and taking off his pants. He folds them neatly, placing them on the dresser before sliding beneath the covers on the other side of the bed.
Lars shifts behind me until his arm settles comfortably around my waist, his hand resting against my stomach. I feel the warmth of him, the familiar steadiness of his presence anchoring me.
Next to me, Gabriel lies on his side facing us, one arm tucked beneath the pillow while he studies the ceiling for a moment before letting his gaze drift back toward us.
The three of us remain still, adjusting to the simple reality of the arrangement. I turn my head toward Gabriel.
“You look like you’re still deciding if this is a good idea.”
Gabriel exhales softly. “Just admiring the view.”
“Come closer, Gabriel,” Lars says quietly behind me.
The air is quiet. The warmth of two bodies surrounds me in a way that should feel strange, but instead it feels so right it almost scares me.
My hand roams until my fingers brush Gabriel’s wrist. He stills before turning his hand over so his palm rests against mine. Lars’ thumb traces a slow line along my hip beneath the blanket. I feel safe, surrounded and so fucking happy.
After a few minutes, Gabriel speaks again.
“I’m not used to being in bed with other people just to sleep.”
The corner of my mouth lifts. “It’s something we’ve been getting used to the past few weeks too.”
Lars moves behind me, his arm settling more comfortably around my waist. “It’s nice, though. You’re always welcome to stay, Gabriel.”
“Thank you,” Gabriel whispers.
I grasp Gabriel’s hand a little tighter before sleep takes me under.