CHAPTER SEVEN
Kayla
I opted to sleep in the spare room last night, needing to process everything that had happened. Deep down, I know what they did to Aaron. After what he did to me, I know he deserved it, but the emotions still hit me hard, and I wanted to cry in peace.
Now every muscle in my body aches, and I can no longer simply lie here replaying the mental image of Aaron from when we walked into the workshop. I hate that my first instinct is to feel sorry for him when he instilled fear in me so deep that I have battled it for years.
Sneaking out of the room, I find the house is quiet—everyone must still be asleep. It’s weird creeping around someone else’s space, but I feel more at home here than in my loft. I can’t get rid of the feeling that it was Aaron in my space.
I start the coffee machine and lean against the counter as I decide what I should make for breakfast. Vero will be starving when he wakes up, and the idea hits; he seems like a “waffles with ice cream for breakfast” kind of guy.
I push off the counter and search the cupboards, remembering from one of Vero’s rants that Clay got him a waffle machine for Christmas, but he used it once and is now banned from touching it again after nearly burning the kitchen down.
I find everything I need and put on some music, just loud enough so I can hear it but not enough to wake everyone. It doesn’t take long to get the batter ready and start cooking, and by the time I have a decent pile, I hear someone coming down the stairs.
Vero appears in the doorway, his hair messy, wearing Brawley’s hoodie and boxer briefs.
“You’re up,” he says with a smile.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
He moves across the kitchen and wraps both of his arms around me from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder. I keep cooking while we stand together.
Brawley comes in next. Vero and I turn to see him watching us both, while he pours himself a coffee, then sits at the table.
Ares and Clay come in together. Both make a coffee, then sit with Brawley. Vero gets excited and helps me grab the plates, while I get the ice cream and maple syrup.
“We are having waffles with ice cream. Guess she loves me most, suckers.”
With a snort, I put everything on the table at the same time as Vero. “I need to talk to you all,” I tell them.
Vero looks at Brawley. Brawley looks at me. Clay raises a brow, and Ares just glances up, unconcerned.
The tough act is easier in theory around them, but I see the way they look at me, as if I might fall apart at any minute.
“I need to say something, and I need all of you to let me finish before anyone reacts.”
“That feels like it was aimed at me,” Vero says.
“It’s partially aimed at you,” I say, looking at him. “I know this is new, and the timing is what it is, but after all of this, I don’t want to waste time anymore.” I pause and keep myself steady. “Whatever this is, or what we are, I want it. I’m all in if that is still something that’s on offer.”
Vero’s face drops. “Are you leaving?” he says quietly. “Because if you’re saying you’re leaving, I need you to know I will kidnap you.”
I look at Brawley, and he reaches over and puts his hand on Vero’s knee, then leans in and whispers in his ear. Vero stops bouncing his leg and nods.
“I’m not leaving. That’s the opposite of what I just said.”
“Sorry, I freaked out. When you said you needed to talk, I missed everything after that.” Vero frowns.
“What I am trying to say, and it’s hard for me, is that I’m afraid to go back to my apartment.
” The table is quiet. “I know everything with Aaron wasn’t something you signed up for.
He wasn’t your problem, and I spent a lot of last night thinking about going home, but I don’t think I can do it.
I hate that he has done this to me, but I’m scared and need to admit that aloud.
That isn’t who I am—I’m not scared of anything. ”
I pin Vero with a glare. If he brings up that song right now, I will not be responsible for my actions.
“Which also brings me to something else.” I look at Ares. “I would like a job at your bar.”
Ares blinks at me a few times. “You love your job. You’ve talked about your independence since the day we met.”
“Things change. I like being here more.”
Ares nods, and Clay laughs. It’s not a little chuckle either.
“What?” I snap at him.
“Nothing,” he says, then mimes zipping his lips.
“Just say it. You know you want to.”
Clay shrugs. “Did you really think we were going to let you out of our sight after what happened?” He raises his stupid, perfectly manicured eyebrow at me. “I thought when I brought it up, we would have a huge fight and then some hate sex.”
I sigh. “And this is the reason I almost didn’t say anything. I knew you would do this.”
“I’m not doing anything. I’m simply saying you saved me the trouble of forcing you to stay.”
I open my mouth to argue that he couldn’t force me to do anything, but what’s the point when I want to stay here? Looking around the table, I see Brawley casually sipping his coffee, Clay’s smug face, Ares’s small smirk. and Vero’s shit-eating grin. The latter raises his hand.
“Yes, Vero, you can speak now.”
“So, what you’re basically saying is that you’re staying?”
I nod. “Yes, that is, if you guys are all okay with it. At least until I feel comfortable going back to the loft. Just knowing it was him in my safe space has freaked me out a little. I know I owe most of you an explanation about Aaron, and I will tell you when I can. Just know he manipulated me in ways that I hadn’t realized until I left, and I can’t ever let that happen again.
I need to make my own choices and be free to do what I want.
” Clay growls, and I turn to him. “Do you have an issue with that?”
“No, you are free to do whatever you want, as long as it doesn’t involve other men.”
I laugh at that. “I promise, the four of you are more than enough for me, but if I want to be friends with a man, I will. You don’t get to decide for me.”
Clay crosses his arms and scowls. “Fine, but if they touch you, I will break their hands.”
I sigh. “Sure, if any man touches me inappropriately, you can break their hands.”
Vero claps. “Look at us compromising already. Should we get boxes and move your stuff? Do you have to give notice at your place?”
“How about we let Kayla keep her apartment for now? She may hate living here. That is, if that’s what you want, Kayla?”
I nod. “Yes, please, but I would like to get some of my things if that’s okay.”
“Of course you can—you don’t even have to ask,” Brawley says. “Just let us know when you’re ready.”
“Thanks, I don’t have a lot to grab.”
“We’ll make room for whatever you have. But there is one issue,” Vero says, stuffing half a waffle into his mouth.
“And what’s that?” Clay muses.
“Where will she sleep? I want her in mine and Brawley’s bed, but by the look on Clay’s face, something tells me he would just steal her away from us.”
“Kayla will have her own room, and if she chooses to sleep in any of our beds, that’s up to her.”
I mouth thank you to Ares and he winks.
“Good thinking! You’re so smart.”
Ares rolls his eyes at Vero, and then we focus on finishing our breakfast. Waffles and ice cream was a great idea, and Vero seems to agree by licking his plate clean.
I push back from the table and start collecting plates, but Brawley grabs my wrist. “Leave it, you cooked.”
I nod and leave the stack of plates where they are. “I might take a shower, and then we can head out.”
Brawley says that he is ready whenever I am, so I head upstairs, trying not to think about Aaron and what happened over the past few days. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to come back here—there’s no way.
The bathroom adjoining the spare room is small, but at least there’s a towel already hanging on the rack. Turning on the water, I strip down and step in, letting the hot spray wash away all the thoughts in my head. I need to hold it together; I’m physically okay, and that is all that matters.
The bathroom door opens, and I wipe my hand across the foggy screen to find Ares leaning against the sink. He pushes off and opens the shower door, stepping inside fully dressed.
“Your clothes are getting wet.” He shrugs as the water runs down the side of his face, and he stares at me. “You don’t have to check on me.”
“I wanted to.”
I step back so the water runs over my back and shoulders. “Do you really want to know, or is this you wanting something to use against me later?”
He is quiet for a moment. “Honestly, I don’t know. All I know is that I wanted to make sure you were okay, and honestly, that scares the shit out of me. When you were being dug up, my heart raced so fast. The thought of losing you killed me.”
“And that bothers you?”
“Yes, because what if this is me feeling something? What does that mean for my entire life? Why you and no one else? Or have I convinced myself that I care because this way I don’t have to lie to you?”
I place my hands on the hem of his shirt, pulling it up, helping him remove the now heavy fabric. “You know you can ask me anything. I already need you, Ares, more than you know. When I was in that coffin, all I wanted was for you to know I needed you.”
Ares undoes his pants, and they drop to the ground.
“For what it’s worth, not knowing something about yourself doesn’t have to be a problem,” I continue, picking up the shampoo.
Ares takes it from my hand and pours some into his, then motions for me to spin around so he can help me wash my hair. “It does when your operating system relies on knowing everything.”
“Then maybe it needs an update. I’m not going anywhere, and we have time to figure out how this works for us. I need you, Ares, and now you get to figure out what you want from me.”
“Kayla, I can’t promise I won’t use what I know to manipulate you,” he says as I wash out the shampoo, then turn back to face him.
“But I think deep down you’re a good man who uses what he knows for good. You love to be needed, and right now I need you more than you know. We start with the job at your bar, so I can pay my bills.”
He drops his forehead to mine. “That I can do. I already feel like I’m winning the best boyfriend award—the others will be jealous.”
“Boyfriend, huh? But it’s not a competition.”
Ares laughs. “Yes, boyfriend, because even though I’m not sure how to feel anything, I know I want you. And it very much is a competition, and right now I’m winning.”
I shake my head as I laugh. Things are about to get interesting.
Ares lowers himself to his knees and lifts my leg over his shoulder.
“You don’t have to do that,” I say, as flashbacks of Aaron telling me he hated doing it out of obligation flash through my head.
“Yes, I do. How else will I make sure you need me more? If I eat your pussy the best, you will keep coming back to me.”
He dips his tongue into my core, and I reach for his hair as I buck against his face.
Oh fuck, a girl could get used to this. If this is how he wants me to need him, I am more than happy to oblige.