Nova
I wake up and can’t move.
Trey’s arm is around my waist. Vaelor still has my hand — I don’t think he let go at all. There’s weight across my legs that is definitely Rane and when I try to shift Locke’s hand tightens on my ankle from somewhere at the foot of the bed like he’s been waiting for me to try that.
I stare at the ceiling.
Every single one of them is touching me somehow. My whole body is just — still. Relaxed.
I don’t know when that happened. I can’t find the moment. It just isn’t anymore.
I didn’t know how nice this could be.
“Ugh,” I say to no one. “Coffee. I need—”
Vaelor kisses my cheek. “On it.”
He gets up, drags his pants on and heads downstairs.
I stare after him.
“Already addicted, huh beautiful?” Rane. Smug. Not even slightly asleep.
I glare at him.
“Just like she’s addicted to all of us,” Kyron says.
I gasp, not even a little bit offended.
“I am not—”
“Oh you are,” Trey says.
And then he tickles me.
“That’s it—” I’m laughing before I finish the sentence, pulling myself upright, climbing over whoever’s in the way. Hands grab at me from every direction. Rane actually whimpers and I pause looking at him.
“Seriously?”
He grins.
Such a brat.
Trey is still grinning, but Locke catches my wrist for half a second. I lean down and press my lips to his.
“See you downstairs.”
He nods and I find my clothes, barely.
I find clothes. Pull them on fast.
“You don’t need to—” Beckett starts.
I raise an eyebrow at him.
He turns red.
I’ve never seen Beckett turn red before in my life.
“You’re adorable.”
I grin and head downstairs.
Pretty sure he’s redder now.
Vaelor hands me coffee before I hit the bottom stair.
I take it with both hands and don’t say anything because some things are beyond words and this is one of them.
The kitchen is warm. Vaelor opened a window. I can hear the Hollow starting up outside — voices, movement, the ordinary sounds of a place that’s still standing.
I hop up on the counter.
Vaelor looks at me. Looks at the counter.
“What are you…”
“This is my spot now,” I tell him.
“It’s a counter.”
“My counter spot.”
He grins as he moves between my legs. I try to stay serious but this man grinning does something to me. I’m grinning back by the time his hands rest on my thighs.
“Your counter spot,” he murmurs kissing me.
Then he winks, and turns back to whatever he’s making.
I drink my coffee. It’s hard to actually drink with this smile I can’t get off my face.
The rest of my guys filter down in pieces.
My guys… I’ll get over that one day.
Rane immediately goes for the food. It’s absolutely not done yet.
“Fuck!”
“Burn yourself?”
“Shhh,” he says, already pouting.
Trey stops long enough to kiss my cheek before making his way to the coffee.
Kyron jumps down the last few stairs way too awake.
I hate him.
I grumble and take a few sips of my coffee.
Beckett comes down last.
He looks at me on the counter. His ears are still slightly pink.
Adorable, I mouth. He shakes his head trying not to smile.
“So… Last night,” Rane starts, mouth already full.
“Don’t,” Locke says.
“What? I was just—”
“Rane.”
“It was good!” He gestures with his fork. “I’m allowed to say it was good.”
“It was good,” Trey agrees quietly into his coffee.
Vaelor sets a plate next to me on the counter.
“Eat,” he says.
“Thank you.” I pick up the plate.
Kyron leans back in his chair. That smirk on his face.
“You’ve come a long way,” he says. Casual. Unbearable. “From the girl who could barely be in the same room as me.”
“I could be in the same room as you.”
“You went red every time I looked at you.”
“I did not—”
“You did.”
“It was bad lighting.”
“Kyron,” Beckett says, without looking up from his mug. “Did you see how far you came last night?”
Everyone stares at Beckett.
I choke on my coffee.
Rane drops his fork.
Kyron processes it two full seconds after everyone else and then a piece of toast comes from nowhere and hits Beckett square in the face.
Beckett doesn’t flinch. Picks up his mug.
Rane is pointing. He can’t form words. He’s just — pointing at Beckett and making sounds.
Trey has his face in his hands. His shoulders are shaking.
“Beckett,” I manage. “You can’t just—”
“Too far?”
“No,” Rane wheezes. “No that was exactly the right distance.”
Kyron throws another piece of toast.
Good thing he’s out of toast now.
After a while the kitchen quiets down and it feels like home. All of it.
Rane’s stolen the last of my toast. Trey gives me a soft smile as he grabs more coffee.
Vaelor’s washing dishes and somehow talked Beckett into drying.
I reach over and steal a piece of fruit from Rane’s plate.
He moves it closer without looking up.
But I catch the smile on his face.
Yeah, home.
“I’m going to try Linda again today,” I say.
Locke grunts like it’s nothing.
“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Beckett says. “All of that and then just — gone.”
“She’s not just gone,” Kyron says. “People don’t vanish like that without a reason.”
Nobody argues.
“After coffee,” I say.
“That’s your second coffee,” Rane says.
“Might have a third.” I shrug and smile.
He shakes his head again.
“You’re going to be bouncing off the walls.”
Vaelor laughs as he dries his hands and starts to brew another pot.
I can hear the sounds from outside, someone talking low. See the neighbor on her porch across the street. It’s normal, peaceful.
This really is my counter spot from now on… I hope Vaelor knows that.
I’m about to say something when the sound comes.
Hoofbeats.
Fast.
Too fast.
Everything stops.
I’m off the counter before I decide to move.