25. Peyton
PEYTON
The first week passed in a kind of blur and went straight into the second week.
Some nights, I stayed in my room.
Other nights, I spent the entire night in the playroom.
We slept together, all four of us in the massive bed. I hadn’t gathered up the courage to openly slide into bed with just one of them in the penthouse.
That almost felt like a betrayal–which was ridiculous–but I couldn’t shake the thought.
So when at home, it was either everyone or no one. And I found I didn’t mind.
When I went to bed alone, I slept like a dream. Same when I slept with them. Different but good.
Honestly, I’d never slept better in my life. Morning coffee with Misha became a daily trend.
To the point he was now pouring my cup as I rounded the doorway and entered the kitchen.
When I asked how he knew it was me, he smirked the most devilish grin and held out the cup.
Somewhere in between the days, I stopped waiting for the other shoe to drop. I stopped worrying about whether they’d care whether I snuck into the kitchen at midnight.
In fact, just last night, when I’d gone down to grab a Pop Tart, I’d almost run into Viktor.
He’d caught me just before I slammed my nose into his chest, laughing a sleepy grumble as he balanced a delicate China cup in his other hand.
The rich aroma of lavender mingled in the air, and I’d almost fell over at the sight of the giant man holding a tiny teacup.
He’d stared down at me, not even bothering to hide or even look ashamed.
I decided then and there that none of it mattered. We liked what we liked, and no one was going to judge me for my decisions.
Elena caught up with me at the coffee station just after eight, her elbow knocking lightly into mine. “You look different. New sleep schedule?”
“You could say that.” I laughed and added a splash of creamer to my coffee.
Misha, Viktor, and Leo had not yet entered the elevator to go up.
They stood in front of it, chatting and acting busy.
They were waiting for me without making it obvious, and they were so adorable, I couldn’t stop grinning.
I focused on Elena. “Good different or bad different?”
She looked me up and down. “Good.” After a dramatic eye roll, she poured her coffee and studied me. “Annoyingly good, actually.”
My smile widened, and I lowered my voice. “I told my family.”
“You did? And?”
This was the Elena I remembered from when we first met. Intense but kind.
“Well, after the initial gasps and ‘Oh, my God’ from my older sister, they were incredible. I knew they would be. It’s just hard to say some things, especially to the people we care about. You know? Which is weird, because they are the first people we should be able to talk to about that stuff.”
Elena nodded along, but with a dazed expression. “Yes. Right. But how are you doing?”
“Great.” I sighed so long, my vision dotted with black spots. I stopped and took her hand. “I know you were worried about me, but you really don’t have to be. I’m great. I didn’t know it was possible to feel like this.”
Leo’s laughter sounded from down the hall, and I was pulled that way without thinking.
Elena turned with me, her intensity growing.
“I’m falling for them, Elena. They seem scary, but underneath it all, I’ve never felt more cared for or protected.” I stirred my coffee and refused to drop my head.
Elena made a noise in the back of her throat that sounded like a scoff. “You do not know who they really are. I have tried to tell you.”
“I know. And I’m sorry that I don’t believe you.” I put a hand on her arm. “They asked me to move in with them. I’m staying at the penthouse.”
“They what?” Elena’s coffee sloshed at the force of her turn.
“Temporarily.” I rushed to explain, needing her to understand. “For safety reasons. There’s something going on with the business, and it’s why didn’t want me to be alone until it’s over.”
“Safety.” She repeated the word slowly. “Should you be worried?”
“No. They don’t think the risk to me is high. It’s just a precaution, you know? Isn’t it romantic?” I put my hand over my heart and faked swooning. “I thought stuff like that only happened in movies.”
Elena blinked and tore her gaze away from Leo and the others. “It’s something.” Her eyes narrowed when Viktor turned our way.
I had no explanation for the gut-wrenching sensation that hit when all three men pulled around and stared. They were not being subtle anymore. And even though they were not trying to rush me, I patted Elena’s arm and put a lid on my coffee. “I have to go.”
“Check in with me.” Her hand shot out, and she grabbed my arm. Concern ran rampant in her eyes. “That is all I ask, Peyton. Keep checking in with me.”
“Every day if that’s what you want.” I gave her a quick one-armed hug. “Thank you for being my friend. I never would have found the courage to agree to that first meeting without you. I’m so glad I did.”
I meant every word. This life had happened because of her friendship, her reassurance that I could do this. Viktor, Leo, and Misha reinforced the idea, and I’d grown stronger because of them.
I hurried down the hall, joining them in the elevator for the ride up.
We went our separate ways at my desk. Knowing I could have them at any time had not put a damper on how often I sought them out, but today had a heaviness to it that pushed me into my seat.
I listened to their voices until the doors closed, then focused on the computer screen.
My phone pinged, and I grinned before flipping it over to check the notification, certain it would be a dirty message on Intivibe.
Instead, the small pink question mark sent my stomach through the floor. A quick swipe down brought the message into view.
You’re a week late checking in. Is everything okay?
A week late?
My stomach knotted for a new reason. I swallowed hard and put the phone face down on the desk like that would change what I’d seen.
Five years. Five years of using the same app to track my menstrual cycles and I’d never been a week late.
I’d been so absorbed in the whirlwind of the last few weeks that I hadn’t even noticed. I turned the phone over and double-checked the dates I’d marked last month, just to make sure I hadn’t marked them wrong.
Nope. All exactly the same. My head pulled to the left, toward the offices. Should I tell them my suspicions? No. Not yet. We hadn’t talked about the future in any capacity. I had no idea whether any of them wanted children.
Okay. Next steps. I stared at my computer screen, my mind whirling.
This wasn’t exactly the kind of thing I preferred to think about in the middle of the work day. I’d rather run to the bathroom and hide, but Viktor needed me to check in his client for his first meeting.
I checked the time.
Ten minutes.
My lungs decided they didn’t know how to work.
No time to leave.
I opened my phone and navigated to the grocery delivery app.
The office ordered lunch twice a week, and I loved their food. No. I couldn’t use that app.
The office received receipts that had to be filed. I changed to the Dash app and ordered through them, selecting one of the local grocery stores.
It took five minutes to pick through the options, select what looked like a normal delivery order, then added what I really needed.
Thirty-five minutes.
Oh, God.
I put my phone in the drawer and stood when my computer notified me that Viktor’s client had arrived.
Thirty minutes later, with all three men in the middle of meetings, a ding on my computer told me my delivery was downstairs.
Deep breath. And don’t act like anything is wrong.
I rushed down, took the bag, tipped the driver, and escaped upstairs.
Leaving the food on my desk, I took refuge in the small, personal bathroom at the end of the hallway.
The single-occupancy room was my best option at secrecy. “Okay.” I met my wide eyes in the mirror. “It’s okay. No matter what this says. It’s okay.”
The silence in the bathroom was as close to an answer as I’d ever get. Somewhere down the hallway, a phone rang twice and stopped. Not my phone. Not my cell or the office phone. Whose phone? Not my problem.
I tore open the box and read the directions.
It recommended a first thing in the morning situation, but I didn’t have the patience to wait, and no way in hell I’d carry this around all day and hope that I managed to hide it from Misha and the others.
They’d know something was up if I didn’t figure out how to cover my anxiety. Knowing for sure would help. I was sure of that.
I followed the instructions and set the test on the counter, then paced. The bathroom gave me enough room to take three steps before I hit a wall. Three steps in each direction made me dizzy before I made it a minute.
My phone dinged, the timer setting my heart aflutter.
Aflutter.
What a funny word. I ignored my internal monologue and lunged for the test.
My palm hit it, sending it skipping into the sink. “No.” I snatched it up. “Not like it would fall down drain, Peyton. Calm down.” Right. Calm. I closed my eyes, sucked in as much air as my lungs could hold, and peeked through one eye.
Positive. All the air rushed out, bending me double with my hands on my knees.
My ears rang so loudly, it reminded me of a train whistle. Oh, shit. Did that mean I was about to pass out? I couldn’t pass out. I might hit my head.
Someone would have to come find me.
They’d find me on the floor holding a positive pregnancy test. That would ruin my telling all of my men on my own terms.
Positive. I sat on the closed toilet lid and held the test in both hands.
I checked the test again. “Still positive. Okay.” My shoulders rolled forward until I dropped my elbows onto my knees. “Okay.”