Chapter Thirty
Melvin woke Mia up a few hours later by stomping around the loft. She opened her eyes and watched through the curtain as he stalked out of the bathroom to the fridge. The light illuminated his face; anger set his jaw in a hard line. Mia sighed, putting her head down. A gentle tap on her head made her lift it again.
Aurelio’s eyes met hers. “Go,” he mouthed quietly.
Mia frowned and nodded, rolling her eyes. He gave a light chuckle and lifted his arm to let her slide out. Melvin was still at the fridge, eyes unfocused and far away. Mia looked back at Aurelio, who waved a hand at her to get moving and rolled over, falling back asleep. Mia made her way quietly to Melvin, tiptoeing across the cold floor.
“BFG.” She placed a hand on his.
Melvin didn’t move; his shoulders were rigid. “Go back to sleep, Mia.”
“Can we talk?” she asked, her fingers on his.
Melvin’s shoulders fell slightly, his hand grabbing hers, allowing the fridge door to slowly close. “Yeah.” He gave her a small smile.
They walked to the door, slid it open, and stepped into the hall. Holding his hand, Mia led them to the stairs. On the next landing, they sat down.
“I love you, BFG. I am so happy to have you here, to be able to actually hug you guys, to do stuff together, to hang out.”
“Me, too, bug,” Melvin agreed, his fingers still in hers. “I love you with all my heart.”
“But...” she sighed, turning to look at him. “…you need to stop acting like my dad.”
His shoulders slumped, eyes downcast.
“When Dad died, I felt his weight descend onto my shoulders.” He slumped, his shoulders dropping with the invisible weight she knew he carried. “I needed to keep all of you safe. And for years, I have let you down.” He didn’t look at her, but Mia slid closer. She put on hand in his, the other coming to his chin.
“No, you haven’t.” She lifted his chin, his eyes meeting hers. “BFG, you kept me the most safe.”
“No.” he shook his head, her hand falling. “I should have found a way for you to come back sooner; instead, I left you in exile like a coward.”
“Melvin!” Her heart was breaking for him. “All of it is in the past. We need to move forward and figure out the rest of it. What happened, happened, and like it or not, it’s our story. But now, we need to figure out what the happy ending is.” She squeezed his hand, his eyes looking to her once more.
Melvin smiled, his eyes becoming softer.
“Bug, I have missed you so much.” He threw his arms around her, pulling his little sister into the biggest hug.
“I missed you too, BFG.” She squeezed him back. “Can you please get along with Aurelio now?” Her eyes turned pleading.
“You love him?”
“I do, very much.”
“I can give it a shot then.” Melvin exhaled deeply.
Mia smiled and gave him another hug. “Thanks, BFG.”
“Anything for you, bug.” A tear fell from both their eyes.
Mia returned to her bed, where Aurelio was snoring lightly. She curled beside him, her front to his back. She put an arm around his chest, gently pulling herself closer. Melvin climbed back onto the couch, giving her a little wave goodnight before lying down. Mia closed her eyes, willing herself to fall back asleep, but it seemed to be evading her. Instead, she found her mind wandering, thinking of what the past four months held. She thought of the first moment she swiped right on Aurelio; a finger slip led to all this. She remembered the conversations, the dates, the moments they had been building to in each other’s arms, and the finish line to freedom just ahead. She sighed, snuggling closer to the warm body of her love.
As she did, Aurelio turned in her embrace; his eyes were partially open, and a smile was on his lips. “Hello, beautiful.”
Mia found herself relaxing into a smile, placing her lips gently on his. Aurelio’s hand found her waist, pulling her to him; their bodies fit together like a puzzle. Their legs entangled with each other, and the kiss became more passionate. She let her tongue roam his mouth, tasting all the sweetness of him. A soft moan escaped her lips as Aurelio’s hand traveled up her stomach to her chest, fingers playing gently with a nipple. He grew hard between her thighs, her own desire making her wet. She wanted him to take her, to make love to her, and help her release the pressure growing between her thighs. But Aurelio pulled back, his hand going back to rest on her hips.
“Not like this,” he murmured softly, planting one more kiss on her lips.
He moved from the bed, pushing the curtain aside and stepping into the bathroom, turning back to look at her before disappearing. Mia bit her lip, glancing towards where her brothers slept. Quiet as a church mouse, she got up and tiptoed to the bathroom. She slipped inside, turning to close the door gently.
Aurelio was on her, lifting her up. Her legs wrapped around him, and her back was braced against the door. Their lips crashed against one another, the heat between them melting away the cold. Her hands were around his neck as Aurelio held her butt, squeezing. She could feel his erection through the thin underwear they both wore.
He pulled back, panting as he stared at Mia. “I love you.”
“I love you,” she replied, feeling the spark that had started all of it glowing in her chest.
Aurelio leaned back, letting his lips meet hers gently. The kiss they were sharing was calm, loving. She felt each movement as he traced along her jaw and down her neck. Goosebumps rose on her skin, her body craving the touch.
“Fuck, beautiful,” he groaned against her. “You are so fucking perfect.”
She felt the glow in her chest grow brighter, the spark burning her up inside. She kissed him anywhere she could reach. Aurelio lifted his head, meeting her lips. He walked backward towards the tub slowly. Mia kissed him harder, refusing to break the connection even as he turned and leaned down to place her on the edge of the tub. As he stood, she locked her hands around his neck, pulling him back to kiss her more. He chuckled against her lips.
“Let me show you how perfect you are.” He moved her hands from his neck. “Let me worship you.” The goosebumps spread across her body like wildfire and the spark she felt glowed behind his eyes.
She nodded, dropping her hands to rest on the tub. Kneeling between her legs, Aurelio gently pushed her thighs apart; his face lit up like he had found a lost treasure. Her desire rose higher and higher as she watched him; the love and want on his face was driving her wild.
“Fucking perfect,” he murmured, burying his face between her thighs. She let her head fall back, closing her eyes as his tongue slipped into her folds. She moaned as he kissed her vagina softly, moving his tongue delicately along her clit. He devoured her slowly, letting every soft breath against her wet flesh push her further and further to the climax she craved. It felt so good; she wanted it to last forever. She had never felt so alive, her body buzzing with electricity as he worked her over. Mia could feel his desire to make her cum from the dedication he was putting in. Aurelio sucked her clit hard, thrusting his tongue in and out of her pussy. She felt two fingers slide in and then a third, his thumb moving over her clit.
“Oh, Aurelio.” The orgasm was close. She couldn’t scream; her brothers were just outside the door, so she held it in. Mia’s body exploded.
Aurelio let her ride out the waves of euphoria on his tongue, licking up all the juices she produced. When she was spent, her body tired and tingling, he stood.
“Aurelio.”
He leaned down and kissed her, pulling her close. Her arms circled his neck, holding him. “Let’s get you back to bed.” He lifted her up, and Mia wanted to argue; she wanted to make him feel as good as he made her. But she couldn’t. Mia’s legs were wrapped around his waist, arms encircling his neck, and head resting on his shoulder as he carried her slowly and quietly to bed. Together, they climbed in and fell asleep.