Chapter 11
COSETTE
Irealized how quickly the weekend was going, so I didn’t hesitate and quickly put on my trusty swimwear after brunch, hoping to use the pool while we still had the chance. Being that I am not as rich as the Azuls, and we don’t have a pool in our backyard.
I took off the pajamas that I had on since the previous night, and I decided to wear a black shirt together with some brand new board shorts, still refusing to wear the more traditional kind of swimsuits.
“Are you really going to be comfortable swimming with that shirt on? Won’t it get heavy?” Dex asked as he lounged on the edge of the bed, watching me change in our room, while Siege and Nero were already downstairs.
“Yeah, I’m actually really heckin’ comfy, thank you very much. I will not wear a bikini or a one-piece in front of three guys. I’ll just be self-conscious all the time.”
Having opened the bathroom door, I then took steps backward, crossing the boundary and going back into the bedroom to look at my entire body on what was supposed to be just a sink mirror, because Siege didn’t have a full-length one.
After giving myself a full 360-degree turn, I shrugged my shoulders, hoping to ensure everything was in place as this was the first time I was wearing these swim shorts.
“Aren’t you going to change? You better swim with me this time,” I told Dex as I moved to tie my hair up into a high ponytail.
It reminded me of the way Nero did my hair that one time in his car at school, trying to make me look sexier for Siege. And the thought of Nero, no matter how innocent it was, led my mind to the sight of his topless torso last night, beads of the lingering shower water making his skin shine.
It was like vampire porn. Like he was about to tell me that his skin was the skin of a killer, even though he’s way more tan than a vampire.
Or maybe the gleam effect I saw on his skin was just a product of the powerful orgasm Dex and Siege worked together to give me moments before.
Who knows? I definitely think I’m going crazy with how I’m surrounded by these three men constantly, so maybe their testosterone is affecting my body in ways I don’t understand.
“Earth to Cosette? Do I look that hot?” Dex’s voice broke through my thoughts, only for me to have my mind go off the rails once again when I saw him in nothing but his own swim shorts.
Dex broke into a grin, and I didn’t even notice that my jaw slacked until he was pulling me closer by my waist, and he leaned in for a kiss, his tongue having no trouble finding mine because my lips were already parted.
I returned his kisses, letting my hand go from his shoulder, down to his pecs, taking advantage of his topless state to feel his bare skin against my palm.
I don’t know what I did so right in this life, but I would gladly do it a second time in my next life to have him as one of my boyfriends again.
“Do you really want to swim?” He whispered against my lips as he pulled away to take short, quick breaths. I could feel him twitching through the thin fabrics of our shorts, that I laughed, quickly pushing him away because I didn’t want to get distracted from my goal to swim.
“Come on, let’s go. You need the cold water now, more than ever,” I said, eliciting a growl from him that I felt genuinely came from his chest.
I laced my fingers with Dex’s before pulling him with me out of the bedroom and down the stairs. We went out through the glass doors to the backyard, and I saw Siege and Nero lounging on the chairs, waiting for us.
The two had sunglasses on, and when I came into view, I almost laughed at the way their chins lowered. I couldn’t see their eyes, but I could only guess that they looked at my legs.
Men.
I was already covered up swimwear-wise, but they still had to find skin, didn’t they?
I’m not even trying to think about why Nero would want to see my legs, but hey, maybe it’s an unconscious guy thing.
As I approached the pool’s edge, I withdrew my hand from Dex and then pushed him into the pool.
There was an enormous splash where he fell, and he quickly swam up to the surface before shouting a ‘hey!’ at me. His disbelief turned into a mischievous glare, and I knew he was planning to take revenge, but I was already jumping into the pool before he could come up and push me like I did him.
When my head was above the water, I looked around, and Dex had disappeared from my view, and I was so confused until I felt a hand wrapped around my ankle, pulling me until I went underwater yet again.
This may be childish, but I don’t care. This was what I wanted when I said I wanted to swim. Siege and Dex have opened up to me about how it feels good when we could just be teenagers, and I couldn’t agree more.
I understood our obligations, especially for those two as they were pushing to finish Exodus, yet I longed to offer them a secure haven where they could find comfort in everyday normalcy.
Dex and I continued to play around the water, having races back and forth, and when we were tired, I would just cling onto him while he walked me around the pool and we talked about our future college life.
How we should stock up on instant noodles so we can always have access to quick meals, and how we should probably get a dog.
We then discussed the idea of playing once more when Siege and Nero came, and Dex took himself out of the water, got a net, along with an inflatable volleyball from the pool house, having us set to play in teams of two.
I didn’t expect it at all when Dex suddenly went to Nero’s side, claiming him as his teammate, much to Siege’s disappointment.
“Hey, I was going to team up with him.”
“What? Do you guys not want to team up with me?” I asked in mock offense, looking between the two. With crossed arms and narrowed eyes, even.
“No offense, sweetheart, but he’s a jock. He’s sporty, and I want to win.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? Wanna bet?”
“You sure about that challenge, sweetheart?” Dex asked, smirking, and I wanted nothing more than to swipe that smirk off his face at that very moment.
“Yeah, I’m sure. Winning team gets a wish granted by the losing team,” I offered, confident as my eyes flitted to Nero for a glimpse.
Dex’s smirk grew across his face, his eyes gleaming with a sense of optimism that he and Nero would win, and he then bit his lower lip as if to silently convey that the wish currently forming in his thoughts was of a more inappropriate nature. “You’re on.”
Oh, Dex. So quick to bait.
“Great! Combs, team up with me,” I said with so much confidence, and Nero only laughed, already making his way towards me while Dex had on a stupid shocked expression on his face.
That’s right, my love. His loyalty is to me. Suck it.
“What?! I called dibs!” Dex exclaimed, and I already had my arm looped around Nero’s, just in case Dex attempted to steal him away from me.
“You didn’t call dibs. You just went to his side, and then you made a bet with me.”
Siege scoffed, and I saw him rolling his eyes before his gaze landed on Nero as he pretended to whisper, “This is how they flirt, by the way.”
I moved my palm against the surface of the water, splashing Siege. “Get to your teammate, loser.”
Siege looked at me weirdly before swimming towards Dex on the other side of the pool.
“Does the C in your name stand for ‘competitive’?” Nero asked, looking down at me with an amused grin on his pretty face, and I realized just how inappropriately close we were to each other so I unlinked my arm from his.
I took two steps sideways, trying to get more coverage on our side of the pool.
“We’d better win, Combs.”
The four of us went into position, with Dex serving the ball first, and just like that, the game began.
Surprisingly, the three boys ended up just as competitive as I was. They were really going for it, that I didn’t even have to do much.
The boyfriends vs. the best friend, it felt like.
“I got it, C!” Nero would call out for the nth time, coming to the left side of the pool, which was supposed to be my base, and hitting the ball back to the other side of the net.
He ended up doing great hitting it back; the ball flying across the net, and it hit the water as Dex and Siege scrambled to get it. Their miscommunication ended up with a point for Nero and me.
“Can you stop hogging the ball? I have a point to prove to my boyfriend,” I told Nero off, because despite our team having a lead, I didn’t like that I was barely helping with our scores.
Nero looked at me, raising an eyebrow. “What? Is that not why you chose me? To be your champion?”
“What? Because I’m a girl and I should sit pretty? Heck no! So, stop playing MVP and play on your side,” I said, pointing to the area of the pool where he should be as if he didn’t know where ‘his side’ was.
Instead of looking at me with annoyance, I saw Nero’s eyes soften as he looked at me, his hand coming up to ruffle my hair. “Fine, fine. No need to get your panties in a twist, C,” he said, before he pulled his hand away and treaded the water to go into position.
“Are you two done?” Dex asked with jealousy in his voice, and I rolled my eyes, telling him to serve.
After a few more hits, all of us calling out shots every now and then, the game finally ended, and as expected, Nero and I won.
What was surprising was that Nero didn’t have to carry me through the game, because I actually scored about a third of our points. Plus, I assisted Nero with his spikes.
I cheered, my palms splashing water at Nero as I chanted, “We won” over and over.
Nero just stood there, a wide smile on his face, and he met my palm when I threw my hand in the air for a high five.
“Congratulations.” I heard Dex say from behind me as he and Siege seemed to have crossed to our side of the net, both of them with their hands on their waists.
“Thank you,” I said, stopping to boast since Dex seemed to have accepted their defeat well.
Ah, men without fragile egos.
It’s sad that I found it hot because how rare must this trait be that the bare minimum ends up looking sexy?
“You did so great, too,” I said, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek, not wanting to tease my guys any further than necessary.
“So, what do you want as your prize?” Siege asked, pulling me closer by my wrist, and throwing my arm over his shoulders. My legs moved of their own accord, jumping to wrap them around his waist.
I looked at Nero, shrugging. “Do you have anything already in mind?”
“Not yet, nope.”
I nodded. “We’ll just keep them in our pockets, then. We’ll use it once we think of something.”
Who knew both our reserve wishes would be used that very same night?