45. Chapter 45
45
Sophie
I haven’t filmed, haven’t posted, haven’t interacted with customers in over a week. I gave Miles all of my login information and he made excuses when someone ordered a custom or wanted a session with me. Other than that, my pages have been silent. Natalie has come by every day since she got back from her trip. I’m glad Miles told her not to cut it short. I don’t need the guilt of ruining a shoot on top of everything else.
The guys have been taking care of my every need, feeding me, helping me walk around the house when I get restless, bathing me. More than once, Brody has muttered something about needing a bigger tub for an Epsom salt bath, but I wouldn’t have been able to sit down anyway.
Miles and Brody have been careful not to let me put any pressure on my backside. I haven’t been left alone since they brought me home with them.
Home .
It feels like home, being in this house with the two of them.
Waking up the second Thursday after everything happened, I try to roll over. Gently, I lift my hand until it’s level with my shoulder, then press down. I allow myself to turn and the arm beneath me sinks into the mattress pad. This soft memory foam pad is as good a place as any to try this, softer than a couch cushion or a bar stool.
I hiss when I flop onto my back, but the pain isn’t as bad as I expected .
“Careful.” Brody lifts his head from the armchair. I’m not sure if he was sleeping or watching me the whole time. He stands and comes closer to sit on the bed beside me. “How does that feel?”
“Hurts like a bitch,” I groan. “I want to sit up.”
“I’ll help.”
Brody grasps one arm but lets me use my hands to push myself up. My ass sinks further into the bed, making it difficult for me to remain seated with my legs out in front of me. Keeping a hand on my arm, Brody stands.
“Swing your legs over. Be careful.”
My movements are slow as my skin rubs the sheet. The pain is similar to someone rubbing a sunburn. A sunburn that also happens to be on top of a bruise. I scoot forward until my feet can touch the floor and sigh.
“Good,” Brody breathes. “Good job.”
“You can call me a good girl.” I grin. “I wouldn’t hate that.”
Brody leans down to kiss my lips gently, then murmurs against them.
“You’re my good fucking girl.”
He backs away, letting me have some space while I sit there, on the edge of the bed.
“Hey, breakfast is ready if-” Miles stops when he reaches the open doorway and sees me sitting up. “How do you feel?”
“Well, everything hurts, but I’m not dying.”
Miles chuckles and comes over to kneel in front of me. His hands gently reach for my cheek and I’m surprised to see tears forming in his eyes. He swallows, searching my face.
“I love you.” His whispered words send a flood of warmth through my chest and I lean forward to rest my forehead against his with a smile. “I fucking love you.”
“I love you too.” I can’t cry. I’ve cried enough over the last week and a half. I lift my head to look at Brody. “You too,” I whisper. “I love you too. I love you both so much. So fucking much.” So much, it hurts, if I’m honest.
I didn’t get to say it before Caleb took me. When Brody said it first, I was too overwhelmed by pleasure to respond, but I knew it then. I’ve known for a while now.
It takes two weeks for me to want to go home. Caleb and Jesse didn’t take me from my house, but Caleb’s messages, his threats, desecrated the place for me. I’ll never feel safe again, walking through that front door again. Even with Brody and Miles at my side, my body trembles when I cross the threshold.
I should hate Caleb for it. I should curse him day and night. But I don’t. He’s dead. Jesse and Caleb Davis died in an abandoned construction site–an apartment building that never got to house anyone. They died and they disappeared and no one came looking for them. No one came to ask me questions as Caleb’s ex. No one cares that they’re gone.
That should concern me. It should cause alarm bells to sound in my head. Brody works for a company that can make people disappear so completely that it’s as if they were never there. Where a normal person would be terrified, I’m just thankful.
If I had died in that building, if I had disappeared without a trace, at least I would have been missed. By Natalie, by Miles, by Brody. They would have looked for me. They would have cared. They would have grieved my loss.
I still think about Caleb and Jesse. I still have nightmares that force me awake at night. I still reach out for Brody and Miles, who have traded off sleeping in Miles’ bed with me. Sometimes it even takes me a minute to figure out that I’m not back on that sawhorse. The men who care for me, all but rock me back to sleep, whispering words of comfort, words of love.
After two weeks of Brody and Miles and Natalie tiptoeing around me, not bringing up Caleb or his brother, I can finally attempt to get home, even if it doesn’t feel like home anymore.
Someone from Brody’s company found my car at the coffee shop where I was taken in broad daylight. The drinks were still sitting in my cup holder. I had stopped to get Natalie her usual hot tea and an iced coffee for myself when I was taken. My keys were on the floor of the driver’s side where I must have dropped them after getting bashed in the head. Miraculously, no one broke in to steal the laptop sitting on the passenger seat.
I haven’t driven in the two weeks since the incident . I refuse to call what happened to me a kidnapping. It makes me feel like a victim. Miles drove the car over last week. Seeing it sitting in the driveway is odd.
Brody and Miles walk behind me as if waiting for me to turn and run. Natalie stands in the doorway, leaning against the frame in a long, flowing, floral maxi dress. Seeing her calms my nerves a little .
The cameras have been taken down. Brody had it done before Natalie returned from San Francisco. That doesn’t keep me from scanning for one just inside the front door.
Natalie lets me lead the way upstairs and a shiver runs down my spine when I reach the top. I’m home. Natalie and the guys are with me. I’m safe.
The old dining room table has been cleared off. The tablecloth is even gone. This is weird. That table is never empty.
“What’s going on?” I frown and turn as Natalie reaches the top stair, followed closely by Brody and Miles.
“We had an idea,” Brody explains.
“It was my idea,” Miles chimes in. “Before you give him all the credit.” He hooks his thumb at his friend.
“Are you going to tell me or argue about which one of you is the smart one?” I cross my arms and back away to give them all space to join me.
“Sit down.” Natalie motions to the table using her Domme voice and, after squinting skeptically at her for a moment, I comply. I take the chair at the opposite end of the table. “Good girl.”
She winks and sits at the far end. Brody and Miles sit on either side of me.
“ Now are you going to tell me what you’re planning?”
“For the record,” Natalie begins, “I’m not fully on board.”
“Thanks for the support,” Miles mutters under his breath. I gently kick him under the table and he at least has the sense to look sorry.
“We want you to move in with us,” Brody blurts.
“You- what?” My head swivels between the two before I look at Natalie. “I would think you’d want to get rid of me.”
“And have my rent double? No, thanks.” She sighs and leans forward in her chair. “I like these idiots, but you don’t really know them.”
I think my brain is malfunctioning. I’m trying to process. Brody and Miles want me to move in. Natalie doesn’t like the idea. She thinks they’re good for me, but it’s too soon. For her.
“You’re right.” I look at Natalie when I speak. Miles sags. “I haven’t known them for very long.”
“See?” Natalie asks, looking first at Miles and then at Brody. “You can’t move in with someone after a Disney relationship.”
“Disney relationship?” Brody frowns .
“You know,” she says with a wave of her hand. “When a princess marries a prince after knowing him for three days.” I snort.
“I haven’t known them for very long,” I repeat. “But I can’t say I hate the idea. I-” I bite my lip. “I actually like it.”
“Really?” Miles nearly jumps out of his seat. “You do?” He grabs my hand excitedly. Brody beams and then looks over at my roommate.
“Is it really so bad?” I ask her.
“Fine, go to the dark side.” She rolls her eyes, fighting a smile.
“I’ll call a realtor,” says Brody.
“A realtor?” I frown.
“Yeah, you and Miles need studios, right?” he asks, then looks across the table at Miles. “We don’t have the space at the current place.”
“So, what, you’re just to buy a new house ?” I ask, sarcastically. Brody’s expression doesn’t change when he meets my gaze and my lips part in shock. “You’re just going to buy a new house ?”
“This asshole could buy three new houses before the end of the week,” Miles laughs. “Don’t underestimate his bank account.”
“Fuck,” I breathe. What do I even say to that?
“I’m calling a realtor tomorrow,” says Brody, ignoring the discussion of his finances.
“Tomorrow?” Natalie asks dejectedly.
“It’s going to take time to find a place,” Brody assures her. “You won’t lose your roommate for a while.”
“Something tells me I already have.”
A thought occurs to me and I groan, throwing my head back.
“What?” Miles’ tone is full of concern and I quickly lift my head to meet his gaze. “Second thoughts?” I swear I can see the bucket of ice water hit him.
“No,” I’m quick to say. “No, I just hate packing.”
“We’ll cover it,” says Brody with a shrug.
“What does that mean?”
“We’re not making you pack and unpack all your stuff after what you’ve been through,” he explains as if I should know that.
“So you’re going to pack for me?” I ask skeptically, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m paying someone to do it for you.”
Apparently, I hit the jackpot.
I spend my first day at home editing and attempting to get a handle on everything I missed. The group chat is a constant source of delight, keeping me from going insane.
The next couple of nights without Miles or Brody beside me are rough, to say the least. I’ve come to expect that I’ll have them to reach out for when I wake up terrified. Without their comforting presence, it takes longer for my breathing to return to normal and my pulse to slow.
We spend our days looking at homes all over the valley and further west. Every single one is obscenely expensive. Miles doesn’t seem to have a problem letting Brody do all the financial lifting. I, on the other hand, am having a tough time wrapping my head around the idea.
After one particularly long day of house hunting, the guys bring me back to their place for dinner.
“So!” Brody shouts, heading for the kitchen as Miles closes the door behind us. “I have it all planned out.” He waves his hands at the kitchen as a whole. “Miles has everything for nachos, we added a couple more subscription packages to the Roku so that we can watch anything you want, and I mean anything . There’s beer and wine in the fridge and-”
“Brody,” Miles interrupts with a laugh. “Let her breathe, man.”
Brody mutters an apology, but I make my way over to him and wrap my arms around his neck. His hands fall to my waist as he lowers his lips to mine. I don’t let him deepen the kiss and to my surprise, he doesn’t argue when I pull away.
“Before we do that,” I look over at Miles, “I want to know what you two have been up to.”
“You mean when we’re not trying to find the perfect home?” Brody frowns, but Miles knows exactly what I mean.
“I think,” he says slowly, dragging his gaze to his friend, “she’s asking what we do when she’s not here.”
“Wha- oh.” Brody’s eyebrows shoot up, his eyes wide with realization. Then the corner of his mouth draws up into a crooked grin. The change is almost comical and I have to fight the laugh in my throat.
“You mean you want to see what I do for Brody,” Miles says, not looking back at me.
“Only if you want.” I’m suddenly nervous.
“I think we can give her a show.” Miles closes the distance between us and reaches out to gently run his hand through my hair. “You want to watch me suck our boyfriend’s cock, honey,” he smirks and I wonder when Brody became our boyfriend, “is that it?”
Fuck yes, I do .
I’m not sure if it’s the exhaustion from seeing six houses today or just the feeling that things are finally becoming normal. This is the first time I’ve felt any semblance of a sex drive since the incident.
I bite my lip and nod, stepping away. Miles looks at Brody.
“My room or yours?” He smirks .
Without answering, Brody’s hand shoots out to wrap about the back of Miles’ neck. He pulls his friend forward and I watch with awe when their mouths collide hungry and wild. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything more mesmerizing and perfect.
“Fuck,” I sigh because I have no other words. Miles pulls away from Brody, breathing heavily.
“Did you say something?”
“Forgetting about me already?” I laugh.
“Never,” Brody growls, grabbing my wrist and yanking me toward them so hard that I yelp.
My cry turns into a giggle when both of their mouths find the sides of my neck at different points, kissing and nipping at my skin.
“This isn’t about me,” I try to protest. “I told you what I want.”
“Who put you in charge?” Brody’s question is muffled against my neck.
“I did,” I retort. “Just now.”
Brody lifts his head to stare down at me.
“Can we vote on that?”
“Nope. It’s my turn to call the shots.”
“I like her ideas,” says Miles, lifting his head too. “She’d have my vote anyway.”
“Fine,” Brody grumbles.
“What are you angry about? You two are about to get the attention here.”
“Good point. Miles?”
“Yes, good sir?”
“You guys are fucking weird,” I giggle.
Brody wraps his hand around Miles’ throat and when he growls, I have to clench my thighs together to try to get some relief.
“Be a good boy and suck my cock.”