“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I sulk into the new pillow of my new house in my new bedroom. Yes, that’s right, a new house, as in Kate’s house, and a new bedroom, as in the guest room I’ve used when I stayed the night here. Now, it’s filled with boxes of my stuff.
“Mila, I understand you’re upset,” Kate says. “I think your dad’s just a little shocked. It’s startling news to hear your daughter’s not only dating, but dating two boys. I think it took him by surprise when Daniel called him and told him that the police were questioning students at school about it. Would have been better coming from you, I think.”
I groan. I still don’t get why would it matter to the cops if I’m with two guys. Doesn’t make sense at all. There’s a heap of different relationships out there. Why is mine so interesting suddenly? I should’ve told Dad, I just didn’t know how. He was just starting to be okay with me and Hunter. I didn’t want to push him. Now, I’ve fucked it all up.
I grumble, “so unfair,” into the pillow.
“He wanted to move you to Lakeview with Asher and Madison, but I talked him down from that. I told him I know what teenage girls are like, and he doesn’t want to see that side of you.”
I roll over to look at her. She did that for me?
Kate gives me another sympathetic smile. “I know how well females can hold a grudge.”
I grin. That’s very true. But I can’t believe Dad freaked out so much he wanted me to move schools. It wouldn’t get me away from Hunter, but he doesn’t know that. I can’t leave Roman.
“Thank you.” I sniffle. It’s been a roller coaster of emotions with everything before Dad and after.
“He will come around. You won’t be grounded forever; he was just taken by surprise. And he worries for you,” Kate adds.
I moan back into the pillow. “Can’t you talk to him again? You said you would’ve dated two guys if you were my age. Now I am, and I’m being punished for it. Being grounded forever is a bit harsh. I love them. They love me. It’s just…”
It’s just that they need me right now. With everything going on with Roman and the Amato family, he needs me. And I need them both.
Kate pats my back and sits on the bed beside me. The mattress doesn’t even dip under her weight. It’s a king-size, heaps of room for three, and I want to say I hate this bed because I don’t want to be here, but it’s so soft and the perfect size for snuggling with my boys. It’s been a dream to sleep in when I’ve stayed here. Now it’s mine to keep. If I could only get two sexy guys here to share it with me, that would be the best.
“I’ll see what I can do. Your father’s just worried. After everything that’s happened since you’ve been back, he feels guilty that he hasn’t been there for you as much as he should have, and he’s punishing himself for that.”
I snort. More like punishing me. But I sigh. It’s true. All this shit happened when Dad wasn’t around. I was the one telling him I was fine, knowing that everything wasn’t fine. Then bad shit just seems to follow those statements.
“Mila, your father’s the most amazing man. I love him very much. There’s something that he didn’t want to tell you when you came back home.
“I’d asked him to move in with me just before you returned. He’s here almost every day, and I’m so in love with him, so it made sense for him to be here. But when he found out you were coming home, he wanted it to be the same house, same room for you.
“I thought it was a great idea for you after being away so long. That you’d get time to bond with your dad again. Him wanting to do that for you made me fall in love with him even more. But all this bad stuff is what made him decide to officially move in with me. I’m sorry that it’s gone down like this. I wanted it to be special for you. Not rushed. He’s just scared for you, and so am I.”
She brushes my hair from my face, but I can’t bring myself to look at her.
“I don’t want you to feel punished, not when I’m so happy that you’re here with me. I get to see you every day, my bonus daughter. I’m so happy that you’re here. I love you, Mila.”
Those words cause me to turn over and look up at Kate. She’s smiling. Ugh… why does she have to be so nice and sweet? I rub away my tears before sitting up. I have always wanted this. Wanted a mother figure who actually gives a shit, and now that I have one, I want to kiss her son…it’s so complicated.
I hug her and whisper, “Thank you.”
“Look, why don’t you take the day off tomorrow? It’s Thursday, so maybe spend the day getting organized here. Unpack the boxes? Or not. I don’t mind. Watch a movie, relax. Go for a soak in the hot tub. But promise me you will just stay here. Don’t run off after your boyfriends.” She winks.
My phone blew up after I told Hunter, Roman, and Jace that I’m grounded and now living here. Surprisingly, Roman was the most vocal. He thinks me staying here will protect me from Johnny and Carlo and the rest of the Amato Family. But it gives them more targets with Madison, Kate, and Asher.
Which brings me back to the messages Roman sent about Asher, and how he would squish all my butterflies for my almost-stepbrother. That made me snort out loud. He really hates Asher.
“Yeah, I’ll stay home and unpack.”
Kate kisses my head and lets me go. “Now, get some sleep. It’s late.” She smiles and closes the bedroom door softly behind her.
I lie back down, hugging a pillow and thinking about Roman. Mmm… touching me and pinching my nipples as Hunter spreads my legs, tracing his warm tongue up the inside of my thigh. My hand moves between my legs, and I find myself wet from those thoughts. It won’t take me long to get off. It will help me relax and sleep.
Fuck this. Sleep is impossible. Even though I’ve gotten myself off three times, I’m awake and wishing the orgasms weren’t by my own hand.
I have so many thoughts running through my head, most of them about Roman and Hunter. I’ve been so used to them being with me all the time that I miss them, and it’s only been a day. Then I’ve been thinking about how bad it is to miss them this much. I don’t need them around me all the time. I can do things without them. But it’s been us against the world, and now it’s me here alone. Without them.
I pick up my phone and open the group chat between me, Roman, Jace, and Hunter. There’s a new message from Jace saying he’s sorry, and he should have started the conversation off with his dad telling mine about the cops. There are also a few from Cadence and Sadie after I told them that Hunter was leaving for Lakeview.
Sadie: You’re not gonna change schools, right?
Cadence: Don’t even think that. It might happen now that you put it out there.
Me: I’m not moving schools.
At least, with Kate on my side, I won’t be. Fuck. I wouldn’t put it past my dad to change his mind if I mess up again. I never expected to be grounded or move to Kate’s house.
I can’t leave Roman at Ridgecrest. He would have Jace, but it’s not the same. I need him just as much as he needs me. Who would braid his hair at lunch if I’m not there? I’m getting so much better at it now. Like a real professional. I smile at the thought of the first time I did his hair for a game.
I throw the covers off me. I’m wearing my sleep tank and boy shorts. It’s all I could find of my sleep clothes, which Dad packed in boxes and moved here while I was at school. I gave up looking for something else after throwing clothes everywhere and making a mess. The room’s huge, so my little clothes-throwing tantrum earlier just looks like a small pile of clothes discarded in the corner of the room.
Hunter has a huge bedroom like this, but his is full of shoes. That boy has a sneaker addiction. He said they were an investment. As someone who wears the same old sneakers that I love every day, I don’t know much about that. But I believed him when he didn’t let me touch a pair. The look in his eyes made me back away slowly from the sneakers. Who knew they could be worth so much money?
It’s three in the morning. No one will be in the kitchen if I go for something to eat. I skipped dinner in protest of my grounding like a child, and now my stomach’s growling at me. It’s probably part of why I can’t sleep.
I open my door, and the hallway’s dark and quiet. I’m on the opposite end from Dad and Kate. Thank God. I don’t want to hear anything coming from their room. Madison’s room is right next to me, and across from me is Asher.
I stare at his dark wooden door. I’ve seen him since the whole “just be friend’s thing,” but apart from a smile and a nod of hello, we haven’t exactly talked. Not like we used to. I don’t think our conversation on Halloween made anything better… it just complicated things more.
I close my door softly behind me and turn the flashlight on my phone to guide me downstairs to find something yummy. There is always cake. The best part of Kate’s job is that she loves baking cakes as much as she loves running her cake supplies store. I guess it was a passion of hers and then it just all fell into place.
My passion is drawing, and I haven’t done that much since I’ve been back. I wonder if one box has my sketch pads and pencils. Might be nice to spend the day drawing. I don’t want to push Dad by going to see Hunter and Roman. I might end up at Lakeview if I did.
I open the refrigerator and the whole kitchen lights up. I see cake and take it out. It’s only got enough for two, maybe three, slices left, but I’m hungry, so I take the whole plate and grab a spoon from the drawer.
The first bite of chocolate and cream hits my mouth, and I moan. Kate’s a genius; this is too good. Living here isn’t going to be too much of a burden once I’m not grounded anymore.
I place the plate down on the counter next to an enormous window overlooking the yard and hot tub. There’s enough room for a pool out there, hell, probably three of them. But the grass is all perfect and manicured. I assume they have a gardener for that. Unless Dad mows it. Ohh, do they have someone come in to clean the house? Kate’s always so busy, and the house is always clean. I’ve never seen anyone, but I assume they come during the day when everyone’s out. Like Mom’s cleaning lady; she was the sweetest. I think she might be the only thing from New York I miss.
I lean over the counter and peer at the sky. The stars are out, and it’s a clear night. So pretty. Maybe I should wish upon one. Am I too old to wish for things?
I spoon a heap of cake into my mouth and moan again. God, this is amazing, and I don’t care what people think. Cake shouldn’t be for dessert. It’s a main meal in my eyes. All that’s missing is milk. That would make this the perfect meal. I pull out a tall glass and grab the milk.
It’s cool and refreshing. I pour another glass and go back to eating.
I see a message light up on my phone. It’s Hunter.
Hunter: I love you, babe.
Me: I love you. Come visit me tomorrow during the day. I will be here and waiting for you both.
Hunter: Babe, you know I will. Be ready for us.
I smile at that and turn my phone over, so I’m back in the dark. I hum a little tune I heard on TikTok earlier and shuffle my feet to the music playing in my head as I try to remember the dance moves.
Kate might be letting me stay home tomorrow on the promise I won’t go running off after my boyfriends, but I don’t need to run off. They can run here. Loopholes.
I dance in a circle. The tile is cold on my bare feet, but I smile and twirl with my eyes closed. I might’ve disappointed my dad, and the cops might be onto me. Roman still has the Amato Family after him. Hunter’s dad is making him transfer schools. Jace is waiting for me to kiss him, and Asher wants to be my friend.
But in this moment, all I care about is dancing.
I spin again and open my eyes. I’m smiling until I see a figure in the doorway. My heart stutters, and I freeze.
“Asher?” My chest rises and falls rapidly from his figure standing there in the dark. Fuck, even his silhouette is attractive. I swallow the thought away.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m thirsty,” he says.
My heart’s pounding. I place my hand to my breastbone as if I can stop it from bursting out of my chest. “You scared me,” I whisper into the dark.
He drifts into the kitchen, and I follow every move. I didn’t think anyone was awake, it’s so late. He pauses at the fridge as he looks over at me. I can just make out his facial features in the dark room. His eyes roam my body, and I take a step back.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” he says as he pulls open the drawer and takes out a glass, moving to fill it with cold water from the fridge. The light from it casts him in half shadow, and I can see the outline of his body as he shifts. I swallow and nod.
He’s wearing nothing but a cotton pair of boxer shorts, and even those are tight. My eyes roam down over his chest, abs, the outline of his cock… fuck. I keep looking down, past his thighs and calf muscles. He knows he’s got a hot body. Is he doing this to distract me? Make me see what I’m missing?
My nipples peak as he turns his head and looks over at me again. Fuck, this is why it’s so complicated. He moved the line from being friends to the possibility of something more. He hasn’t crossed it, but if we’re living under the same roof, it feels inevitable.
“Huh?” He’s watching me. What did he say?
He gives me a cocky grin. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Huh? Oh, oh shit. He gives me that Asher smirk, which means he knows that he’s messing with my head now. Coming in here looking like that. It’s working. Stupid hormones. He’s going to be my stepbrother. Now Dad’s moved in, and Kate loves him… and me. I can’t. I just—
“You want some more milk?”
I look to my empty glass. It’s so dark in here I didn’t even realize it was empty.
Wait. How did he? “You were watching me?” I narrow my eyes at him.
He closes the fridge door, the milk in one hand and his glass of water in the other. The room grows small and dark again. He stands there watching me, unspeaking, and I do the same, feeling the fabric rub against my nipples at every breath I take. His eyes roam to where they peak, and he tilts his head. I arch my back a little to show him what he’s doing to me as I look down his body to see what I’m doing to him. I smile.
“I didn’t want to disturb your dancing.” He smirks and I raise my brows. “Your ass swinging… I wanted to take a bite of it.”
My mouth drops open just slightly. My pulse speeds up. He knows this was our game—flirt and nothing can come of it. But now he’s playing dirty.
I can’t do this right now, but the butterflies in my tummy tell me to run my fingers down his chest, to rub my palm over his cock. Fuck, this is fucked. I have two of the most amazing boyfriends in the world. And my body is going crazy for him, and my mind is throwing up warning signals at the same time. The one guy I shouldn’t want, and I want him to touch me. I want to show him how wet he’s making me by just standing there.
“I want—” I start, but I cut myself off as he moves closer. I take a step back, the counter pressing into my back as he draws so close. I can feel his breath fan over my face while he places the milk carton beside my empty cup. I look at it, trying to mentally cool myself down. To force myself to walk away from him.
“What do you want, Mila?” He brushes a loose strand of hair from my face as his fingers graze down my cheek then pause on my chin. He tilts my chin up.
Fuck. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. He hasn’t been like this for weeks. He wasn’t like this at the party. This is the Asher who took my hand and pressed it against his hard cock and told me that “girls and guys can’t be friends because sex always gets in the way.” The one who took his shirt off to give me some “porn” then did pushups and caught me watching. Flirty and confident Asher.
And the heat between us is scorching.
I press my hand against his chest, and he presses his body weight into my palm. He moves until we’re just touching, my nipples grazing over his chest with every breath we both take. He slides his leg between my thighs, and I let out a small gasp as he presses up between them. My whole body is buzzing from the pressure against my clit, and I do everything in my power not to rock against him and chase that feeling. I look up at him. He licks his lips.
My breathing picks up, it’s like he has entranced me. I’m the lamb, and he’s the lion, and I want him to bite me. I want this; I don’t want this. I need to leave; I want to stay. Why is this so hard? What happened to just wanting to be friends? To wanting everything to go back to the way it was? This is the way it was, but now there are butterflies involved.
How are we going to live together when we ended up like this on the first damn night? I need to walk away. Hunter, my mind screams. Roman. I’m hurting them by standing here.
I run my hand down Asher’s chest to push him away, but the hard ridges of his abs under my fingers move with him as he grabs the base of my neck and he tilts my head. I gasp, and it echoes in the quiet room.
I have enough sense to stop. I can’t do this. I reach for the glass of water beside me and tip it over his head. Some of it lands on me, and I take the moment to really cool off and snap back to reality.
“What the—?” He takes a few steps back as the water rolls down his hair and body.
I smirk as my brain come online, finally. “You seemed a little hot.”
The corner of his mouth tips up, and his eyes sparkle.
I grab my phone and walk out of the kitchen, swaying my hips as I walk away. He groans behind me. I pause in the doorway and look back. He’s holding onto the counter where I just left him, watching me over his shoulder.
“I thought you wanted to be just friends,” I state.
“I lied.”
Me too.
