Against my chest, Elliot’s shakes, her chest pitching against me in a shuddering rhythm that tells me she’s crying hard—silently, like she’s trying to hide it.
“I’ll be okay, Peaches. Promise.” I drop a kiss to the top of her head. She and I will talk eventually. I think all of us had assumed what had happened to her at the hands of her ex, so her reaction doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. “I need to figure out how to handle the asshole. Maybe now that I’m older, I can deal better, I dunno.”
“I’m gonna kick his fucking ass,” Kingston grinds out, his body tensing. “You shouldn’t have to figure it the fuck out. He raped you. Raped. You. Made your life a living hell. He made you run from everything you knew. He turned the one place you were supposed to feel safe, comforted, and free into a nightmare.” The anguish in his voice is a palpable thing, threatening to burst from him at any moment.
Elliot whispers against my chest, “But because he ran… he found both of you. And you’re the best thing for him.” She looks up at me, tears streaming down her face. “I-I understand what you’ve gone through, Archer.” Her dark eyes are glossy with emotion, shame dripping from her features, and her chest still jerks with the effort of trying to contain her upset.
“I know you do, Peaches. I know. And if you want to talk about it, I’m here.”
After several long moments pass, Kingston’s voice breaks the silence. “You don’t have to go home for break, you know. You can stay right the fuck here. I don’t need to hang with my father for a four-day weekend full of reprimands and verbal abuse, either. There’s nothing I’d rather do than be right here with you.”
“I’d prefer not to go home either, honestly.” Elliot’s eyes flick up and her lips tremble with a smile. “The odds of my dad being happy with what I’ve done are not good, and I’m on tenterhooks waiting for him to discover my deceit.”
I glance to my side, taking in Cannon, who is already shaking his head. “I’ll stay.”
“I appreciate it. Everything you’ve said, too.” I scrape my teeth over my lip. “My heart’s a lot lighter, despite the ugliness on my phone.”
Kingston lifts his head to meet my eyes, a hard glint in his. “There’ll be no more of that. I fuckin’ blocked his number.”
My brows dart up in surprise.
“You don’t need that in your life, Arch. Period. You came here to start fresh, and you’re going to finally do it now. We have your back. But we’ll also stand right at your side. We’ll fight with you, if necessary. And if you’d rather put it behind you and never speak of him again, we’re here for that, too.”
Cannon’s head bobs quickly before he jerks his thumb toward the house.
“Yeah, let’s head up.” I kiss Elliot’s forehead and release her. Cannon seems to understand that Kingston and I need a second, so he wraps an arm around Elliot and tugs her off to the side. I run my hand through my hair, then sway toward Kingston. I do wonder in the back of my head—after everything he heard me say—if he’s weirded out.
As if he can read my thoughts, he cups my jaw. His voice is husky when he whispers, “You’re mine. Period. I don’t feel any differently. I couldn’t. Honestly, it only makes me love you more. You’re so strong, baby.”
Relief rushes through my system, and my body sags against the hard wall of his chest. “How are you so fucking perfect?”
“I’m not, and you know it.” He huffs out a laugh right before he presses a fiery kiss to my mouth that practically sends me to my knees. Firm lips move over mine as he holds me to him, fingers flexing at the back of my neck, gripping me tightly. His tongue slides over my lip until I finally give him what he’s silently demanding. With my chest near bursting with relief, he sweeps his tongue into my mouth. Taking his time, he leisurely strokes, exploring everywhere and demanding that I reciprocate. I melt against him, slipping my hands up his chest to lock them behind his neck and tug him closer. When our lips finally part, his whisper is husky. “You’re going to be fine.”
I nod, one corner of my mouth hitching into a half-grin. “Yeah. I think I might be.” Turning, I hold my hand out and wait until Elliot slips her hand into mine, then we turn as a unit to walk back up to the house.
We’re about halfway to the patio when Elliot squeezes my hand. “Do you—” She hesitates, pursing her lips.
I tighten my hold on her hand, and I notice Cannon and Kingston have paid careful attention to her quiet words as well. “What, baby?”
“I can’t sleep in my room. Not now. Not with someone having been in there.”
I cock my head to the side. “I don’t think that’s a problem. Sleep wherever you’re comfortable. Hell, my bed is completely empty most nights, so as long as you’re okay with me up on the computer all fucking night, you’re welcome in my room.”
“You’re both fucking nuts if you think we’re sleeping anywhere but in the same bed,” Kingston growls, his eyes flicking to Cannon’s. “All of us. There’s still way too much bullshit going on around here for my liking. If you don’t do it for any other reason, do it for my goddamn peace of mind. I need all of you with me.”
And the honest truth is, I’m blown away by their understanding of my situation, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than with the people I love. Because I do. I love them each in a different way, but it’s love all the same. I’ve never felt more at peace with myself.
I can’t help but wonder how long it will last.
THIRTY-ONE
ELLIOT
I wakeup to the sounds of even breathing and light snoring surrounding me. We’d fallen into our standard configuration in Archer’s room since he has the biggest bed with me sandwiched between Cannon and Kingston and Archer on Kingston’s other side. I noticed when Archer finally came to bed after spending several hours at his computer, he felt the need to lay a hand on me before he went to sleep. I doubt he’d known I was awake when he did it, but I found comfort in it all the same.
And that’s what last night was all about. Comfort. Easing our worried minds and battered hearts. Being together as a whole. And, as an afterthought, it works in our favor that we’re in one room. Safety in numbers.
I drag in a deep breath and take in their warmth and strength. I can’t get what Archer’s been through off my mind. I wish there was a way to make things better for him, but I know from personal experience, it’s something he’ll live with forever. All I—we—can do is treat him with the respect he deserves. So, if he wants to talk about it more, we’ll do that. And if he’d rather try to forget, maybe we can help with that, too.
