“For fuck’s sake, Alex. My sister could walk back at any time.” Ash throws his shirt back to him, but I don’t miss the way he also takes a good, solid look of Alex’s abs.
Alex puts his shirt back on with a pout. I swear the man who’s obsessed with having kids is nothing but a big one himself.
“What’s next?” I ask, and the six of them exchange a confused glance.
“What do you mean?” Cole’s the one who asks.
“Well, eventually, we all need to go back home, sooner rather than later. Cole needs to go back to work, not to mention Spencer, as do all of you. Riku is fine with me, and I guess Ash now needs to start thinking of his life as a guardian to his sister and committed partner in a relationship, and we need to give Edie some stability. But there are too many of us to move into Dad’s place or your apartment. And then there’s another question. Do we want to live together, or are you guys happy just spending time together and not necessarily living together? We’ve never talked about it, and I guess I feel like I need to know where we stand.”
They all seem to mull over the question, and it’s Jace who finally speaks up. “What about you? What do you want?”
“Well, I love you all. I hate the thought of us being apart, but I want to figure out something that works for everyone.” I’m not looking at them, and I realize that you could hear a pin drop in the room because it’s so quiet. Fuck, what’s the problem now? As I look at each of the men for a clue, I think back to what I just said. Oh! I guess I’ve never come out and really saiditto any of them even though it’s how I feel, even for Cole.
“You love us?” It’s Shane who finally breaks the silence, the others practically vibrating with anticipation for my answer.
“Well, yeah. I mean, of course I do. I know it’s soon, and I completely understand if it’s not how you all feel too.” I quickly rush that out so they don’t think they have to say it back to me, but then I shore up my strength. I’m not going to apologize for my feelings. “Life is too short to waste on maybes and what-ifs and obeying social niceties. I love you all and can’t wait to start a life together. I want us all to live in one house and make decisions together and have babies.” I look at Alex with that comment. “As soon as we possibly can. I don’t want to wait anymore. God, with what I inherited, none of you ever have to work again if you don’t want to. You can all be kept men, and we can just enjoy life.” I finish my uncontrollable rant, and for a moment it’s still so quiet that I feel my heart sink. Crap, maybe they don’t want it? Maybe they are all happy with their lives the way they are?
Ash is the first to move, but it’s like he unpaused them all. They come at me with their own words of love and reassurance, which is music to my ears, and for the next ten minutes, I’m swept up in kisses and hugs and individual declarations of love from each of them.
Alex is last, and he just throws me over his shoulder and starts for the staircase.
“Where are you going?” I hear Riku demand from behind us.
“Babies,” is all Alex says, and I laugh and smack him on the ass.
Louder than my giggles, Ash calls out, “My sister is still around.”
“Dude, she’s always going to be around. We’ll have to soundproof the bedroom or get her and Spencer some noise-canceling headphones.”
He doesn’t stop, so I start to wiggle. “Put me down, you doofus. I have to have my implant removed.”
He stops and slides me down his body. “You mean all this time I’ve been trying there’s been no chance?” He sounds a little devastated.
“No, sorry. I thought you realized that when I told you about the birth control in Hawaii.”
He wrinkles his nose sheepishly. “I was hoping maybe you’d forgotten to take it. Kind of like how Harlow got pregnant.”
“Yeah, no, that’s why I have an implant. But hey, practice makes perfect, right?” His pout clears, and he bends down to throw me over his shoulder again, but I hold up my hands. “Nope! I have to make some calls and have Forrest let the law firm in Colombia know what we’re doing. Plus, we still haven’t made any decisions about where we’ll live when we return after the new year.AndAsh’s grandmother will be here soon for Christmas lunch.”
“Ha, I’m surprised the old bat is even coming. I refuse to hide what we have anymore.” He crosses his arms, and I look around the room. The rest of the guys are in agreement, even Ash.
“Well, that’s fine. She’s got nothing to hold over our heads anymore,” I agree, cringing at the thought of how uncomfortable lunch is going to be, but we’re all she has. It would have been rude not to invite her, especially since we practically shoved her out of the house and into the assisted living place. “Why don’t you all go pack while I make phone calls? The kitchen staff is hard at work on lunch, and I have the chauffeur going to pick up Elizabeth. We have nothing to worry about until she gets here, which, if I’ve timed it right, should be just as the meal hits the table. That way there’s no awkward small talk beforehand. We can all keep food in our mouths to avoid conversation.”
Jace laughs. “I’m not sure it will be as easy as that.”
Cole shudders. “No, that woman is a menace. I anticipate we’ll be having the most uncomfortable Christmas ever.”
“I’ll make it up to all of you, I promise. It just didn’t feel right booting her out and leaving her on her own.”
“That’s because you’re a really good person.” Riku kisses me on the forehead, which he knows I love, before heading up the stairs to pack.
“Yup. He’s right. I would have let her suffer,” Alex agrees as he grabs Shane and Jace by the hands and drags them away too, with Cole trailing behind.
Ash comes over to me and draws me into his arms. I rest my head on his chest, and his heart beats steadily into my ear. “They are all right. She hasn’t deserved any kindness, but I do appreciate it for Edie’s sake.”
“You guys will always be my priority, so if she’s too much of a cow, we’ll just ask her to leave. I had to at least try.”
“I know, and that’s why we love you too.” With that parting remark, Ash heads upstairs, and I sit down on the couch to make my phone calls.
