Chapter Seventeen
Brax
“We forgot something critical.” Cliff came back in after giving Edwin and I some time alone. We’d had the best time coloring. Daddy had bought me a new toy before Edwin came over. A farm with animals to play with and even some bales of hay. My new little friend made the best animal noises. Good enough to make me topple over in laughter.
“What did we forget?” I asked, looking around the room. Cliff never made a fuss about messes. He said it was evidence that I had played well, and I knew the sentiment extended to Edwin as well.
“We never gave Edwin a tour of our home. Plus, I bet you two could use a snack. I prepped one in the kitchen. At the little table.”
Mostly, Cliff and I ate at the dining room table or the bar in the kitchen but, outside the screen door, I also had a red, white, and yellow picnic table complete with a matching umbrella.
“A snack sounds great,” Edwin said and was the first one to get up.
“Snack first then a tour. Sound good?”
We went to eat outside. Cliff had turned on the twinkly lights on the back porch for us. The stars were bright in the sky. Daddy had prepared us a snack tray consisting of cheeses cut into all shapes along with grapes and apple slices with a peanut butter dip. Cliff made the best snacks.
“Does he always make snacks like this, or is it because I’m here?”
Edwin was feeling us out. That was good. “He has a whole Pinterest board of snack ideas and cute things to make. He’s diligent.”
“Diligent, huh?” Cliff came outside. He had changed into some jogging pants and a matching sweatshirt.
“Edwin was asking if we always had snacks like this.”
Cliff chuckled. “A whole pantry full. Making cute snacks is a hobby of mine, in fact. I like to take care of my littles and not just out of duty.”
Littles. He said littles, plural. Of course he did. We’d come to an understanding that night. We all liked each other and not in a friendly way. In a friends’ way, of course, but there was way more. We were all attracted to each other and wanted to explore where things would go.
We were dating and the truth was, I didn’t care if I ever dated anyone else. I didn’t want to. I had only wanted Cliff for a long time, and now? Now, I wanted Cliff and Edwin forever.
Edwin let out a yawn, and it triggered me. He was tired. And, while I was a little as well, I wanted to help take care of him.
“Do you have to work tomorrow?” I asked.
“No. But I’m so tired all of a sudden. Maybe it’s time to go home, but…”
“Come inside. Both of you. There’s a chill in the air.” Cliff took the snack board, and we all went inside. Daddy had a plan. I could feel it in my bones. I wanted Edwin to stay over. Cliff, I was sure, wanted him to stay. But someone had to say something.
“Could you take me home, Daddy?” Edwin asked. Hearing him call Cliff Daddy did things to me. I didn’t want to let the feeling go.
“I had another idea, actually. How would you feel about staying the night, Edwin?”
Edwin’s cheeks pinked, and he gasped softly. “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”
“You’re not imposing. You’re a guest. And I invited you. If you don’t want to…”
“I do.” Edwin’s words shot straight through me, piercing my heart. He wanted to spend the night with us. He wanted to stay with us and, somewhere in my mind, that meant more than one night. It meant forever.
“Well, maybe we should start the tour with the bedroom. Follow me.”
Tension thick as a wall stayed between us, up the stairs until we reached our bedroom. Ours. Edwin’s fingers brushed mine and then Cliff’s. Just that bit of contact almost made me come right then and there.
“Is this moving too fast for you?” I asked Edwin who was fidgeting in the doorway.
“Not fast enough.”
Before I could mutter another word, Edwin’s lips were on mine. I let out a sigh of relief. The tension was broken with one act. Well, hopefully with more than a kiss. I melted into the man in front of me. Cliff stepped forward, putting one hand on my lower back and another on Edwin’s, pushing us together. Edwin broke the kiss and looked from me to Cliff.
