Tired of the mystery, I lunge for my nightstand, snatching my phone. Griffin and Knox protest my swift movement, but I don’t pay them any mind. With my legs sprawled across Griffin and my torso smothering Knox, I open my phone and search for anything amiss. No bizarre texts sent, and my background hasn’t changed.
Did they…No. They wouldn’t. But maybe…
Tapping on my photo app, I find a handful of new pictures of the three of us, but I’m dead asleep.
“What!” I screech for the second time this morning.
I open each picture, ripping off the band aid. In one, Griffin is giving the camera a thumbs up and a goofy smile from behind my head. In another, they’re both faking sleep. And in another, my mouth is wide open with my cheek on Knox’s chest.
My body shakes from their laughter. I glower at each of them over my shoulder, but that only makes them laugh louder and harder. Pretty soon, the noise is boisterous, and I feel the light of their humor flow through me, infecting my heart. The suppression of my smile fails, and I flip, sitting up between them. I smack them both on the chest.
“You two are menaces to society!” My insult makes Griffin clutch his stomach from laughing so hard, while Knox buries his face in the pillow.
“Mom?”
Shit.
Turning around, I spot Noah in my doorway, dressed in his pajamas and rubbing his eyes. I jump out of bed and stand to the side, wincing. “Did we wake you up?”
I never wanted Noah to see something like this. Nothing happened and nothing was going to happen, but after our history, I want him to feel safe here at home.
Knox waves his hand, motioning Noah forward. When Noah finally realizes who’s here, he lights up. He dashes for my bed and jumps on it.
“Did you guys spend the night? On the next sleepover, can you sleep in my room?” Noah unleashes a barrage of questions and random statements.
Griffin gets his attention by tickling Noah’s stomach. “Are you hungry?”
Noah looks down at his stomach as if it holds the answer. “Yes,” he responds with a smile.
“How about we make some breakfast?”
I scoff. “Do you know how?”
Noah grimaces and positions his hand to block his words from my ears, but I still hear him. “Mom usually burns the food.”
Knox coughs to cover his chuckle, and I shoot him a glare. But he doesn’t seem the least bit remorseful as he sassily smirks.
Griffin slaps his hand on his bare chest and makes a pained expression. “Do I know how? Don’t insult me, little man.” Griffin’s ruse ends on a smile.
Noah laughs at Griffin’s jesting.
Griffin slaps his lap with both hands and climbs out of my bed. “I’ll tell ya what. How about we make a breakfast feast fit for kings and prove to your mom that I’m an amazing cook.”
“Yes!” Noah pumps a fist in the air and cheers.
Griffin leans forward, scooping Noah up in his arms, and they begin chanting together. “Fit for kings! Fit for kings!” Their new mantra follows them out of my room and down the stairs.
My hand covers my mouth as tears swim in my eyes.
This. This is what Noah needs. WhatIneed.
Vetiver floods my senses as Knox encompasses me in his arms and rests his chin on the top of my head. I let myself lean into him. His warmth seeps into my bones, soothing all the places inside me that have been cold for so long.
Knox’s folded arms rest just under my breasts. I resist the urge to guide his hands to cup them. A pulse starts up in my core, dampening my panties.
I could find refuge in Knox. I could discover a pleasure that’s just ours.
But would this all be ripped away if they knew?
