20
TERA
Igrin.
He reaches out, touching my face, my shoulders, my hips, my ass, and my boobs. I snicker.
"She's real," he says, looking over my shoulder at Kennedy.
I grab his t-shirt in my fist and pull him to me. I nod. "I'm here. Now, what are you gonna do about it?" Oh, those are mighty big words for someone shaking so hard inside I'm afraid I might shatter.
He pulls me in and kisses me softly, so softly I can barely feel it. He breathes out my name like a prayer and a tear slips from my eye.
Then hereallykisses me. All lips and tongues and hands. We're so rushed and harried, our teeth hit. We both lean back and laugh.
"I haven't had that happen since the first time I kissed you," Xan tells me.
"I love that it happened with me both times," I tell him honestly.
"Dude," my brother bellows, shoving me to the side, wrapping his arms around Xander, lifting him and bouncing him up and down. "How's my bro-in-law?"
Xan tries to catch his breath when Linc sets him down.
"I'm good, now that you're letting me breathe again."
Linc grins. "I missed you, ya fucker."
Xan laughs. "Oh, you're gonna be in so much trouble in this house, Linc."
"What do you mean?" Linc asks.
Kennedy and Ethan chuckle.
"We've got a swear jar. Fuck costs a buck. All the others, fifty cents," Ethan tells him.
"You're fucking kidding me," Linc replies.
Ethan laughs. "Nope. Serious as a heart attack, man. And Kadi? The little girl who answered the door?"
Linc nods.
"She's strict, man. She won't let it slide,at all. I'm her favorite, and she makes me pay every time," Ethan tells him.
"Well, shit. I need to get some singles and quarters. Reminds me of when we used to go to the arcade. Remember that shit?" Linc asks.
"I think Linc's going to pay the kids' college tuition all by himself," Kennedy teases.
Linc rubs his hand over his short black hair. "Good thing I've got money, or I'd have to take out a loan."
"You've got money?" Kennedy asks.
Of all the guys, Kennedy came around the least. I think it was too hard for him each time we said goodbye. Ethan kept in touch the most and stopped by for a weekend or a week. Jesse and Ben popped in now and again before they got married and Jesse's wife had the babies.
"He's been doing a higher level of the underground fighting he'd been doing before," Ethan informs Kennedy.
"No shit?"
Linc nods.
