Peyton
The short,sharp blast of a buzzer yanked me from sleep. I sat straight up, disoriented by the unfamiliar sound. Then Jet threw his arm across my chest and pulled me back to him. “Probably just the wrong condo,” he yawned, then threw his leg over mine.
I relaxed. The familiar comfort of Jet’s sheets, the way his bedroom smelled and how he grabbed at me in the morning, all of it soothed me.
This was right in a way that I’d never experienced before. This was where I was supposed to be.
Then the noisy buzz cut through the air again, in three quick blasts.
“Damn it,” Jet grumbled. He pulled himself out of bed and stumbled toward the door, his boxer briefs twisted at his ropey thighs. “What is it?” he asked into the little box by the door.
“It’s Noah. Can I come in? I want to talk,” the scratchy voice answered, then added, “to you and Peyton.”
I threw my feet off the bed and stood. Jet shot me a glance, then hit the button again. “Sure, come on up.”
Jet and I both scrambled to get presentable. After a long evening of fucking, the apartment was a mess, and I threw lube and jockstraps and massage oils into the bedroom while Jet wrestled on some clothes. “How’d he know you were here?” Jet asked.
“Maybe he went to my condo first?”
Jet grunted, then hurried to the kitchen. “I haven’t had coffee. Help me not say something I’ll regret.”
“I’ll help you by putting coffee on,” I answered, rubbing my eyes. But as soon as I hit the button on the machine, Noah knocked on the door.
“Noah,” Jet said simply as he opened the door. He looked at his brother evenly, and it struck me that Jet wasn’t about to apologize for us being together or act like we had to hide what we were doing. We’d decided to be together, and seeing Jet treat that seriously bolstered me, a lifting sensation that pulled me up to full height beside him.
“We just put coffee on,” Jet told Noah. “Want some?”
“Sure.” Noah rubbed the back of his head as he stepped in. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, which, for Noah, was notably dressed down. He looked tired, and I noticed that he hadn’t shaved yet.
He looked between me and Jet, then smiled softly. When I caught that smile, instead of the judgment I was expecting to see, my hopes rose.
“I’m not sure how to say this, so I thought I’d just say it. I walked out of the restaurant on Mom and Dad last night, before our food even arrived. And, well, I’m sorry I didn’t spend the night with the two of you instead.” He frowned, then made direct eye contact with Jet. “Sorry.”
My boyfriend blinked. “You walked out of the restaurant?”
Without thinking, I rested my hand on his arm. I caught Noah glance at the gesture, and that almost made me pull away, but I managed to fight off the instinct and just stay there, where Jet needed me.
“Mom told me that she was concerned about the reputation of my firm, with Peyton in charge.” He gritted his teeth. “Her political career, of course, was the reason. But I just couldn’t hear it again.”
“Wait,” I said, “she’s always loved me.” I’d never been fond of Senator Brown, knowing how she treated Noah, but she had always seen me as a great business partner for her son, acceptably responsible, professional, focused.
Noah frowned. “Well, she’s wrong about you now. They’re both wrong. And that’s why I told them that I’ll be happy to talk to them again, just as soon as they accept Jet back into the family and apologize for kicking him out.”
Jet’s voice caught. “Noah, really?” He shook his head quickly. “No, I can’t ask you to give up your relationship with them.”
“It’s their choice,” Noah said flatly. “They can apologize anytime. And honestly, I should have done this a long time ago. Peyton reminded me of that. I just needed some extra motivation to do it.” He tilted his eyes to Jet. “Having you around helped me see that.”
So fast I barely saw him move, Jet took Noah into a bear hug. Noah chuckled as he squeezed his brother back, and when I saw the beaming smile on Jet’s face, my breath caught in my throat.
I was happy for both of them and proud of my friend for taking a stand against his parents. The warmth in my chest reminded me of when I spent time with Russell, Blake, and Casey. Having the most important people in life care for each other, it just multiplied the love I felt.
My heart jumped on that word.
“Peyton,” Noah said and took me in a quick hug, too.
“I’m glad you came around, Noah,” I said. “And that you weren’t too mad at me for lecturing you.”
Noah chuckled softly. “I was at first. And then Jet sent me an angry text, and I was fuming. But once I got over myself and heard what you were both saying, things clicked together.”
