If I’ve pieced things together correctly, I’d say that I now live next door to a veteran, a cop, and a fireman. All of whom want to help me give my daughter a beautiful home to grow up in, with only the intention to see to it that I feel safe and welcome in my new town. This is not normal.
“Hey girl, the name’s Ethan! Come over here and see what I’ve brought you and your daughter to welcome you to the neighborhood!” He yells excitedly. His happiness is radiant and lively. I want to live in it and call it my own and yet I’m frozen in my own misguided assumptions and fear.
I start moving slowly, and apparently my hesitance doesn’t go unnoticed, because the two men behind me are now walking alongside me as if offering their quiet reassurance and strength. These men don’t know me, yet they see my unease and sense fear. Why I’m accepting it from them when only twenty-four hours ago I felt the same way toward Cooper, I don’t know. Even a few weeks after meeting and speaking to Jace regularly, I’m still awkward and distrustful around him. They don’t care. It’s apparent in the way they stand at my sides yet make no move to touch or guide me. They say nothing. No sympathetic words of encouragement or jokes to ease the tension surrounding me. Just silent encouragement as I approach this new man who’s come to offer me more things I’ll be too uncomfortable to accept.
I step up and offer a tense wave of my hand, and a tight lipped smile, then look to Demi who gives me a confidence boosting nod, as if to say, “you are an independent goddess, strong and fierce. You can do this.” So I take a deep breath, drop my shoulders back, and offer my hand. “Hello, I’m Aria, your new neighbor. Thank you for coming over to introduce yourself.”
When he takes his hand in mine, I’m briefly taken back a few weeks when Jace’s large hand eclipsed my own and I felt a bolt of lightning shoot through my body, because the same thing happens with Ethan. Only I don’t shy away from it. Instead, taking the moment to assess him and sus out the energy he gives off. His bright hazel eyes light up mischievously, and his beaming smile somehow widens. He gives off a playful, happy-go-lucky vibe, while also being unabashedly intense, like he knows he’s stunning and completely untroubled to share it with the world around him. If you look deep enough, you can sense that he’s guarded. Not in a bad way like Benji was. More like I am, only he’s better at hiding it.
One look at the men on either side of me, and I notice they both look strangely proud. As if they’ve been waiting for the moment they see me take control. Only Jace has seen me with my game face on, and even then it was only because I’d felt protective of my daughter.
“Here, I brought some stuff for us all to enjoy at that cookout at the end of the month! Boys, help me unload it all. Aria, I tried to pick neutral colors in hopes that you don’t hate it all, but I have receipts and I’d be happy to take you back for things you’d rather have.”
“What?” I ask, confused as to what he means, and then I see what’s being unloaded—new patio furniture, and a barbeque to rival all barbeques. It’s the exact patio furniture I’d been scoping out at the home supply depot when Hadley and I walked through to get ideas of what I wanted for this house. It’s a large wooden L shaped couch, with cream cushions and walnut accented pillows. There’s a matching set of four chairs that are built more like recliners. It’s all custom tailored to three walnut side tables and a large sandstone fire pit. It’s stunning and luxurious, and wholly too much. “I—I can’t—-”
“Don’t you dare say you can’t accept this.” Jace growls insistently. “We enjoy doing this and if we can make the life of a single mom and her little girl easier, then we will. I’m not saying we’re trying to force anything on you and I’m sure you assume we have expectations beyond us helping and then walking away, you’re wrong. You don’t owe us for any of this. We’re men who can’t cook nice meals or knit you some cute hats and booties like some of the old ladies in town. This is what we know how to do. Let us do it. Let us take care of you for just a moment in time so you can focus your energy on your daughter. Let us lift the burden of revamping an entire two story home by yourself while you are a full time mom. Please.”
“If it helps, the whole community pitched in to do something nice for you. It wasn’t just us. You’ll notice around here we do our best to take care of each other.” Ethan says, looking a little more serious than he did a moment ago.
I look from him to the other two and see nothing but sincerity shining back at me, so I battle with myself a moment longer and then say, “Okay. Thank you.” Then I head back into the house and I fix those stubbornly generous guys a nice lunch.
Twenty-Four
Weekends require protocol
Aria
November 2020
Ethan’s hands roam over my body. When he gets to the apex of my legs he pushes them apart and stares down at the glistening arousal coating my thighs, then back up to pin me with his searing gaze.
“She’s perfect.” His rough voice surrounds the quiet space we’re in. He never even loses eye contact as he speaks to his roommates. “You’ll want to get a look for yourself.”
“Holy fuck, man. Look at how badly she wants us. She’s literally dripping with need.” Cooper says, swiping a finger through it and up my slit, teasing me endlessly as he lands his light touch on the small bundle of nerves that’s now aching with desire for them.
Jace stands at my side and traces his fingers around my belly button, causing me to unintentionally hold my breath as his hands learn the map of my body. Thankfully, he doesn’t mention my scarring from the stretch marks covering my body. It takes everything inside of me not to turn away in shame that they’re seeing me like this, but when his big hands travel up my ribcage and test the weight of my full breasts, I couldn’t care less about my stretch marks. All I can think about is how badly I need his hands or mouth on my nipples.
“Please,” I beg.
“Please, what baby?” Ethan asks.
“Touch me. God, please touch me.”
“Where?” Cooper questions.
“Every-fucking-where!” I yell as all three of them stroke my body, testing the limits of my composure.
“Fuck yes,” They all grumble out in unison. The air becomes so thick around us I practically choke on it as I scream in pleasure when they all descend on my mouth, my tits, and holy hell, yes! Oh god…
Diiiing dong!!
“Yo, who uses a goddamn doorbell anymore?!” Tate yells from the room next to mine, prompting me to grumpily hop up and run downstairs to answer the door still a little lost to dreamland.
I definitely didn’t want to wake up. I was just getting to the best part of my dream where I could fully appreciate my attraction to Jace, Cooper, and Ethan without the fear or guilt that plagues me outside of my subconscious mind.
I may not handle them perfectly in person just yet, but time and getting to know them will help. But in my dreams, you can bet I appreciate their heartfelt smiles, sparkling eyes, and book boyfriend-like abs.
I’m rubbing the sleep from my eyes, preparing my sleep-addled brain to yell at whoever’s on the wrong side of my front door, only for the door to open and all three of my new neighbors offer a round of 'good mornings’ and charming smiles. I’m left with the choice of being a raging bitch or fumble through some sort of polite retort. I settle for somewhere in between with a garbled yawn filled response that almost sounded like, “yeah, yeah, morning”. As I yawn, the demand to stretch is real and my arms go up in their practiced motion before I can even think about what I’m doing. I’m sleepy and caught off balance as the air between us prickles with awareness and an unpleasant silence descends on us all. Awkward doesn’t even begin to cover what’s happening.
