Page 37

ALEX

I feel someone get in bed with me. If it’s Levi, I’m going to kick him in the balls. He curls around me as if I’m made of glass, and I know it’s Noel.

“Hey, baby, I’m back,” Noel whispers.

“Did he drown?” I grumble, shifting back to get comfortable with his arms wrapping around me.

“No, I saved him.”

I can hear Levi go into the bathroom and shut the door.

“Where’s he planning on sleeping?”

“He’s going to sleep on the floor. We grabbed extra pillows and blankets from housekeeping on the way up.”

I hum a response.

“Do you need medicine? An ice pack? How you feeling?”

“I’m fine. Just tired. Go to sleep.”

I nudge my butt over his groin, and he gasps.

“Alex!” He whispers disapprovingly. I smile.

"Night."

When Levi exits the bathroom, he makes a floor pallet and lays down. Ace and Grady are asleep on the bed next to us, not touching.

Earlier, when Ace came out of the bathroom with puffy eyes, they argued about going to find him and making sure he was safe out there. I spoke up and told them that’s where Noel went and not to worry. They snuggled under the covers and watched some trashy late-night cop show until they fell fast asleep.

The next morning is awkward as fuck.

I wake up first and take a long shower, looking over my bandages and swollen face. The bruise is gnarly. It’s still red but turning into a dark purple. I check over my body, but it’s mostly my face and head that took the brunt of his anger. I’m lucky he didn’t crack any ribs like last time. I would have had to do an ER run last night if he hit me anywhere else.

The cuts are still bleeding, and my knuckles burn. Maybe I do need a stitch or two on my temple. The stapler that hit my head left a nasty gash on the left side of my temple, near my hairline. Noel bandaged it up nicely, though.

I came out of this extremely lucky. My eye isn’t even shut all the way. A win is a win.

I hear a knock, and Noel comes in, locking it behind him. He stops and stares mournfully when he checks over my face. I’ve got a towel wrapped around my waist. “What can I do for you?” he asks gently.

I smirk. “Suck my dick?”

He rolls his eyes, unimpressed. “Alex.”

“Fine, you can grab the first aid kit and reapply some of these. I need pain meds again, too. Some Vicodin would be heaven. The cuts will heal; don’t worry.”

“I’m trying my best not to worry.”

“Go shower; you smell like coconut and salt water. When is our flight?”

Noel walks around me to turn the knob on red. He strips off his shirt while talking. “Our flight is at two.”

His abs flex. I can’t help but reach out to feel them.

Noel relaxes into my touch with a deep sigh.

“Alex…” he says my name lovingly. We haven’t had the time to be intimate with each other since… well, yesterday. But we’re both craving that connection. I kiss his neck just once, but he gasps, and that makes me do it again. “We can’t…”

“I’ll be quick.” I grip his hair at the base of his skull and tug him to my lips. We both moan at the contact, his tongue seeking mine immediately.

He drops his pants and underwear, his bare ass perky as hell, stepping into the shower. I drop my towel and follow after him even though I just took one.

I press him up against the wall and devour his mouth, working my way down his neck. His head falls back. Our dicks rub together, and we groan, worked up from not getting off in over twenty-four hours. It’s a little pathetic, but I blame our age.

I run a thumb over his tip and notice the precum spreading around, slick and warm.

I jerk him off slowly for a couple strokes and watch him shudder. I let go of him, our dicks touching for a moment as I squirt the hotel body wash into my hand. It’s not like I have many options for an easy glide. Noel chuckles at the amount in my hand, and then I’m grabbing both our cocks and fisting them, working us with long, slow strokes. I make sure to pay special attention to our tips. Noel grabs my face and kisses me frantically.

I flinch when the cut on my lip opens back up, but the pain drives me forward to kiss him harder.

He whines, holding on to me with desperate fingers. “I’m close.”

I continue pumping up and down, luxuriating in every part of him. His puffy lips, his long fingers in my hair, and his warm, hard cock in my hand, rubbing over mine.

“Fuck, I want you inside me,” he groans with a pained cry.

Fuck!

Using my other hand, I slap it over his mouth. There’s no way they didn’t hear him say that. I place my lips over his ear, speaking in a hushed whisper.

“And what if I want you inside me?”

He comes with a high whine escaping the back of his throat.

Hearing him break apart so openly with that fucking blissed-out face makes my orgasm heat through my limbs as I shiver and twitch, my breath stuttering.

When we both finish shaking, he palms my face ever so gently and kisses my face, lips, cheeks, nose, and bruised eye. His tenderness after our shared climax has me feeling too open, and I have to clench my teeth at his wide, honest eyes.

“I love you, Alex.”

A bunch of needles prick my throat as I suppress a sob. “ Fuck, don’t get me all weepy right now. Not in front of those dicks.”

He smiles gently. “Okay, baby.”

He steps back, getting shampoo for his hair. I wash off my hand and get out.

“I’ll get the kit.”

“Sounds good,” he says cheerily, washing his hair. I smirk at his carefree attitude now that he’s not pent up.

When I finish drying off and wrapping the towel back around my waist, I unlock the door and step out. Ace is there, smiling at me knowingly.

“Good morning!”

I roll my eyes and shut the door. “You heard.”

He giggles. “Nooooo.”

Grady laughs too. “Don’t embarrass Noel when he comes out.”

“I won't!” Ace whines.

“Everything good?” I ask, my eyes trailing to the body on the floor, still asleep.

Grady tilts his head like he’s thinking about it.

“When he wakes up and apologizes, maybe.”

“What about you, Alex?” Ace asks gently, not wanting to upset me.

“Could be worse. He didn’t break a rib this time, so I’ll take it as a win.” I walk over to my bed and drop my towel.

Ace turns, giving me privacy. “I’m sorry about your father. Seeing that…”

I can’t see his face, but by the back of his head, it looks like he might be holding back tears. I pull up my pants. “Thanks, by the way.”

Ace turns halfway, eyes shimmery and wide. He wipes at them. “For what?”

I shrug, grabbing a shirt and tugging it on. “Showing up for me. Being there for Noel.”

“It wasn’t just for Noel,” Grady says, pointedly. “We were there for you, too.”

I hold his eye contact, nodding once. Grady has always been… level-headed. I appreciate the relationship we have. He gets that I don’t want to necessarily air out all my drama, so he doesn’t bring it up.

The conversation dies there. There’s no need to say anything else.

We all get dressed and packed up, Levi being the last to shower.

When he emerges, he takes Ace to the balcony first.

Grady watches them like a hawk. It doesn’t take very long, so I’m sure the apology is a simple, I’m sorry . Ace eats that shit up every time. Ace comes back in with a smile and nods at Grady. Levi asks Grady to come out to talk next.

That one takes a long time.

Noel is lying on our bed, applying all sorts of things to my face.

“Did he apologize?” Noel asks.

Ace bites at his fingernails, distracted. “Yes. And he… never mind. Everything is good!”

“I’m glad,” Noel responds, taping up my eyebrow with a butterfly closure. My eyebrow cut is apparently deeper than I thought, and the gauze wasn’t helping. Maybe stitches aren’t such a bad idea.

We get going as soon as they come back in from the balcony. There are no hints of fighting, which I take as a good sign.

We have a very long flight back home.

Emma meets us at the airport and greets all of us with a hug.

Ace runs to her first for some reason, pushing Noel away, but Noel just chuckles under his breath. “I’m first!”

“Hello, Ace!” She laughs into the hug. Noel goes next, kissing her check and telling her he loves her.

She smiles up at Grady and gives him a quick hug with back pats. “Hello boys, I’m glad you were able to go, too.” Levi nods at her in a polite way, and she accepts it gracefully.

She turns to me next and sighs, biting her lip.

I’m assuming Noel gave her a heads up about my appearance. She looks like she’s holding back and trying hard not to lose it.

“Hey,” I greet her sheepishly. Mostly embarrassed that she’s seeing me so weak.

“Alex,” she says my name soft and sweet. And just that one word out of her mouth, my fucking name, has me on the verge of crying. It’s achingly compassionate.

She pulls me gently into a hug that feels just like when Noel hugs me. “I’m so sorry, Alex.”

I choke back a sob, startled at how fast she’s making me crumble. I thought I was holding it together. “Shit, you know how to make me show my cards, huh, Emma?”

She leans in a little closer to my ear so only I can hear her. “I’m here for you, sweet boy. You are family, and no one messes with my boys.”

I stifle a laugh, still trying not to cry in front of everyone. It’s been embarrassing enough having them witness my most emotional, wrecked moments.

“C’mon, let’s get home,” Noel speaks up, understanding exactly what I need.

We part ways with the guys at the airport.

Ace kisses Noel’s cheeks and then bounces over to me, giving me one as well, with a tight hug. “Heal quickly, Alex!”

“Seriously, man. I’m so glad you’re okay now. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. I got you.” Grady is next as he squeezes me to his broad chest.

“Yeah, yeah. I hear you.”

Levi looks down at the floor, unsure what to do now it’s his turn to say something. I sigh, rolling my eyes. “Don’t make it weird.”

Levi snaps his eyes to meet mine. “Well now it is.”

I smirk. “Don’t kid yourself; you know you want to give me a big ‘ol hug, fuckface.”

I have no intention of Levi actually doing anything, but as I start to turn away with a chuckle, Levi surprises me with an actual hug.

It’s quick, but genuine.

“Your father is scum.”

I snort. “Yeah, bud. You’re preaching to the choir.”

There’s a flash of true acknowledgement from him as he tips his head, like he might know a thing or two about shitty dads. Or maybe just abusive people in general.

Maybe he’ll tell me one day.

When we arrive at Noel’s, his mom gives us space, telling us she’ll be making food and to go rest.

Noel takes my hand, leading us to his bed.

We lay down, getting comfortable under the covers. My eyes close in exhaustion. We’re both on our backs, side by side, still holding hands. Finally, alone.

“I can’t believe you got the musketeers to come.”

I feel Noel’s head turn to look at me. “I had a feeling you’d do something stupid. I needed back up.”

I snort. “You guys looked kind of badass barging in like that.”

“I’m glad you found it amusing.”

Opening my eyes, I turn and find Noel with a sad expression. “Hey, what is it?”

He turns away with a sigh. “I just…”

“Yeah?”

“I just wish I had gotten there sooner. I made a promise that I wouldn’t let him hurt you. And look at you. You’re all…” He reaches a hand out and brushes it against my lips. “Torn up.”

I grab his hand and place it on my cheek, rubbing against it. “That doesn’t matter.”

“It does.”

“It had to happen. If I hadn’t pushed his buttons, he never would have slipped up and told me about my mom. Everything happened the way it was supposed to.”

“I still don’t understand why he’d lie about that.”

“Because his image means everything. Knocking up a maid would have been very bad for his image. Sophia was a respectable woman and over twenty-one, so she was the perfect ruse for his plan. ”

He shakes his head in disbelief.. He doesn’t know my father the way I do.

I think of Noel’s face when he saw me on my knees, getting the shit beat out of me. And then when he punched my father in the mouth. I laugh softly. “Fuck, it was so hot when you punched him.”

He scoffs in amusement. “I want to go back there and do it again.”

“Nah. We won’t ever go back there.”

Noel’s soft gaze feels like home. “Will you reach out to her?”

I stare up at the ceiling. “What if she doesn’t want to know me? I am my father’s son after all.”

Noel’s hand in mine feels heavy. A reminder that he’s right here with me. He’ll always be right here with me.

“That won’t happen.”

“Why do you think that?”

He kisses my cheek. “Because you’re also her son. And that means you’re this woman’s nephew. She will want to see you.”

It’s still unreal to me that Sophia isn’t my mom, but it also feels laughably believable because the woman has always made me call her by her name and despised me.

She never fought for custody because she wasn’t my birth mother.

The lie was an easy one because where there’s money, there’s Sophia.

My father had to have given her a large sum all these years, just to keep up the lie. And when I ran away and showed up here, she didn’t know what the fuck to do with me.

Noel touches under my jaw to get my attention.

“Baby,” he whispers gently. “Let’s reach out to her. I can do it if you’d rather not—”

“Okay,” I interrupt him. “Let’s do it.”