Page 9

9

Spencer

T his isn’t the vibrant, lively girl I’m used to seeing. Her body holds the weight of the world as I remove the bandages from earlier.

“Katy, I need to ask you an extremely important question because what you’re about to do will change everything. You said earlier you didn’t want to go to the hospital or the police, and we will respect what you want. But I need you to know, getting in the shower will remove any evidence of what happened to you.”

“That’s what I want.” Her hand latches onto my arm, and her eyes plead with me.

“I understand you want to forget it ever happened, but if there’s any evidence for the police on your body, we’re about to wash it away.” Her hand on my arm trembles, and she squeezes her eyes shut.

“Please.” Her plea is a whisper. There’s no conviction behind it, only fear and desperation. I know what she’s feeling. The despair, the terror. They manifest into tangible things, when all you want to do is forget a moment in time and leave it behind. I can’t fault her for her decisions but I can make sure she knows all of her options because no one ever told me.

“Okay. The water is ready. I want you to be comfortable, Katy. Do you want me to go wait in my room while you shower?” Panicked eyes shoot to me.

“Please stay.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll sit in here with you.” Bending down, I open the bathroom cabinet, take out an antibacterial soap, and hand it to her. “Use this for your scrapes. It will help make sure they’re clean. I’ll face the wall to give you some privacy.”

I take a seat on the toilet and turn. I hear her clothes rustling, and the shower door opens and closes.

“Is the water temperature good?”

“It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“You are welcome to use any of the products in there. Take your time.”

I begin to smell food cooking as I sit and wait. Occasionally, Katy says my name to make sure I’m still with her, and every time I reassure her I haven’t left.

Spencer: Katy is doing well. She’s shaken up but managing. The Three Stooges are here. Are you free tomorrow? I can come over, and we can discuss things.

Justin: I’ll be here whenever you want to stop by. Thank you for taking care of her.

Spencer: I take care of family.

The water turns off, and I stand, waiting with a towel in hand. Katy peeks around the door and smiles when she sees me. She takes the towel and reappears with it wrapped around her.

“Let’s get you dressed.” She follows me into my room, and I survey my drawers, realizing I don’t have much to offer her. “I’m a fan of tight clothes, but I’m sure you would rather wear something comfortable.” I pull a pair of flannel pajama pants from the back of my closet that Nicole left when she stayed with me, but a shirt option is harder to find. “Hold on.” I open the bedroom door using my body to cover the line of sight from the opening.

“Gentleman, does anyone happen to have a spare T-shirt for Katy to borrow? My wardrobe is lacking such things.”

“There are options in the bag I brought.” Miller uses the spatula in his hand to point at a black duffle sitting by the couch. I notice all of the men have changed their clothes and are wearing sweatpants and T-shirts. I don’t think I have ever understood the appeal until right now.

Axel’s pants are a tad too small and hug his thighs. The shirt he’s wearing has the sleeves removed and large cutouts on the side, easily showing off his chest with every move. Miller was already wearing black workout pants and a white shirt when he got here, and Lincoln has traded his navy cargo pants and work polo for a black tank top and dark gray sweats.

“Spencer?” Axel stands next to me, arm extended, offering me the bag. How did he get here?

“In case you’re wondering”—he leans in so only I can hear him—“none of us mind that you’re staring at us like pieces of juicy meat.” I feel my eyebrows rise in shock. Is that what I was doing? I take the bag and raise it in thanks before shutting the door.

“Is everything okay?” Katy questions my hasty movements.

“I’m fine. The guys said there should be clothes in here for you. Let’s see what our options are.”

We join everyone in the kitchen after getting Katy dressed and rebandaging some of her cuts. Dinner was delicious. I’m not sure how Miller managed to make something so simple taste so good, but Katy seemed to savor every bite, making me wonder more about her home life.

“Do we need to contact your mother and let her know where you are tonight?” She stops with her spoon mid-air, and her shoulders slump.

“She won’t care. She probably won’t even notice I’m missing until the dishes pile up in the sink.”

“The fuck.” Axel’s spoon clinks as he drops it into his almost-empty bowl. “Katy, you’re only sixteen. You’re saying your mother doesn’t care about you?”

“She never has. That’s how I met Justin.”

I know all about Katy’s relationship with Justin, but I’m not sure how much they know. It’s not a story to tell right now, though.

The room falls into silence—crunching bread and clinking spoons the only sounds. As everyone finishes, Miller and Lincoln wash dishes, and Katy looks lost as she glances down the hall.

“I…I don’t want to be alone.” Her gaze drifts to Lincoln, who seems to be her comfort person.

“Do you want to come sleep in my bed with me?” The guest bed is a twin and won’t accommodate more than one person, but I have a King-size bed with plenty of room. It’s strange to have all of these people in my house, and I’m waiting for my anxiety about needing my personal space to overtake me. It hasn’t yet.

“Um…” I feel her reluctance, and I think I know why.

“Would you like Lincoln to join us?” I see Lincoln’s back go stiff, and I know he’s shocked by my offer. I’m far out of my comfort zone, but I’m thinking about what Katy needs right now. Her comfort is more important than mine.

“Is that possible?” She’s so hopeful. I know she doesn’t know any of them or the dynamic we have.

“I wouldn’t offer it if I wasn’t fine, but it’s up to Lincoln as well.”

He pauses and finishes drying the dish in his hand before turning around. A look passes between Miller and Lincoln that I don’t understand before he accepts my offer.

“If that’s what will help make you comfortable, Katy, I’m alright with it.”

They finish the dishes, and everyone decides on their sleeping arrangements. Miller on the couch, Axel in the guest room and Katy and Lincoln with me. I’ve never had this many people in my house, let alone sleep here. And I’ve most definitely not slept in a bed with someone other than Gage in close to a decade.

Tonight should be interesting.

Everyone settles for the evening. Katy crawls into the middle of the bed, Lincoln gets in on the left with his own blanket, and all that needs to be done is for me to get in. I lift the blanket and slide in, relaxing on my back. I tell Gage to settle, and he lies on the floor beside me.

“Thank you.” Katy’s meek voice cuts through the silence.

“G’night, girls.”

“Night.”

I’m hot. Too hot. Why is Gage breathing in my ear? He usually sleeps at my feet. I try to move, but I’m pinned to the bed. Opening my eyes to see what my situation is, I realize it’s not Gage pinning me down, it’s Lincoln. I forgot I went to sleep with a bed full of people.

Where’s Katy?

I lift my head and look around the room. I don’t see Katy anywhere, but I hear low noises coming from the living room. Did she get up without me knowing?

Lincoln shifts next to me. His arm drapes over my stomach, and a leg slides over me. Is that… “Lincoln.” I shrug my shoulder to try and gently wake him. “Lincoln.” I say his name a little more forcefully and try to wiggle out from under him.

“No.” The grip on my waist tightens, and he pulls me closer.

“Lincoln, wake up.”

“Spencer?”

“Yes. You’re in my bed, you’re cuddling me, and your erection is digging into my thigh.” He wiggles his hips, still half asleep, and the sweatpants he’s wearing do nothing to stop his manhood from rubbing against me. His large manhood.

A throaty moan escapes him. His already deep voice is gravelly with sleep, and my nipples harden at the sound.

“Spencer.”

Now he’s moaning my name. What do I do? I’m stuck under this gorgeous man who’s dry-humping my leg and moaning my name. Why did my mind just wander to the spectacular kiss I had with his stepbrother?

What is wrong with me?

“Lincoln, please wake up.” I shake his shoulder, and he moans again. “Lincoln.” Another shake, and his arm tightens more. He’s making it hard to breathe, his grip is firm. “Lincoln.”

“Well, isn’t this cozy?” I freeze. My eyes drift to the door to see Miller’s baby blue staring at me. “He’s not usually a snuggly person.”

“What?” I’m taken aback by his statement. “What do you mean?”

“Oh. Um…” Miller runs a hand through his dark hair.

“He’s my boyfriend,” Lincoln’s baritone voice hums in my ear. Now he’s awake. And what did he say?

“Boyfriend? You two are together?”

“Mhmm. He’s mine.” That’s so sweet to hear him call Miller his.

“Miller, you might want to come get your boyfriend. He’s grinding himself on my leg, and while I can appreciate his attempt, I’m not a teenager anymore, and I much prefer the actual act of sex.”

“Spencer, is that an offer?” Lincoln’s hand squeezes my hip. He must be out of his mind.

“Lincoln!”

“It sounded like an offer to me.” Miller smirks from his position leaning on the door frame.

“Out. Both of you. Where’s Katy?”

“Making breakfast with Axel.” Lincoln kisses my cheek before rolling off the other side of the bed, and I feel the heat from his lips lingering longer than it should.

What is going on? The sexual tension in the room is high. I watch Lincoln adjust himself out of the corner of my eye, and the bulge I see is just as big as it felt.

Miller clears his throat. “You might not want to come out here like that and scare Katy.”

“Shit. What time is it? I have to get to the school. Is Katy going?”

Miller shakes his head. “You have time, but she’s asked not to go. Besides, she has no clothes.”

“I’ll take care of that with her.”

Today, we figure out Katy’s future.