Page 37 of The Story of You

“I can’t believe this house doesn’t have air conditioning. I’m getting it installed immediately.”

Screw sleep. I roll over and wrap my sticky body around his. “Now go to sleep.”

Asher’s been quiet. He’s always quiet around me unless he’s causing trouble. I consider saying something, but it’s probably better left alone. Sleep is fleeting for me after that as I toss around ideas as to how I’m gonna pull us together. Asher doesn’t seem to like me much, but either way, we need to form a family unit.

The non-sleepy Darius is suddenly out cold as I lie awake, filling with anxiety. My hands shake with little tremors. A long-fingered hand reaches over to rest on top of one of my stuttering ones.Asher.I take a breath and when I exhale, he’s squeezing.

I squeeze back and close my eyes.

* * *

Wyatt ~ May 21st, 2009 (Morning)

The sun shines into this kitchen just right. Simon sits in the direct sunlight, drinking his coffee, flipping the pages of his textbook, and then settling in to read the small words. Shane stares at Asher and Darry like he wants to knock their heads together.

Darius is wearing one of my large navy-blue t-shirts and an equally large pair of my grey sweats. It’s a small thing, but all I need to put my stamp on him. Then he can run around where he wants with who he wants, kiss and fuck who he wants, and it doesn’t bother me.

I know it isn't logical to expect him in my clothes all the time, not when he likes to dress so fancy in his Tom Ford, but it calms me like nothing else. It’s become the mark of safety. I might have become a tad paranoid since his near-death adventure.

It’s time to break up their bickering before Shane does something about them. “You’re coming with me today, Darius. Asher, you still interested in helping with the greenhouse?”

Oliver wanted to help too, and I know he’s got some days off. It’ll pull him away from that book. I don’t know when I started watching him so closely, but I have, and I know he hasn’t been pacing himself like he promised. Someone needs to spank him. If that doesn’t happen soon, I will, and damn the consequences.

My calculations say there won’t be any for me. Silas will be relieved he didn’t have to do it and Julius will be ashamed that he’s been too busy with whatever the fuck is going on to look after his beloved.

And my hands might stop quaking.

What can I say? This family’s pulled me in. I care about them all. Even Silas who I was hesitant about at first. He’s harder to get close to and I’m not trying. But if he needs me to help him protect the family, he knows where to find me.

“How come I’m not asked? Just told,” Darius says.

“You know why,” I tell him, refusing to engage. “Asher?”

He stretches his lean body and yawns. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”

Darius leans against me, settling into the energy my orders leave in the room. “I’m not working, Daddy. Only watching you work with your shirt off.”

Pulling his head to my shoulder, I kiss the top. “So long as you’re within my sights, darlin’, I don’t care what you do.”

Don’t know how I know, but Asher’s feeling left out. It’s because there’s nothing official between us. He still feels on the outside of our budding threesome even with our nighttime routine.

All of that needs fixing.

“Simon? You comin’ to help with the greenhouse?” I ask.

“I’m supposed to,” he says, exchanging a look with Shane. “But there’s a possible wedding venue that came up. Next time?”

I nod. “Not to worry, there will be a lot of next time.”

After lunch, I drive us over to Randall Central in my truck. Both guys ride up front with Darius in the middle. They fight over the music. “Between the two of you,” Darius says, disgusted. “You’d think I have a fetish for men who like country music, but I fucking don’t.”

“Don’t yah?” Asher says, slinging an arm around him before pressing the button that’ll take it back to the country station.

Darius leans forward and changes it back to the one he had it on. “I’m listening to Nirvana. The next one of you to change this loses a finger.”

“I’m not involved unless you two keep it up and then I’m pulling over to tan two hides.”

That’s a test. Asher and I don’t have anything like that between us—yet. I have a feeling though.