Beau and I somehow end up on the carpet at the base of the couch. By now, we are both naked, limbs tangled, with bliss coursing through my veins. With my head resting on Beau’s chest, I counted the steady beat of his heart, as he gently carded his fingers through my hair near my scalp. Moments l
That night Steven, Mia, and I make our way to the planetarium. I push Mia in her stroller while Steven walks along beside us. He’s close to me. His arm occasionally brushes against mine as we walk. The planetarium is decorated in bright, colorful shapes and big block letters cut out of constructio
I must be some kind of masochist, wanting rejections from all four of the brothers, one after the next. When Mia’s eyes begin to droop, I look back to Steven. He’s holding his credit card up to the vending machine. He already has two waters and three candy bars in his arms. On his way back to us,
Even as I’m walking toward her, I’m surprised when Carrie doesn’t move away or attempt to disappear, like she has done so in the past. This confirms my earlier suspicion that she really just wants to talk to me. I come to stand beside her. Her gaze has flitted past me and now looks at her resting
Even back at the Pyramid, Mia’s restlessness continues. Her loud wailing and crying summons the other brothers as well as any alarm until Archer, Beau, Steven, and myself are sitting around her on the floor, while Neil watches safely from just beyond the doorway. I can tell from the desperate look
After leaving the living room, I return to my closet, where I am once more seriously packing. This time, I move all my packed boxes toward the door. I’ll leave my boxes here for the movers, I’ve decided. For right now, I’ll just throw some clothes into a duffle bag and camp out at the penthouse. T
Neil, in the end, helps convince me to at least sleep on my decision. He doesn’t want me to walk out the door before the last moment I absolutely have to per our contract. My body is still tingling pleasantly tingling from our lovemaking and warm and relaxed from our shower together. I don’t put
Wait. War? “You know why,” Beau says, snapping back at Archer with a similar tone. “We made her cry.” “She’ll cry again. Worse next time,” Archer says. “You need to harden yourself.” “Neil,” Beau starts. “He’s right, Beau,” Neil says, and I’m thrown for a loop all over again. Why are they go