Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
“Will you stay?” I asked. He smiled and nodded. The other two were already drowsing. I slept so easily surrounded by these men who were quickly becoming my home.
19
NOAH
Leo was unloading the new oven at her shop, which was closed for the rest of the week. Ethan had a meeting. It was left to me to let her sleep and then rouse her around eight-thirty after our late night to see if she wanted breakfast before we went to the police station.
“Good morning,” I said softly. “I can make you some French toast if you want. We have about an hour and a half before we’re due at the precinct to apply for an order off protection.”
She nodded and stretched, climbing out of bed. A few minutes later she came out of the bathroom, hair freshly brushed and pulled back, a robe tied at the waist.
We sat together at the table as she ate the oatmeal she opted for instead. I brought her coffee and drank a cup myself.
“This may just make me more anxious,” she mused, sipping it.
“I know, but it’s something to do. I’ve been jumping out of my skin since dawn,” I confessed.
“No reason to. None of this is your fault. The authorities will see that and grant you the order. Now every time that we think we even glimpse her, we’ll call the police. That will establish a pattern and she’ll get hassled by the cops. Ideally, she’ll get sick of it and back off.”
“And if not?”
“She’ll be arrested,” I said grimly.
“Don’t tell me you still feel guilty for this,” she said, “You’re letting the police do their job. She shouldn’t be allowed to terrorize you and anyone who speaks to you.”
“You more than spoke to me last night,” I said archly. I kissed her cheek. “You changed everything.”
“So did you. This is nothing like I’ve ever experienced, Noah. It’s so new and so beautiful. Please promise you’ll tell me if I make a mistake or if I hurt anyone’s feelings. I can’t stand to mess this up.”
“We’re not experts. We’ll figure it out as we go along. This isn’t a thing we do like going to the driving range, Madison. We all have feelings for you. This is new and we’ll make it work however we need to. What matters to me, to all three of us, is you. That you feel safe and cared for and connected.”
“It’s so much more than that. I do feel those things, but I went from being alone apart from my work to having all three of you here for me, listening to me, having fun with me, making me feel so important to you.”
“That’s barely even what you deserve, beautiful,” I said sincerely. “Being with you last night was one of the most profound things that’s happened in my life. No regrets. I loved holding you, touching you, getting to explore your body and learn what makes you tick, what makes you melt in my arms.”
I think it’s a wonder I can stand up and walk today—I felt like you all just gave me so much attention and pleasure and… melted my whole heart.” She said, blushing, “I feel like I ought to be hiding my face in shame or something, but I feel like everything just glows now. Like I’m not alone anymore and you know me, all three of you, as deeply as it’s possible to be known.”
I kissed the top of her head as I went to refill her coffee cup. When I set the cup down, she caught my wrist.
“Hey,” she said softly, “are you okay? I know you didn’t want to involve the police. But you deserve to be safe and not have to change your routine constantly out of fear that she’s going to show up and harass you.”
“And the people I care about,” I said, suddenly tired. I sat down and reached for her, pulled her into my arms. We held each other for a few minutes, until I felt the tightness leave my chest. She kissed my cheek and my neck, stroking my hair.
“We should get ready,” she said and tore herself away.
Half an hour later, we were sitting in plastic chairs with clipboards and cheap ink pens, filling out stacks of paperwork. An order of protection was a lot less about confessing your detailed and embarrassing situation to a gruff but sympathetic cop and more about filling out the right forms thoroughly. Madison finished first because she had only the text messages to report. She waited for me, reading on her phone while I described incidents from months ago leading up to the most recent. I rubbed my forehead, tired of thinking about all of it. The officer at the desk looked over our forms, nodded and said they’d be in touch if there were any questions.