Chapter 1
Callie
Idrift between sleep and awake, feeling warm and safe. I can’t remember the last time I slept so many consecutive hours, and I’m reluctant to leave my snuggly cocoon between Nolan and Donovan.
Nolan, still dressed in the black button up and jeans he wore to the party last night, is curled around my back, and we fit together like two nesting spoons. He breathes in slow and deep, his exhales warm against my neck. His arms are wrapped loosely around my waist, and his left arm is pinned beneath me. Donovan sleeps bare chested facing me, his right arm outstretched underneath my pillow, while his left hand rests on my hip below Nolan’s arms. My head is less on the pillow and more on Donovan’s shoulder, tucked underneath his chin. His muscles are firm beneath my cheek, and his body radiates obscene amounts of heat. We didn’t start out this way, but sometime during the night we must have gravitated toward each other. It’s sweet, as long as I don’t think too hard about how attractive my friends are.I will not blush!
The soft murmur of the television behind me is interrupted by the swoosh and click of the front door opening and closing, but it’s the heavenly aroma of coffee that gets me to crack my eyes. Awkwardly tilting my head, I see Connor walking into the kitchen dressed in jeans and an unbuttoned flannel shirt, his sculpted chest and abs on display. Blood burns its way up my cheeks thinking how he caught me looking at him last night.Damn it! Now, I’m blushing.
With the siren call of caffeine and possibly the need to dunk my head in ice water, I try to squirm my way out from between Nolan and Donovan. My plans are quickly foiled when both guys tighten their grips and snuggle in closer. Nolan bucks his hips, his morning wood now pressing against my ass.So not helping.It’s a good thing I don’t get claustrophobic, because I’m now pretty much enveloped between their bodies.
With a lot of squeaking and huffing, I manage to twist my arms free and hear coughed snickers emanating from the kitchen. Lifting my head, I see Connor and Kaleb with coffee cups in their hands and amused smirks across their faces.
“Little help here,” I stage whisper at them.
Connor’s smirk turns to a grin, his white teeth glowing against his warm copper skin. He puts his coffee down on the counter, then walks over to our sleeping bundle of humanity. Reaching from behind Nolan, he tucks his arms under my back and legs, gently extracting me. Donovan and Nolan semi wake and grumble nonsensically as they release me, before rolling over and going back to sleep.
Instead of putting me down immediately, Connor carries me bridal style toward the kitchen. My head rests against the aforementioned sculpted chest, and heat also pours off him like he’s a walking, occasionally talking, furnace.At least I’ll never be cold with these guys around.Thankfully, once we reach the kitchen, he deposits me onto the counter.
After caffeinating, I’m definitely dunking at least my head in cold water.
“Thanks,” I murmur, my blush reaching nuclear levels.
He nods and picks his coffee back up.
Kaleb, looking attractively rumpled in a wrinkled white T-shirt that molds to his muscular frame—the color appealing against his dark sepia skin-- dark wash jeans and bare feet, hands me a cup of coffee exactly the way I like it with just the right amounts of cream and sugar.
For a moment I blink into space, slowly sipping my coffee, and internally groaning over all of the warm fuzzies I feel waking up surrounded by my friends. It’s like my armor isn’t in place yet, so all my random feelings are fluttering everywhere.
I’m about to ask where Felix is when I notice the CSI episode on TV. It’s at the point of the episode where they’re trying to recreate the crime, and I can’t help commenting, “That arterial spray is way off. Yeah, there’s some spurting, but not like it’s shooting out of an air compressor.”
Kaleb frowns, then following my line of sight, he sets his coffee down and jumps into frenzied action. “I’m so sorry, Callie,” he apologizes, his voice a deep rumble. “I can’t believe we were so careless. I’ll turn it off.”
“Huh?” I look over at him, confused. “It’s fine. You can leave it on if you want.”
He freezes mid step and turns back to face me. “It doesn’t bother you?”
“Why would it bother--” I trail off when it clicks into place, then sigh. “I appreciate that you’re trying to be considerate about what I’ve been through, but please don’t start treating me like fragile glass.” I snort. “If anything, I’m the exact opposite, literally.”
Neither Connor nor Kaleb look amused. My heart aches, worried that my fears are being realized, and they’ll treat me differently now that they know.
Softly, I continue, “I can only imagine how scary last night was for you guys. My flashbacks have never been that severe before, or I would’ve been more vigilant about it.”
Kaleb looks at me with tender eyes, a promise of safety and understanding, and walks over to lean against the counter next to me. He rests his hand on my knee, and little tingles chase up my leg.Knock it off, hormones!
“Callie, yes, last night was upsetting,” he confirms with his sweet, gentle smile, “but that’s not why I was worried about the show. I want to avoid triggering you, because I don’t want you to have to go through that horror again-- not so I don’t have to witness it. Please, don’t ever feel like you have to protect us from yourself and what’s going on with you. We want to help.”
Connor nods in agreement, and my chest feels tight.Too early in the morning for heart to hearts.
I take a sip of my coffee before responding, “Okay, I’ll do my best to tell you what’s going on with me, but I need you to trust that I will tell you when something is or will bother me. Don’t handle me with kid gloves. Agreed?”
Connor squints like he’s not sure he wants to agree with the second half, but Kaleb squeezes my knee and replies, “I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise I won’t worry about you or try to help. It’s kind of my thing, but I’ll try not to suffocate you with it.”
I snicker, then release a mock sigh of the put upon. “Fine, but I reserve the right to tell you you’re worrying too much.”
“Deal,” Kaleb’s gentle smile turns back into a smirk, while he reaches for my free hand to shake.
Now, I’m wondering if I agreed to what I thought I did.
