The bed dips as Trenton settles on my other side. I'm bracketed between them, safe and warm and whole. My hands find theirs in the darkness.
"I had this recurring dream," I confess quietly. "That you'd come back and I wouldn't recognize you. That the distance would have changed us somehow."
Trenton's fingers tighten around mine. "Never."
"I used to watch those home renovation shows," Matthew says, "the ones where the couple sees their finished house for the first time. I'd think about you walking through our door, seeing everything we planned together."
I turn to look at him, the moonlight catching the silver in his eyes. "It was better than I imagined."
Trenton shifts, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at me. His free hand brushes a strand of hair from my face. "This is it, Morgan. No more goodbyes."
I believe him. I've always believed them.
They fall asleep eventually, exhausted from travel and emotion and the physical reclamation of each other. Matthew's arm curls around my waist, his breathing deep and even against my neck. Trenton lies on his back, one hand resting on my hip, as if even in sleep he needs to maintain contact.
I stay awake longer, watching them. Memorizing this moment. The small twitch of Matthew's fingers against the blanket. The way his brow furrows slightly in sleep. The absolute peace on Trenton's face when he isn't holding himself so carefully controlled.
This is what I've waited for. What I've built my entire adult life around. The three of us, together, in the home we created.
I finally let myself drift off, secure in their arms, knowing that when I wake up, they'll still be here.
chapter four
Morgan
The alarm goes off too early, as always.
I wake to the weight of them on either side of me, the warm reality of their bodies anchoring me to our bed. Our bed. The thought still sends a flutter of disbelief through my chest.
"Sleep okay?" Matthew asks, his voice rough with sleep. His hand traces lazy circles on my bare stomach beneath the sheet.
"Better than I have in years." I turn to face him, drinking in the sight of him rumpled and unguarded.
We move around each other in the kitchen as if we've been doing it for years, not just dreaming about it. Every movement is easy, familiar, bliss I've only dreamed about. Matthew makes coffee while I slice fruit. Trenton stands at the stove, flipping pancakes with military precision.
Thirty minutes later, we're in Trenton's truck, heading toward the Devil Souls' MC clubhouse. We couldn't wait any longer to tell their family. I'm wedged between them in the front seat, their shoulders pressing against mine on either side. The familiar leather scent of the truck, mixed with their cologne, is the scent of every memory we ever made here.
"You think they'll be pissed we didn't call first?" I ask, suddenly nervous.
Matthew laughs. "They'll be too shocked to be mad."
The clubhouse comes into view, a converted warehouse with the MC's logo painted prominently on the side. A nervous energy buzzes just under my skin. These men have been like family to me for years, watching over me when Trenton and Matthew were deployed.
"We haven't told anyone," Trenton says as he parks. "Not even our parents."
I squeeze his hand. "They're going to be so happy."
We walk in together, the three of us shoulder to shoulder. The main room is exactly as I remember: pool tables, bar, worn leather couches. But it's the wall behind the bar that catches my eye, a row of shadow boxes, each containing a cut for the members that are away.
Trenton's and Matthew's patches hang there, preserved and waiting.
Butch spots us first. The big man freezes mid-pool shot, cue stick hovering over the table. "Holy fucking shit."
The room goes quiet. Liam turns from the bar, his drink halfway to his mouth. Kyle's deep voice cuts off mid-sentence as he spots us from across the room.
Techy vaults over the pool table. Kyle nearly knocks over his chair. Liam's drink sloshes over the bar as he abandons it. In seconds, we're surrounded by a wall of leather and disbelief.
I stand back, a lump forming in my throat as I watch the Devil Souls welcome their brothers home. These men have been my rock for so long, my protectors, my family, my connection to the two men I love during their long deployments.
