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We shared a smile, holding the woman we both loved, as all three of us drifted off to asleep.
***
I wasn't sure what initially woke me up. Maybe it was the throbbing headache or the light streaming in the windows, nearly blinding me and making the pain in my head even worse, since it felt like my eyeballs were melting out of my head. I found myself curled up with a still naked Hadley, her head resting on my chest. Evan was pressed up against her from behind, his privates hidden from view thankfully. I smiled at the scene before me though. It was weird to wake up like that, sure, but something just felt right about it. As weird as that sounded. Hadley looked peaceful and content, and to me, that was all that mattered.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She stared at me, then Evan, and a perplexed look crossed her face. For a second, I was worried that she'd been too drunk to remember what happened. I didn't want that, I wanted her to be happy about it. Not regret it.
“What's that sound?” she whispered.
I listened. There was a noise I couldn't make out. A light tapping. Evan sat up and looked as confused as we did.
“I have no fucking clue,” I said.
The tapping happened again, this time a little bit louder. Then, as if everything started to move in slow motion, I saw the bedroom door opening. We scrambled for the blankets, throwing them over us and covering up just before Grayson's face peeked in from the other side.
“Mommy?” he said, his voice soft.
My stomach dropped. Hadley's face paled and she stumbled on her words.
“Yes, baby?”
“I'm hungry,” Grayson said.
“Alright, Grayson. Mommy will be in to get you ready for breakfast,” she said, her voice tinged with panic. “Just give me a second, okay?”
Grayson nodded. He didn't even look at me or Evan, and I tried not to move. “Just go back to your room, please, baby?”
Grayson nodded again as he stepped out of the room, leaving the door cracked open behind him. Hadley fell against the bed with a groan, burying her face in her hands.
“God, I have no idea how I'm going to explain this to him,” she said, her voice muffled behind her hands. “Or my mother, for that matter.”
“Maybe he won't say anything?”
Hadley dropped her hands and looked at me. “Are you serious? He's four, he's not stupid,” she said.
She groaned and covered her face again, letting out a stifled, muffled scream.
“I'll take that as our cue to leave,” I said, climbing out of the bed.
I hurried and shut the door, then Evan and I got dressed while Hadley remained hidden behind her hands.
I walked over to the side of the bed, knelt down and kissed her. She kissed me back, but with less enthusiasm than she had just last night.
Evan followed suit, kissing her on the lips. Hadley gave him a soft smile and stroked his cheek. “Thank you, both,” she said. “But I really need you to leave, now, before my mom happens to stumble in here as well.”
“Should we sneak out the window, m'lady?” I teased.
She groaned again. “Fuck, I didn't even think about that. Just – try not to be seen, okay?” she asked. “She may be in the kitchen, so you should be able to sneak out the front if you're careful. And quiet.”
“We'll do our best. If we run into her, I'll have to come up with one hell of a story,” I said.
She side-eyed me and Evan punched me playfully. “Don't worry, I'll make sure he behaves himself.”
“Please do, Evan,” she said. “I really don't need a lecture from my mom.”
We hustled out of the bedroom, looking both ways as we stepped into the hall. The coast was clear, so we quietly walked down the stairs, listening for any sign that Mrs. Rose was up and about. There was nothing but silence on the first floor, so I dared to hope she might still be asleep. We hurried down even faster, stepping off the bottom step and rushed toward the front door.
Just when I thought we'd made it and were in the clear, a voice piped up from the top of the stairs, stopping us in our tracks. My heart pounded, and my blood ran cold – I suddenly felt like a teenager getting caught sneaking out my parents all over again.
