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I look at Crew, who shrugs his shoulders. “Guess it’s whatever.”
I frown, debating if I should have forced a resolution or not. And if I do, am I doing it as a part of our family unit or as the boss mediating between my star player and team doctor? Damn, this is hard. Harder than dealing with eighty-seven steps in this house and Crew’s poor housekeeping.
Before I can figure out what to do, Michael returns to the top of the stairs. “Who put all my stuff away?” he demands.
“I had people come in and do it. I didn’t want you to come home to a mess.”
The new house is four stories. The game room in the basement with the living, kitchen and dining on the first floor. There are private spaces for me, Michael and Crew on the second floor, and Dani’s reading room and bathroom is on the third in addition to the main bedroom where we all sleep. Michael’s office, closet, and bathroom had been full of floor-to-ceiling boxes, so I had an organizer come in and unpack it all.
“I would have preferred to unpack my own stuff.” He rubs the back of his skull, his nostrils flaring. “Now I have to redo it all.”
He’s irritated, and that irritatesme. “I was trying to help! That’s what I do. I see a problem and I pay people to fix it. It’s my fucking love language.”
Michael just shakes his head and disappears again.
“What was that?” I ask Crew, gesturing to Michael.
He puts his noodles down and puts his fist to his chest. “I have no idea. Jesus, I have heartburn.”
The front door opens and thank God, Danielle is home. I go to her and pull her into a big hug, squeezing her hard against my chest. I breathe in the scent of her shampoo and remind myself relationships take work but she, and those two guys I share her with, are all worth it. But it means all of us giving and taking.
“Hi,” she says with a laugh, words muffled in my chest.
I kiss the side of her head and help her out of her denim jacket. “How was your day?”
“Great, actually.”
“Are you hungry? Tired?”
She sets her purse down on the bench by the door and removes her shoes. “I’m good right now. Glad to be home. Is Michael home yet?”
“Just got here,” I tell her.
Her smile is relieved but I can see tension around the edges. Things have been off for all of us. We need…each other. We need to all be here,together, all of us, to re-connect.
“I need you to do something for me,” I tell her.
“Like what?”
I’m already tugging her forward by her hand. “Just tell me you’ll do what I want, dirty girl.”
The ‘dirty girl’ immediately clues her in. “Oh.”
A glance back shows her cheeks are pink, her expression intrigued. She’s caught on to what this is generally, if not specifically. When I look at Crew, he’s eyeing me, a question clearly on his lips. I just give him my most reassuring smirk.
“Hi Crew,” Danielle murmurs from behind me as I lead her to the couch. “How are you feeling?”
“Fucking great, now that you’re home.” He sits up straighter, shoving the fleece blanket that’s been covering him off of his legs.
He’s caught on that I’m offering him amea culpa. I do owe him. Fucking Dani right next to him in bed was a dick move. I’m notsorryexactly, but I won’t mind making it up to him.
She leans over and gives him a kiss. His hand goes to the back of her head as he holds her mouth to his a little longer and she has to brace her hands on his chest. She gives a little sigh and opens her mouth for him.
“Missed you,” he tells her when he lets her go.
“Me too.” She runs her hand over his chest. “I’ve missed you in a lot of ways.”
“Tell me you’ll do whatever I want you to,” I order Danielle, moving in to hold her by the hips.
