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“Just look away.” Penny supplied.
Maybelle continued to gawk, “Easier said than done.”
Larson sauntered up to where Penny and Maybelle stood in the far corner of their shared apartment.
“Couldn’t help but notice you two ladies staring, what’s caught your atten— oh Maybelle, you naughty girl.”
Larson immediately followed Maybelle’s hypnotized stare to the sweaty, shirtless, tanned, pack of abs, of Trey Turner as he moved one box after the other into the small apartment living room.
A couple more moments of watching rippling, glistening muscle passed before Maybelle finally registered Larson’s comment.
She turned, smiling, to see that even Mr. Larson was now staring, “You’re one to talk Chad, and I heard youpractically begging Bear to take his shirt off earlier.” Maybelle quipped.
Larson wasn’t fazed, he raised and dropped his shoulders, “I can appreciate my boys looking like absolute chiseled gods without it being weird, May. You can’t though, and you’re ogling is teetering on the point of scandalous.”
Maybelle snickered but Larson was not finished, “Besides, I harass Bear because it's fun and makes him uncomfortable. See how he is the only man here who has managed to leave his shirt on in this sweltering heat? Poor boy is shy, and his scowl is so funny under all that fur.”
As if on cue, Bear faced them, his bushy brows and beard slightly downturned in what Maybelle guessed was a frown.
Trey, Noah, Chad, and Bear had all come over that morning to help Maybelle move all her things into her new apartment room she now shared with Penny. It was mid-September and should have been an okay day with weather in the high seventies, but a heat wave hit, and they were moving box after box in the ninety-degree heat.
Bear’s shirt had remained intact, but Larson was the first to lose his top, showing off light skin molded into a canvas of lean muscled perfection. Williams was next and was absolutely breathtaking. His Brown skin was taut and ridged in immaculate strength.
But as pretty as the other half-naked men were, Maybelle could not tear her eyes away from Trey. Maybelle was lost in her wonderland of muscle daydream when—
“May, sweetheart, you better pick your tongue up off the floor. Wouldn’t want anyone to step on it.” Maybelle’s mouth snapped shut as she watched Trey’s crooked smile show off a dimple.
“Oh, did you think I was looking at you? I wasactually admiring Williams.” Maybelle snarked tipping her nose up.
“Do not bring me into your bullshit, Mason.” Williams huffed over a stack of boxes in his arms.
Trey turned his smile on Williams, “Dude, I don’t blame her for staring. You’re looking fine as hell.”
Noah dropped the boxes off just inside Maybelle and Penny’s room as he swiped the sweat off his brow and then smooched the air in Trey’s direction partnered with a wink.
“You boys are too funny.” Penny gushed as she made to unload a box in the kitchen of dishes and utensils.
Maybelle felt a little useless seeing as she wasn’t exactly strong enough to carry much of anything yet and decided to put herself to work on unloading the boxes of clothing into her closet.
Williams followed into the bedroom shortly after with a box labeled,School Supplies.
“How does it feel to officially be at college, little Mason?” Williams asked, setting the box on her dorm bed, and opening it with a box cutter.
“Surreal.” She sighed whimsically.
Williams was taking out a sunset themed, paper calendar and a pink polka dot pencil holder Chelsea bought because they were “just too cute not to buy” as he said, “It’s fun to have you here, not to sound too sappy but having you here with us—like— heals a part of my soul.”
His mouth clicked shut while Maybelle slowly turned to look at the shirtless mountain of a football player who was now unloading her container of color pens from the moving box, his lips tight like he too couldn’t believe he had said something so corny.
“Huh?” She couldn’t control the amount of flabbers gasted in that one grunted question.
Williams rolled his eyes, “I’m not Bear, talking about feelings isn’t my strong suit. I was just trying— I don’t know what I was trying to say.”
Refusing to let Williams quit Maybelle approached him, “No, don’t give up now! It was just getting good!”
Williams heaved a deep long annoyed breath, apparently pained to keep trying to explain himself, “Liam was my hero. He was there for me when I had no one, even though I was younger. I knew I would follow him after high school into college. It was supposed to be us three here. Trey, Liam, and me. Now that you’re here it just feels… right, I guess, complete.”
Williams covered his face with one of his big hands and Maybelle, selfishly, had never been more thankful that she couldn’t remember what they all lost. She had wanted to remember those first few weeks since waking up if only to know, or to feel like she too belonged somewhere, to someone. But now she did have people, she was loved, she belonged, and she wasn’t alone. Not knowing the pain Penny, Williams, Chelsea and even Trey felt at the loss of the people that should have meant the most toher, she couldn’t help but feel relief that she didn’t have to know what that loss felt like.
