Protecting Nova

by Belle Harper

  “Hey, Ezra,” Ryker called out as I saw someone walk past the door of the tent. The tall dark guy with the one blue eye popped his head in. Ezra, I liked him. He had become a great friend over the last few days. I hadn’t spoken much with the Japanese guy, Kento. I hadn’t really been around him at all. He spent most of his time in the Jeep, Nova explained about him, so I get it. He wasn’t comfortable around me yet. And I was pretty certain Noah didn’t like me at all. Colton and Ryker were nice to me. Well as nice as two guys can be after they held you down and chopped your arm off to save your life.

  “Can you take princess to the Jeep? She is refusing to get up.” Nova turned and smacked Ryker’s shoulder playfully. Ezra chuckled.

  Her eyes caught mine and she smiled lazily. As if she’d just woken up from the best dream. I wished I felt like that. I feel like hell.

  “Adam, how are you feeling?” She reached out to my head and pulled my beanie lower on one side. She smiled but this time it looked sad. Hell. I want you to smile at me. To hug me. Kiss me.

  “I’m fine,” is all I gave her as I got up and pushed past Ezra, pain shooting up into my shoulder and radiated through my chest. I gasped but I ignored it as best I could. I quickly walked over to a tree to relieve myself. Then I started to help pack up camp. Well if picking up a couple of things before being told to stop and get into the Jeep was classed as helping.

  The Jeep was packed tightly. Colton drove and Nova was in the front on Noah’s lap. He was tall so sitting up front made sense. Ezra got the uncomfortable place in between them, perched awkwardly on the middle console. Which wasn’t exactly a seat. That put me next to Ryker, who was in the middle seat next to Kento. The guy looked better than when I first got here. He seemed to like Ryker and chatted with him here and there.

  “I’m hoping the next place has a lot of water. I could really go for a bath about now,” Noah stated. Colton grunted in reply. I agreed. I could use a bath, but how did we do this without anyone seeing Nova?

  “St. Mary’s has to be up here somewhere. The doctor said it was like a week’s walk didn’t he?” Ryker questioned Colton, who confirmed.

  The rain started and it didn’t stop, but at least it was just regular rain. The Jeep was already slow to start with, but now the sky had turned a dark shade of gray, it was even slower. The batteries in the Jeep didn’t last long.

  “Is that lights?” I heard Noah ask. I looked to Ryker, who had sat up straighter as he tried to look around Ezra’s big body in front of him. Even Kento sat up and looked. I just ignored it. Nova hadn’t even said anything to me at all since we had been in the Jeep. Was she upset with me?

  “Yes, hell yes.” Colton almost jumped out of his seat. “Everyone get ready.” And Nova jumped quickly from the front and onto Ryker. She looked at me before she placed herself under Kento’s feet on the floor and curled her arms and head on his lap, he dropped one of his blankets down to cover her. I guess that answered my last question.

  Okay, so St. Mary’s was great. They had a bath house and we went two at a time, Ezra was my partner and he help me undress and help with my arm, I was a bit uncomfortable at first but then I got over it. I guess from now on I will probably need some help here and there. Nova didn’t get to have a bath, I felt bad that she couldn’t. I wished there was some way for us to sneak her in but there was just too many men around. I was so grateful that Ryker’s Jeep was full of items to trade. That guy seemed to have an endless supply of things.

  “Apex Falls is not far from here. There are some empty towns in between here and there, so we will find a house along the way to stay in for the night. We are not staying here,” Colton stated.

  I noticed he was the leader of the group; even Ryker, who was much older, took orders from him. I guessed being young and the new guy I didn’t have a say in anything. So I agreed.

  We drove on for around an hour. The Jeep was almost at just a crawl, even though the rain had stopped and a small slither of sun came through the clouds. But no one said anything about how slow we traveled. Even Nova was quiet in the front. Finally a small run-down town came up ahead. The sun started to set but the rain was back, just lighter in the way it sprinkled down. A rainbow had formed just up ahead. But no one said anything. It was stunning.

  I could see what used to be a fast food place as we turned down a side street littered with cars and debris. We didn’t see anyone around, so Ryker and Noah jumped out to find a place for the night while the rest of us waited.

  “There is one here with real beds. And mattresses,” Noah said when he got back. He led us to the house and Colton parked as close as he could. We all piled out of the Jeep. Nova was happy to be out as she stretched herself. Her top rose up and I could see her bare belly. Her skin was so beautiful. I had never seen her belly before. It did things to me. I quickly looked away before I embarrassed myself.

  Everyone headed inside as Ryker and Noah started to unpack some food from the back of the Jeep.

  “Are you coming?” Nova called out. I looked up to realize she was talking to me. I nodded as she reached for my hand and pulled me into the house. It smelled, not bad but just dusty. Noah appeared beside me and handed Nova a flashlight as it had turned almost dark outside, and it wasn’t any better in this house.

  “I wonder if the toilets work?” she asked with a laugh as took me up a set of stairs, where I could hear the others.

  “The toilet is just through there. It’s just a bit gross, sweetheart.” Colton pointed to the end of the hall.

  “As for sleeping…due to where we are, being so close to St. Mary’s still, we will have two on watch. We will organize that soon. I think it’s time we have a family meeting. So once you’re done up here, come down to the kitchen area, and we are all going to have a talk.” Colton walked down the stairs, leaving Nova with her hand still in mine.

  “Do you mind?” she asked as she let go of my hand to pass the flashlight to me. I shook my head, and she walked to the end of the hall to where Colton had pointed out the toilet.

  “Are you coming?” My feet followed, she stood outside of the door. “Just shine enough in here so I don’t touch anything gross.” And I did just that as I looked away. I couldn’t believe she actually did that right in front of me.

  “Thank you.” She grabbed the flashlight and took my hand in hers again before she led me around to look in the few rooms up there.

  “Look at the bed. It looks amazing. I’m so excited to sleep on something soft tonight.”

  Well that would be easy every night if she wasn’t always sleeping on one of the guys. Hell. I needed to stop the jealousy. I knew she was with them. I knew what the deal was with her, that those guys came with her now. I needed to accept it. I would accept it. For Nova.

  12

  Colton

  Once everyone had gathered in the small kitchen, Nova, Kento and Adam sat on the few chairs that were still intact, Ezra perched himself on the bench top and Noah lent against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked at me with a worried expression, so I shot him a wink. The dimples in his cheeks came out with his shy smile. Fuck, he was so good looking and he didn’t even know it, that’s one of the things I loved about him.

  Ryker pulled out larger solar flashlight, which he got back in St. Mary’s. At first I thought it was stupid to trade for it since we already had two flashlights. But now that he turned it on, it really was useful. It lit up the whole room. I could see everyone faces clearly.

  “Now, give me a minute with Nova. I just have to discuss a few things with her before we proceed.” She looked around at everyone as she stood up. She looked around at them again but now as if she was in trouble. Oh, the kind of trouble she could be in… Her period was finished and everyone was feeling better, well as best as we had in a while. So that was why I drove us out here instead of staying back in St. Mary’s. For one, I didn’t trust being around any cities after what happened back in Fort Esko. And secondly, I didn’t want to worry about her when s
he screamed my name later.

  I turned the flashlight on and walked up the stairs as she trailed behind me. When we got to the first room with a double bed, I took a seat on the edge and gestured for her to sit beside me.

  The bed dipped a little with her weight. Not as much as mine did. But it was great she looked so much better than when we found her like all those weeks ago. Weeks? Or months? I have no idea how long it really had been. It felt like she had always been with us.

  “Hey, so I wanted to talk to you about all the guys.” She scrunched up her nose at me and I laughed.

  “What’s funny?” She asked.

  I shook my head and placed my index finger on her nose. “Just you making faces is all. I’m serious, though. We need to have this discussion, and I need to know where all the guys stand with you before I can have the family meeting.”

  She smiled at the word family. I knew she would. That was what I had told her from the beginning, that we were a family, which had grown over twice the size since we met Nova.

  She nodded for me to continue.

  “The guy I spoke to back in Fort Collins. Kade. He told us how all the females in Eden have men in their families. Like what you, me, Noah, and Ezra are. How we are a family. But they have bigger families. Like five to ten people on average. But he did tell us that they are pretty strict too. That they only allow the boyfriends of the female, and her brothers or father. Not friends. So I need to know who sits where? Before we get there, because we are so close, Nova... I can taste Eden we are that close.”

  She nodded and looked at her hands. I knew Ryker was at least in... I was not sure about Kento, but I knew she wouldn’t want to leave him behind either way. Or if she wanted Adam still. She had been a little strange toward him today or maybe I was just reading into things.

  “You’re all my family.” She said, her hands trembled slightly.

  I nodded and held her hands. She started shaking. So I drew her in for a hug.

  “I know we are, sweetheart. But you need to tell me who is only a friend. They will have to stay in Apex Falls. We can visit them, but they can’t come with us to Eden. This is what I have been told. Kade is a brother of one of the females, but he chose to live elsewhere.”

  With tears in her eyes, she said, “I’m sorry, if you want me to choose you, Noah, and Ezra. But I can’t leave Ryker, Kento and Adam. You are all my family. I love you all in different ways…but not as friends. I cant choose, please don’t ask me to.”

  And that was the answer I needed to know.

  “I don’t want you to choose. We would never make you to choose between us ever.” I kissed her, and her tongue brushed over my lips. As much as I wanted to open to her and take this kiss deeper, I knew the guys waited downstairs for us.

  I pulled back. “Later, sweetheart. I promise we are going to have fun later.” I winked at her. She let out a small laugh as she took my hand.

  Downstairs became quiet as we entered. Nova stood next to me, her hand still in mine tightened.

  “I choose you all as my family. Colton said only boyfriends can come with me to Eden. And I want you all, as mine. As boyfriends. I understand if you don’t want me that way and want to stay in Apex Falls. But I choose you.” And she took her seat again. The guys all looked really surprised at what she’d said.

  Noah answered her instantly. “Nova. I love you. I choose you.”

  Ezra followed by Ryker told her that they chose her, that they loved her. Adam stood up.

  “Nova I have loved you for a long time, I will always love you. I will always choose you.” She got up and went to him. She hugged him for a few moments before breaking away. She had a few tears.

  Kento was last, and the one I was unsure about. He looked cautiously around at all of us. I let him know there was no right or wrong answer. He nodded and stood like Adam had. His hands tucked under his armpits, his eyes were on the floor as he took a deep breath.

  “I…I have never felt this type of feeling before. Nova you… all of you make me feel so safe, wanted. I always thought I was going to die at the hands of the Raiders. But…you came. Nova, you have given me a life I never knew I could have. I choose you, all of you as my family. I have come to care deeply for you Nova, more than I ever thought I could feel about someone. One day… one day I will be able to tell you…show you, how I feel. I just need…time.”

  Everyone was silent when Kento finished. I didn’t have words. Holy shit. Nova had tears streaming down her face, she couldn’t stop them now as she stood up and reached her hand out to Kento. He took a hesitant step towards her as he gently placed his hand him hers. Everyone just watched in silence as they slowly embraced each other. We let them have this moment, nobody moved for a long time. When they finally separated and I saw their smiles, I decided it was time to get this meeting going.

  “Okay, so I have called this meeting for our family, as that’s what we all are. A family. I want us to all work together as a unit at all times. Trust is the most important thing in a family. Without trust, the family will break down.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

  Then Nova came and stood next to me.

  “You all choose me, you choose each other. We are a family. But we have to understand even though we are all equals here, Colton is the head of this family... the leader. It’s nothing against anyone. It has been like this before I even joined their family. And it’s not going to change.” Everyone murmured in agreement. I smiled over at Nova as she sat down again. She was seriously the most remarkable woman I had ever met.

  “Thank you, Nova. For your trust in me. I also want to add that you are also the head of the family... Okay, so here is the deal. From now on until we get to Eden, we are going to do double-watch shifts. There is more of us now so that will make it easier. Swapping every three hours. Okay?”

  Everyone nodded and I ran down the list of chores and things that needed to be done on a daily basis, which we already did, but this way we didn’t leave anything behind and everyone knew what needed to be done. It would help us pack up more efficiently.

  “I want to be on watch,” Nova complained when I gave everyone their shifts. I shook my head. And she put her foot down. Literally. She stomped it.

  “I will have equal jobs. Everything is fair in this family.” She wouldn’t take no for an answer. In the end I told her she could have watch with me. That made her smile.

  “Now the one thing we do need to talk about, which we semi-discussed a few days back, is time with Nova. Now before you get your panties in a knot, Miss Nova, stop looking at me like that…” Her mouth was agape and her eyes bugged out of her face. I wanted to laugh but I held my composure.

  “As I was saying, we semi-discussed it the other day, and we don’t want to put a time or day on anything. Everything will be equal and fair. As long as everyone is feeling it’s equal. If there is an issue come and speak to me.”

  Kento put his hand up, which surprised me.

  “Is this… Do you mean for…private time?” He practically whispered the last part. Wow he was asking about sex, well I hope he was. I had to think for a moment before I replied. Because I guessed for Kento, it was different. I enjoyed Nova with Noah and Ezra. We had shared her. It was how we have been since the start. I guess Ryker and Adam might not feel the same about sharing sex with her.

  “No and yes. I meant more like sitting next to her in the car, sleeping next to her. But I never really thought of ah…private time, I guess that’s because the four of us”—I gestured to Nova, Ez, and Noah—“we always had private time as a group or at least with three of us there. But yeah, I guess private time is a good idea, and I’m sure that’s something you can talk about with Nova. You don’t have to ask me for that.”

  He nodded and so did Adam. Ryker just gave me a sly smile. I was sure he remembered that incredible sex session we had right after we met him. The one he only got to hear and not see.

  “Okay that’s enough for tonight. Let’s cook some beans and eat up. W
e have a long day ahead and I cannot wait to get to Eden. So close. We are so fucking close.”

  I picked Nova up and swung her around the room. She let out a string of giggles as I peppered kisses on her face. She tried to get out of my hold. Noah laughed and took her waist as I let go and twirled her around the kitchen. Everyone was smiling and laughing.

  This was family.

  This was home.

  13

  Nova

  I was so glad Colt told everyone we were having a family meeting. When everything was laid out bare, I was nervous, but I wanted them to all know I choose them as mine. That I had come to love them, and have feeling for them all. If anyone said they didn’t want to be part of my family, I would have been heartbroken, but I would have understood. It was much different to any other relationship I had ever seen or heard of…but we were different. And that’s never a bad thing.

  I turned to Ezra. “Are we going to bed together?” He laughed and picked me up.

  “I take that as a yes.” I laughed as he shouted to everyone that we were off to bed. It was dark when we entered the bedroom with the largest bed. I could hear Noah sulking downstairs that he was on first watch. I couldn’t help but laugh. I would have to make it up to him later.

  I finally finished my period and I felt so horny. I needed my guys. My men. To help me with my needs right now, or I was going to have to start helping myself. But it was always more fun to play with others.

  Colton appeared at the doorway with a flashlight. His hair fell loose across his face and he brushed it lazily behind his ear.