Jawbreaker (Four Point Universe Book 14)

by Max Ellendale

  "I always burn when I'm with you." She hugged me around the neck, and I set the book aside to hold her. "But honey, I'm not wearing any pants."

  I laughed and kissed her neck. "Can I take you home with me tonight?" I asked while nibbling her shoulder.

  "You can take me anywhere you want." She stroked my back and the weight of her pressed into me. "I need a few things from my apartment, though, like my laptop and some clothes."

  "Okay. We can head there first." I kissed her chin when she leaned back. "I'm sorry I burst in here so upset. I didn't even ask how you were or how your day was."

  "You don't ever have to apologize for experiencing an emotion and sharing it, Vey. It's going to happen for both of us." She stroked my ponytail, then gazed down at it in her palms. "My day was good."

  "You look a little tired. Was it busy?" I ran my fingers through her hair again and she tilted her head while watching me.

  "Not too busy. I didn't sleep too well last night. How were your classes?"

  "Easy peasy." I winked at her. "Easiest part of my life, to be honest. I do my job, grade papers, answer emails and done."

  "The routine of that is nice sometimes."

  "It is. How come you didn't sleep well? Was it noisy?"

  "A little bit." She toyed with the zipper of my jacket. "But nothing major."

  "You sure?" I watched her, though a niggling sensation ran up my spine. Something bothered her, but she wasn't forthcoming at the moment.

  She nodded. "But I'm happy to go home with you tonight."

  "You can come home with me every night. Especially since I can zoom you through the sky. Actually, leave your car here and we'll take the path rarely traveled to your place then mine."

  "Are you sure? You've had an emotional day…"

  "My energy is bubbling pretty high right now." I pocketed the information core once it finished downloading and waited for her to upload it to her cloud drive. "All done?"

  "All done." She scurried over to grab her purse and jacket, then slipped her heels into her bag. "Better idea than holding them."

  "Much. Better tuck this in there too." I held out the book to her then hopped from the desk and held my arms out to her. "Come on, honey."

  She shrugged into her coat, slung her bag across her body, then moved into my arms. Her hands gathered at my chest, and I kissed her cheek.

  "Talk about it later?" I whispered while rubbing her back.

  She nodded faintly then wrapped her arms around my middle to grip my belt.

  My worry for her trickled deeper, but I trusted that she would make good on her promise. With her securely tucked against my chest, I leaned toward the open window, then bolted into the night. My mask melted over my face immediately, as if it knew the exact time and place.

  A smile met her lips right away, and I chuckled when I felt her body burn hotter against me. Her energy pulsed with mine and it radiated from her. Exhilaration caught her at every flight, and I loved the impact it had on her.

  It took us just a few minutes to make it to her balcony and unfold into our routine. I phased through her door, unlocked it, and she hurried in to reset the alarm. Books and papers covered her kitchen table laden with graphs, charts, and her neat handwriting on everything.

  "Is this all your research?"

  She nodded then plucked her overnight bag from the hall closet. "It is, but it's not Veyda specific. It's some of my old work when I researched Andromedans and Triangulums. I figured it could help." She pulled a few items of clothing from the neat piles in the laundry basket perched on the sofa. "Sorry, everything's a little messy."

  "It's okay, but very unlike you." My mask flittered away again. "Well then, guess it didn't want to stay on."

  "That's odd." Her brow furrowed suddenly. "I was just about to ask you to take it off. That robot voice is creepy as all hell."

  "I know." I laughed and shook my head. "The distortion was at least human-sounding."

  "Are you hungry? I can fix a quick something before we go." She motioned to the kitchen then paused. "Actually, I take back the offer. All I have is eggs and spinach. Though an omelet would be okay…"

  "No need to fuss, baby." I leaned on the arm of the sofa while she neatly tucked clothes into her bag. "We can stop on the way or get something delivered. Audra and Nalea probably already ate. It's nearly eight."

  "How are they?" she asked, then tucked her heels followed by her usual running shoes into her bag. "And Elara."

  "All good. She's getting so big. I don't understand why she's growing so fast. She's making new noises every day now."

  Harlow smiled while zipping up her bag. "She's so cute."

  "She's also farting like a dude bro. It's pretty alarming." I snickered when I said it. "Wicked."

  "Veyda." She laughed and swatted my arm.

  A heavy thump hit the ceiling and Harlow started immediately, her fingers wrapping around the button of her blouse when she gripped it. A flittering of fear raced across her face, and she glanced at me, but said nothing. Instead, she returned to fiddling with her bag.

  I forced my hearing outward to the apartment above us. The sound of the man talking met my ears, and I heard him say, "Sorry, dropped my phone. What'd you say?"

  "He dropped his phone," I told Harlow.

  "Okay."

  "Honey, does he still shout and make ruckus?"

  "Not much." She rolled her shoulders then lifted her bag. "All set."

  "Give to me." I held my hand out for it.

  Her gazed locked on mine when she let me take it, and I slung it across my shoulders before holding my arms out to her. She hurried into them, her forehead pressed to my cheek.

  "He scares you," I said, noting her escalated heartbeat. "Did something happen?"

  "Nothing in particular. I just don't like hearing him. He should be in jail. It's a reminder that he's not."

  "Where's your gun?"

  "In my purse," she answered right away.

  "Is he why you didn't sleep?" I stroked her cheek and nudged her chin so she'd look at me.

  "Not quite."

  "Want to tell me?"

  She shook her head. "At your house."

  "Okay. You can tell me there." I squeezed her to me and we headed to the balcony door.

  She used her phone to set the alarm, then locked up behind us. As before, my mask slithered over my face, and she held tightly to my belt.

  "No more layovers. Next flight is direct. Should I give the seatbelt demonstration?"

  "Veyda." She laughed at me and shook her head. "Silly."

  "Made you smile though. Hang on. I'm in the mood for barrel rolls."

  "Veyda!" Harlow shrieked before we took off, and I laughed creepily in the terrible, but awesome mask.

  The city lights faded from view as we floated through the misty fog belonging to the fall weather. The eight-minute flight with the wind carrying us and obeying me with no difficulty tonight allowed for a casual ride. Harlow held on to me with ease now as if we'd flown together our whole lives. She shifted with the curves, leaning in the direction my body did.

  When we neared my place, I swept my hand under her knees and cradled her to my chest before landing gently at the back entrance. The front of our new home faced the curved cul-de-sac. Even though there weren't too many houses around us, people often walked the loop as part of their daily exercise routines. The backdoor, hidden by our privacy fence and the thick trees, shielded my arrival from view.

  Nalea's back door hung open with only the screen separating us from them. Audra sat at the kitchen table with Elara cradled to her chest while Nalea folded laundry beside her. Harlow smiled while looking in on them, her lips pressed to my ear.

  "Cute domestic goddesses, aren't they?"

  "Yes." I chuckled and carefully set her down

  "We should say hi," she said, smoothing down her skirt.

  "Yeah. C'mon." I phased my hand through my door, unlocked it, then set her bags inside.

  Harlow stared at
me, her brow cocked. "Do you own keys? What happened to the alarm?"

  I laughed as the mask recoiled from my face to return to my ear cuff. "I didn't turn it on and no. I gave you my set of keys. Nalea has the other."

  "Oh my God, Veyda." She chuckled and swatted my arm gently.

  "What you two doing out there?" called Audra. "No nookie on the porch."

  "Why not? Isn't the porch all about the nookie?" I called back before tugging off my hat and gloves.

  Harlow cracked up as she followed me inside. "Hi."

  "Hey, girl, hey." Nalea smooched her cheek, followed by Audra. "What are you two vixens up to tonight?"

  "Researching things," I said, following the cheek kissing train. "We just came to say goodnight." I crouched in front of Audra to greet the sleeping baby in her arms.

  Soft grunts left her, and her lips puckered when I kissed the back of her hand. "She's so cute. How is she tonight?"

  "She's very good tonight. Just finished her last feeding and bedtime is looming." Audra smiled and bumped my head with hers. "How are you?"

  "Okay. A little stressed, but okay."

  "Your furniture looks great, Vey," said Nalea as she handed Harlow a plastic container. "Mom made apple cider donuts from scratch and brought some over for us."

  "Awesome." Harlow smiled and peeked inside. "They smell good."

  "They're amazing." Audra nodded fervently. "We had four."

  I laughed and shook my head. "Naomi is loving that we're closer to her."

  "So am I. She cooks for us constantly and it's a blessing." Audra looked to Harlow. "Speaking of, Harlow, we would love to have you join us for Thanksgiving if you don't have any other plans. Naomi and my parents will be here. Small and simple."

  "Simple in company, not in food. It's the best food day of the year," added Nalea while toting the folded laundry to the living room.

  "She's not wrong." I kissed Elara's forehead then stood back up.

  "Um…" Harlow's smile broadened and it made it to her eyes. "I'd be happy to come. Thank you. What can I bring?"

  "An empty stomach," called Nalea on her way back. "Two stomachs if you got a spare."

  "Okay." Harlow grinned and glanced at me.

  My stomach flip-flopped with excitement, and I held my hand out to her.

  Audra chuckled and rose from her seat. "Time for bed for this little bug."

  "And these two big old bugs, too. It's been a day." Nalea stroked Audra's back. "Be right in, babe."

  "'Kay. Don't make me wait." Audra tossed her a pout followed by a chuckle.

  "Have I ever?" Nalea grinned and swatted her rear.

  Audra chuckled and shook her head. "Night, loves."

  "Night," Harlow and I said in unison.

  "You doing okay, Vey?" asked Nalea then she looked to Harlow. "If this superhero gets super bummed, come get me. Today was rough."

  "I know." Harlow nodded, tugging me closer to her. "I will."

  "Thanks, Nae." I leaned into Harlow, but blew her a kiss. "Night."

  "Night." She patted our arms before the two of us took our leave.

  Harlow smiled while walking a slow lap around my place, her fingers tickling along the back of the sofa. "Nalea's right. The furniture looks amazing."

  "You picked it all out, babe." I laughed while ditching my jacket, then picked up her bags to head upstairs. "I owe it to you."

  "I like the softly muted grays and whites. It's cozy and warm." She followed me while still gazing about. "The area carpets tie it together. Now just accents left."

  "I guess we're trekking to the put-shit-together-yourself store this weekend, huh?" I grinned while glancing at her over my shoulder. "Your happy place."

  "We can't all love hardware stores, you know." She swatted my ass and I laughed.

  "True."

  I set her bags down on the padded bench at the foot of the bed before moving to my closet to hang my jacket and store my boots. Harlow hung her jacket on the back of the door with mine then pushed herself up sitting on the bed, her stocking-covered feet dangling from the edge. She pulled the book from her purse, setting it beside her before folding her hands between her knees. Her attention wandered and she stared at the floor, a daydreamish expression dampening her formerly bright features.

  I removed my bowtie and untucked my shirt before coming to stand in front of her. I tickled under her chin, and she smiled before looking up at me.

  "You're tired, baby," I said, tucking her hair behind her ears.

  She nodded and immediately mist set her eyes to shimmering. "A little."

  "Let's change and get into bed, okay?"

  She nodded and obliged without a fuss.

  I ditched the rest of my clothes for my boxers and tank as usual. I watched her as she slowly undressed, then pointed to the laundry basket on the floor that Nalea must've set there.

  "I think Nalea did my laundry." I chuckled then hopped up onto the bed. "Maybe she's having her own attachment issues."

  "She's a little worried about you so probably. Can I wear one of your T-shirts?"

  "Of course." I nearly beamed at the request and gnawed the inside of my cheek to hide my excitement.

  Her eyes locked on mine as she unfastened her bra and returned it to her bag before slipping my blue shirt over her head. She removed her panties after, leaving her naked save for the shirt. I grinned when she crawled into bed with me and fell back into the pillows when she urged me to do so.

  "Hey, sexy," I said, nipping her chin before pulling her into a hug.

  "Hi." She smiled followed by a soft giggle when she flopped into the bedding. "The sheets are so cozy."

  "Someone bought some fancy high thread count thingies that I'd never heard of before." I narrowed my eyes at her. "Any idea who that might've been?"

  "Must've been Audra." She snickered and nuzzled her nose against mine.

  I pulled the blankets over us, then set the book beside us on the nightstand. Harlow snuggled against me, our legs tangling under the covers.

  "Tell me how I can help you feel safer tonight so you can sleep?" I asked as gently as I could.

  "Just hold me like you always do." She caressed my arm from wrist to elbow as she settled her head on my shoulder. "If I have a nightmare…open the windows. Don't lock the door." As soon as she said it, tears streamed down her cheeks. "Don't lock me out or lock the bathroom or…"

  "I won't lock anything, baby. Okay?" My heart fractured when her pain radiated from her and pitted my stomach. I gulped down my emotions, steadying myself in the moment to focus solely on her.

  "Okay." She sniffled and nuzzled my shoulder.

  "Did you have a nightmare last night?"

  "Yes." She blew out a soft breath and blinked away her tears. "It's been a while. I never have them when I'm with you. I sleep so good when we're together."

  "I do, too. You make everything better for me."

  "You make everything better for me, too. I think spending so many nights together then spending a few apart gave me like rebound nightmares." She smirked when she said it, then met my gaze when I nudged her chin up so she'd look at me.

  "What was it about?"

  "My father. It's usually about that. Being locked in somewhere, unable to get out. He used to say…this thing to me when I was a kid and it echoes in my head sometimes." Her fingers toyed with the hem of my shirt while she gave voice to her inner turmoil.

  "What was it?"

  "He'd say, 'You want to cry? Well, you better cry harder.' He always said that right before he either locked me in my room or took something away from me. He never hit me or anything until I was like sixteen. He said the same thing and slapped me. I slapped him right back." She pursed her lips with a defiance congruent with the story. "He never did it again."

  "Good. If he was still alive, I'd fly him up to the top of the tallest mountain and leave him there."

  She chuckled and a smile made it to her lips after. "He'd never survive because you can't lie your way down a mountain
."

  "Nope." I grinned and nipped her lips. "Or lie your way out of shark-infested waters."

  "I used to fantasize about stuff like that. Him getting lost in the woods and not coming home. Or getting lost in an avalanche when he went skiing and not coming home. Pretty much I always fantasized about him vanishing. And when he did, I felt better. I know it makes me sound cold-hearted, but I do feel better without him on this Earth. Knowing my mother is still out there, probably being complacent in some other national tragedy, irks me, but I can live with it," she said, her entire body finally relaxing against me. She closed her eyes and slipped her arm around my middle. "I was better off alone."'

  "Now you have me." I pressed my lips to her forehead.

  "I'm better off with you now." A sleepy smile tugged the corners of her mouth.

  I admired the way her plush lashes slept sweetly on her cheeks, and I kissed each of her eyelids. "We're better off together. I love you so much."

  "You're the first…" Her voice trailed off as sleep began to drag her under. "To say you love me. Worth…waiting for."

  My throat tightened as tears rushed me. They didn't carry sadness, however, only affection and adoration tangled with happiness. "I've never loved anyone like you and you were worth waiting for, too."

  She squeezed me tighter before her muscles slowly relaxed as she fell into a deeper sleep. I stroked her back, unable to wipe the tear-salted smile from my lips. Even when days felt impossible, or when moments felt un-survivable, Harlow somehow turned them upside down. She fit seamlessly into my life, into my home, and most importantly, into my heart. I hoped she knew how much she meant to me, because every day her words settled any uncertainty that flittered to the surface. I would figure out how to tell her how much she meant to me, every single day for as long as she'd have me. I hoped I offered her the same solace, the same security in the world. I hoped that our partnership would help both of us walk more confidently, smile for longer, and always call each other home.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Harlow sat up in bed, her laptop perched on her knees while her eyes flew across the screen. My oversized T-shirt hung around her hips, exposing her long, smooth legs to the morning light. I basked in her beauty, allowing myself to take all of her in. Relaxed, focused, and in my bed. I loved having her here. Loved sharing this space with her, and it never felt empty when we were together.