by Emma Cole
Requiem
Remington Carter
Book Two
Emma Cole
My name is Remington Reese Carter, and I’ve had a really bad day. It should have been an excellent day, after the prior evening spent with Elliot McAdams.
The experience had been amazing, but then the front door of Eli’s place opened, along with the biggest can of worms ever. I mean, really, what were the chances that not one, not two, but all three boys—well, now men, I suppose—that I ever loved, or thought to love, would all live together? And that Eli would live there as well? All. Together.
My mind couldn’t fathom it.
So I did what any self-respecting girl would do when confronted with four guys she has a major thing for. I ran. Don’t act like you wouldn’t have, either. I went straight to my best friend for some serious girl time.
Join Remi in the continuance of her journey in this sequel to Echoes and Entanglements.
REQUIEM © EMMA COLE 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used of reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. And similarity to real persons, living or dead, businesses, or locales is coincidental and is not intended by the author.
Chapter One
I was fifteen, they were sixteen…
This is how the conversation with my best friend Alex began. The conversation needed to explain the absolute mess my life exploded into only hours ago.
My name is Remington Reese Carter, and I’ve had a really bad day. It should have been an excellent day, after finally admitting to myself—and to the man himself—that I loved Elliot McAdams, and that we’d ‘sealed the deal’ last night. The experience had been amazing, but then the front door of Eli’s place opened, along with the biggest can of worms ever. I mean, really, what were the chances that not one, not two, but all three boys—well, now men, I suppose—that I ever loved, or thought to love, would all live together? And that Eli would live there as well? All. Together.
My mind couldn’t fathom it.
So I did what any self-respecting girl would do when confronted with four guys she has a major thing for. I ran. Don’t act like you wouldn’t have, either. I went straight to my best friend for some serious girl time.
Now as Alex stares at me expectantly, I let out a heavy sigh. Well, I suppose it’s time to tell all. And to do that, I should go all the way back to the beginning.
Five years ago…
I was high up in one of the apple trees in the orchard that ran between my parents’ property and the neighbor's place. The residence, next door on the other side of the expanse of trees, was reserved to rent out to whichever current “important person” worked with my father and his agency. Usually it was someone military related. That's not something I was always privy to, nor interested in. It had been going on as long as I could remember, and I had lived here my entire life. The last residents, an older gentleman and his wife, had left in early spring. The new occupants had moved in a couple days ago. I had seen the moving vans and wondered if anyone my age would be staying there this time.
I was insanely bored after my long time BFF Alex went off to her grandparents’ place in Florida for the whole summer. It was the first time we’d been separated from each other for any length of time since we'd met in elementary school. I wasn't sure what to do with myself.
My attention snapped back to the immediate present as I heard voices. I pulled back a little further in the canopy of the tree, so as not to be seen.
“The housekeeper said there’s a family that lives on the other side of this orchard, and that there’s a girl our age living next door.” The voice sounded very British.
“I call dibs!” That one had a British accent as well.
“You can’t call dibs, you idiot. You haven’t even met her yet. Also, she may not like us. Or we may not like her. What if she’s hideous? Or has a really annoying voice or something? Then what? Sometimes I wonder how I got you for a brother. It's still a mystery.”
“I grew out of you, duh!”
“Are you five? Seriously, Beck, quit goofing off. We split and grew next to each other.” Sounded like a long time argument going on.
I leaned out a little further as the voices came closer and saw two tall, skinny boys with black hair. I couldn't tell what color their eyes were from my perch, but they were extremely good looking, from what I could see. They were both dressed in low-slung jeans and t-shirts. And they thought I might be hideous? How, rude! In retaliation, I decided it would be fun to mess with them.
I carefully and quietly, so as not to alert them to my presence, pulled several small apples from the tree and took aim. I waited until they weren't looking and let the first apple fly. It hit the grumpy one on the back of the head, almost knocking him over with the surprise attack. I had to muffle my snicker as he turned, and upon seeing the offending fruit roll away, hit his brother who now wanted to know why he’d been hit, looking bewildered.
“You hit me with an apple! In the head!”
“I did not!”
As they were arguing, I took aim again and, in quick succession, threw the rest of my ammo, bouncing the apples off their bodies to a chorus of ‘ouches, what the hell, and that hurts!’. Now I was openly laughing, hanging onto the trunk of the tree. When the boys calmed down, they finally looked up.
“Hideous, am I?” I couldn't resist teasing them.
“Hello, there. Come down, won’t you?” The request came from the one called Beck. I didn't trust him a bit, and no way would I be leaving my defensible perch.
Even if he did have a hot accent.
“No, way little man.” I didn't know them but thought that might get a rise.
“Little? I’ll have you know I’m six foot tall. That is not little.”
I picked another apple and chucked it at his head. He cursed while dodging it.
“What’s your name?” asked the other brother. They were mirror images of each other. Twins. Hot twins.
I was going to have an awesome summer; I knew it already. I debated making them wait, but also, I wanted out of the tree.
“Remi. What’s yours?” I replied.
“I’m Dylan, and this is my little brother Beckett.”
I grinned at the look on Beckett’s face.
“By six minutes, you toadstool! And I’m the more attractive one, anyway.” He sent a blinding white smile in my direction, one that I couldn’t help but match..
Oh, wow. I could stare all day. They’re just so pretty, and the smiley one…
“So, am I safe to get down? Or do I have revenge coming my way?” I interrupted their bickering.
“Guess you’ll just have to come down and see, won’t you?” Dylan smiled at me.
I couldn’t have explained how, but I instinctively knew which boy was which.
Settling my thighs firmly on my branch, I let go and tipped back to hang from my knees, upside down. The boys yelled and ran to catch me, but instead of falling on my head, I clasped my hands together, gave them a couple of swings and cherry-dropped out of the tree. The guys stared, a little stunned, when I landed on my feet, knees bent in a crouch. Beckett, the first to recover from his surprise, started clapping and whistling. Dylan gave me a look of worry and started in on berating me.
“You could have hurt yourself!” Maybe he was a teensy bit mad, too.
Waving off his concern, I retorted. “I’m perfectly fine. I do it all the time, and I’m always out here by myself. Well, so far this summer, anyway. My best friend Alex, who usually hangs out with
me, is gone for the summer.”
“You’re really pretty.” Beckett again.
“Yeah? You think so?” I teased.
Beck nodded his head yes, and I saw Dylan flick narrowed eyes between us, watching intently.
“Well, what if I think your brother is cute instead of you?”
He looked confused, then outraged. “We look the same. Which means if you think he looks cute, then so do I!” He was getting petulant now, and Dylan’s shoulders shook in laughter.
“So, you’re saying if I like one, then I like the other?”
Beckett perked up and instantly nodded his head yes.
“And if I want touch one, then I should touch the other, too?”
Dylan sobered up, and Beckett nodded again warily. “I suppose so.”
Neither of them seemed to know where this was going.
“Then how could I choose one of you over the other, if I have to feel the same about you both?” I crossed my arms over my chest and gave Beckett a superior look. “See, no choosing who’s better.” I dropped my arms to wag a finger from one to the other in admonishment and started walking toward home. Dylan fell into step on my right and Beckett on my left.
“Where are we going?” There was rampant curiosity in Beckett’s tone.
“To my house. I’m hungry, we need snacks.”
Dylan high-fived Beckett over my head. We continued on until we got to the large, white Colonial home. It wasn't huge. Maybe over-large for the three of us. Me, my mom, and my dad. We went in through the kitchen entrance, and I headed straight for the fridge, pulling out a fruit, meat, and cheese platter and some sodas. Going to the pantry, I grabbed some crackers and set it all out on the island where bar stools lined one side. The boys climbed up on either side of me, filling their mouths rapidly. My platter dwindled quickly. Good thing Mom wouldn't mind.
“So, Remi, what’s there to do around here for fun? Anything good? Or just the usual stuff?” Dylan asked.
“You mean in the town or Connecticut in general?”
“Both.”
“Well, around the state there is Gillette Castle, The Mark Twain House… Candlewood Lake is pretty neat, too. Those need planning, but there’s other things locally to do. We have bowling, roller skating, a movie theater, an indoor ice rink, and a skate park. For other things, you have to go into Westport or catch a train to New York City. There’s pretty much anything you could think of to do there.” I wanted to know more about them but didn't wish to seem nosy.
“Do you guys want to watch a movie or play video games? The media room is awesome, and I’m the only one that ever uses it, so I have lots of comfortable stuff in there.”
“Video games!” they both yelled in unison.
“Video games it is, then. It’s this way.” I took them down the hall from the kitchen and turned into the room that had a projector set up instead of a television screen, and several game consoles to choose from. There was a super soft sectional that had a lounger on one end and two recliners on the other. Various bean bags and gaming chairs were in the corner. The walls were all painted a dark, flat gray, and the carpet was a lighter cream with speckles of color. One entire wall was filled with movies and games. The boys were going gaga.
“We don’t even have this many at home. Dad won’t let us. He says we’ll never go outside if we have all this, and he won’t have ‘lazy sons’.” Beckett unloaded the whole sentence in one breath, while Dylan glared at him for whatever portion of what he'd said that he hadn't cared for. Probably that he had been sharing private things with a stranger.
“Pick whatever you like,” I told them, and that commenced our gaming marathon. They were surprised that I was good enough to give them competition, and in Dylan’s case, completely trounce him. By the time we had finished, it was almost time for dinner. I walked the boys back to the orchard, and they made their own way back home from there, promising to see me tomorrow.
Back home in my room later that night, I couldn't quit thinking about how nice and fun they were. And hot. Had I mentioned hot? I didn't want to be that girl, though, the one that can’t hang out with an attractive boy and not keep it friendly. I couldn't stand those kinds of girls in school. And which guy would I pick, anyway?
Over the next few days, the three of us were inseparable. Mostly, we hung out at my place or out in the orchard. Beck had taken to calling me ‘duckie’ after I had asked about British slang, and they paraded out everything they could think of. I'd gotten stuck on that word, wanting to know why, and while I still never got my explanation, Beck continued to call me that instead of Remi. Dylan stuck with Remi or Love, in true British fashion (according to them, I still think they’re pulling my leg).
We played video games, board games, and outdoor stuff. Hide and seek in the orchard had been a blast. We learned quite a bit more about each other, being together so much.
For instance, Dylan hated snakes, and Beck loved to tease him with them. I had discovered this when I found a little gardener snake and picked it up to show Beckett. He immediately, nonchalantly walked up to his brother with it, behind his back, and stuck it in Dylan’s face. Dylan had screeched like a girl so loudly, I bent over laughing hard enough to make my stomach hurt. Dylan feigned going after Beck, who promptly took off and instead, tackled me. We tussled around on the ground for a few minutes, until I, suspiciously, ended up on top of him.
“I give, you win,” he said, panting and out of breath just like me. This close, his eyes were so clear and vibrant. The insane blue color was captivating.
I’d noticed that, even at sixteen, he had to shave every day. I trailed my fingertips against the grain, the stubble growth indicating he hadn’t shaved today. Capturing my hand and holding my gaze he slowly kissed each fingertip. My heart picked up pace. I had been trying so hard to avoid anything like this, to just be one of the guys. I hadn't wanted to cause any problems with the brothers, and I wanted them to be my friends. Alex was my best friend, and I had other people I’d hang out with from school, but not ones that I felt this comfortable with. And I’d known the others for years.
The bond the guys and I had forged in the short time I’d known them seemed impossible, but I knew they felt it, too. They weren't too shy to be affectionate or tease me equally, as they did each other. Except now. For the first time, we blatantly noticed each other on a level that wasn't platonic.
Lying on the ground, I wondered where Beckett had gotten off to. Right as the thought entered my head a body covered mine from behind, pressing me into the body beneath me.
Beck whispered in my ear. “What are you two up to, duckie?” The warm air from Beck’s mouth on my ear made me shiver, causing goose bumps to pop up and my nipples to tighten. I hoped Dylan didn't notice them hardening against his chest.
I only wore a tank with a built-in shelf bra today, since it had been so warm lately. Now I wished maybe I had put on an actual bra with some lining that would help hide my reaction.
“Since you ended up on top, I thought I should come help my brother,” Beck whispered.
I saw Dylan look behind me at Beckett, his eyes widening slightly, then narrowing in what seemed to be determination. I couldn't see what was going on, and I’d expected leaves in my shirt or a spider in the face. Instead, I felt a wet tongue tracing patterns on the nape of my neck up to the back of my ear.
I let out a small gasp at the sensation, and my eyes fluttered shut as I stretched my neck out in encouragement. That was definitely a new spot. I’d kissed boys before and done some petting, but I’d never really clicked with one well enough to go all the way. So, while I may have been virginal, I wasn't completely inexperienced.
Dylan spoke in a low voice that vibrated through his chest into mine. “Does it feel good, love? What my brother is doing to you?” Beckett was giving little sucks and nips all over the back and sides of my neck and across the tops of my shoulders. He had my hair gathered in one hand to expose the area as he explored.
“Do yo
u remember what you said, Remi?,” Dylan went on, “The day we met, you said ‘if you like one you like the other, if you touch one you touch the other, if you choose one you choose the other’. Is that right, Remi, you choose us both?”
I felt like there was so much more to the question and what my answer would be, but I couldn't figure it out while being so distracted. I did the only thing I could in the middle of the gorgeous twin sandwich. I nodded my head. That’s all the encouragement Dylan needed.
He raised up and started in on the front of my neck. Getting down to my collarbone, he sucked and nibbled until I was squirming between them. The movement caused me to notice both were sporting erections.
Dylan arched his hips up to mine as Beckett ground his into my rear end. Beck used one hand to slide the top of my shirt down, freeing my breasts. Dylan immediately latched onto one hardened point and gave it the same treatment my neck had received. Beck grabbed my other nipple in his long fingers, tweaking it, while propping himself up on one hand to keep his weight from crushing me.
The heavy petting lasted for what seemed like forever, yet also no time at all. I could have stayed like that all day. Eventually, Beck rolled to the side, taking me with him.
Dylan turned to face us. “I hope that was okay,” he told me.
Frankly that had been more than okay, and I was a little embarrassed by how okay I was with it.
He saw my pink cheeks and traced one with a finger. “I want to kiss you now, love.” He waited for my consent, and when he received it, cupped my face and leaned in, brushing my lips with his. He deepened the kiss and gripped onto my hip, pressing against me. I slid a leg over his, and he put his hand behind my knee to draw my thigh closer, grinding up against me.
Beck was still holding me, and as Dylan broke the kiss, he turned my head to take my lips next. The same, yet so very different. We broke apart, all of us breathing heavily.
“I’m really confused, guys. Are you okay with this? I feel sort of… slutty right now.” I’d looked down toward our feet and pulled my bra back in place, not able to meet their gazes. I felt a hand reach out and tip my chin up. Looking up into those vibrant blue eyes, I saw no judgement. Only the warmth of desire and affection.
