by Rye Hart
CHAPTER EIGHT
JARED
Damn. I knew, deep down, that Hadley only thought of me as a friend. Yet, for a brief period of time, I had hope that maybe there'd be something more there between us. Gabe was being his normal difficult self, getting in his own way and stepping on his own dick with Hadley. He just couldn't seem to admit that he still had feelings for her.
While I didn't want to cause any problems between him and me, I also couldn't deny my feelings for Hadley. She never really saw me back in the day. I was kind of invisible in her eyes, nothing but the wild, younger brother of her boyfriend. Now, I was something more – or so I thought, at least. I was worried though, that to her, I would always be Gabe's baby brother, nothing more. She would only ever see me as that.
Even Evan seemed bummed, which surprised me a little. He'd always kept to himself, didn't really show any sort of feelings for Hadley, and always seemed so into Rebecca. I honestly never imagined that he actually did feel something for Hadley. However, now that we were both watching her and Gabe making out, judging by the look of almost horror on his face, his heart was shattering every bit as much as mine was. With the both of us watching their every move, Hadley led Gabe to the pool, hand-in-hand. We'd taken a few shots before Evan and Gabe joined us, and Hadley was already pretty tipsy – her eyes were a little bit glassy and her cheeks were flushed.
“We should play a game,” she said. “Just like the old days. Remember?”
“What game you wanna play?” I asked, wading out deeper into the pool, until the water was almost chin height on me.
“How about Truth or Dare?” she said, looking around at us all wide-eyed. “It's been way too long since we've done something like that.”
Evan and I shared a look. We'd played Truth or Dare a few times when we'd all been younger, sure. It had always been fun. We'd also been pretty limited about what kind of dares we could throw out there. Gabe had been her boyfriend at that time, and there was no way anyone else was going to get to see her naked or touch her boobs.
Now, though, that she was free and single? It had possibilities. Certainly, a lot more possibilities than we had back then.
“I think that's a great idea,” I said. “You go first.”
Nobody else objected, so Hadley looked at me, then turned to Evan and then Gabe. She was taking her time, taking her question very seriously. I expected her to ask Gabe a question first, but she turned back to me with a smile, as she floated in the water toward me.
“Jared, truth or dare?” she asked.
As tempted as it was to start off with a dare, I decided to go easy on everyone. Myself, most of all, probably – although, depending upon the question, the truth could hurt quite a bit too.
“Truth.”
She seemed to have a question all loaded and ready for me.
“How many of my former cheer girls have you slept with?”
Evan chuckled, and I shot him a look.
“Just the three that were at the bar the other night,” I said. “I swear to it.”
Hadley swam out to me, stopping just a few inches away. She licked her lips and stared deep into my eyes. The stirring in my groin couldn't be denied and I had to shift my body a little bit, to keep her from bumping into it.
“And here, I was really hoping you'd say dare,” she said. “Color me surprised.”
I was surprised by the boldness in her answer. Maybe I hadn’t lost my chance yet after all. “Gotta have something to look forward to,” I said. “Guess it's my turn.”
Hadley grinned at me, and I was tempted to ask her a question. But, I turned my sights on Gabe instead. I felt like raking him over the coals a bit first. Get him to shit or get off the pot, so to speak.
“Gabe, truth or dare.” I said, already knowing Gabe wouldn't pick dare.
“I'm not playing,” he said.
Hadley turned away from me and swam back toward him. I closed in on the rest of the gang, mainly to stay close to Hadley. She stared at Gabe and frowned at him.
“Yes, you are,” she said. “Stop being a party pooper.”
Gabe rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine,” he said, making it obvious he wasn't happy about it. “Truth.”
“Do you still love Hadley?”
Hadley turned to me, her mouth open, her eyes wide, a stricken look upon her face. She was staring at me in shock, and for a moment, I thought she might be pissed at me. Then, she turned her attention back to Gabe, her expression shifting to one of curiosity, as we all waited for his answer.
Gabe looked away from all of us, focusing on a tree outside the yard as if it was the most interesting tree in the world. No one dared say a word, despite the silence dragging on and on.
Finally, still looking away, he said, “Of course I do.”
Dammit. Part of me had hoped he would choke on his words and not admit his undying love for her. I placed my bets on him not being able to man up, and I failed.
“I think we should take this to the hot tub,” I said, quickly trying to change the subject.
Hadley didn't stop staring at Gabe though, and they shared a look that you only saw shared between lovers. Feeling like an idiot for having my plan blow up in my face on me, I moved past them and climbed out the pool, Evan following on my heels quickly. I wasn't sure if Gabe and Hadley would join us, but Hadley did, then Gabe reluctantly followed her.
The night air was crisp, and the walk from the pool to the hot tub was a brisk one. But, as soon as we got settled into the warm, jetted tub, all was right in the world again. Gabe and Hadley sat beside each other, while Evan and I sat across from them, looking like a couple of awkward third wheels. Yeah, it definitely was turning out just like old times.
“It's Gabe's turn,” Hadley said.
Gabe looked deep into Hadley's eyes, and I figured we all knew what was coming next. He was going to ask her if she still loved him, and they'd have their happily ever after reunion. We'd have to sit there and endure their goddamn Hallmark fucking moment.
Except, he didn't – and what he did ask surprised me.
“Hadley, do you want to have more children someday?”
“That's not how it works,” Evan said. “You didn't ask her truth or dare.”
Hadley ignored Evan and went straight for the answer anyway.
“Yes, very much so. I want Grayson to have brothers and sisters, I want a family like you guys have,” she said, looking at all of us as her eyes shimmered with tears. “I want that more than anything, actually. More than I can even explain to you guys. But, I fear I may not have a chance if I don't meet someone soon.”
“You have plenty of time,” Evan said. “You're not even in your late twenties yet. Women are having kids well into their – ”
She looked at him and Evan bit off his words. “But I always wanted my kids to be close in age,” she said. “Like you guys, and he's already four, so it sort of feels like I'm already screwed out of the life I wanted for us.”
“Not at all,” Gabe said, reaching out and stroking her face. “You're not screwed out of anything, Hadley.”
She nodded and let out a long breath that seemed so filled with emotion. “You're right,” she said softly. “I mean, I've looked into surrogate options. I don't need a father to be present for that. I think I handle the single mom thing pretty well. I make enough to support them, it's just – ”
“What?” I asked.
Her crystal blue eyes turned to me, and there was so much pain and emptiness in that gaze, I felt a literal heaviness in my chest. It was like, in that moment, I felt every ounce of pain she'd been carrying around with her since Chris died – and a lot of her hopes and dreams died with him. I so badly wanted to take away all that pain from her life, to bring her nothing but joy and fulfillment. Happiness like she'd never known before.
“Nothing,” she said, wiping away the tears in her eyes. “My turn again. Evan, you haven't had a turn yet – ”
“No,” Gabe said, cutting her off. “We're no
t done here. What were you going to say, Hadley?”
She turned her sad eyes to him and said, “I just always wanted to at least know the father, to know he's a good man, even if he's not involved with parenting, that's all,” she said. “But it's not going to happen and – ”
“Who says it can't happen?” I said.
Everyone turned their attention to me, as if waiting for me to continue that train of thought. So I did.
“I'm just saying – you have us,” I said. “All of us care for you very much. I'm sure something could be arranged to give you what you want. Even if it's simply a sperm donor kind of deal.”
Hadley sat back, looking stunned, and then shook her head. “I couldn't ask any of you – ”
Evan stopped her. “We'd gladly help you out, Hadley,” he offered. “You wouldn't even have to ask. I'm sure any one of us would be honored.”
Gabe leaned back against the hot tub wall and stared at me for a long time. There was that dark, brooding look on his face again. His face was tight, his jaw clenched, and he was clearly not happy. Not that I was going to let that deter me.
“You could even take your pick of the Walker men,” I said. “I'm sure old Gabe would even be willing to help you out. Wouldn't you?”
Gabe didn't answer. He just stared at me, his eyes narrowing and his jaw clenching so tight, I thought he might actually shatter his teeth. Then Hadley turned and looked at him, and his face softened almost instantly. When he looked at her, there was such a sudden and complete change in his eyes – it as if just looking at her made everything right and okay in his world again.
“Would you?” she asked, her voice soft.
He reached out and stroked her cheek, pushing back a strand of hair from her face.
“I would do anything for you,” he said. “But I'll be honest, the idea does make me nervous too. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a few reservations about it.”
Hadley nodded, and her face fell.
“I get it. That's why I wasn't even going to ask,” she said.
I cleared my throat, “Well, you haven't even asked the other two Walkers here.”
Her cheeks flushed again, and she looked away. A smile spread across her face though, as if the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea.
“Now that has possibilities,” she said. “But the question is – which brother?”
She seemed to be teasing us, so I teased right back. “What about all of us?”
“All of you?” she cocked an eyebrow and leaned back against the hot tub wall, her breasts pointing skyward. “I like the sound of that.”
“I'm down,” I said.
“Me too,” Evan added. “I mean, let's face it, I could use the distraction from Rebecca.”
Hadley giggled and looked at Gabe. “Would you be okay with that?”
Gabe looked like a deer caught in the headlights. His eyes were wide, and it was clear he wanted to say yes, that he would do anything for her. But, something was holding him back, making him hesitate.
“I umm, well – ” he stammered. It was rare that Gabe ever stumbled on his words, and frankly, I was kind of enjoying the show. “If that's what you wanted, then sure. I'd be okay with that. I mean, we are speaking in hypotheticals, right?”
“Sure, whatever you say, Gabe” I said.
Evan looked over to me, the expression his face saying he didn't know if this was a hypothetical conversation or not but making it clear that he was on board with it if it wasn't.
“That settles it then,” I said, lifting my beer up for a toast. “We're going to give Hadley a baby.”
“Cheers to that,” Evan said, joining me in the toast.
Gabe still looked uncertain, but he finally shrugged and raised his own bottle, clinking it against ours.
“Alright,” he said. “Let's do it.”
“You guys – ” Hadley said, chuckling, “You're the best friends a girl could ask for.”
“Damn straight we are, baby,” I said.
“Wait,” she said, her eyes suddenly wide and fearful. “Are we seriously going to be doing this?”
“If you want to, then it sounds like we're in,” I said. “The question is – do you want to?”
Hadley bit her lip and thought about it for a second, then nodded slowly. “I've actually been thinking about this for a while,” she said softly. “I just didn't think it would be appropriate to ask, you know?”
“Now you have your answer,” I said. “So let's start the baby making.”
CHAPTER NINE
HADLEY
As the night wore on, I couldn't stop thinking about their offer. Grayson could have a sibling, and my baby would have three of the best men there were who would dote on him and care about him more than anything.
What more could a child want in life?
I was lucky enough to own my own business and worked mostly from home anyway, so I would always be around. I wouldn't need to pass them off to daycare or anything like that. My family had money. Any child of mine would never want for anything, and I had the time to devote to them.
There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to do this. Sure, I could go the medical route – the guys could donate their sperm, let the doctors insert it into me, and hope for the best. I didn't want to deal with all that. Not with them. These were my best friends, men that I loved. Had always loved. I wanted to experience making a baby with them – with all of them.
It was a surprising revelation to me, one I wasn't prepared for it when Jared first mentioned it, the more I thought about it, the more I knew it to be true.
Jared and Evan had stepped out of the tub to grab another beer, and they were talking over near the guest house. That left Gabe and I alone in the hot tub.
“You sure about this?” I asked him, keeping my voice low.
“I am,” he said. “I already told you that I still love you, Hadley. I meant it. And if you want another child, I'd be more than happy to help give it to you.”
“Yeah, but what about them, you know – helping out?” I said, nibbling my lower lip.
Gabe's eyes seemed darker than usual. More brown than green. His face was tilted upward, his chin held out in a defiant gesture, his jaw clenched tightly. The moonlight spilled across him, illuminating his high cheek bones and the exquisite lines of his face. God, he was so beautiful.
I knew that look. It was a look of determination. It was the look he got when he had his mind set on something.
“I'll just have to learn to deal with it,” he said. “If that's what you want, then I'll go along. This is what you want, isn't it?”
I nodded. “I can't explain it, but I like the idea of not knowing which one of you is the father,” I said, a flutter of excitement in my belly. “I think it'll help prevent favoritism.”
He sighed. “Well, it's not like you and I are getting back together anyway...”
My stomach turned hearing those words fall from his mouth. Part of me had hoped there might be a future with him. Deep down, I knew that he couldn't be everything I needed. He went through periods of closing himself off, of focusing on his career, to the exclusion of everything else. I didn't fault him for it in the least. It's what made him so successful – that sometimes tunnel vision.
I needed more than that in life though. Besides, I couldn't deny that I had feelings for Evan and Jared too – something that surprised me as much as anything. As weird as it sounded, I didn't want to lose any of them, which meant I wouldn't choose amongst them.
Maybe it was selfish, but in this regard, I most definitely wanted my cake and to eat it too.
“But you're okay having sex?” I said with a grin.
“Hell yes,” he said. “Sex with you was always phenomenal. And I can only imagine it's like a fine wine – it'll be better with age.”
“Mmm,” I said, leaning in closer to Gabe, “that it was.”
Our lips met, and Gabe took my face into his hands. Unlike our episode in the bathroom, we both
knew that this was going nowhere. It was just sex. That was something we could both get on board with, right? It seemed so. Either that or the alcohol lowered his inhibitions because his fingers were moving lower and lower on my body, sliding all the way down until he was cupping my breasts in his hands.
I giggled playfully. “Your brothers are right over there.”
He side-eyed them. “They look lost in their own little worlds,” he said. “I bet Evan is trying to draw up an organized little Excel spreadsheet and a flowchart that says which days we get to be with you.”
I laughed out loud. He was right though, they were off in their own little world. Plus, I found that I didn't really care much. If we were doing this – if we were really doing this – I would eventually be with all of them anyway. The idea of having sex with all three of the Walker brothers only fueled my desire. Gabe brushed his fingers against my nipple, stiff and sensitive, and I whimpered.
I moved quickly, straddling his lap before he could stop me. His hands moved down my sides, grabbing my hips and holding me against him. I gasped as I felt his hard cock pressing against my swimsuit bottom and I ground myself into him, the desire to have him inside of me building with each passing second. He let out a soft groan as I kissed his neck.
“Shh,” I said, pressing my finger to his lips.
He took my finger into his mouth and sucked on it, a mischievous grin on his face. I glanced over my shoulder and grinned. Evan and Jared were too absorbed in their conversation that neither one of them was facing us, so I slipped my other hand down into Gabe's trunks, gripping and squeezing him tightly.
My finger fell from his lips, and his eyes rolled back into his head as I stroked his erection, rubbing it against my body. I leaned into him and whispered into his ear.
“You know, you could get a head start on the baby making thing, if you'd like,” I said. “I'm not on any sort of birth control right now.”
Gabe shuddered against me, as if my words alone touched parts of him no hand ever could. Gabe's hands moved beneath the water and found my bikini bottom. His eyes boring into mine, he answered me without his words, instead, he pulled my bottoms to the side and rubbed my clit with his fingers. I moaned softly as I guided his cock closer. He took it into his hand, pushing it against my opening.
