by SM Olivier
Everything I did or said seemed to set her off lately. I asked her to walk with Trevor and me to our favorite ice cream shop, and she just rolled her eyes. She said I wanted her to be fatter than me. I wasn’t overweight, and with her clavicles protruding from her top and her ribs prominently on display− when she’s undressed− she could use a whole gallon of ice cream.
I asked her if she wanted to go to the mall, to play at the arcades since Corbin offered to take us for a ride. She was excited about that until she found out that Corbin wasn’t staying. Then she proceeded to tell me that Trevor and I were lame and needed to grow up. Hanging out at the mall was “so last year.”
“You were, too,” she hissed. “I’m going up to my room. Don’t bother me tonight.” Her phone rang and she answered it immediately. “Hey, girl! What’s up? Yes, I’d love to go to the mall. Awesome! What are you wearing?” She ran up the stairs, and I rolled my eyes once more.
I was becoming an expert at rolling my eyes.
So it was lame when I suggested it, but it was cool again when one of her new friends asked her? Where did my best friend go? Did I do something wrong?
I moved into the kitchen, realizing that Mom still hadn’t answered me. That was strange. She usually had our snacks ready for us by now. Emery complained because she felt like it was too “babyish,” especially when she made ‘ants on a log’ or something just as fun. I still enjoyed it.
I dropped my backpack onto the island. “Mom?” I called again.
Maybe she was outside…
I headed towards the back. Sometimes I’d find Mom and Aunt Pam on the back deck drinking wine or coffee. Coffee was for most days. The wine was for the days they needed to “decompress.” It was beautiful outside, so the likelihood they were outdoors was high.
My phone rang, and I smiled when I noticed it was BJ. “Hey, buddy!” I exclaimed. I’d really missed him. We just dropped him off at the academy last week, but it felt like forever already.
“Hey, Ave,” his voice sounded glum.
“What’s wrong?” I asked in concern.
“I hate it here,” he mumbled. “There’s this girl, Lisa, and she’s just so mean.”
“What did she do?” I huffed out. I felt my protective instincts kick in.
“She…” he began to tell me, but I froze.
My mom was lying on the floor. There was a big gash on the side of her head, and blood was pooling out of it and onto the tile floor. Her whole body was twitching and jerking in stiff movements. Her eyes were rolled up into the back of her head.
Without a thought, I hung up the call, and with shaking fingers, I dialed 9-1-1. “Emery!” I screamed as the phone rang on the other end. I rushed over to the stove and grabbed the towel off the bar. I balled it up and tried to remember what they’d taught us about first aid in summer camp.
“Emery!” I screamed again, tears streaming down my face, hands shaking so badly I could barely hold the phone up to my ear.
“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” a calm female voice sounded in my ear.
“My mom,” I sobbed. “I came home, and she’s bleeding from her head, and she’s…she’s having a seizure.”
“Okay, sweetie,” the woman said in a soothing tone. “Can you tell me where you live?”
I tried to take in deep calming breaths so she could understand me as I rattled off my address.
“Okay, great, sweetie,” she said. “I’m sending you someone right now. Can you find something to apply pressure to the bleeding?”
“I…I have a towel,” I sobbed.
“Good job. Can you tell me your name?” she asked calmly.
“Avery,” I answered, not knowing why she was asking me such an inane question.
“What a pretty name, I’m Alice. Avery, can you tell me if your mom takes any medications?” she inquired in the same dulcet tones.
“She takes her vitamins,” I cried and then remembered how tired she was lately and how her head hurt her a lot. “She’s been tired,” I continued. “Her head hurts her all the time. She takes Tylenol for it.”
“Okay, good, thank you, Avery.” I could faintly hear the clacking of keys on her end of the phone. “Do you know how old your mother is?”
I closed my eyes. She’d just had a birthday. She had Emery and me when she was twenty. “She just turned thirty-three, two weeks ago.” I tried in vain to wipe the tears from my eyes. I could barely see. “The towel is all bloody,” I told the lady. “Should I go get another one?”
“Can you keep it there, Avery?” she inquired. “We need to try and keep the pressure on it. Are you all alone?”
“No,” I sobbed. “Emery’s home, my sister. I’ll yell for her again.”
“Okay, you do that, sweetie. I’ll be right here,” she soothed.
“Emery!” I screamed once more after I set the phone down on the floor. “Emery, please come down here with some towels!” I sobbed my voice catching.
“A little spilled milk isn’t anything to cry about, squirt.” Corbin came laughing into the room moments later.
I saw his face fall, and the color leech out of it. “Oh shit! What happened?” he yelled as he tore the shirt off over his head and ran over.
Some part of my adolescent brain got a flash of broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a full chest. Huh. When had that happened?
“I don’t know,” I sobbed. “Mom was lying on the floor, and she hasn’t stopped twitching since I came home.”
“It’s okay, Ave.” He pressed in close to me. “She’ll be okay. Aunt Isabella, you’re going to be okay,” he murmured to mom next.
He was always so sweet to Mom. When Dad and Uncle Scott were away, he always cut our grass or helped Mom around the house. Dad said he was a good boy, because he never had to be asked or told to help out as he did.
“I hope so,” I cried.
“Hey Ave?” Trevor came skipping into the room. His gray striped shirt was hanging off his tiny frame. “What…” he stopped and immediately threw up all over the entrance of the kitchen.
He’d always hated the sight of blood. I wanted to go hug him and tell him it was okay, but I couldn’t leave my mom.
“Trev, call 9-1-1,” Corbin said calmly, his hands already covered in blood.
“I already did,” I said, remembering Alice was on the other line. “Alice? You still there?” I asked as I picked up the phone.
“Hi, Avery. Did your sister come and give you more towels?” Alice asked.
“Corbin’s here.” I sniffled. “He has his shirt on it.”
“Okay, good.” I heard the smile in her tone. “Is Corbin a friend?”
“Yes, no, sort of. He’s my cousin, sort of. His dad and my dad were adopted around the same time,” I began to ramble. “My mom and his mom are best friends. We’re cousins but not by blood. We used to be friends, but he found girls a few years ago. Mom says boys get crazy when their balls drop.”
Alice laughed. I had no clue why. It made no sense to me. “That’s very true. My son just turned fourteen, and he won’t even go to the mall with his mama no more.”
The doorbell rang.
“I think they’re here,” I told Alice.
“Okay, Avery,” she said. “I’m going to hang on until I’m sure. Is that okay with you?”
“Yes.” I drew in a deep, shuddering breath.
“Trevor, go get the door,” Corbin called over his shoulder.
“It’s for me!” Emery came yelling down the stairs. “Oh, hello,” I heard as she opened the door, followed by a murmuring of voices. “No,” she exclaimed. “I didn’t call you.”
“Em,” I heard Trev call weakly. “She’s back here, ma’am,” he directed to the people at the door.
I vaguely noticed that he was still shaken and pale and that he had already cleaned up his mess. Emery walked in the room and smiled at Corbin as she batted her eyelashes at him. Then her eyes widened. Her mouth dropped. An ear-piercing scream left her mouth.
I look
ed up to see the paramedics walk into the room. It took me a second to realize that their gait was off, their mouths were foaming, and blood-like tears were falling from their eyes.
“Run!” I screamed at Trevor as the paramedic went to lunge for him. Trevor rushed passed me and out the back door.
“Come on, Ave, Emery, we have to go!” I heard Corbin yell.
“No!” I screamed. “I can’t leave my mom!”
“She’ll be okay,” he murmured. “Run, Avery, run!”
My alarm went off forty-five minutes before we needed to leave. I rolled over to turn it off but found Axel on that side of the bed. I frowned. I didn’t remember him coming in last night. When Kingston and I had returned to the cabin, Axel and Wyatt still hadn’t returned.
Corbin and Easton had pulled out their hard drives that had thousands of movies and tv series on them. They put on House, and I got sucked into the drama. I’d never watched it before, and we were on the fourth or fifth episode when Easton insisted that we all go to bed.
I was surprised when Kingston walked me to my room and kissed my forehead before wishing me goodnight. I fully expected him to want to join me, but his sweet gesture and his thoughtfulness made me like him even more.
I leaned over to turn off the alarm. Had I been that tired, that I didn’t even feel Axel come to bed? I stopped to admire his body. He had no shirt on and only a pair of pajama bottoms clinging low on his hips. He had more than a six-pack, more like an eight-pack, and he had that delectable V. He was smooth all over, save for the little patch of black hair that stretched from his navel and slipping into his pants. I longed to trail my fingers down his happy trail and stroke what was at the end of it. I nearly snickered at my illogical thoughts.
I was going to give in to my impulses but thought better of it. After all, he was upset at me last night. Just as I was about to withdraw my arm, his own arms wrapped around me. He rolled me over, so that I was on my back.
“What were you staring at?” he asked smugly.
“Nothing.” I smirked. Then frowned when I realized my voice was hoarse. My throat hurt. Had I tried to run again? I couldn’t even remember whether I dreamed last night, let alone if I had run.
His eyes darkened for a moment, and he hummed in the back of his throat. Then he looked up and stared into my eyes, serious all of a sudden. “I never doubted your ability to watch our backs or hold your own,” he murmured without preamble. “I just wanted you to stay here and be safe.”
I gaped at Axel for a moment. My concern evaporated under his declaration. I figured this was his way of apologizing.
“I know.” I sighed. “And I’m sorry if I challenged your decision. I know your heart was in the right place, but for years I saw my mother kiss my dad goodbye and worry about him. If—” my voice broke, “… if anything were to happen to you guys, I want to be there. I need to feel like I did everything in my power to help.”
He nodded before he nuzzled my neck. “Were you okay finding me in your bed this morning?”
“I’ll never complain,” I said breathlessly without hesitation as his lips trailed over my neck.
He continued to trail his lips over my neck, and his hand slid below my shirt, trailing over my ribs and up to cup my breast. His fingers found my bare nipple and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger.
“Mmm,” I moaned, arching my chest up into his hands.
I heard a wailing right outside my door and stiffened. I groaned out from frustration as I realized Isa was awake. He surprised me by chuckling and rolling off of me in one fluid movement.
“Go hop in the shower,” he murmured. “I’ll go get her.” He reached up and stretched momentarily. I admired the bunching and rippling of the muscles in his back. His movements were so smooth and fluid; he reminded me of a jungle cat.
I stopped my admiration of his perfectly tanned body when his words sank in.
My mouth gaped open in surprise. I wouldn’t say he was adverse to children, but since we started our little journey here, he never made a move to touch or even go near one voluntarily. Did he even know how to hold a baby that young?
It took me a moment to realize he had closed the door behind him, and the light clicking sound snapped me from my shock. I hopped up and rushed to the jump in the shower.
I washed my body and shaved all the essential areas. Now that my sex life had gone from zero to sixty, I wanted to make sure I was always at my best. I smiled to myself, thinking I was a lucky girl. The men in my life were all amazing, in their own way.
Our relationship was so new, and I knew I had yet to get to know Axel, Kingston, and Easton well enough, but I was excited to start. What little information I’d gleaned from them impressed me, and there was no denying our physical attraction.
With thoughts of them, I finsihed up and quickly brushed my teeth, then went into my room. The fact that they’d given me the master without any debate let me know they cared about my comfort. They had set up the alcove for Isa without a complaint, had unpacked my truck of all my belongings, and had set all my things out.
I walked over to my dresser, pulled out a razorback Ironman bra, and slipped it on. My hands hovered over a pair of panties, but I shook my head. I was going commando today. The pleather pants I was going to wear today were tight, and I hated thongs with a passion. Digging a piece of string out of my ass all day wasn’t my idea of fun.
I slipped on the pants and was glad they fit, since I hadn’t had a chance to try them on that day at the mall. I put on a simple black razorback top next. It was fitted and left a thin strip of my stomach showing. I grabbed my leather jacket at the last second. I was going to be hot, but I didn’t know if we would run into the infected. I was really tired of washing their goop off of me.
I would suffer the heat if it meant I didn’t have to wash their guts off of me.
When I exited the room, I found Corbin and Wyatt organizing weapons on the table, while Axel was walking around shirtless, feeding Isa against his hard chest. She was so tiny and small in his arms, and he was so big and gentle.
Wetness spread between my thighs. I think I just felt my ovaries clench.
“Quick, Ax,” Kingston called out as he exited his room and tore off his shirt. “Hand me the baby, then take her back so Avery can club me over the head and drag me cavewoman style back to the room to fuck my brains out.”
Four sets of eyes turned towards my bedroom door, and I quickly ducked my head. I heard deep sounds of appreciation.
Corbin cleared his throat first. “Love your outfit, baby,” he murmured.
“I’ll like it better on my floor,” Kingston leered at me.
Corbin chuckled. “You’re such a dick, King.”
“About wanting her clothing on my bedroom floor? Because we all want that. Or the fact that I called her out for eye-fucking Axel? Seriously, Ave,” King teased. “What do I have to do to get that look in your eyes? Did no one else feel the temperature rise in here?”
Axel smirked. “Grow three inches, gain about fifty pounds, and get some more sun.”
“Not fair, bro, you know I lack the melanin that you and Easton have,” he grumbled.
“We should probably get going,” I mumbled in embarrassment. “I’m meeting Aunt Pam at the kitchens to drop Isa off, and we still need to eat.”
“She doesn’t function until her second or third coffee,” Corbin said as I turned. How he remembered that was beyond me. “Leave her be.”
If I hadn’t heard the laughter in his voice, I would’ve thought he was genuine in his attempt to stop Kingston from teasing me.
I sighed. If that was how the boys were going to play, not only was I going to have to learn the game, I would have to figure out a way to win.
I went over to the little alcove and to Isa’s dresser. I knew this was just a temporary solution and that she’d quickly outgrow this situation. Eventually, we’d have to figure out how to fit seven people in a four-bedroom cabin.
I pulled out her
diaper bag and placed some diapers in it, some wipes, extra clothing, and her empty bottles. Steph already told me to keep my milk in the fridge, and she would be pumping and bringing milk down for Isa. I then brought out another clean diaper and an outfit for her to wear right now. I impulsively grabbed a bow to put on her, even though she really did have a lot of hair.
“Does anyone else find it strange how Isa looks like a cross between Avery and Corbin?” Kingston said as he examined Isa’s little fingers.
My heart stuttered to a stop. I remembered Isa’s mother being fair, and her father could have been of Asian descent. Still, I never thought about the possibility of people actually mistaken her for mine. How was I supposed to handle that situation?
I wanted Isa to know about her family one day, and I always wanted her to feel like they had loved her. However, the older she got, the more she could understand. I never wanted her to feel unwanted by me either, though, if I immediately corrected people.
I stuffed all those thoughts away for now.
“All babies look the same,” Wyatt scoffed.
He still hadn’t looked up at me since Kingston's inappropriate comment. I didn’t know how to fix it. Did I explain myself to him? I couldn’t apologize for something I wasn’t sorry for.
“Are we ready?” Easton asked as he breezed into the cabin.
I thought he was still getting ready? I hadn’t realized he’d been outside.
He paused when he saw me. His eyes lighting with fire as he slowly perused my body down to the black boots I’d found. He took a few steps forward and cupped my cheek. “I’m sorry for being so…” he began.
I placed a finger over his lips. “I understand,” I whispered, then louder, so Wyatt could hear. “I understand that you guys are worried about me, but I don’t want to be stuck here worrying about you when I can be out there with you.”
“We don’t want to worry about you either, Ave,” Wyatt said as he pressed his chest to my back. “I understand your desire to be with us, but it doesn’t make it easier for us to stop worrying about you. Promise me you’ll listen to your instincts and Kingston while you're out there.”
