Chapter Twenty

Niko

M y dick hurt. So did my thighs and my whole groin area. We had a home gym, but even an intense workout was nothing compared to fucking at least eight times in a single day. I’d lost count, but whatever the number was for me, it was quince for Odette. I couldn’t imagine how sore she would be today, so I didn’t complain aloud once.

The soreness was entirely worth it, and if I had a drop of cum left in me to give her, I would have done it again today.

The entire day was beyond my expectations of how I imagined it would go. She was fucking perfect. She brought out something in all of us that’d been missing for years; a dominance we possessed but couldn’t quite grasp.

There were a few moments yesterday that felt like a religious awakening. I knew Aiden was particularly anxious about all of us being with her together; in the past, that was usually when things went south. Odette was nothing like the women we’d tried to have a relationship with in the past, and I felt guilty for the whisper of comparison. I respected any woman I’d been with, or that we’d been with, there was no question about that. But after yesterday... every other touch, kiss, or glance I’d ever received or given seemed dull.

Any doubts we had melted. Odette wasn’t playing a part; she wasn’t trying. She was entirely in her element, although it was uncharted territory for her. She felt safe with us, secure enough to lose herself in the relinquishment of control and the pleasure that followed.

She needed us just as much as we needed her. She was our poison and antidote, and we were hers. Yesterday was proof that we’d never get enough until it was physically impossible to keep going.

I woke up this morning feeling like a new man. For starters, I’d finally got to fuck my dream woman. For over a month, I’d been fucking my fist in the cold shower to the thought of her pussy squeezing around me. Whenever I’d be lucky enough to play with her pussy, I nearly busted in my jeans. There were many times in class when she’d be chewing on the end of her pen or her long legs would cross together in a skirt, capturing all my attention. I’d never been challenged more in my life, living with a constant boner while she was almost always ten feet away from me.

It was difficult, to say the absolute least. But after yesterday, it was worth the torture. This morning, I woke up and could think clearly for the first time in over a month. It was ironic because still, I only thought of her.

Luckily for me, I was overly confident in my feelings. Dominic had issues, Odette had issues, and Aiden was always too busy worrying about everyone else to let himself realize his own emotions. Wyatt was like me; he didn’t have a bad family or a bad childhood. Although I’d never heard him say the words to a woman, he could admit when he had strong feelings like I could.

It was easy for me to admit that I was absolutely in love with Odette. It was simple, and I didn’t think it needed to be some dramatic or spoken emotion. If I told her, she’d freak out; I was sure of it. Love wasn’t something that needed to be spoken about anyway. I think deep down, she knew that I was enthralled by everything that she was. I wouldn’t tell her I love her yet, but I’d make sure she knew I did.

Wyatt probably loved her, too. I could see it in his heart-shaped eyes and the cheesy smile he gave her when she wasn’t paying attention. I doubt he realized it yet, let alone was ready to admit it to himself. But I knew my friends. And my little Wyatt—bless his twisted soul—was wrapped around that girl’s finger.

Honestly, Aiden, Dominic, and Odette probably hadn’t even thought of it. They weren’t the stereotypical romantic, head in the clouds, ‘believers of love’ kind of people. They had issues that I was glad I didn’t possess. Whether it was connection issues, guarded emotions, any kind of abuse, or the incapability to let themselves love and be loved in return, they all had some of it.

I loved very easily. I loved wholly and wasn’t scared of feeling my emotions. With that being said, I’d gladly take away any of their pain, any of their issues, or bad memories. I may give my friends shit and joke around, but I’d jump in front of a train for them any day. They knew me inside and out, good and ugly.

Wyatt and I were fortunate to have had the childhood we did. Supportive parents, great childhoods, and all the happy family memories one could ask for. I couldn’t imagine growing up in Dominic’s shoes or Odette’s. Aiden’s childhood wasn’t bad, but after his mom died, his dad turned into a raging alcoholic.

Connections were complex for the three of them, to say the absolute least.

I doubt I’d ever actually hear the word love come from any of their mouths, and that was fine. It would probably take them years to even think of love—that was just who they were.

As for me, I loved that little nympho, and I was going to show it this morning by making her breakfast.

“Hey, good morning!” I greeted a very tired-looking Dominic.

He instantly went for the coffee machine, shocker . “Is she up yet?” He grunted in true caveman style.

Did he see her anywhere? I wanted to make a snarky comment, but I thought it was best to let it have the coffee before I angered it. “She has class early, so I’m sure she’s getting ready.”

“Let’s hope she has a turtle neck or a scarf,” he grinned while taking a seat at the counter.

“I worked hard on those bruises; I should make her wear a low-cut top. All those fuck-head college boys would back off,” I smirked. She’d be so embarrassed all day long... it was tempting. She was painfully oblivious to all the little dick assholes who stared at her all day. They were my students, and I cared for them, and as one of the assholes who stared at her, I get it. She’s hot. But as the asshole who gets to call her his, I wanted to rip the eyes out of those little college boys... and some of the girls.

“You could pluck their eyes from their head; they’d still swarm around her,” he scoffed.

Aiden and Wyatt entered the kitchen just as I was about to ask about Dominic’s bruised and scraped knuckles. The man had a temper like wildfire; as soon as it started, it caught and spread through him. If he got into a fight, it was never unjust, and he was more likely to take it out on a punching bag than an unlucky creep at a bar. Still... I was curious where he went Saturday night after Odette told us about Charles and his business partners. For obvious reasons, Dom had issues when it came to sexual abuse. Hearing that was triggering for him, as much as he tried to hide it.

Again, I’d take it all away if I could. All the punching bags in the world couldn’t fix him. Nor could the creeps at bars who got too handsy with the waitress.

“Is she functioning yet?” I joked, smirking at Wyatt. After their shower, we put on a movie to unwind. She was asleep before the opening credits began. All of us were a bit on edge but prepared if she dropped. We didn’t consider yesterday severe, but it was way more sex than any of us planned for. Just like she said, she seemed perfectly content. She went to bed with a smile and kisses for everyone.

Wyatt nodded. “She’s in the shower. I almost feel bad about the limp,” he added with a chuckle.

“Knock knock!” We gave each other questioning glances as Jamie’s booming voice echoed through the house, followed by footsteps.

Aiden lifted his brows and opened the kitchen door, revealing all our friends at six in the morning. “What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Where’s Odette?” Reesia asked as her eyes roamed the area.

“In the shower—is everything okay?” Wyatt asked. It was strange that they were all here. Obviously, they must have planned this.

Vincent tilted his head towards the living room. “The news from Saturday’s dinner is all over local news channels and ten newspapers,” he explained. “It’s bad.”

Oh shit. We all expected some kind of publicity to surface, but this wasn’t good. Considering Odette kept her life incredibly private, she would hate this.

Reesia perked up and smiled. “Hot girl in the shower. Naked?” Was all she mumbled before she bolted up the stairs.

“Reesia!” Collin scolded.

“It’s like Christmas!” She called back.

“You should put a leash on her,” Jamie scoffed.

Collin shrugged. “I’ve tried that. She’s into it,” he deadpanned.

Reesia basically had idiot freedom. She was harmless, even if I was ticked that she’d see Odette naked. Collin wasn’t easy on her when it came to punishments—which she frequently got because she couldn’t control herself. Again, Odette was hot, and I understood. She was still ours, and I knew for a fact that if any one of our friends got the chance, they’d steal her.

Jamie was incredibly interested in our girl, which made me extra weary of her. I loved Jamie, but if anyone had enough charisma to steal Odette or even borrow her... it was Jamie. The woman was a powerhouse who somehow seduced even the straightest woman into sleeping with her. None of us could crack the code, but Jamie had an extraordinary power.

Reesia was harmless.

Jamie was not.

Collin only had eyes for Reesia, no matter how difficult she could be. He was mostly harmless with one exception: Collin gave Reesia whatever she wanted... and Reesia wanted Odette.

Vincent wasn’t harmless either, but he’d never cross us or risk our friendship.

Vincent and Aiden chuckled at Collin’s comment before we settled in the living room and turned on a local news channel.

“Holy shit, what happened to you!” We heard Reesia blurt before laughing.

Odette shrieked before we heard a stumble. I could picture her ferociously covering herself with a towel, petrified that Reesia saw her naked. It made me chuckle, along with everyone else in the room. The thin walls were a blessing and a curse. “Reesia, what—get out!” Odette stumbled through her words as something loud thunked onto the floor, and the shower turned off.

“What did you do yesterday?” Reesia sang in a sarcastic, cheery tone, teasing our girl. No doubt poking fun at the love bites riddled all over her body.

Their voices muffled out as Odette’s shock and Reesia’s excitement lessened.

Our friends caught on quickly and sent the four of us knowing smirks. “What did you do yesterday?” Jamie repeated in a sultry tone.

There was no hesitation as Aiden answered, “Her.” He pressed play quickly, ending the conversation. I smirked, knowing damn well Jamie and Vincent wanted more details than that.

“Our sources say that the man who marries her will inherit north of 17 billion dollars,” the anchorwoman informed. “Her heart is the key to some lucky man’s fortune.”

“Indeed, Linda. Let’s take a look at some photos from the will reading on Saturday,” the anchorman started. Photos of the dinner began sliding on the screen. Everything looked lavish and expensive; it wasn’t hard to believe that was the world Odette came from. She was always dripping in luxury and carried herself like someone who came from old money. To me, the images looked like a front covering for the wickedness that happened in that house.

“Several of Charles Whitlock’s business partners, his ex-wives, beloved staff, and bell of the ball, Odette Whitlock, were in attendance. You are now seeing images taken from trusted inside sources of the will being read... lots of sad faces at that table. Charles is truly a spectacular man. He’s donated billions to charities over the past two decades. As he approaches the end of his time with us, all he wanted to do was assure those closest to him were taken care of.”

There were pictures of everyone looking bored at best. The photos took a turn, and soon, only Odette was on the screen. Tears ran down her flushed cheeks, her eyes wide with shock, looking extra vivid and bright blue against her red eyes and blue dress. My heart broke for her and how sad she looked for that man. Even crying, she was the most beautiful woman Aphrodite ever created.

How dare they publicize and profit off these images... how could her fucking father hire publicists to capture and write stories about it. If anything, it should show people how twisted he was. He didn’t care about any of them; he wanted everyone to think he was a saint. After all, when he died, the only thing that would be buried with him was his reputation. He couldn’t take his billions.

“None more so than his daughter, Odette. Would you look at her? She’s stunning. Maybe she’d marry me,” the anchorwoman joked. “I don’t think she’ll have any trouble finding a husband. That’s Charles’ wish for her; he wants to ensure she has someone in her life to take care of her after he’s gone. If that fatherly love doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, I don’t know what will.”

Jesus Christ...

“Come on, you’re all over the news!” Reesia said from the top of the steps.

“We should turn this shit off,” Aiden spat.

“It’s all bullshit,” Vincent chimed in. “None of the guests were crying or remotely sad. We were all ecstatic about getting a check for millions of dollars. And those pictures don’t do justice to how heartbroken that girl looked, it was fucked.”

“He’s practically pimping out his daughter to the highest bidder,” Jamie said with a scowl. “How are you feeling about all this?” She asked us.

Truth be told, I wasn’t worried about men lining up to try and woo her. She wouldn’t fall for it. I just wanted to keep her safe, emotionally and physically.

“The fucking man literally put a price on her, then advertised her to the world. Do you know how many people would kill for 17 billion dollars? Charles might as well have set up a kidnapping and ransom while he’s at it,” Aiden seethed. “She’s not safe. How could he think this was a good idea?”

I hadn’t thought of it like that. Leave it to Aiden to think of the worst-case scenario. My eyebrows knitted together in concern as I let that reality sink in.

Hearing approaching footsteps, I quickly wiped the stupid look off my face and turned to smile at Odette. She dressed conservatively in a white long-sleeve turtleneck and a black skirt with tights, covering any of the marks I worked so hard on. Shame. Reesia was trailing behind her, looking off. Her gaze was cast downward as if in deep thought.

She was probably upset that Odette was fully clothed now; I knew I was.

Odette scanned the room briefly, not noticing the smirk that Jamie sent her before her attention locked on the news.

“Our reporters spent all day yesterday interviewing with the attendees of the will reading. Everyone has been interviewed except Lestat Mercer, who no one has heard from since Saturday, and the girl everyone is eager to hear from, Odette Whitlock,” the anchorwoman continued. “All these interviews can be watched in full on our website—” Aiden turned off the TV.

This was the hottest story in our state in years, so it wasn’t surprising so many of Charles’ guests agreed to an interview. Attention and money hungry...

In my peripheral vision, I saw Dominic and Collin share a brief glance. I thought nothing of it, and then every red flag in my body went off. Chills crept up my spine as the woman’s voice repeated in my mind. Lestat Mercer, who no one has heard from since Saturday. Dominic’s bloody fists.

For my own sake, I never officially asked or wanted to know what Collin did for a living. All I knew was that he was a good man who did terrible things to bad people. The less I knew, the better. It never affected our friendship, nor did he advertise it. His occupation had only been hinted at in the past. Luckily, if I was ever in a position where I’d need to vouch for him in court, I’d honestly be able to say that Colin was a quiet man, and I didn’t know what he did for a living. Because I didn’t.

Dominic and Collin were close, and I knew that if Dominic felt inclined enough to ask for help... Collin would know what to do and how to do it.

I wish I’d never seen that secret glance. And by the steady looks on everyone else’s face, no one else picked up on it. Not even Aiden.

There was no doubt in my mind that Lestat wouldn’t be interviewing anytime soon...

Dominic, what the hell did you do...

I’d never say a word about the glance I saw. Like Collin and Dom, it was something I’d take with me to my grave.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and smiled at my girl. “Good morning, Cari?o, breakfast?” I offered, although my mind was elsewhere.

Her eyes broke away from the black screen before she shook her head at me. “No appetite,” she said with an appreciative look. I couldn’t blame her. “I have a test and have to go, or I’ll be late,” she said quickly.

Wyatt stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, gently swaying. “Are you okay?” He asked quietly, referring to her name and face plastered all over the news.

She nodded absentmindedly. “It’ll blow over in a few weeks.” She’d been through this kind of thing before, but it was much worse this time. The world knew she was ‘worth’ 17 billion dollars. That didn’t happen every day...

“You’re going to be very popular with the other students today, Doll,” Aiden warned. “Your professors would understand if you took a day or two to yourself and let things calm down,” he suggested compassionately. I could tell he wanted to demand that she stay home, but he was polite enough to give her the option. I also thought it was best that she lay low for a few days.

She shook her head. “No offense, but people my age don’t really watch the local news on a Monday morning before six,” she added with a halfhearted smile. “It’ll be fine; everyone has their own problems to worry about,” she dismissed.

She had a point. Finals were quickly approaching, and she’d be safe from peers bombarding her with questions until the afternoon when they saw the news on social media. The university was private and had security all over campus. I was confident that she’d be safe and no one would try to physically harm her. I was not as confident in how she’d handle this mentally. Aiden was right; she’d be very popular today for all the wrong reasons.

“If things get bad, go home for the day, got it?” Wyatt insisted.

“I will,” she promised before checking the time. I’ve gotta go, but I’ll see you after school.” She gave each of us a smile and waved bye to Reesia before rushing out the door.

...She left in a hurry. Maybe I was overthinking it or worried about her, but something seemed strange.

I wasn’t the only one who picked up on her behavior, as the four of us shared similar confused looks. Aiden moved quickly, practically jogging to the front door to catch her before she left. When he opened the door, we heard her tires moving against the gravel as she left.

“What do you mean?” Collin asked in a hushed voice as Reesia whispered something in return, but I barely paid them any mind. It was Reesia, after all, who knew what went on in her mind. My girl just left in a way that unsettled all of us, and I was cursed with the speculation that my friend may have done something awful. I had other things to worry about than her ramblings.

“She was probably just overwhelmed,” Jamie tried to comfort, noticing our concern.

As I was about to invite everyone into the kitchen for breakfast, Collin took Reesia’s hand firmly. He brought her closer to the middle of the room. “Tell them what you told me,” he ordered.

Reesia widened her eyes at her husband as if he’d betrayed her. “She made me promise I wouldn’t tell, I told you that!” She whispered.

“Now, Reesia,” he cocked an eyebrow at her, leaving no room for question.

“What?” Dominic encouraged.

There was a solid five seconds of inner turmoil as Reesia battled with herself. She made a sound between a whine and a groan as she blurted words impossibly fast. “First of all, I want it known that I told her she needed to tell you, and I scolded her and everything for not telling you. She’s gonna hate me forever because she made me promise that I wouldn’t say anything to the four of you because she was embarrassed. Still, she didn’t say I couldn’t tell Collin, so if she asks, he told you, not me!” She didn’t pause to breathe.

What the hell was she talking about? My elbows were on my knees as I leaned forward, trying to unravel the tangled words of Reesia at six in the morning.

“She didn’t give me any of the dirty details when I asked about yesterday, but she told me that at the end of the day, she felt fine, and there was nothing wrong, and she was happy. Then she said after everyone went to sleep, she felt horrible—long story short, she had a massive sub drop and bawled on her bedroom floor for an hour. She was embarrassed and kept saying how she hated that she was ‘the girl who cried after sex’ whatever that means,” she rolled her eyes and scoffed. “I told her how stupid that was, and she brushed it off like it was no big deal and said she was fine now. And now my stomach hurts...” She finally took a breath and held her torso.

...

We failed. So fucking horribly.

As if a cannonball had dropped right onto my stomach, I felt sick. Not only did we fail to see signs of a drop, but she also didn’t feel comfortable coming to us.

We should have waited longer; we should have had a conversation about what happened. We were all so tired that we neglected the possibility of her dropping later in the evening.

Deeply ashamed of myself, I was rendered speechless at Reesia’s admittance. Odette said she was embarrassed? I thought we’d assured her enough that she could come to us with anything and everything. Obviously, we hadn’t. She was deeply misled by her own thoughts and upbringing, convincing herself that crying was in any way embarrassing. We mentioned sub-drop but never went into detail about it or why it happened. Fuck, we may have only mentioned the phrase itself.

Just on Saturday night, we spoke about how she’d always had to self-soothe. How could we be so careless?

I wanted nothing more than to go back in time, wake myself up, and be there for her—like we should have been last night.

The absolute worst part was that there was a significant possibility she was still dropping. If her distant behavior this morning was any sign, she still wasn’t okay. She never got the proper aftercare and that was entirely on us.

There were fucking four of us. We’d been engrossed in this lifestyle and community for years, decades even. We knew better. We failed her.

I didn’t know how much time had passed before Wyatt spoke. “Are you sure, Reesia? You’re not mistaken? I don’t recall her leaving bed last night,” Wyatt asked gently, trying to convince himself that Reesia had misheard Odette.

Reesia wouldn’t have said it if she wasn’t entirely certain. We’d all seen how badly Reesia got when she dropped, it wasn’t something she took lightly. The people in this room knew that if Reesia had a bad day and a bad drop, her trauma response was to age regress. Collin did a great job of ensuring no one saw her vulnerable, taking her away from others before it got too bad. It wasn’t something they or anyone else liked to talk about, and I understood.

Reesia nodded.

Another thick silence blanketed the room as our thoughts ate at us. My day was ruined, and I knew my friends all felt the same.

“Shit happens,” Jamie spoke softly, much softer than her usual tone, attempting to make us feel less shitty, but it didn’t work.

“It shouldn’t have happened,” Dominic rasped back before he stood and headed to the kitchen, surely to fill his cup with more coffee.

Aiden barely made any noise as he left the house, probably hoping he’d catch her before her first class. On the way down, he’d realize that even if he did see her, he’d catch her off guard before her test.

Right now, there was nothing we could do except accept our failure, make plans to talk with her as soon as we could without affecting her day and ensure that we didn’t let this happen again.

The day was crawling. The universe must have known that I was itching to see Odette and make sure she was okay. I texted her to ask how her test went and if her peers were behaving, and her responses were positive.

She knew that we knew about her crying last night; she must have seen Reesia whispering to Collin about it, which was why she left in a rush. She was embarrassed and didn’t want to face any of us.

It wasn’t a conversation that should have been had over text. After class, I’d make sure she was okay, and then we could have a proper discussion when we were all home tonight.

Hours passed like days as my classes dragged on. My students would’ve never known I was bothered. I wouldn’t let my personal problems affect their education like that; it wouldn’t be fair to them. So I plastered a smile on my lips and taught the best way I knew how.

Finally, after four classes, it was time for my last class of the day. The group of students I’d been eager to see all day started piling into my classroom. I absentmindedly greeted them, making quick remarks about their drenched coats from the downpour outside. My eyes stayed locked on the door, waiting for my girl to make an appearance.

I heard the voices of other students asking questions in the hall, and dread filled me.

“Is it true that you’re already engaged?”

“Remember me when you get the billi!”

“My brother is single if you want to marry him.”

“Odette, how are you? We haven’t spoken in so long. I’m here if you need anyone to talk to.”

“Have you seen the news? You’re all over it! You’re like totally famous, girl.”

“If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here for you, Baby.”

“We haven’t met, I’m Chase.”

Odette, surrounded by kiss-asses and brown nose students, entered the room. Besides the flock around her, the first thing I noticed was her eyes. Even from across the room, she’d obviously been crying. Her undereyes were dark and puffy, and she looked exhausted. Her body was swallowed by a hoodie with the hood up. It belonged to Wyatt, but no one here would know that, as he only wore it around the house.

Had it been like this the entire day? Receiving borderline harassment from the same students who I’d never seen talk to her. It was pathetic.

“Everyone, take your seats!” I called, making them disband from her. She slumped in a chair in the back row, but students still turned to look and whisper about her among themselves.

A boy I recognized as Tristan took the chair next to her. He was on the student’s team with her when playing volleyball against us. He hadn’t spoken to her since the game, nor did he ever sit near her during class. I observed momentarily as he spoke to her with a stupid grin plastered across his mouth.

Couldn’t he and everyone else tell that she wanted to be left the fuck alone? She didn’t respond to him and seemed to tune out as she shifted away from him, blocking her face with the hood.

Her eyes met mine, and I watched her shoulders drop as if she’d taken a deep breath. I wanted nothing more than to wrap her in my arms, block out all the noise, and scare her monsters away. Why hadn’t she gone home? It was more than apparent that the students had been awful to her. She looked broken down and done.

My blood boiled, and I found my mask slipping. I was a professor, but right now, my job—my priority—was making sure she was okay.

As everyone settled, I quickly texted Aiden, Dom, and Wyatt.

Niko: It’s bad.

Aiden: What did she say?

Niko: Nothing. She’s in my class and has been crying. Probably going to end class early and take her home.

Wyatt: I rode with Dom, leave her keys on your desk, and I’ll take her car back after work.

With a rough plan in mind, I set my phone down and began the spiel I’d given to my other classes that day. The planned lesson was simple; it was Monday, so I never gave them a hard time. Most of them were still asleep and would remain asleep until about Wednesday.

To everyone else, my eyes roamed around each student. Really, I was watching Odette and looking around the class every few seconds to make it look like I wasn’t entirely fixated on her. She wasn’t paying attention; her eyes were locked on the floor as she zoned out.

Tristan was still trying to talk to her, whispering as if to not interrupt my lesson. It was when he kept scooting impossibly closer to her that I stumbled a bit in my rehearsed lesson. Every few minutes, he would find a way to move his chair. When his chair couldn’t physically move any closer, he leaned, practically shadowing her. His need for her attention was pathetic.

My voice barely changed, and the stumble was mostly unnoticed—not by her. Her eyes flickered to me for a moment before she turned to look at the boy. I couldn’t hear her whispers, but I’d come accustomed to her lips and made out the words, ‘Leave me alone, Tristan, or...’ I didn’t quite get the threat, but whatever she said made him move several feet away from her, back to his own desk.

That’s my girl.

As the class went on, I announced I’d have to leave early for an appointment, which added an excited buzz to the students. Sometimes, I lied and let them out early just for fun. I figured professors like Dominic and many other assholes gave them enough to deal with. I wouldn’t assign extra work or make them stay after if it wasn’t necessary. It also required less work and grading for me.

Thirty minutes before class was scheduled to end, I released them. They excitedly piled out, a few still throwing a greeting or a question to Odette on their way.

Odette took her time collecting her things, no doubt to buy time while all the other students left. I waited until the door clicked shut before I started up the steps to her. She’d just stood from her chair, and before I could mutter a word, she wrapped her arms around me, nuzzling her nose into my chest.

“I know, Baby, I’ve got you,” I comforted, holding her tightly and running my hands down her back. “Why didn’t you go home?” I questioned.

She looked up at me, and I grabbed her chin, inspecting the redness around her usually bright eyes. I expected to feel sad, but a surge of anger ran up my spine. Odette was everything soft and sweet. I didn’t understand how the world took advantage of that so often.

She took a deep breath, but her hands stayed fisted in the back of my shirt. “Every time I step out of a building, cameras and microphones get shoved into my face.” She rolled her eyes and harshly wiped away a tear. She hated crying, and I guarantee she was sick of the tears today after last night. “I didn’t think they’d... I mean, everyone is so far up my ass today, they won’t leave me the hell alone,” she humorlessly laughed.

“Reporters are on campus?” I knitted my brows in concern. They shouldn’t be.

She nodded. “Since I got out of my car this morning. I should’ve listened to Aiden.”

Now wasn’t the time for I told you so’s, but... yes she should have.

She finally pulled away and sat on the table’s edge, taking the hood off and running her hand through her hair. “I’m so tired; I wouldn’t have gone home anyway. With my luck, I’d fall asleep and sleepwalk off a cliff,” she smiled, trying to lighten the mods with dark humor.

There wasn’t anything funny about being too scared of your own memories to sleep alone. “I’m taking you home, and we can nap, okay?”

Surprisingly, she didn’t object. She only had one more class, and I half expected her to say she could tough it out. With God as my witness, I would have dragged her over my shoulder to my car. Give the reporters a good show. She was done for the day.

She convinced me to let her drive her own car after explaining that if any reporters stuck around and saw Wyatt drive off in her car, it would be too obvious. So I reluctantly walked a few feet behind her to my own vehicle, glaring as five or six reporters rushed to her, prepared with cameras, notepads, and microphones. She said nothing, not giving them the time of day.

The front door opened, and my friends entered the house, immediately seeing Odette dead asleep on top of me on the couch. Cat was curled up on Odette’s ass, where he’d been for the past four hours since we got home. It was adorable, and I took too many pictures of them on top of me.

I held a finger to my lips, signaling them to keep quiet. She wasn’t kidding when she said she was tired. She didn’t stir once. As much as I had to pee, I wouldn’t dare move and risk waking her.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t sleep. Now that I actually had time to think and process the past 72 hours, my mind was in overdrive.

After contemplating everything, I realized that if my hunch about what Dominic and Collin did to Lestat was correct... I understood. This morning, I was too baffled and shocked to even try to understand why Dominic may have done such an irreversible, life-changing thing.

What Charles’ business partners did to her, what her own father put her through... they deserved to suffer. Lestat wasn’t done with her, either. Why else would he approach her at the dinner? He was a rapist, a pedophile, and a morally corrupt man. Those kinds of men didn’t stop—Odette was not the only girl he’d gone after. That, I was sure of.

The anger I felt today just from some jackass students making her cry... nearly made me throw Tristan across the room. I couldn’t imagine what Dom felt the night she told us. Not that the rest of us weren’t strongly affected by the situation, but we weren’t assaulted by our own fathers like Dom was.

So... I understood. I’d never do much as think the words or admit it actually happened... I couldn’t. Just like I didn’t need to confess my love for the sleeping beauty on top of me, I didn’t need to admit what happened to Lestat Mercer.

“How is she?” Dominic asked as he and the others took seats around the living room.

“Tired,” I joked. “She’ll be just fine; those kids wouldn’t leave her alone, and neither would the reporters.”

“Did she mention last night at all?” Wyatt whispered. “I swear to God, she was in bed all night. I’m sorry, guys.” His tone was heavy with guilt, and he blamed himself.

“Don’t be; it could have happened to any of us. Everyone was tired,” Aiden assured, dismissing his apology.

I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t the time—”

“Fuck off,” Odette mumbled in her sleep before her hand rested across my face.

What was I, an alarm clock? I chuckled at her foul mouth, recalling Aiden mentioning she wasn’t the kindest to him in her sleep.

“Welcome to my world!” He grinned as if he was overjoyed that others were around to witness her sleep attitude. She’d never actually tell any of us to fuck off, but the brain works differently when we sleep. She loved her sleep; there was no denying that.

With her hand still loosely covering my lips, I pulled one of her dainty fingers into my mouth and bit her.

“Cat...” she jerked her hand away. It took everything in me not to laugh. I was also curious about how often Cat gave her a little love nibble at night.

Hearing her scolding his name, Cat meowed from on her ass, which made Odette finally open her eyes. Her cheek had the imprint of my shirt button, her hair was wild (probably from my hands running through it while she slept), and her eyes were heavy. She looked much more herself than she did earlier. “Did you just bite me?” She mumbled, looking disoriented.

“It won’t be the first time,” I flirted.

She sat up, knocking Cat onto the couch as she straddled me and rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?” She asked.

Suddenly all my focus went into keeping my dick at bay. Don’t get hard. Don’t get hard.

“Almost six,” Aiden took the liberty of bringing her attention to the rest of the room.

Her eyes snapped to the three of them, their features dimly lit by the fireplace. “Did you just get home?” She asked, clearly having their schedules memorized. She shifted off of me, sitting on the cushion behind my legs. Cat was quick to jump in her lap.

Aiden nodded. “With Chinese food,” he gestured to the takeout bags beside him. “How about we eat dinner and discuss what happened last night?” He prompted.

Damn, no beating around the bush tonight, I guess. I would have been a bit more gentle but to each their own.

Odette tensed before averting eye contact, busying herself with petting Cat as if his orange fur had become the most interesting thing in the room. “Reesia told you,” she deadpanned.

“No,” Dominic lied. “Collin did.” It was a white lie, one that hurt no one. Reesia did the right thing by telling us, but Odette might not see it that way for a while.

Odette seemed surprised and relieved at the same time. They’d become friends, and I was glad Dom was a quick enough thinker to lie. Her eyes widened as she peered up at us. “I really don’t wanna talk about it,” she admitted.

“Baby, why didn’t you wake us?” Wyatt began, ignoring her request. “We want to be there for you if and when you have sub drop. There’s absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Although his tone was soft, you’d think he was scolding her from the way she avoided looking at us. “That’s not what it was. It doesn’t matter because I’m fine—”

“It does matter, Odette. Maybe not to you, if that’s the lie you want to tell yourself. But it matters a lot to us,” Aiden chimed in. I sat up and wrapped my arm around her so she wouldn’t feel like she was being talked at. She was uncomfortable, and this would be an uncomfortable but necessary conversation.

“Sub drop is chemical. It’s as simple as being on a dopamine high for hours, then kicked off of it. It’s a very real thing that happens all the time in our community and when people have the kind of sex that we do. You think what happened last night was something as simple as crying. You think it was something you needed to be embarrassed about.”

“It is so much more complicated than that. It’s a chemical reaction that can be triggered by nothing except those hormones.” Aiden was leaning forward as he explained. “Doll, it’s our job to care for you, fuck, it’s something we love doing, something we want to do. What happened last night was entirely our fault because we didn’t see the signs. I could go on and on about my regrets and what we should have done, but I won’t. We failed because you should have never had to go through that alone. We won’t fail you again, I promise you that.”

She finally looked up from Cat’s fur when he confessed it was our fault. She looked guilty, which wasn’t his intention, and showed how selfless she was. “Cari?o,” I grabbed her chin and made her look at me. “Do you understand?” I asked.

She nodded. “I’m sorry—”

“No... we’re not mad at you, Baby. You have nothing to be sorry for.” I tilted my head at her. “There won’t be a next time, but if this happens again or you don’t feel okay after anything, or even if you have a bad day... come to us. Let us help you. You’re done dealing with shit alone,” I promised.

“Okay,” she croaked before blinking away a tear that threatened to fall.

“Can you tell us what happened?” Dom prompted, showing his curiosity.

She shrugged. “I don’t know what happened.” Her stomach growled, and I couldn’t help but smile at her. Such a big sound from such a small woman... She pointed to the bags of Chinese food. “I hear fried rice is good for memory. Maybe if I eat some of that, it’ll jog a reason,” she tempted cutely.

When was the last time she ate? She didn’t have breakfast, and I knew she didn’t typically eat during school. I jumped up and beelined for the bag, realizing she hadn’t eaten in a day.

Say what you will about intermediate fasting, but in this house, we eat—especially her. I swear to God, the woman never feeds herself. I don’t know how she survived all those years before she met me. If feeding her was my love language, so be it. I loved feeding her because it drove me nuts that she counted iced coffee as a meal — her and Dom both.

“Alright, kitchen, everybody,” I announced as I carried the bags to the counter. “Before Odette’s stomach tries to kill me again,” I smirked over my shoulder at her.

“You know... your friends really can’t keep anything to themselves,” Odette said as the corner of her mouth lifted in a smirk. “Who gave my number to Jamie anyway?” She asked, looking around at the four of us as we piled food onto plates.

I waited for one of them to answer, but they gave me the same apprehensive look in return. None of us gave Jamie her number... why would we?

“What the hell did Jamie do?” Aiden demanded.

Odette pulled out her phone, where she had what seemed like a million unread messages and missed calls. She turned her phone around and showed us a text from Jamie.

Jamie: If you need tips on how to make hickeys go away, I can help.

She was no better than a man. I crossed my arms and looked at my friends who had similar stances.

“What?” Odette looked between us with a confused expression.

“She’s trying to fuck you!” I deadpanned. “That woman has been after you since day one; don’t fall for her tricks,” I warned.

Odette laughed as if we were over-exaggerating. “And you’re worried that I will?” She cocked a brow.

“Yes,” we said in unison.

She scoffed. “In case it wasn’t obvious, I’m not really into girls. Even if I was, do you really think anyone else could live up to my expectations that you’ve set?” She absentmindedly complimented.

Pride ran through my veins and erupted in my stomach in tiny tingles that some would call butterflies.

Wyatt kissed the back of her head as he reached around her and grabbed an egg roll. “We said she’d seduce you... not that we’d let her keep you,” he corrected.

Instead of enjoying our food in the dining room, we settled around the kitchen counter. Odette didn’t need a reminder to answer Dom’s question from earlier as she began trying to explain what’d happened the previous night.

“I just woke up sad?” She started, seeming unsure of her words.

“About anything in particular?” Dom pushed.

She took a bite of noodles as if to delay the answer as she stared at him. Gears turned behind her eyes, contemplating her answer—which was an answer in itself. “Maybe I got a little insecure and compared myself to other women—which is stupid, I know ,” she admitted, looking annoyed at her own words.

“It’s not stupid,” I responded quickly. “I have to stop myself from glaring at my own students whenever they even look in your direction,” I confessed. “So, if you had a boyfriend or slept with someone before us, I’d detest them without knowing them— just for being with you.” My Spanish almost slipped for a moment as I tried to think of how to explain myself. “I have no problem admitting that any and all past women don’t compare to you in the slightest.” It was true, and I was happy to share that with her.

My friends all nodded in agreement.

“Do you have any questions about women we’ve been with?” Aiden asked. “We’ll tell you anything you want to know,” he shrugged nonchalantly.

She shook her head but obviously appreciated his openness. “No, it’s not that,” she assured me while picking at her food—something she did frequently when trying to avoid eye contact. “I really like how everything is now, and I don’t want to sound clingy or anything because I’m not,” she prefaced while holding her hands up. “But, I don’t want to be like them, you know? From what you’ve told me, it was just sex with all of them. I don’t want that. And that’s why it’s so stupid to cry over because none of you have ever made me think or feel that way... but I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” she finished with a roll of her eyes, clearly annoyed at her mind running a muck. Her cheeks were tinted pink at her admittance as she took another bite.

“You, my Darling, are much more than sex,” Dom chimed in. “Perhaps the reason you felt that way was you realized it wasn’t just sex to you either?” He speculated, deepening her blush.

Despite her blush, she smirked. “If you’re insinuating that I have feelings for you, how dare you. I’m only in this for your dicks and money,” she teased.

Laughs filled the room, breaking the slight tension around her. Her posture loosened as she took another bite, her eyes wandering between us with a peaceful smile.