Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

MELANIE

W e down drink after drink, shot after shot. The more I consume, the less I care about the past and my current predicament. All I care about is partying and having fun. The hours pass quickly. We dance and fall back into our younger years of teenage ragers.

More people arrive, filling the house with so much noise I’m surprised no one has called the cops. The older people left before dark, but our generation is living it up tonight.

I couldn’t be more lost in the chaos and fun if I tried. Exhausted, I flop onto the couch in the living room, taking up the entire space. I’m enjoying my buzzed state. I can’t remember feeling this relaxed in a long time.

Oliver comes to join me. He lifts my legs and sits down, laying my thighs across his lap.

“Having fun?” he asks.

“Definitely.” I giggle as Kent scoots in to sit beside Oliver with my feet on his lap. Simon lifts my head to place it on his thighs. I’m now basically lying across all three of them.

“Not quitting, are you?” Simon smiles down at me.

“No.” I giggle. “Just need to rest a moment.”

Kent pats my legs. “We are at your service. I’m glad you decided to come back.”

“Me too,” I admit. “I needed this. I haven’t had fun in a long time.”

“How come?” Simon asks before taking a sip of his beer.

I shrug, my thoughts drifting to my ex. “Stress. It’s hard to relax when you’re constantly walking on eggshells. I never knew what mood he’d be in.”

“Your ex-husband?” Oliver guesses.

I nod, then sigh, glancing at the people partying around us. “At first, it was great. We went out, talked about everything. For many years, it was great. Until it wasn’t. He stopped trying in everything except chasing the high. Pills, drugs, alcohol. It didn’t matter to him as long as I supplied the money for it and our living costs. He quit working, just sat around all day. I was mentally and physically exhausted trying to do everything while he did nothing. And don’t even get me started on the verbal outbursts. Never knew what would set him off.”

“He didn’t hit you, did he?” He frowns.

I shake my head. “No. He didn’t cheat or physically attack me. Maybe that’s why it took me so long. It was always mental. He’d manipulate me into feeling bad for him or guilty for being upset. I tried to be understanding and not push him. I let him get away with lying and played his mind games for so long I think he honestly believed I was the problem in the end. I just couldn’t handle it anymore and decided it was time to live my life for me again.”

“I’m sorry you went through that,” Oliver says. “You deserve to be cherished and not taken for granted.”

“Absolutely!” Kent says. “And we’re going to make sure you remember how important you are from here on out.”

“Oh, really?” I giggle. “Pray tell, how do you plan to do that?”

“By pampering you and showering you with attention.” Simon taps my nose with his fingertip, making me scrunch up my face with a wide grin.

Honestly, they’ve been doing that all night already. This is the first moment I haven’t had a drink in my hand; every time one of them noticed I was running low, they’d go make me another. They have a lot of guests and people who want to hang out with them, but they haven’t left my side once. My ex used to be that way—super attentive and kind—but that died. For Simon, Kent, and Oliver to respond to my needs before I’ve even acknowledged them is giving me butterflies.

They listen when I speak, include me in conversations when they’re talking to someone else. This night is beyond perfect, making me glad my mother dragged me to it. I’ll have to thank her tomorrow.

“Shots!” someone shouts.

To drive away more thoughts of the past, I jump up. The quick movement has me swaying slightly. Oliver and Simon grab my arms to steady me.

“I’m good!” I assure them.

They release me as I head toward the table where the shots are lined up. We each down a drink and everyone cheers. The liquor warms my belly.

“Who wants to play beer pong?” Kent yells over the noise.

“Oliver and I against you and Melanie.” Simon points at Kent in challenge.

“Okay.” I agree when Kent looks at me with his eyebrows raised. “But let me use the ladies’ room first. I’ll be right back.”

“We’ll be here setting it up.” Kent calls after me.

I wave my hand in acknowledgment.

“Wait for us!” Tiffany, a woman we used to go to school with, rushes to hook her arm in mine. “We’ll go with you.”

I cringe, but keep walking. I hate her and her gang of baboons. She’s always pretended to be nice to me to get close to Simon, Kent, and Oliver. Not that it didn’t work. I’m sure they all fucked each other at one time or another back in the day.

Tiffany and her friends aren’t the only ones who used to do it, though. I just hope she doesn’t bombard me with the same fake friendliness as she did when we were younger.

“It’s amazing you and the guys stayed friends all this time,” Tiffany says. “I was sure that once you stopped being neighbors, they’d have left you behind.”

She and her crew giggle as if what she just said is not offensive. I roll my eyes. They haven’t grown up at all in twenty years.

“But here you are, hogging all their attention again. But don’t worry, we’re not jealous. We’re much more mature now. They’re just guys, right?” She slaps my arm playfully.

I wince as her skinny-ass hand cuts through air like a fucking knife stinging my skin.

Faking a smile, I reply, “Of course! Excuse me.”

I point to toward the bathroom before slipping inside. I shut the door and lean back against it. I release a heavy breath.

Thank God that’s over.

As much as I love hanging out with Simon, Oliver, and Kent, there are some cons that go along with it. I’ve dealt with questions of what it’s like, the constant aggravation of being interrogated for information on them, and the whispered gossips of my sluttiness.

You’d think that since high school is over, it wouldn’t be that way anymore, but obviously it is.

I never told Kent, Oliver, or Simon about it. They’re cocky enough without me adding to their oversized egos. But if they knew what others used to whisper about me, they’d have been pissed.

Truth is, as close as we were back then, we’ve never even come within a centimeter of sleeping together. They were my main group of friends, but we never crossed a line into more. Of course, I’ve thought about it; just not recently.

I finish my business in the bathroom and head back to where Simon, Kent, and Oliver are, content no one is waiting for me.

My steps falter when I see a gaggle of women talking to each of them, including Tiffany and her friends.

I do not want to get into that. Turning around, I walk over to where everyone is dancing. And by dancing, I mean grinding. It’s kind of hot to watch. I haven’t had sex in months. It would be nice to have a good orgasm. Lord knows I need it.

A new song blasts through the speakers. I sway in place. The tempo isn’t slow or romantic. It fits the crowd of booty-bumpers; the nostalgic rhythm makes me move without much thought.

Hands touch my waist. I don’t know who they belong to, nor do I care. The attention Kent, Oliver, and Simon have been showing me all night has me craving intimacy. The various alcoholic beverages I’ve downed are probably also contributing to my desires and lack of boundaries.

Whoever’s behind me tugs me back into their body. I go willingly. I’ve missed the touch of another. I didn’t realize how badly I needed it until now.

Our bodies move to the music, grinding and rolling. My breathing speeds up with lust coursing in my veins. The firmness of the man’s chest and thighs are as hypnotic as the music. His hardened length presses against my backside.

I push back more, loving the feeling of it.

“I’ve always wondered what that ass of yours would feel like against my cock,” Simon whispers huskily into my ear.

My heart skips a beat. Never in a million years would I have ever guessed that he would say something like that to me. But I like it. A shiver courses down my spine.

For Simon to say he’s thought of me in a sexual way is mind-blowing. With my head clouded in lust and alcohol-induced bravery, I lay my head back on his shoulder, enjoying the moment.

I hum my agreement to let him know I’m as into it as he is. Across the way, through the crowd of dancers, I see Kent watching us. His broad body is similar to Simon’s. Muscular and dominant.

Kent leans up against the wall, a bottleneck beer in one hand while his other rubs down his scruffy facial hair. His blue eyes bore into mine.Next to him, Oliver watches Simon and me with the same intensity.

I reach my arm back, letting my fingers rake through Simon’s short brown hair.This is probably only happening because we’re all wasted, but that doesn’t faze me. Whatever happens tonight will be forgotten in the morning.

For now, I’ll just go with the flow.

Kent and Oliver stroll over toward us and form a circle around me. Our bodies sway as one, getting lost in the music.

I’d love nothing more than to have these three fill every crevice I own with their hard cocks. It would be a dream come true.

My body shivers with the lusty thought.

“Do you know how sexy you are?” Simon’s hands slide up my waist to my sides as he pulls me even closer, grinding his cock into me.

My head is muddled with need, making it hard for me to come up with a response. His words have a blush covering my cheeks. Simon’s always been a flirt, so it isn’t surprising that he’s good with words, but I never imagined them being spoken to me in such a provocative way.

“We’ve struggled to keep our hands and eyes off you all night,” he continues.

My knees wobble, but no one would be able to tell with all of them hanging onto me.

“What would you do if we took you somewhere more private and showed you how a real man takes care of his woman? Would you stop us?”

I shake my head, breathing heavily.

Simon kisses my cheek. “Let’s go upstairs and see if we can end this night with a bang.”

I glance up to judge how Oliver and Kent find the idea. They have the same dazed, hooded look in their eyes as I do. It sends another wave of tremors through me. Simon takes my hand and guides me through the throng of people toward the stairs. Kent and Oliver follow.

Even with the fog clouding my brain, I can’t believe this is happening. My heart pounds in my chest as we walk into Kent’s bedroom. Oliver locks the door behind us. If I wasn’t so drunk, I’d probably question how our reacquaintance went from friendly to sexual in a matter of hours.

Simon lets go of my hand and faces me.“Are you sure this is okay? If you’ve changed your mind or you’re not comfortable, we can go back downstairs, take more shots, and pretend this never happened.”

I glance between them. They stand, waiting for me to make a decision. There’s no judgment or pressure, just patience. I’ve spent most of my childhood doing what others expected of me. My life as an adult has been a constant need to please my ex-husband.

For once, I want to let my hair down. I don’t care how we got here or why they seem to be on the same wavelength. All that matters is I'm about to fulfill one of my wildest dreams: seeing what my three best friends are like in bed. It could be all the booze I’ve digested in the last few hours making me courageous enough to say yes, but I couldn't be more excited.

“I want this,” I say.

As if a weight has been lifted off their shoulders, they all release a heavy breath. Simon wraps one arm around my waist, pulling me closer. His other hand cups my cheek as he leans down to capture my lips in a deep, tongue-tying kiss.

While I'm lost in Simon, fingers touch my hips and waist. Kent and Oliver’s heat envelop me from both sides. Simon breaks the kiss, immediately turning me toward Kent. Our lips come together like magnets, as if we’ve done this a million times. Someone’s—I’m not sure whose—fingers undo the buttons of my shorts while someone else’s hands slide up to caress my breasts.