Page 17 of Plaything

“I don’t really drink, but I’ll definitely come over,” I agreed.

“Yay! Okay, cool, we can watch movies and drive Henry nuts,” she giggled. Henry was her husband. He was incredibly nerdy and a genuinely sweet person. He loved Anna endlessly, and they were perfect for each other. “I’ll pick you up?” She offered.

“I don’t live in the dorms anymore-”

“No problem, just text me your address—Henry! Don’t touch that! You dummy, that’s filled with bleach—Odette, I’ve gotta go. Send me your address, and I’ll be there in an hour! Love you,” she hung up the phone before I could insist on driving myself.

Putting my phone in my pocket, I was met with Wyatt and Aiden’s looks. Wyatt smirked. “It looks like your Saturday isn’t going to be as redundant as it usually is.”

I realized that my phone was on medium volume, and in this house where everything echoes and everyone could hear everything, they’d listened to our conversation.

I smiled. “Yeah, I guess I have a volleyball game to be at. I’m going to my friend Anna’s house after,” I explained.

Aiden shifted towards me. “Who’s Henry?” He asked, shameless of his snooping.

“He’s Anna’s husband. And eavesdropping isn’t nice,” I informed with a pointed look. I wasn’t mad, but it wasn’t any of his business.

He put his hands up in surrender. “Just curious,” he grinned. “You have Niko’s number; if you’re going to be late or stay the night, let us know,” he ordered.

Wyatt shot Aiden a warning look like he was worried he was being too forward. He let out a small breath before smiling at me. “Or if you need a ride back home, don’t hesitate to call,” he added.

Huh. Were they worried? They definitely seemed protective. It didn’t make sense to me, and I wouldn’t admit it to them, but I appreciated their worry. It made me feel safe.

I smiled, grabbing my blanket. “I’ll be home before midnight,” I assured, hoping to ease their unnecessary stress.

Chapter Four

Niko

Dinner was unusually quiet.

I had my own reasons for not speaking. My mind was elsewhere, daydreaming of the beauty with long raven hair. Her eyes were deep blue and full of sweetness.

My definition of perfect had changed in the past twenty-four hours.

From the moment my gaze landed on her, it only took three short minutes for me to realize who she was. I didn’t mean a student that’d been in my class. I mean, who she was to us. Who she was going to be. I’d never been more confident about anything in my life.

Wyatt had already scolded me for ‘being too flirty,’ which I rolled my eyes at. He hadn’t figured it out yet. Deep down, I knew he knew exactly who she was. I saw the way he looked at her and how he was somehow always in the same room as her.

Dominic was hesitant, too, not wanting to admit finding her was as easy as this. She walked right through our front door. It was almost ironic, in a way, how hard we searched just for her to find us.

Last night, Dominic entered my room, his expression calm yet confused. Until then, I’d never seen him look so unsettled, so unsure of himself. I recalled the conversation in my mind.

“She has to go,” Dominic pointed toward the door, his voice low.

I sat up, pausing from grading assignments. “What?” I cocked an eyebrow, tired and not understanding. “Is everything alright?”

“No,” he huffed. He ran his hand through his hair. “I heard footsteps an hour ago, so I checked downstairs. Odette was sleeping on the ground by the fire, so I moved her to the couch,” he started. “When I held her, Niko, it felt right. For the first time in years, I felt hope,” he admitted, his arms crossed over his chest.

That caught my interest. Of course, he felt it, too; how couldn’t he. It was so obvious, wasn’t it? Didn’t we all know it was bound to happen, like some unspoken agreement? “Took you long enough,” I smirked.

Dominic cringed and turned away from me. “Don’t say that. This can’t happen. You know that as well as I do. We can’t feel this way. She needs to leave,” he said again.

Always with the dramatics. I didn’t think it was that complicated. I cocked an eyebrow. “Or... we allow ourselves to have everything we’ve ever wanted—”

“And risk her not graduating? Our careers? Our reputation? You can’t assume she feels anything for any of us, let alone all of us,” he shot back. “It will be easier if she leaves now. I can’t be around her for another second,” his face turned into a glare.

He was right—but just barely. We’d never push a polyamorous relationship as much as we desire one. Not to mention the minor and major kinks we all came with. That might not be what she wanted. She seemed innocent and shy... but those are usually the most fun.

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