Page 43 of Lucy and Her Wicked Three

I leave the flowers at the reception desk and we make our way back outside. I follow behind the two, admiring how good they look together. Hands clasped together, Lucy swings her arm with his, while Silas tells her about the neighborhood. We've had the apartment for years, it was one of our first big purchases after college. We never considered not living together, which is why it was such a blow that Mateo moved out the way he did, though Silas doesn't share that part.

I've already heard Silas's casual plot to move himself into their penthouse. At the time, I gave him a side-eye and dismissedit. Now, watching the two of them looking so comfortable together… The thought makes me nervous.

We get to the bar a couple of blocks down. They don't serve food, but legally they have to provide snacks since they serve alcohol, and it surprises me none when Silas asks for a bag of Doritos with a pitcher of beer.

"You good with beer? They can make a cocktail, if you want."

The older woman behind the bar gives Silas a crooked grin, then turns to Lucy. Her voice is battered and raspy, when she says, "Sure, hon. Whiskey and coke. Vodka and seltzer water. Budweiser and Jägermeister."

Silas, still grinning, turns to Lucy and lifts one shoulder in amusement. "See? Cocktails."

Lucy laughs lightly, shaking her head. "Beer is fine. Thank you."

The bartender nods in approval and begins filling the pitcher, and since Silas is paying, I take Lucy's hand and lead her toward the back of the bar. It's dark, nearly empty, and smells like stale beer and peanuts. It's pretty quiet this early in the afternoon, but it's a go-to for us since their happy hour is cheap and starts at 2pm.

She gives me a calm smile when she climbs into the rounded booth and I climb in after her. We're both quiet and I feel strangely awkward, which isn't usually like me. I'm trying not to overthink it but this is weird.

Silas returns with the beer and bag of food, and surprises me when he climbs into the booth next to me, not Lucy, forcing me to nudge a little closer to her. We're crowded together in the large, half-moon bench and I can feel the heat of both their thighs pressing against mine.

Trying to ignore the tension, I help Silas unpack the food, which we lay out in the wrapped paper they came in. Silas pours the beers and we eat together while the two of them carryon conversation like they're old friends. Silas finishes his entire sandwich before we've even eaten half, so he grabs the bag of Doritos he bought and dumps the rest of the bag on his paper plate.

Lucy stares at Silas, slack-jawed. When he notices, he pauses, red fingers hovering over his open mouth, making me laugh.

"Don't mind him. Silas consists of 60% snack food, 30% creative genius and about 10% come."

It's quiet for a second, then Lucy giggles and I realize what I said. "Uhh, I just mean—"

"She knows what you mean, bro. And it's totally true." Then he turns to Lucy and winks. "So, how was last night? You're feeling better?"

"We didn't talk too much about..." Her cheeks blush. Fidgeting in place, her fingers cup her neck, and I notice the red ring around her delicate wrists. Reaching out, I take her hand, looking it over.

"You play a little?"

She nods and bites her lip, but doesn't pull her hand away.

"This feel okay?" I ask, gently rubbing the raw skin. It's not too bad, only evidence of bondage.

She nods again, trying to hide her smile. "It's a little sore, but the good kind, you know? I like seeing…"

"The marks?"

"Yeah. Is that weird?"

Silas leans over me to get a closer look. "Not at all. Everyone who likes bondage or impact likes it for different reasons. Sometimes, seeing the marks on your skin after the fact… it's a nice reminder of what happened."

Lucy nods enthusiastically. "Yes! That's exactly how it feels. It doesn't hurt, it's a little tender, but seeing the marks… though I'll have to find a way to hide them in the future. I mean, if I'm making a video or for pictures or something. Or just being out inpublic." She scrunches her brow, letting reality seep its way into her thoughts.

"What did he use? A necktie?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

I shrug. Knowing Mateo, since he kept this part of himself from Lucy for so long, it's not a huge leap to assume he had nothing to play with at their shared apartment. Which irritates me. A necktie works in a pinch but isn't ideal. He should have been more prepared. I'll chastise him later.

"Next time we'll use something that won't dig into the skin so much. And there are other ways we can mark you."

There's a hitch in her breath, and it takes me a second to realize what I've said.

I may have been feeling inadequate compared to Mateo and Silas, but my heart knows something my mind doesn't, and the words spilled out of me without thought.We can mark you. We. We. We.

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