Page 15 of Refusing Kendall

My oxygen seems to be in short supply, and my brain forsakes me, unable to think of a response fast enough. Would I love to be trapped between the two of them, surrendering myself over to their every whim? That’s not even a question. Fuck yes, I would.

I can tell he feels my answer in my body’s response to him. Tightening his arm around me, he starts moving faster.

“You like being our girl, don’t you?” he says with a harsh whisper into my neck, right before he sinks his teeth into the same spot.

His name falls from my lips with a moan as I let him push me over the edge. It’s only a few seconds later when he tenses behind me, finding his own release. We stay locked together like that until our breathing evens back out.

When he finally pulls away, he stands and helps me to my feet. Placing a soft kiss against my lips, his expression holds all kinds of promises for later as he asks, “Ready to find out where we’re going?”

I nod and attempt to straighten myself out before tossing on some jeans and a light shirt. As we make our way back into the kitchen, we realize that the others must have migrated downstairs, because the TV is echoing up to us.

“Grab your things,” Mav tells me, “I’ll round them up.”

I nod to him and make my way over to the desk where I set my stuff earlier. My phone, keys, and wallet are exactly where I left them, so I go about stuffing them in my pockets. I’ve just tucked my keys in my front pocket when I notice something strange on the desk. A picture from last Christmas of the five of us is lying face down in its little silver frame. None of the guys would have laid it down like that. Were this desk not built like a brickhouse, I’d say that someone just hip checked it and knocked the frame over. With it being so sturdy, though, I just don’t see how it could happen.

“You ready to go, baby?” Lucas asks from the top of the stairs.

“I think so,” confusion still evident in my voice.

He comes over and pulls me in for a hug, “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I shake my head to keep what I want to say from spilling out of my lips. Out of all of them, Lucas would probably be the most understanding.

Deciding to take the risk of sounding batshit crazy, I ask him, “How insane would you think that I am if I told you that I think that this house is haunted.”

He doesn’t laugh at me like most people would in his situation. Instead, he simply asks, “What makes you think that?”

I shrug, “There’s just been little things, like lights turning off, and just now I found our picture flipped over on the desk.”

He looks to where I’m pointing at said object and frowns, “I don’t think you’re crazy, baby. But, I also don’t think that the house is haunted. Think it’s possible that you being here without us all week is putting you a little on edge?”

“It’s possible,” I confess, and honestly, it’s true. Anything could have knocked that picture over.

“Alright bitches…and lady, let’s get this show on the road,” Teagan shouts as he hits the top of the stairs, oblivious to the conversation that Lucas and I are having.

Goose comes up behind him looking like he was taking the stairs two at a time, “Who are you calling a bitch?”

Their teasing kills the dark thoughts running through my head, “So, can I know where we’re going yet?”

“Nope,” Goose says, coming to steal me away from Lucas. He locks fingers with me as he tows me out of the house.

We load up in Mav’s black Range Rover, and I wait not so patiently over the next thirty minutes while he drives us to the undisclosed location. Sitting between Lucas and Goose in the backseat, they keep me sucked into a conversation so that I don’t see any of the signs leading to the place. Of course, once Mav pulls into the gravel drive, it’s kind of hard not to know as a massive Ferris wheel looms over the area.

“A fucking fair?” I ask in astonishment as we get out of the Rover.

Lucas’ grin reaches his eyes, “Yep. We heard about it today while waiting on coach, and we figured you might like to go.”

Thinking about the last time I went to a fair brings tears to my eyes and a pang to my chest. It was one of the last places that Nana and Gramps took me, one of our last trips as a family. My first and last time ever going to one.

He lifts my chin with a finger underneath it, “Why are you crying, baby? We don’t have to go. It was just an idea to get us out, spending some time together tonight.”

I reach up on my toes to place a sweet kiss against his lips, “This is amazing. Thank you.”

“Are we good?” Teagan asks leaning against the side of the Rover.

“Yeah, I’ve only ever been once, and it was with Gramps and Nana,” I admit.

I look over to Goose as he says, “We aren’t trying to replace those memories. Just maybe start a collection of our own.”

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