Page 57 of Bottoms
I smiled, looking up at the ceiling. They may not be giving me complete freedom, but it was enough.
“Where are we going to live?” I wondered if they had made that decision yet.
“I don’t know yet. You haven’t told me where to live yet, and you’re living with me. The others said the same thing, by the way.” Tanner’s voice was lighter than I had ever heard from him. Like when he gave up all the control he thought he needed, he found peace.
I understood what that was like.
“I hate the city,” I started, wanting to see if he would start insisting that we live here or there for business purposes. After a moment of silence, I decided to continue. “But I do want to graduate and have my master's. Even if I never use it, I need to have something that says I at least accomplished something.”
Tanner nodded and smiled as I let my thoughts spill into the empty room. I felt the tip of his pinky finger, reaching out beneath the covers until he found my little finger to hook with his.
“I guess that means we should live in Bottoms for now, but after that, I want to go somewhere quieter,” I sighed, pushing my dream into the universe. For once, there was hope it could be something more than a fantasy. “Do I get to have a job?” I asked, turning to Tanner for permission.
“I don’t have a problem with it, but we will have to ask the others.”
“What happens if you don’t agree?” I asked. That would be when the cracks in their already rocky foundation would rear their ugly heads. I couldn't almost die every time they forgot the cost of their disagreements.
“Majority vote. If we are tied, you get to break it.”
I nodded my head. That sounded rather civilized, and I wondered how Fynn felt about going from total control to being a single vote.
“Do I get to decide your occupations?” I teased.
“No more than we decide yours. I suggest you let us find work where you want to live or define the work, not the place. Reaching for an inch and grabbing an extra mile might bite you in the ass if we decide to do the same,” Tanner cautioned.
I took a deep breath, trying to let that piece of advice sink into my brain for a moment.
“Do you want me to tell the others you are awake yet?” Tanner asked after a long stretch of silence filled the room.
“What time is it?” I was pretty sure he had said it was Sunday now.
“Probably somewhere around eleven at night,” Tanner said, helping me with the specifics.
“I think we should let them rest before there’s any more excitement,” I said, feeling exhausted even though I had apparently slept for the past three days.
Tanner moved in closer to me. Shrinking the space on the empty bed between us, he cuddled up to my side, careful not to move too much. It took him a while before he settled in, his breath evening out as he fell asleep, still holding on to my hand with his pinky.
As tired as I thought I was, I found myself lying wide awake, listening to his steady, even breaths. Delicately, I turned, careful of my stitches, to get a better look at Tanner. His expression looked peaceful as I took the time to study him. The scar that ran through his eyebrow was partially covered by his black hair, and I carefully reached up to swipe it to the side.
I heard the faint sound of the door to my bedroom opening, and I froze in place, closing my eyes.
“Found him,” Nik whispered before laughing lightly.
“He better not break her stitches open,” came Colten next, sounding more like the version of him I had come to know inside his apartment. Guess they all needed to change up the hierarchy.
“He’s not going to hurt her,” Nik said, and I heard my door slowly start to shut.
My hand moved down to cover Tanner’s heart, and finally, I drifted off into a deep, restful sleep.
“Nessa?”Colten’svoicerousedme from my refreshing sleep.
My eyes blinked several times as they opened to find Colten staring down at me from above. His thick glasses framed his eyes, but he looked concerned.
“What’s happened?” I asked, trying to sit up, but Colten’s firm hand landed on my shoulder, preventing me from getting up before I remembered that my stomach had stitches. The burst of pain that shot through me was enough to make me grimace, but it wasn’t horrible.
“Everything is fine,” Colten whispered, putting on a fake smile that didn’t meet his eyes.
I turned my head to the side, noticing the bed was empty and cold.
