Page 94 of Mayhem
“They met two years after my mother died, and we all moved in together a year after that,” Paetyn told her.
“I’m sorry, baby, but wow,” Erin stated. “I learn something new about you every day.”
“That’s the point, Maly.”
“I guess whenever Lena wants to have dinner, let me know, and we’ll make it happen.” Paetyn watched her turn and look at the timer on the oven before going to the refrigerator. “Do you want milk with your cookies?”
“No, thanks, baby,” Paetyn responded while Cruz shook his head.
She pulled the milk from the fridge and grabbed a glass and plate as the timer began to count down the last minute.
When it went off, she pulled the cookies from the oven, turned it off, and laid the baking sheet on the stove. Once the cookies were on a plate she sat it on the island between them.
They each had a cookie, and Erin drank her milk. When they finished, Paetyn covered the plate while Cruz loaded the dishes in the dishwasher. He turned his attention in time to see Erin yawn.
“Come on, Angel. Let’s get you to bed.”
Paetyn took her hand and led her up the stairs with Cruz behind them. He led her into the guest room directly in the middle of their rooms.
“This is the room Alijah, Chayse, and I changed in last summer,” she stated.
“It is. Since it’s the same distance to each of ours, we figured it could be yours,” Paetyn stated.
“And why do I need my own room?”
“You may want your own space,” Cruz stated. “Or there might be a day where you’re pissed at both of us and don’t want to be in bed with us.”
“If I’m mad at you both, I’m going home,” Erin countered.
“There’s no way we’re ever letting you leave mad, and the only reason you’d get to go to bed mad is that you were being stubborn,” Paetyn informed her. “We also don’t typically tend to sleep in each other’s bedrooms.”
Paetyn felt the need to clarify bedroom because they did end up sleeping in each other’s playrooms from time to time. It’d happened over the weekend, which was likely why Erin was confused about why they were giving her a room to herself.
“So, you’ll sleep with me in here when I want you to?”
“Yes,” they answered simultaneously.
“But if for some reason I only want to sleep with one of you, I could do that in your bedroom.”
“Right,” Paetyn responded.
“I guess I can understand that. You share so many things that I get how keeping your bedroom as that overall separate space sets an easy boundary for now.”
“For now?” Cruz asked.
“Yes,” Erin responded. “It works for now because we’re still in the beginning stages, but it isn’t feasible in the long run. Three years from now, I won’t want to flip-flop between your rooms every other night or constantly have you sleep in a roomdesignated as mine, and there’s nothing of yours in it.” She shrugged. “But we’re a ways off from that. We can deal with it when and if it comes.”
Paetyn understood where she was coming from, and he agreed that when it was time, they could come to an arrangement that worked for all of them. However, they had never reached that point in their other relationships, not even their longest one.
“Can I borrow a T-shirt from one of you?”
“Of course, Angel,” Paetyn stated, exiting the room. He went to his bedroom, grabbed her a shirt and his phone, and returned to find her standing in only her panties. Paetyn gave her the shirt, and she thanked him.
She slipped into the shirt before climbing up the middle of the bed and getting under the comforter. She patted the left side of the bed before shaking her head and patting the right.
“You prefer this side,” she stated. Paetyn couldn’t help smiling at her because he did.
He slid into bed beside her, placing his phone on the nightstand and turning on the lamp. A few minutes later, Cruz returned, turned off the overhead light, and got in on the other side. Once they were all settled in, Erin’s leg over Paetyn’s waist; after she pulled Cruz against her back, Paetyn turned off the lamp.
