“I’m really glad,” I admit. “It gave me a little bit of family which was nice to have. Just sucks that my parents are so against this even though it’s the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Nick pats my leg. “I’m sorry, Hold. It’s not fair to you, but I think you made the right choice.” Nick flicks through a few photos, then puts the phone back in my hand. “They missed out on you smiling in this.”
It’s a picture of me and Sophie. She’s all soft and beautiful, elegant as hell and I’m smiling like I just won the lottery, got told my dream was reality, and never had a single bad thing happen to me.
“That’s a good one,” I agree.
“There are a ton like that. Your parents don’t get it, but they don’t have to. We’re happy and no one should take that away from us,” Nick insists. “You’ve earned this kind of happiness many times over. Don’t let anyone steal it away.”
I nod and take another drink of tea. “Thanks, Nick.”
“We’re in this together.”
I chuckle and nod. “We certainly guaranteed that.”
“Any regrets? Anything you would change about yesterday – other than your parents?”
I think about it and nod. “Yeah. I would have loved to see Gunner’s face and hear his vows.”
Nick laughs. “I’m sure someone got a video of it. Probably his mom. She loves camera phones. I think Gun says she has to back everything up to the cloud or she’d never have any room on the phone.”
I smile. “I never have space on my phone. Can she adopt me?”
“Don’t tempt her.” Nick winks.
He looks up as Roman joins us with another coffee. “I got our food. You guys hungry?”
“Always.” Nick pulls himself out of his chair and pats my back. “You have multiple families now, man. Don’t sweat two people among seven billion in this world.”
“Who’s Holden too good for, other than a solid majority of the population?” Roman asks.
I can’t quite hold onto my frustration when I have this much support, so I give it up and head inside, telling Roman not to worry about little things.
SOPHIE
After breakfast, Nick and I go on the terrace to paint. We’re working on one canvas and I keep second-guessing. “You can paint over this right? It’s not even a straight line.”
Nick kisses my cheek. “I’m not painting over a damn thing you do, woman. Just remember what Bob Ross says, okay? Happy accidents.”
“That’s all paintings are, right?” I remind myself. “A bunch of happy accidents.”
Nick looks at me and beams. I love being in his oversized shirt while we paint together. He makes me giggle, then swipes me with paint. I laugh and then paint on him too. We get back to the painting for a while until Holden comes out. He’s shirtless and all it takes is one look with Nick before I know we agree.
We pounce on Holden and paint on his chest. I do a sun along with the best puppy I can manage while Nick does a mountain range. Gunner sees us and grabs a paintbrush for himself. He works on Holden’s shoulder.
Roman shakes his head at us, swipes some paint with his thumb, then drags it over Holden’s forehead. “Simba.”
That breaks us all into laughter. Holden’s still smiling when I take a picture. He motions me forward and I shake my head. “No way. You’re covered in paint and this is an expensive shirt.”
He arches an eyebrow then catches me and gets paint all over me. We play around like kids until another sex break. That’s round three! But after, I feel an ache in my muscles, my jaw, and even my pussy.
I groan and shake my head. “No more today.”
“Until tonight.” Gunner swats my ass.
“I’m sore.” I pout.
Gunner’s up and running for ice while Roman feeds me and Nick gives me Advil. Holden rubs my feet, kneading the soles until I feel like I’m in heaven itself. How can I possibly feel anything but pleasure with these guys spoiling me nonstop?