One too Many

Chapter 41 🌶️

Samara

I can't sleep.

As I lay in bed, cocooned in the warmth of their love, the comforting weight of their presence surrounds me. My brothers aside, I've been so used to solitude, to isolation, that being surrounded by so many people who care about me feels surreal. I didn't know I needed this kind of care until it was offered so freely.

I lay on my back with Cale directly at my side and Cole on my other side with Johan between us. Asher, Dominic, and Ian are sitting at the foot of the bed—wherever there is an open spot to sit.

We really need a bigger bed.

They are chatting quietly about everything and anything as each of them cares a part of my body. 

I look up again to find Cale staring down at me with adoration and a warm smile.

He leans down and peck my forehead. He's gentle, careful, always with that sense of protectiveness in his gaze. His eyes are filled with understanding, with love, and I know without a doubt that this—us, the connection we're building—this is real.

Asher takes position as close to me as he can with all the bodies crammed on the bed, and holds my hand, While Cole gently caresses my hair. The intimacy of it all is overwhelming. I've spent so many years keeping everyone at arm's length, hiding parts of myself that I thought were too broken to be loved, but here they are—holding me, loving me, as if I'm the most precious thing in their world.

My heart flutters in my chest, and it's not from fear this time. For once, it's from something else entirely: a deep, calm love that feels like it's been waiting for me all my life.

"You're okay now, Angel," Asher says, his voice soft, laced with a tenderness that makes me want to bury my head in his chest. "We've got you. Always."

His words soothe me like nothing else. I've never been good at letting go, at allowing myself to be vulnerable, but here, with them, I feel safe enough to do so. I squeeze his hand, my grip a silent promise that I'm not going anywhere. We've crossed that line, that line that separates the past from the future, and I know that I'm not going to let fear control me anymore.

The others—Cale, Dominic, and Ian—each show their own quiet affection. It's subtle at first: Cale's fingers tracing soft patterns on my skin, Dominic's gaze always finding mine as if to reassure me that I'm not alone in this. Ian's touch is constant, his hand brushing against mine, his body leaned close enough for me to feel the heat radiating from him. They don't speak much. They don't need to. It's in the way they act, in the way they're all here, their presence like a protective barrier I never realized I needed.

"Can you just... stay with me?" I whisper, suddenly overwhelmed by how much I want them near me. It's not a question. It's a need.

And without hesitation, they all nod. It's not just about being with me physically; it's about being there emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Their silence speaks volumes.

"We'll stay forever, Darling," Dominic promises, his voice low and soothing.

The comfort of this moment, with all of them close by, is indescribable. I can feel their hearts beating in sync with mine, as if we've all finally found our rhythm. And as my eyes flutter closed, I find myself smiling, even in my exhaustion.