Page 61 of Letters to the Lost

“I’ll be fine. I’ve invited the girls over for a sleepover, it’ll be good. Normal,” I tell him while searching my closet for the perfect thing to wear tonight.

“Are you looking forward to going out?” I shout out to him, hoping he hasn’t just walked off and left me looking like a crazy woman shouting at nothing.

“I am actually, none of us have been out in nearly a year,” his voice sounds from directly behind me, “I don’t think we’ll stay out late though.”

“Why?”

“Because none of us like being away from you for very long, Babygirl.”

“You are not allowed to crash my sleepover!” I warn.

Finally finding what I was looking for, I hold up Atlas’s old band t-shirt from when I first came here with a yell of triumph. It went missing under all the new purchases the guys insist I buy or that they buy for me constantly when we are out, I now have more clothes than I know what to do with. Blowing a piece of hair away from my face, I wiggle doing a small victory dance after feeling like I’ve done a workout searching through all these clothes.

“God you are so fucking cute Babygirl,” Tobias groans appearing before me, pulling me into a searing kiss that leaves me breathless.

“No time for sexy stuff!” Zander’s deep timbre voice interrupts from my closet doorway, “We were supposed to leave five minutes ago.”

“I had to make sure she was going to be okay,” Tobias grumbles.

“I’ll be fine! Now get before the rest follow you both up here and then none of you will ever leave,” I joke, smiling softly at them.

“And you’ll be okay at the sleepover?” Tobias asks, referring to the nightmares that still plague me.

“What sleepover?” Zander asks, his eyes narrowed.

“Relax Muffin-man, it’s just Shan and Ellie coming over for some girl time. And it’ll be fine, they are going to sleep on the other side of the house. Far enough away that they won’t hear anything.”

“That sounds good,” Zander says before he pulls me up from the floor and into his chest, “Have fun Princess.”

He places a quick kiss on the side of my forehead then pulls away with a smirk when he sees how needy I am now. This man's voice does things to me, I swear.

“I love you!” I shout to their retreating forms. Muffled responses come from down the hall, a final ‘I love you’ being screamed from Dominic who is outside waiting by the car.

???

“So, who’s the best kisser?” Ellie asks once we’re four cocktails in.

“I’m not telling you that!” I laugh “Plus I don’t have favorites, they all kiss great.”

“Boooring…” Shan drags out, “At least tell us something!”

“I can’t! They are all different but in the best way.”

Ellie fake gags “How sickeningly sweet. Imagine being in love.”

“You could get anyone you wanted. You are beautiful,” Shan tells her, a blush covering her cheeks.

“Yeah? You think so?” Ellie asks her, leaning into Shan’s space.

“Y-yeah I do,” she stutters a bit before straightening her shoulders and answering her with a determined tone.

“Are you going to let me take you on a date, Little Mouse?” Ellie asks her.

The both of them are so caught up in each other, that they forget I'm sitting right here. They have both been flirting with one another for months, and I am so unbelievably happy for them both. Unable to contain my excitement, I squeal when Shan answers with a yes, startling them apart, their eyes wide and goofy grins on their faces.

“No, please carry on. This is better than TV.”

“Shut up!” Ellie smacks me with a pillow, making me spill my drink on the beige rug.

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