Page 77 of Ember

Ember:Hell no, you four are more than enough. I’m just lovable. That’s got to be why someone sent me flowers.

There wasa chorus ofyes you are, of course, and so on from the group chat and I smiled. They were all pretty great.

Maybe it was a client that I helped? But then they would have signed their name.

It didn’t feel sweet. It felt weird, now that I was allowed to discount the men I was dating.

I finished my day, stopped by my cottage to get some clothes and a few essential blankets and Squishmallows since Rian said it was okay, and then drove over to their house.

West was stuck in traffic and Alejandro was still at work, so when I pulled in, it was just Rian and Ben. “Hey.” Rian pulled me into a kiss, wrapping his arms around me like we’d been parted for days and not hours. He let me go and steered me over to Ben, who also kissed me like a dying man.

When Ben pulled away, I blinked. “If that’s how I get greeted all the time, we can spend the night a lot.”

“Yes.” Rian took my bag. “Make yourself as comfy as you want.”

I shouldn’t have been tired considering how deeply I slept, but I was. “Couch cuddle time?”

“Please.” Ben sounded relieved. “Today was grueling.”

Ben brought me over to the couch and wrapped me up with a blanket. Rian sat on my other side, and I sighed.

Rian nudged the coffee table with his foot. “Your presents are there, but we’re going to make you wait until West and Alejandro get home.”

I grumbled. My brain paused. He said home, like this was our home. Again, I was shocked he didn’t mind us here.

I played with Rian’s hair, finally allowed to touch it. I pulled it out of the man bun and began braiding it. It was too short to do a long braid, but I could work with the inch or so he had. “You don’t have to share all your nests. I won’t be upset.”

“I know.” Rian relaxed. “I thought I would feel a lot more territorial than I do. But honestly, I’m glad the house smells like you three now.”

“We can spend time at the cottage too if you want.” I rubbed my face on Ben’s chest. “I’m not trying to keep you away from it.”

“I don’t mind either, but our bed is bigger.”

“There is that,” I said, listening to Ben’s purr. West came home next and sat next to Rian and pulled his laptop out. His projects were acting squirrelly too. Maybe we were cursed.

Alejandro arrived a bit later, and I received my presents, records, chocolate, and Squishmallows and hugged each man in turn.

West glanced. “Can I tell them now? Bullet dodged?”

I sighed. “Sure. But, I mean, it’s not a no.”

We were back to cuddling on the couch. Alejandro snorted. “That sounds like a no.”

“Ember doesn’t like store-bought flower arrangements.” West looked up from his laptop and then back to his screen.

“It’s not that I don’t like them.” I fiddled with my new ultra-soft, plush blanket.

On the TV, a group of amateur chefs were trying to dice onions. We put the show on to unwind because Alejandro judged them and it amused me.

“Which is why they didn’t come home with you?” Ben asked, brushing his fingertips down my arm.

“I couldn’t stand the smell anymore.” I debated for a minute just ripping off the Band-Aid and talking about being in the hospital. Just a quick heads-up. But every time I brushed against the subject, the thought of explaining anything made me tired.

“Noted.” Ben patted my arm. “No store-bought cheap flowers like some basic mouth-breathing alpha.”

I laughed.

“What about flowers picked by the side of the road?” Rian asked.

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