Page 9 of Seven is Swell

It’s not domestic bliss yet, but we’re going to get there as long as I have all these people in my life that will keep pushing me where I need help getting to.

Chapter Four

Delaney

There’s no way there were this many bodies in my bed when I fell asleep. Who the fuck has their hairy ass toes on my pillow?

Whatever. They can have the bed.

I stumble into the bathroom and throw myself under the shower, dying for caffeine already. How is it only a few weeks into the school year? Even with how busy my downtime has gotten, it feels like I’ve been in school for months.

There’s something bothering me that I can’t figure out as I throw on something suitable for class, then go about figuring out breakfast.

My phone.

I never heard from Wilder last night. He always calls before he goes to bed; I was planning on swinging by his office during the gap hour I have today, but maybe I should try and touch base with him before I have to go to class?

I’m worried that my relationship with him isn’t growing as fast as it could because we’re both so busy and because we live in two very different buildings, but that just means I have to try and carve purposeful time out of my schedule and prioritize him. It doesn’t feel fair that others are getting more of my time when I’m not even courting them.

Suddenly I’m desperate for a kiss from Wilder, so I decide to wake one of the twins in case they get snotty about me going somewhere alone.

I’m waking Jackson because it’s his foot currently resting where my head was. He’s changing that pillowcase for me later. Was that there the whole night? Ew. Men are gross.

“Hey, wake up. We’re going to get coffee for Ash.” I poke him in the forehead.

Jackson grabs me and pulls me into bed, making me fall over him so my crotch is right on his face. “Mm. Got my breakfast right here.”

I squirm and try to pull away as he tries to eat me through my pants. “This is all I need.”

“Should I take somebody else?”

“Ugh. Fine, no need to get ragey. I’m getting up.”

I check my phone again while he stumbles out of bed and does the bare minimum to prepare for the day, trying to reign in the anxiety that says the only way Wilder would have forgotten to call last night would have been if he suddenly decided I was a terrible idea and eloped with somebody else, or maybe he got kidnapped by a foreign circus that instantly recognized his talents and offered him bookoo bucks to join their show. Fuck. I hate the idea of a long-distance relationship.

Those are so clearly the only two options.

With a heavy heart, I head down the hallway with Jackson’s arm around my shoulder, aiming for the coffee shop between my dorm and Wilder’s office. Maybe if I bring him a really good cup of coffee and a nice, buttery, blueberry muffin he’ll reconsider leaving me.

“August is going to get all your school stuff together and meet us at your first class so you can spend a few more minutes with Ash.”

“Oh, okay. I should have just brought it with me.”

“That’s okay, that’s why we’re here. You okay? You sleep well?”

I turn and scowl. “Yes, except I woke with your feet inches in front of my face and your toe hair resting serenely on my soft satin pillowcase.”

“Cory was taking up where I wanted to sleep, I had to squeeze in where I could.”

“You’re not even sorry?”

“I was still in your bed, so I’m happy.”

I roll my eyes as he opens the door for me. The coffee shop is crazy, which is to be expected since students exist on coffee, but I generously let Jackson stand in line while I steal one of the only empty seats in the place so I can try and get a hold of Wilder again. At this point my aim is to annoy him enough that he texts or calls me just to tell me to chill.

He hasn’t responded to any of the texts I sent today and it’s too loud in here to call him, so I settle for yet more texts and try and sit patiently whilst also imagining all the people and/or situations that are clearly more important than me.

“Hey, you’re Adler’s sister, right?”

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