Page 64 of Medium
“I wish we could get him into the shower,” I said as I pulled the top sheet over him.
Rory neatly folded the comforter at the foot of the bed. He picked up Ellis’ dirty clothes, folded them, and placed them on top of his shoes on the floor of the closet.
I got a washcloth from the bathroom and dampened it, then I ran it over as much of Ellis’ skin as I could, paying careful attention to his neck. He didn’t rouse.
Rory pulled Ellis’ other clothes out of his bag. “I don’t see any spare glasses.” He began to put the clothes on hangers in the closet.
“That’s okay. We’re going to his place tomorrow.” I paused with Ellis’ hand in mine and the washcloth against the inside of his elbow. “I mean, are you good to go with us? Do you need to get back for work or anything?”
He looked down at Ellis’ shirt. “Nah. I called in sick for the rest of the week.” He carefully hung the shirt on a hanger.
“Um, we’ll probably be leaving in the morning. You don’t need to hang stuff up.” I dried Ellis’ skin with another cloth.
He shrugged. “It’s something to do.” When Ellis’ bag was empty, Rory placed it next to his dirty clothes on the floor of the closet. Then he walked over to the bedside table and turned on the small lamp before flicking off the overhead light. “That’s better. He’ll still be able to see if he wakes up, but it’s not so bright.Hmmm.”
He went over to his backpack and rummaged through it before pulling out a light blue button-down. He went back over to the bedside table and draped the shirt over the lamp. The light dimmed even more, and the blue material gave everything a soft, almost romantic vibe. Rory nodded to himself. “Better.”
He walked around the room, moving the armchairs slightly so they were equally spaced below the window. Then he straightened the pictures on the walls—bland landscapes I doubted Ellis would’ve looked twice at.
Was Rory...nesting? The thought speared my heart with an unexpected pain. Of course he and Ellis were mates. Otherwise Ellis wouldn’t have been attracted to him right after he and I had bonded. I knew this. I wanted this for Ellis. I wanted Rory for Ellis.
But, even if they were mates, Ellis and I could be mates too. We’d proved one Wonder could connect with more than one District Monitor, so there was no reason Ellis couldn’t bond separately with both Rory and me. I’d thought myself not capable of polyamory, but it’d been a knee-jerk reaction when I’d been jealous of Ellis wanting Rory. I’d never really considered the possibility before, but now... I couldn’t think of anobjection to trying it. Ellis would have Rory, and I would have Ellis.
That’s what I wanted.
But I looked at Rory, that gorgeous man trying to make the sterile guest room as comfortable for Ellis as he could, and jealousy slammed back into my gut. Only this time I was jealous thatRorydidn’t wantme.
It was stupid to be so emotional about this. I was just exhausted. I barely knew Rory, and it was Ellis I should be focusing on.
But my throat was tight with tears as I took the washcloths back to the bathroom. I shut the door and ran the water so Rory wouldn’t hear me crying.
I washed my face and got my breathing under control. My chest felt too small, and the connections were making it a little hard to breathe, but I’d be fine. Ellis and Rory were good men, smart, and going places. They’d be amazing together, and I’d be grateful to have Rory’s friendship along with Ellis’ bond.
“Hey, Shane?” Rory knocked softly on the bathroom door. “Do you want me to ask Levi or Clementine for an iron? Your shorts for tomorrow are a little... wrinkled.”
Myshorts?Mine?
I yanked open the door. Rory stood there holding the cargo shorts I’d wadded up in the bottom of my duffel bag.
“For me? I mean, I don’t usually bother....”
He looked down at the shorts and his face flushed. “Yeah, it’s probably stupid. We’ll be in the car. I just thought it’d be nice for you—never mind. I’ll hang them up and maybe some of the wrinkles will fall out.”
He started to turn away, but I grabbed his arm. “Wait.” My magic sparked out, touching his, resonating. I could feel our connection getting stronger by the second.
He glanced down at my hand, then at my face. His eyebrows scrunched up. “Have you been crying? Ellis is okay. He’ll be fine.” He put his hand on my shoulder.
“I know. It’s not that. Don’t worry about it.”
Our connection flared, blew wide open, and I felt all of Rory’s attraction and concern. His eyes were huge, and I hoped he wasn’t scared by the jumbled emotions I was sure he was getting from me.
I stepped forward and put my hand on his cheek. Damn, he was pretty. My stomach felt all fluttery, like I was in high school and the boy I liked had said he liked me back. Rory was nesting for me. For Ellisandme. Instead of the Ellis-centric triangle I’d been imagining, Rory wanted both of us. I went up on my toes and pressed a kiss to his lips.
I’d meant it to be a quickI-like-youpeck, but he pulled me in, one hand holding the cargo shorts against my back, and his other hand sliding down to my hip and pressing me against him. He opened his mouth on mine, and before I knew it, we were plastered together from mouths to groins. His hand landed on my ass.
The sheets on the bed rustled. “Wait.”
Rory and I broke apart and whipped our heads toward Ellis, who was sitting up. He waved us to come closer. Oh, shit. Still, Rory kept one hand around my waist as we walked over.
