Page 23 of Their Little Christmas Bounty
Austin goes home soon after Ariel leaves.I’ve never felt so off-balance.The world doesn’t make sense.Everything was perfect.Ariel was perfect.The three of us fit together like a dream.
And then she left.
No explanation.
I know how to track her down, find her.Hell, I have handcuffs, zip ties, rope.I can truss her up and keep her in my bed.
But not if she doesn’t want to be there.
Fuck.
A good, long shower doesn’t do much to clear my disgust with myself.Did she need us to beg?We would’ve done it.I would’ve gotten on my motherfucking knees just to beg her to stay.We need her.I want to get to know her, yeah, but my heart already knows the truth.And the truth is that we belong together.
I sound like a fucking creep, but I can’t help it.
The day passes in a haze.I put on the sports channel and stare blankly at the screen.Austin sends me a text.
Have you heard from her yet?
No.And we aren’t going to.She was adamant that something between the three of us wouldn’t work.That’s all she would say.She wouldn’t hear me out, nothing.
Sometime around three, my phone buzzes with another notification.The message is hidden because it comes from Kynkworld.I laugh and turn my phone face-down on the coffee table.Like I want to hook up or look at sexy shit when my heart is pulverized.No, thanks.
I head to the shower, instead.Being naked reminds me of being with Ariel.There’s nothing sadder than having a boner and a broken heart, but here I am.Fuck, this sucks.
When I come out of the shower, Austin calls out from the living room.“Get out here, we need to talk.”
I never should’ve given him a key.“What is it?”
He doesn’t answer, so I throw on some jeans and meet him in the living room.
He’s in jeans and a hoodie, an eager gleam in his eyes.He holds up his phone.“She left a message for us.”
I trip over my own feet in my hurry to get my phone.Austin snickers.
That message from Kynkworld—it wasn’t a random notification.It’s Ariel.
I click on the message—it’s a link to a picture.
Our little blondie has her hair in short, braided pigtails.She’s wearing a midriff-baring sweatshirt and a pair of soft-looking sweatpants.
Scrawled across her stomach in hot pink marker are the words,I’m sorry.Come get me, Daddies.
“Is this another game?”I ask.“Is she gonna disappear on us as soon as we get there?”
“When did we switch places?”Austin laughs.“Used to be that I’m the cynic, not you.That’s her apartment in the background—recognize the purple sofa?Let’s go see what this is about.”
Nodding, I follow him to his car.Game or not, we’ll get our girl.
9
Austin
Lyle took Ariel’s leaving a lot worse than I did.Maybe because I didn’t truly believe she could maintain distance between us.Did I fear falling for her, and do I still?Yeah.Love like this is fucking terrifying.
“You don’t think that photo is another one of her games?”he asks again.
“Dude, no.”I shake my head.“I wouldn’t be racing for her apartment right now if I did—I’d let her sweat.But you saw that photo.She apologized.”
