Chapter 38: Naughty & Nice: Chapter 38

The wrecked expression on Wilder’s face as he stood before us and tried to explain how he was feeling, and what he wanted, is one I’m not going to forget for a while.

His usual confidence was gone. There was no sight of the arrogant player who struts around Trinity Royal as if he owns the place.

Standing before us was the real Wilder Kemp. The one with feelings, vulnerabilities, and insecurities. A guy who was willing to admit that he was wrong, that he was sucked in by the allure of college life and everything that comes with being a Titan.

Is he saying that he’s going to stop partying with the team? No. I don’t for a second expect him to. The team, parties, they’re all a huge part of his life. But maybe… just maybe, they’re not the biggest part.

Family is important to us. We are all each other had for a very long time. We are family. As fireworks explode on the TV and Hendrix’s tongue pushes past my lips, I reach out.

Wilder startles at my touch, his entire body flinching as if he weren’t expecting it.

I drag my hand down his bare forearm until I find his fingers.

I’m still mad at him for his attitude on our last morning and the things he said when we dropped him off, but I do also understand where it was coming from.

Is he off the hook? No, absolutely not. But has he made a good start to apologizing and making it up to us? Yeah, he’s doing okay.

Hendrix pulls back and rests his head against mine.

There’s a silent question in his eyes that I can’t help but agree to.

“I love you,” I whisper before turning to Wilder. “Happy new year, Wild Child,” I breathe before grabbing the back of his neck and kissing him just like I did in the cabin.

The second our lips collide, he noticeably relaxes, and the piece of my puzzle that’s been missing all week slots back into place.

Our kiss is over almost as soon as it starts.

“Are you sure?” Wilder asks nervously, his eyes darting between the two of us.

“It’s New Year’s,” Hendrix says, taking my hand and tugging me back toward the couch. “I’d planned a relaxed night of movies, so that’s what we’re going to have.”

The two of us crawl back into our previous positions, leaving Wilder loitering at the edge.

“Are you joining us or what?” Hendrix barks after a few seconds of scrolling through the movies on offer.

“Uh…”

“Don’t tell us you’ve changed your mind already?” he asks as if none of this is a big deal.

“No chance,” he mutters before toeing off his shoes and reaching for the waistband of his jeans.

“Did you run all the way here?” I ask, watching him closely.

“Yeah. I should go shower,” he says hesitantly, taking a step back.

“Tomorrow,” I breathe. “We’ll deal with everything tomorrow. Tonight, we’ll just… be.”

Still uncertain, Wilder watches me for a moment.

“Come on, before we change our minds.”

That gets him moving. In a heartbeat, he’s down to his t-shirt and boxers and diving onto our makeshift bed behind me.

“Missed this,” he muses, pinning himself against me under the blanket.

“Wish I could say the same,” Hendrix deadpans.

“Oh, come on, Bro. You totally missed me. It’s okay to admit it,” Wilder taunts.

“Pfft, as if. I had my girl to keep me nice and distracted.”

“I bet you did,” Wilder mutters as his hand skims down my body. He grabs my hip and grinds himself against me, letting me know just how much he missed me. “Did he treat you well, little rebel?”

“So well I almost didn’t notice that someone was missing.”

Wilder tenses at my words.

“Ouch,” he gasps while Hendrix laughs. “Don’t think I didn’t notice what you were missing when you crawled onto this couch,” he warns.

“She did that for me,” Hendrix points out. “For our nice and romantic New Year’s celebrations.”

“I’m sure she did. But I’m here now too, and I’m feeling pretty fucking desperate, I’ve got to say.”

“I’m sure you can wait a while longer. This one?” Hendrix asks, having stopped on what looks like a war movie.

“Oh, so romantic,” Wilder deadpans.

Hendrix cuts his brother with a look.

“It looks great. Please continue. I can’t wait to try to ignore the fact Noelle is lying here panty-less while watching some dudes shoot each other.”

“It’ll be hard, but I’m sure you can cope.”

“Hard. Yeah, that’s about fucking right.”

I can’t help but laugh as happiness bubbles up inside me.

There was never a point this week where I felt like Hendrix wasn’t enough.

He is. He’s everything.

But now that Wilder is here, I feel complete. And I can tell just by Hendrix’s body language that he feels the same too.

He wasn’t fully himself this week. Not having Wilder in his life hurt him. They need each other, and apparently, I need them both as well.

Reaching for their hands, I lift them to my lips, kissing Hendrix’s knuckles and then Wilder’s.

My heart flutters in my chest as I swallow down all the things I want to say.

There will be time for them tomorrow. Right now, I just want to enjoy the moment with them.

Entwined with both of them, I let out a long, slow breath as the movie starts.

This is it. The perfect New Year’s.

We’re an hour into the movie when Hendrix’s snores begin to fill the living room.

“Fucking pussy,” Wilder teases.

“Aw, be nice. I think I’ve worn him out.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me, little rebel?”

Ignoring the movie that I wasn’t entirely following, I turn to face Wilder.

His hair is still a mess, and frown lines still mar his forehead, but he looks much more relaxed than he did when he first arrived.

Reaching out, I gently drag my thumb between his brows, trying to smooth out the worry lines.

“Are you okay?” I ask quietly.

I know that Wilder doesn’t like to talk about the hard things. He’d rather drown them in alcohol or fuck them away. But he started opening up to me while we were away, and after his confession earlier, I can’t help but hope we might be turning a corner.

“I am now,” he says softly. Honesty shines brightly in his eyes as they bounce between mine.

“Talk to me,” I beg. “Tell me what’s been going on for you.”

He’s silent for the longest time, I can only assume battling with himself on whether he’s willing to open up or not.

I start to fear that he’s not. I hate it. I want to be that safe place for him to be able to say whatever’s on his mind. I know that in time, he’ll get there, but impatiently, I want that to be now.

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he finally says. His voice is low and laced with emotion.

Reaching out, I cup his jaw. “I know you are,” I assure him.

“I was freaking out. To start with, all I wanted to do was go home and return to my normal life. But as the days, and nights, went on, I was becoming more and more invested in what we had going on.

“You…” He looks down, severing our eye contact before swallowing thickly. “You very quickly became something very important to me. I mean, you’ve always been important. You’re Noelle, our sister from another mister and all that shit. But something changed while we were away.

“You became so much more than Hendrix’s best friend—girlfriend,” he corrects. “You became… I wanted you too.

“I want you too. More than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life.”

My breath catches at his confession.

“My time with you while we were away wasn’t enough. Hell, our time together at the Halloween party wasn’t enough, but back then, I’d only had a small taste. I didn’t know how fucking awesome you really were.

“I was seeing you in a whole new light. Maybe the same light that Hendrix has seen you in all this time.

“For the first time, I got it. I got his fascination with you.

“That final night when you asked to have both of us, I freaked out.

“I knew that if I pushed inside you, I’d be completely fucked. Having you on your knees for me was bad enough, but if I took more… Shit, Rebel.

“I’ve never wanted a woman like I want you. And just my fucking luck… I can’t really have you.”

“But you do have me,” I argue.

He shakes his head and closes his eyes for a beat.

“No. Hendrix let me join. He let me have a taste, knowing you wanted it.”

“It was more than that, and you know it.”

“Was it?” he asks, his eyes finding mine again. This time, there’s a little hope sparking within them.

“Hendrix wouldn’t have allowed that to happen with anyone else. Just you, Wild. He might have held off with me for a long time, but I think he was the first one to figure out what was really going on here.”

“No, I’m pretty sure he was as blindsided by all of this as we were.”

“Maybe, but he understood and embraced it faster.”

He quirks a brow. “Faster than you wanting both our dicks?”

“Oh shush,” I laugh.

“Deny it all you like; I know you’re thinking about it right now.”

I smirk, my temperature spiking. “Well, I never did get my full Christmas wish, did I?”

“Dirty girl,” he teases.

“What have you done this week?”

“You mean, other than what you’ve seen by stalking my socials?”

I want to cringe, but I refuse.

“I was worried about you,” I confess. “Your outburst before we parted ways… I knew it was coming from a place of hurt. You might think you hide your true feelings from the world, but I see more than most,” I inform him.

“Great,” he deadpans. “I really am sorry, though. I didn’t mean it. Everything you did blew my mind. You were amazing,” he says, reaching out and tracing my bottom lip with his pointer finger. His eyes follow the movement as he sucks his own bottom lip into his mouth.

“So were you.”

“Where do we go from here?” he asks, doing a U-turn in the conversation.

I shrug the shoulder I’m not lying on.

“Wherever we want. But we probably shouldn’t make any plans while one of us is snoring.”

“What should we do instead?”

The speed at which he flips between vulnerable and arrogant gives me whiplash, but I let it go.

He’s trying here, but he’s also fighting the persona he’s worn like armor for years.

“I can think of a few things. You still have some making up to do, after all.”

He shifts closer, ensuring that every inch of our bodies is pressed together.

Desire washes through me. Hendrix has kept me more than satisfied this week, but that doesn’t mean I’m not ready for more.

“Noelle,” Wilder whispers so quietly I almost miss it. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

His lips find mine the moment that confession is out of his mouth, stopping me from responding.

I’m glad he does, because I have no idea how I’m supposed to respond to that.

He kisses me so deeply, it brings tears to my eyes and ensures my heart continues to slam against my ribs.

But despite him being ready for more, he never pushes it further than a kiss.

He’s the perfect gentleman while Hendrix is sleeping, and as impressed as I am with his restraint, I’m also a little bit disappointed.

I have no idea how long we make out for, but eventually, we give up and drift off with our bodies tangled together.

I sleep deeper and longer than I have in a very, very long time.