Awaken the Elements (Elemental Trilogy) (21 page)

             
“You are awesome,” Rowan said.

             
She smiled and curtsied, almost tripping and falling. She laughed at herself, sitting back down. “So, back to it. Rowan, truth or dare?”

             
“Truth,” he said.

             
“You two seem closer than the others. I bet none of them would have let you kiss them like you did. Have you two done other things?”

             
River’s face went red as he fidgeted where he sat not meeting her eyes. Rowan looked at River. “Can I tell her?”

             
“Oh, you must tell me now. I promise it will never leave this room.”

             
River gave him a nod. “We have always been close. One night we weren’t allowed to go out after a performance.  I lived for those nights. Girls were easy, and booze was free. I would dance all night and sleep on the bus all day. But we had an interview the next morning. I got us some alcohol. But the other guys were either asleep or playing video games. So me and River hung out and drank, and well, we got to talking about things, and one thing led to another.”

             
Autumn held her hands over her mouth. “No!” she said between her hands, trying not to giggle.

             
“We didn’t,” River said with a twitch of the head.

             
“Well then, what did you do?”

             
“You know what the Dutch rudder is?”

“You know when a man holds his own dick while the other person operates
   
” Rowan started to say but River elbowed him.

             
Autumn’s eyes were wide. “No.” They nodded at the same time. She burst out in laughter. They stared at her. “What?”

             
“You don’t think it’s gross?”

             
“Please, now if you would have said you just jacked each other off, I might be slightly more turned on.”

             
River cocked his head. “What?”

             
“You heard me,” she said. She got up and put in another movie. She sat between them and noticed they were quiet for a bit. She looked at Rowan and then River who were staring at her.

             
“What?”

             
“It really turned you on?” Rowan asked.

             
“Kinda,” she replied, shrugging.

“Okay
, Autumn, truth or dare?”

“It’s not my turn.”

“Rule change.”

“Fine, dare.”

“I dare you to kiss both me and River at the same time.”

“Okay,” she said
, scooting over to them. They leaned in, and she moved forward. Her lips touched two sets of lips. It was odd but hot, and her heart sped up.

She pushed away. “That doesn’t work very well.”

“I have an idea,” Rowan said. “Sit here between us.”

They moved over
, and she scooted over. Rowan’s hungry lips found hers, and he gave her a toe curling kiss. When he was done, River grabbed her face gently, and their lips met. He pulled away, leaving her breathing hard.

“That works,” she said

Rowan moved her head toward him and started kissing her again. Lips on her neck made her jump as River started kissing her warm skin. She didn’t know what to do. Hands reached around her, touching her, four hands. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but this felt too good.

With
River still kissing her, Rowan’s lips moved to her ear. She felt a slight tug on her shirt. “Off?”

She broke from the kiss and shook her head. “
No. Sorry. I am not ready for this.”

“We can wait,” Rowan said.

“Do you really want this?” she whispered.

“We agreed that if we both want you
, we have to share,” River said.

             
Rowan helped her up, and they went to the couch. They settled back to watch another movie.  Thirty minutes later they were all asleep. Autumn’s bladder eventually woke her up, and she was angry.  She was so nice and warm snuggled between Rowan and River. She got up and looked at the clock. Four o’clock. She went to the bathroom, and then came back and drank a glass of water. There would be no hangover for her. She stopped drinking long before they did.

             
She looked at them sleeping and wanted nothing more than to sit back down and snuggle up with them. She looked at each one; River with his cute curls, Rowan with his unruly brown hair, and their very kissable lips. Why would they agree to date her? She was not that pretty, she had her own quirks, she liked to think, and Anatha was prettier than her.

             
“Guys,” she whispered as she shook them.

             
“Huh?” River said, and Rowan blinked at her.

             
“You need to get up. Sorry.”

             
“Let’s just take it to the bed and sleep,” Rowan said.

             
She shook her head. “No rumors yet. I would like to keep it that way.”

             
River stood up, rubbing his head. “Damn, I really need to stop drinking.”

             
“Come on, Rowan,” she said, pulling on his arm as he sat there on the futon.

             
“I was having a good dream,” he said with a wicked gleam in his eye.

             
“You can continue it in your room.”

             
“You can join me,” he said, letting her help him to his feet.

             
“Us,” River said.

             
She shook her head. “Sleep, you two, come on,” she said and walked them to the front of the store. She let go of Rowan’s hand, but he pulled her into a hug and kissed her. She was taken by surprised but relaxed into the kiss. She stepped away as his hands started to move down towards her butt.

             
“Night,” he said, a yawn breaking through the grin.

             
“Night,” she said and started to turn away when two hands grabbed her and brought her in for another kiss. This time, River. He had softer lips by far, and his tongue teased hers slowly not hungrily like Rowans.

             
He looked at her with a smile. He looked over and saw that Rowan had gone into the music store. “One more for good luck?”

             
She looked down at the music store, back at River, and shrugged. “Sure.”

             
This kiss was not tender. It was rough and hard. He had her back against the glass. She could feel how happy his body was being so close to hers. And just for a moment, she thought fuck the rumors. What she wanted to do to him brought her up, gasping for air.

             
“River,” she whispered.

             
“Yes.” He stared into her eyes with his deep blues, and her body ached.

             
“Night,” she managed to whisper.

             
He kissed her forehead and pulled away. Her body cried for him. “Night.” She turned. “Autumn?”

             
“Yeah,” she turned back.

             
“How utterly, madly turned on are you at the moment?”

             
“Jerk,” she said and stuck out her tongue.

             
He winked and turned. She watched him disappear into the music store. “Damn him,” she said to herself as she went into her room and flopped down on her pillow bed. She curled up and hoped the fire inside would die. Her skin tingled as other parts yearned to be touched.

****

             
“You did not,” Richard said.

             
“With both?” Hazel asked.

             
She nodded. “We were drunk!”

             
Richard looked longingly at his cousin. “I am so jealous of you right now. You kissed not only one hot guy but two. They wanted a ménage. Two of the hottest guys in here, and you said No!”

             
“So do you plan on
  
” Hazel started.

             
“No!” She said loudly, and others glanced their way. “Look, I don’t know what we are doing. It’s kind of
  
”

             
“Hot,” Richard said. “Two hunks agreed to share you. If it was me, let me say I would be covered in their naked bodies all the time. What do you have to do? Nothing. You can be covered in their naked bodies all day long. Think about it. Two is so much better than one.”

             
“He is right,” Hazel said.

             
He smacked her arm gently. “Bitch, you know I’m right. You would do the same thing.”

             
Hazel thought it over and nodded. “Naked with two guys sounds like an awesome way of spending down time.” The three laughed.

             
“Who is naked?” Anatha said as she and Envy came over, sitting at their table.

             
“We were just daydreaming,” Richard said.

             
River and Rowan walked by, and River yanked lightly on a curl. He gave her a wink.

“
Hi, River!” Anatha said, being too cheerful. “You disappeared last night from the party.”

             
“Yeah, wasn’t really feeling well,” he said.

             
“Are you feeling better now?”

             
“No, have a killer headache,” he said.

             
“Must be going around ‘cause I have it too,” Rowan said.

             
“Lips look a bit dry too,” Richard said.

             
Everyone stared at him as he, Hazel, and Autumn exploded with laughter. The guys looked at her, and she shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head. They walked off confused. Autumn kicked Richard under the table.

             
“Dry lips,” she said, still laughing.

             
“What did we miss?” Envy asked, looking at the three. Her face scrunched up.  She didn’t like being left out.

             
Anatha crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know.”

****

             
November presented itself with the gift of shrieking, howling wind. The worst wind the valley had seen in years. As a treat, the droppers were bringing each of the safe houses tons of goodies for the upcoming holiday seasons. Autumn loved this time of year. Of all the seasons, fall was her favorite. The fall rains, the colored leaves, the smell of the fall weather. She spent most of her days on the roof enjoying the cool weather but not much liking the wind.  Thanksgiving rolled closer, making everyone impatient for the drop. Finally drop time. Drop, meant drop, literally. Being large enough, the people in charge of drops were dropping the boxes, attached to small parachutes, onto the roof.

              Everybody in the mall stood on the roof that wonderful November day just hanging out. The helicopter flew over, dropping the supplies, but a big gust of wind grabbed hold of the parachutes. The crates missed the roof and touched down on the parking lot. The infected didn’t care for the crates and continued to try walking through the glass doors below. Everyone on the roof just stood there staring, dumbfounded.

             
“Well, let’s get it,” Moss said, breaking the silence.

             
“You’re fucking crazy,” Anatha said.

             
“Runs in the family,” Autumn said, low enough that Anatha didn’t hear her.

             
“I think we can get it,” he said, ignoring his sister.

             
“I’ll go,” Richard said.

             
“Cool.” Moss gave Richard a high five.

             
“No,” Autumn said.

             
“I’m not asking you,” Richard said, looking nervously at Autumn. He knew she would put up a fight.

             
“But I’m telling you,” she said, a queasy sensation in her stomach.

              “I’m going with Moss,” he said, patting her on the head. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back. Plus, you know it’ll take more than zombies to get me out of your hair.” He frizzed her curls as he ruffled it up and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

             
She swatted at his him. “Stop. You know I hate that. I don’t have a good feeling.”