Tiny Tim

Chapter 21

Waking up next to Mia was ... different. When she was awake, she always had that distinct air of dominance around her. She was the Go-Getter type and I couldn’t dispute her having quite a few distinct character traits she shared with her mother in that regard.

But when I watched her sleeping next to me, she was simply cute. She had curled up into my side, in an almost fetal position with one of her hands holding on to my shirt, and her face buried into the side of my chest. When I placed my hand on her curved back, she let out a sleepy, unintelligible mumble in a high girly voice, asking me for five more minutes of sleep. Hearing it, my mouth stretched into a wide smile before I simply watched her sleep for another minute...

I leaned down while suppressing the pained groan to not disturb her too much, kissed the top of her head, and carefully extracted myself from the bed to visit the bathroom. The cane actually was a lot easier to handle than the crutch, though Claire was still right, as it didn’t give me quite as much support as the crutch.

Entering the living room, something felt off. It took me a moment to realize that I had grown accustomed to finding Claire already up and about when I got out of bed, but this morning the whole apartment was quiet. When I checked the guest room, I found Ava in bed. Just Ava. And there also were no sounds coming from their bathroom. It seemed like Claire never made it back from John’s.

A little worried, I grabbed my phone.

“Yes?” I heard Danny’s tired voice.

“Hey, it’s me. Is Mom still with you? She didn’t come home.”

There was a moment of silence before Danny answered, which made me nervous.

“Yes. She’s still here. She needs a little more time.”

“Oh, alright. Then I can stop worrying. Sorry for calling so early.” I apologized, and tried to end the call when I heard Danny call out to me.

“WAIT! Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

“That you were worrying when you noticed that she never made it home.”

“Of course I did. Why would you think I wouldn’t be worried!?” I felt a little offended.

“Well, after yesterday... ”

“For fuck’s sake, Danny! I took on three armed men to protect the woman after she did nothing to earn it for years. You think now, after she started caring for me, I somehow wouldn’t give a shit if she went missing!? I said that we grew apart, not that I no longer cared, and certainly not that I wished she’d vanish.”

“Oh. OH!” She didn’t sound happy, or shocked, or surprised. It sounded like she realized something or had an idea. That was weird. “Alright. Thank you, Tim. I don’t know how long she’ll stay, but she’s safe.”

“Okay. Then ... Bye.” I ended this more than a little weird call and moved into the kitchen to start on breakfast.

When I had finished preparing the waffle batter, I didn’t want to disturb either of the girls in their slumber. While I might have been used to getting up in the early hours, they weren’t. And it was a Saturday, after all. So, as quietly as I could, I went into my bedroom to get a change of clothes and then took care of my morning routine myself. Surprisingly, I felt myself missing Claire’s help. It was surprising because I still remembered vividly how I felt about her seeing me so weak just a week ago. And now I was catching myself thinking how nice it would be to have her scrub me down.

After my morning rituals, I plunged down on the couch exhausted and started watching TV on low volume. Apparently the TV was still too loud, since, not even two minutes after I sat down, my bedroom door opened and a half sleeping MIa walked out. Dressed in only her panties and one of my T-Shirts, she trudged over to me, plunged herself on the couch to my left, and cuddled up into me. She didn’t even say anything before she rubbed her face against my shoulder, got comfortable, and closed her eyes as if to keep sleeping.

I wasn’t exactly against this. Quite the opposite. Seeing how much she enjoyed this physical closeness between us made me happy. It did get a little weird though, when, another minute later, Ava’s door opened and she basically repeated Mia’s actions. She also walked out of her room dressed in nothing but her panties and one of my shirts, before plunging herself onto the couch on my right. Ava, however, thankfully avoided cuddling up into my side. Instead, she lied down and placed her head on my healthy thigh.

Mia spontaneously woke up completely and looked at us with a peculiar expression, when Ava suddenly spoke in a sleepy voice.

“Don’t look so surprised. He saved me too, you know?”

“Oh.” Mia responded instantly as if what Ava just said made any sense, before her face took on a thoughtful look for all of ten seconds, she shrugged her shoulders, and then cuddled back into me again.

I sat there for about a minute trying to figure out what they had just talked about, waiting for them to say anything further that would make sense to me, but they seemed to be content with this situation.

“Okay, does anyone want to enlighten me?” I finally asked.

“You’re cute when you’re slow, little brother.” Ava mumbled, Mia chuckled, and then they went back to being silent.

I shook my head and decided to resume watching TV while attempting to move as little as possible to not disturb them in their slumber. After about half an hour, though, Mia started stirring.

“I hate to say it, but I’m kinda getting hungry.” she said in an annoyed tone.

“I have the waffle batter ready in the kitchen. If you want, I can get the iron out.”

“Waffles!” Ava suddenly shouted and jumped off my lap. “Are they as good as your pancakes?”

“It’s hard to screw up waffle batter.” I shrugged my shoulders, inwardly grinning because I knew that Claire only made regular Waffles.

“So...” Ava started while plugging in the waffle iron. “ ... where’s Mom?”

“John’s.”

“She Okay?” she probed casually.

“Yup. I’ve talked to Danny shortly before you got up.”

“When’s she coming back?”

“No idea.”

“Oh.”

Mia followed our exchange quietly sitting at the dining table, while her eyes jumped between me and my sister like she was watching a tennis match. I think she drew her own conclusions, given how much she already knew about my family life, but refrained from commenting until the food was ready.

“You know, I think I really need to rethink that whole marriage thing. They taste way better than regular waffles.” she said, earning herself an eager nod from Ava.

“They’re buttermilk waffles. I like the taste better.” I explained matter of fact. “So, want to tell me now what that exchange between the two of you was about?”

That caused them to exchange a quick look before Mia acted a little shy as she spoke up.

“Well ... remember the idea I had about how I could get Dad to ... help us spend more time together?”

I had to think for a moment before the conversation came back to me.

“Yeah. I think. You said something about needing me to stick around to calm yourself, after Campbell broke into your house.”

“Not exactly.” she corrected me. “I said I might need the guy who saved me to stick around, so I could sleep peacefully.”

“Oh!” I finally understood the meaning of her words and got a little concerned. “You have trouble sleeping?”

“Yeah. Though, you went through a lot more than I, how are you so cool with it?” she looked at me with a pleading expression. That must really bother her, and I had no idea.

“Well, I can tell you that alcohol doesn’t work at all.” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “When we get asked that question by clients, we normally tell them to secure the house, talk with people, exercise, and get closure. We already secured your house and I assume you’re already talking about it with your parents. Personally, I’m simply too exhausted at the end of the day to think about it, but I hear Yoga works for people.”

“What do you mean by ‘closure’?” The tone of her voice told me that she already tried my first three suggestions unsuccessfully.

“Campbell was in worse shape than me. He was still in the ICU, breathing through a tube, when I was released. If you realize there’s no way for him to try that shit again, it should help you get over it. Even when he gets released from the hospital, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t going directly to jail.”

“Oh!” She got a thoughtful expression, like she was already starting to make plans on how to achieve that.

“Wait!” I said, turning to Ava. “You too!?”

“Three armed men came for Mom and me, and then I saw you get stabbed fighting them off. Of course I had nightmares for weeks after that.” she explained, like I had just noticed that fire was hot. “The only time I really slept well was when I crawled into your bed.”

She just admitted this like it was no big deal for an eighteen year old girl to sneak into her little brother’s bed to seek comfort. And right in front of her friend. Of course, for any normal person, it probably wasn’t a big deal. Mia didn’t know that I woke up kneading Ava’s breasts that day, while burying my hard cock into her asscrack. Nor did she know that Ava liked and even encouraged it.

“Maybe you should offer Mia to come around and sleep with you as well. At least until she gets her closure.” Ava suddenly proposed without even looking up from her plate.

I looked at Ava for a moment like she was joking, but when I turned to Mia, she had lowered her head a little closer to her own plate, every few seconds raising her eyes to see my reaction through that curtain of hair that now hung down freely. So much to her usual go-getter attitude I had admired just an hour ago. But I could hardly blame her. I never considered the effect this might have on her.

“Would that help?” I asked, and Mia shyly nodded her head in confirmation, before I gestured to the sling holding my arm. “Then, sure. For the next four weeks, you’d even be safe from me molesting you in your sleep.”

That made them both laugh, though I suspect Ava’s laughter was more about assuming I’d molest Mia regardless of my injuries, and Mia’s laughter was more an expression of relief. In any case, Mia quickly gathered her things and got dressed.

“I’m going home to tell Mom and Dad, and gather a few things. Thank you, Muffin.” she said, before planting a passionate kiss on my lips that ended way too soon, and left for her car.

I was a little taken aback by the pet name she had chosen for me, but the longer I thought about it, the more I liked it. Not just her choice, but the fact that she called me by a pet name in the first place.

“You sure you’re Okay with this?” I asked Ava as soon as Mia had closed the door behind her.

“Yes. Very sure. And the way she reacted to our cuddling on the couch tells me she will be too.” she answered, but turned and left with a smile before I could ask her what she meant.

The only thing I worried about was Claire, but she did not return that day. By the time Mia arrived with her overnight bag and made herself at home in my bedroom, Ava and I had already started on dinner, after which all three of us got comfortable on my bed to watch a movie.

That’s when I understood Ava’s words about Mia. Ava did not plan on leaving us alone. When we crawled into bed to watch the movie, Mia cuddled up on my left side so as to not aggravate my collarbone. Ava wanted the same, though in order to not hurt me, she had shifted down a little and placed her head on my stomach instead of my chest. Mia did not even bat an eye. Instead, she looked at Ava with a weird look of ... pity. It was that look in Mia’s eyes that finally made me understand how hard those experiences must have been for them, and got me thinking about Ava’s change of behavior after the incident.

Somehow, it made me angry at myself. After not noticing Tess’ cancer, I swore to myself to never overlook something so important again. And while, yes, I tried to get away from the family, and was still sure that I felt no love for them anymore, I was still trying to help them. I should have picked up on something like this if she actually had trouble sleeping because of it.

I suddenly found myself stroking Ava’s hair in an attempt to soothe her. I felt guilty for not noticing her fears. And I only noticed what I was actually doing, when I felt Mia’s hold on my arm tighten. Worried about her realizing how unusually comfortable I was with my big sister cuddling with me, I glanced over at Mia, but all I saw was a content smile on her face as she watched what I was doing. Apparently, she really understood.

As I felt Ava’s and Mia’s breathing slowing, I, too, fell asleep before the movie had ended.

The next morning, I was awoken by the smell of bacon. Looking around, I noticed the two scantily clad beauties still by my side, so there was only one other person who could possibly be active in the kitchen. I carefully extracted myself from underneath Ava and Mia, grabbed my cane, and made my way into the kitchen where I found Claire, who had finally returned.

“Good Morning, Mom.” I greeted her, but did not receive an immediate reaction.

She turned to me, but there was a sad half-smile on her face. Like she wasn’t sure if she was actually happy or not.

“Good Morning, Honey.” she finally replied, with a voice that lacked any hint of confidence, before hastily continuing her breakfast preparations.

“Mom. What’s wrong?” I stepped closer to her, as she stopped any movement upon hearing my question. I watched her stare at her hands for a moment before she spoke in a shaky voice.

“Let’s talk about this when your sister is up, and after your girlfriend leaves.” She took a deep breath to get her voice under control. “Just tell me one thing. Is there a chance for me to fix this?”

She still had not looked me in the eyes.

“Did you make a decision?”

“Yes.”

Going by her demeanor, I could already guess what she decided on, and while I wasn’t happy to see her so troubled, I also felt a strange wave of anxiety wash through me. Dare I hope to maybe, possibly, have a family again? I stepped closer to wrap my healthy arm around her and spoke in a quiet, soft voice.

“Just be my Mom. That’s what I’ve been missing.”

That was as far as I dared to go when asked about the possibility of reconciliation. I felt her tremble against my body as she tried to maintain control over her emotions. Then she rapidly nodded a few times before her shaking hands continued their work.

When Mia and Ava walked in, their reactions to seeing Claire were polar opposites. Ava immediately ran towards her mother, thoroughly happy to see her again, and embraced her in a tight hug. Mia, however, stopped dead in her tracks, and looked quite uncomfortable before rushing back into my bedroom to get properly dressed. Consequently, breakfast was a rather quiet affair with Mia avoiding Claire’s gaze, and Ava simply happy with enjoying Claire’s presence again. Soon after we had finished, Mia packed her things, thanked me for letting her stay with a quick kiss, and then left for her own home.

Claire maintained her silence even after Mia was gone. She cleaned up the kitchen without saying a word, helped me in the bathroom without commenting on anything, and finally just sat on the couch to stare into space. Ava looked pensive, obviously wanting me to approach this situation, so I sat on the couch to Claire’s right and directed Ava to sit on her left.

“Alright, Mom. Let’s talk. What’s going on?” I asked, trying to sound encouraging.

Claire took a breath so deep it caused her whole body to straighten up, before letting it out in a long drawn out sigh. Then she turned, used both of her hands to hold Ava’s, and spoke.

“I spoke with an attorney on Friday. I’m divorcing your father.” she said in the most caring and loving voice I had ever heard her use, looking directly at Ava.

“Good!” Ava replied, surprising everyone with how stern she sounded.

“You ... you’re not upset?” Claire asked, clearly taken aback.

“No. Why would I? If Christmas has proven anything, then that he doesn’t really care about me. Did you happen to notice that he NEVER apologized to me? He also never called me after we moved out. It’s like he doesn’t even care if we’re Okay. If he only cares about me as long as he gets to fuck me, I think we’re better off without him.”

“Oh god, I’m so glad, Sweetheart!” Claire suddenly called out, and embraced her daughter in a tight hug that lasted a good minute. When they separated, she looked at me. “So, there you have it, Honey. That’s my decision. I see it just the way your sister does, and I choose to try and get you back into my life. No matter how hard it’ll be, I will not leave you again.”

There were tears in her eyes, but it was the way she carried her body that was concerning. I couldn’t tell if she actually chose divorce to rebuild our relationship, or if she only realized that Aaron was an asshole and I was her only alternative.

“If you spoke to an attorney on Friday ... Where were you yesterday?” I asked, still attempting to not allow even a hint of accusation or displeasure in my voice.

Claire had obviously expected that question, and wasn’t eager to discuss it. But she knew that she had to tell me something if she wanted to erase my doubts, and I could see her physically harden her resolve.

“Honey ... after you left Johnny’s ... I wasn’t in a good place.” she started. She did not look like she was rehearsing something, or like she was looking for excuses. She simply wasn’t proud of what she was about to tell us. “I finally understood that I’ve ruined everything.”

At that point, she broke down in tears. I did not interfere with Ava’s attempt to calm Claire down, though I also didn’t assist her in any way. I was occupied with trying to figure out what my words in John’s house must have caused. I didn’t have to think long, though. I had, after all, relentlessly pointed out how this family was utterly broken. And, while I never outright said so, she knew that it might be Aaron and Logan who started to see the women of the family as their personal pleasure-dispensers, but she was the one who allowed it in the first place and then cultivated that mindset by participating unconditionally for so long.

As soon as she had calmed down enough to speak without being constantly interrupted by the sobs rocking her body, she continued.

“I allowed my husband to think of his family as nothing more than his personal property. I have spoiled my oldest child so much that he now thinks about nobody but himself. I allowed them to abuse my daughter to the point it almost ruined her life. And I neglected and alienated my youngest child to the point he no longer loves me. I don’t have a job, I don’t have a home, I don’t have a family. I ... I ruined everything.” she concluded in defeat.

Hearing her words soured my mood immensely. I had hoped she chose to work on our relationship because it would be what she truly wanted, but it sounded like she only came back to my apartment because I was her sole alternative. To my surprise, Ava’s mood had also darkened. She looked angry! And that anger was also present in her voice.

“Mom! How can you say you ruined everything? I think I turned out well! I don’t blame you for what Logan and Aaron did, because they didn’t do it when you were around. You DID look out for me. And don’t blame yourself for Logan being a selfish asshole, either. Yes, you spoiled him rotten, and it probably went a long way in forming his character, but you didn’t set out to make him a selfish asshole.”

“I know, Sweetheart. And you can’t imagine how proud I am of you.” Claire said, after taking a steadying breath. “But I reached a conclusion. I screwed up, so I have to fix it.”

With that, she turned to me and grabbed my hand as well.

“Honey.” she continued. “I know what I just told you sounds like I already gave up, and that I see you as some kind of consolation prize. But I promise you, I’m not! I will work on our relationship, not because I have to, but because I want to. I will be your Mom again, not to get a roof over my head, but because I want to be your Mom. And I will earn your love back, no matter how long it will take. But I will not start by lying to you, so I had to tell you how I felt after you left.”

She could see the doubt in my face, and immediately addressed it.

“I could try and get Aaron back, but I will not give you up in exchange for him. If he wants to be my husband and Ava’s father again, he first needs to be a father to all of his children.” she stated firmly. “I could try and make Logan come home, but I will no longer reward his selfish behavior. If he wants to be part of this family, then he has to treat us like one as well. Just like I will show you that I love you, so you will allow me to be your family again.”

I believed her. And as the realization that I believed her words set in, that strange wave of anxiety got stronger.

I had given her every reason I could possibly think of to go back to her easy life. Every incentive to collect Ava, drive home, and keep going like she had for the past four years while letting me live my life away from them. But she chose me instead, and I could not detect any sign of deception in her words, expression, or voice. She looked at me pleadingly, but I was convinced that was because she was pleading for me to give her a chance.

At that moment, I was glad I sat down on her right hand side. This way, my healthy left shoulder was pointed at her, so I could extend my arm and pull her into a hug. A gesture she gratefully accepted, and soon Ava joined in as well. We sat like this for a long while. It would be a long way before we would be fine, but this was the first time in almost half a decade that I was actually looking forward to living with those two.

We spent the rest of the day on the couch, enjoying the Sunday. We had said everything that needed to be said, and Claire was content with enjoying this new found peace with her children. Though, by the time I felt the need to lay down, and Ava wordlessly joined me, Claire seemed to remember something.

“Honey?” she called out so I would turn back to her. “Do you already know when your girlfriend will come back?”

“No. And she’s not my girlfriend. Right now, we’re just seeing where this goes. But, honestly, I don’t think we’ll get there.” I shook my head.

“Why not? She seems to really like you. And I don’t think you’d take a bullet for just anyone, so I’d say you like her just as much.” she explained with a one sided smile, no doubt remembering how I protected her and Ava as well.

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “But I’m not boyfriend material. She’ll notice soon enough.”

Claire blinked at me in confusion, but I was too tired to engage in a lengthy discussion at that moment, so I simply turned and left for my bedroom where Ava was already waiting for me.

The next day, Claire played every card she had to stop me from going to school, but ultimately decided to respect my decision. Though, even then she assured me that she would stay close by, so if my leg started making problems or anything else happened, she would be there to pick me up five minutes after I called her. I had to admit, that raised my mood significantly, since I was seriously unsure about what I should expect.

I had doubts about Mia’s claim in the hospital regarding my increased popularity after taking a bullet for her in front of witnesses. In my head, they all still saw me as the asshole who ruined their football season once, and even after that, I did not make any friends when I was attacking everyone after Tess’ death. So, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility for one or more of them to bump into me on purpose, despite the very obvious sling strapping my right arm to my torso, and the very obvious cane helping me walk.

To my great relief, however, most people simply ignored me. There were no attempts to exact revenge, though there also was no one offering to hold doors for me. So, while I wasn’t in any danger, I was already somewhat exhausted by the time lunch break came around.

I was just munching on one of the chicken ceasar wraps Claire and I had prepared in the morning, when Ava and Mia sat down on either side of me.

“Hey, Muffin.” Mia smiled, and even gave me a little peck on the cheek.

“Hey, little brother.” Ava joined, before she, too, gave me a peck on my other cheek. Then, however, she noticed my face and looked concerned. “You Okay?”

“Yeah.” I nodded, though I was looking around the room to check if anyone noticed that public display of affection and took offense in it. “Just a little tired from moving around so much.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to be back in class already? Can’t they extend that online thing you did before?”

“No. They told me from the beginning that those are only a temporary replacement for the classes themselves. I can’t take any tests at home without supervision. And even then, my attendance is already down a month. At some point they’ll tell me to just get home schooled or repeat the year.”

“Wow, that sucks.” Mia commented, before Joan and Jenny joined us at the table with some guy I didn’t know in tow, and looked at me in surprise.

“The hell happened to you!?” Joan asked, pointing at the sling holding my right arm in place, while her sister looked at me uncomfortably.

“Don’t you know what comes after No Nut November? I went a little overboard towards the end.” I deadpanned, and Jenny almost spat her drink across the table while Joan, Mia, and Ava burst out in laughter.

I also heard laughter from three members of the football team who were on their way to join our table. Looking around, I suddenly noticed how basically every seat in my direct vicinity had been filled within two minutes of Mia and Ava joining me. This was weird!

“Okay!” Joan commented after calming down. “That explains why your right arm’s in a sling, but what’s with the cane?”

“Wait, you haven’t heard!?” one of the jocks jumped in who was one of Mia’s guests that night. “He got shot at Mia’s party.”

“WHAT!?” Joan screamed, as the guy pulled out his phone and started swiping.

“Here. I got this from Jack.” he said after he found what he was looking for and placed his phone in the middle of the table.

It was the surveillance video of the Miller house. But I quickly noticed that someone had not just copied the splitscreen mainfeed, but actually cut a video out of the separate feeds. First, it showed the entertainment room with all of us sitting in that circle, until I got up and had my short conversation with Mia. Then it cut to Campbell jogging down the hallway, and then back into the entertainment room just as Campbell raised the gun.

I felt a curious uneasiness rise from my lower stomach to my chest. It felt ... weird. Especially in my chest. Like, you know you have to burp but it just doesn’t happen, so you feel a persistent pressure in your chest and throat. It unnerved me, and I quickly found myself fidgeting, running my healthy hand through the hair at the back of my head in an attempt to distract myself from it. I became antsy.

Next, the video showed me jumping in front of Mia, and, even though all we heard were the panicked screams of the room’s inhabitants, the way my body jerked back made it very clear that I got shot in the shoulder. Then I saw myself grabbing Campbell’s gun and pushing it downwards. We could clearly see the gun going off three more times before I dropped to my knees. The last thing I saw, before I had to look away, was Jack slamming the door shut.

This was the first time I saw this. Until now, I had very successfully avoided thinking about it in any mentionable capacity. It was actually quite easy to not bother myself with it. While I was in the hospital, I was safe. Then, when I was home, I had the family shit to deal with. But now I was just having my lunch, surrounded by a lot of people I wasn’t exactly emotionally close with.

Somehow, I didn’t feel hungry anymore. I actually felt kind of nauseous and could feel my heartbeat quicken in addition to that weird pressure in my chest. This was bad. I recognized that feeling now.

I pushed my left hand underneath the table and started tracing my fingers with my thumb, concentrating on getting my breathing under control. It didn’t work as well as when I did it with both hands, but the key was to concentrate on something other than the onsetting panic, and that worked. At least somewhat.

“Holy FUCK!” one of the Jocks laughed. “Was he just shot FOUR times!? And he still DESTROYED that Dude!”

That didn’t fucking help calming me down! Like, at all! Now I was thinking about Campbell. The police officer who visited me in the hospital told me that I probably didn’t have to worry about ramifications. That they thought my actions were within the bounds of self defense. But I hadn’t heard anything official since then!

I know it’s completely ridiculous, but I didn’t react to the footage of me being shot. What got to me was the part showing what I did to Campbell, and then not making sure he would be able to keep breathing. If he somehow got out, there would be hell to pay! What if he got out while I was still unable to move properly? I wouldn’t be able to keep the family safe! And what if they determined my actions went beyond self defense and he SUED me?

Now my hand was trembling and tracing my fingers wasn’t helping at all anymore. I had to get out of there. Maybe if I told them that I needed to take a leak, they wouldn’t think too much about it.

And just at that moment, I felt a small hand slip into mine underneath the table.

I don’t know if Ava noticed what was happening to me, but as her fingers intertwined with mine before giving my hand a firm squeeze, she simply continued watching the guys discuss the video with a small smile on her face, never looking in my direction as to not alert her friends. Somehow, that did the trick. My breathing calmed, my heartbeat slowed, and the tremor in my hand lessened. I squeezed her hand back in gratitude and saw the smile on her face widen a tiny bit.

“So, how are you now?” Jenny asked, pulling my attention further away from my fears.

“I’m Okay, mostly. He pulled the trigger four times, but only two bullets actually made it past the vest. It’s gonna be about four more weeks before the sling goes away, but with any luck they can stop packing my leg in a week or so.” I explained.

“Packing your leg? What’s that?”

“Oh.” Ava jumped in, throwing a compassionate glance my way. “According to Mom, they take a bunch of gauze and stuff it into his wound like they’re loading a canon.”

“Seriously!?” Jenny asked incredulously.

“Yeah.” I confirmed. “I really can’t recommend getting shot. It sucks on multiple levels.”

That caused them to chuckle again.

“So...” Mia started with a contemplating look. “It’s gonna be at least four weeks before we can continue our lessons?”

“What lessons?” one of the Jocks asked perplexed.

“He’s teaching us self defense techniques. Or, he was teaching us.”

“That’s your decision.” I said. “We were using the company gym, so if your father calls my boss, I’m sure they could work something out and get someone else to teach you.”

“No.” Mia stated firmly. “I’d rather wait until you’re up again. I’m already used to you manhandling me.”

That caused another round of laughter and a bunch of suggestive jokes to go around the table. When it was time for us to part ways again, Ava gave me a questioning look. At that moment I knew that she had indeed noticed my state, and gave her a grateful smile combined with a reassuring nod.

Mia’s claim proved to be true, though. The rest of the day, Jack’s Director’s Cut of the surveillance feed made its way through the student body, and I noticed several small groups huddled over their phones before regarding me with peculiar looks. By the time I left the lunch table the following day, that I had once again shared with Ava, Mia, and their friends, people that hadn’t talked to me in years were suddenly eager to greet and hold doors for me. Could this be the reverse effect of what happened in my freshman year? If the cheerleaders make fun of you, the jocks follow suit, and you soon become a free-for-all. But when the cheerleaders flock to you in their free time, the jocks also join in, and soon you become part of the popular crowd? While it seemed possible, it happened a little too quickly to be plausible.

I really didn’t care about that. Though, I did appreciate the sense of security that came with it, since the following few weeks were quite busy and eventful outside of school.

I had showed up at the office to make sure they knew I was back to work, though I would work from home. I could just get rid of the sling while programming, and let my arm rest on my desk instead, without the need to run around. And if anything came up, I had a Mom nearby that was eager to help wherever she could. So, my days were back to starting at Seven A.M. with the drive to school, and ending at around Eight P.M. when I finished with work.

In addition to that, Claire’s divorce was at a stalemate. Her lawyer quickly discovered that there weren’t enough assets to make her happy. I was the only minor amongst their children, and not only was I basically self reliant already, even if it went uncontested I would be almost eighteen by the time the divorce went through, so there wouldn’t be much child support either.

My siblings being over eighteen, and me having my own apartment, also meant that Claire wouldn’t simply get the house to let us live in it. Though, even if she were to get the house, she couldn’t afford it. The house was valued at $320,000, with them having roughly $260,000 equity in it. That meant, if Claire wanted to keep the house after I graduated High School, she’d have to pay $30,000 for her half of the remaining mortgage, followed by another $130,000 for Aaron’s half of the house.

No, the house we grew up in would have to be sold and the proceeds split after paying off the bank. That hit Claire and Ava harder than I thought it would. I guess three people living in a two bedroom apartment, no matter how nicely I thought I had decorated it, wasn’t their idea of a long term solution.

But then came the big one. I didn’t understand even half the words that guy used, but according to John, who had accompanied his sister to the lawyer, they would probably lose at least eighty percent of the investment they made shortly before Claire lost her job. The contract they signed didn’t allow for the account to be split, so they’d have to pull out prematurely and split what was left.

At least she’d possibly get some “maintenance” from Aaron. At least I hoped so, since, according to the lawyer, there are laws in place that don’t categorily fuck over the husbands despite what I read online, and it didn’t matter whether or not Claire was employed. It only mattered whether she could be employed.

With their bank account being scrubbed clean for their big investment, Claire and Ava were now depending on me for everything. Before they moved in with me, I could save up $720 dollars each month from my regular salary and build up my nest egg. Now, however, I was down to saving maybe $70 dollars per month, even after I used as much cash as possible for our regular shopping, school supplies, and their allowances. There simply were too many expenses that I couldn’t pay with cash, or that were too high to pay with cash without raising eyebrows

Seriously, though, what is it with female toiletries!? I’m perfectly happy with my 3-in-1 shower gel that doubles as dish soap and triples as laundry detergent if needed. Why do the both of them need three different shampoos each, depending on whether they want to smell like a coconut, repair their perfectly fine hair, or moisturize their skin? Why do they need deodorants that are half the size of mine, but cost twice as much because the ingredient list is as long as my arm? On the other hand, I did enjoy their feminine fragrance whenever we cuddled up, so maybe I shouldn’t complain about that. And thanks to the $1,800 a month I could transfer from the cash pile in my closet to my new bank account, I really didn’t have any reason to complain about money either.

The main problem, however, was that Aaron simply refused to cooperate. He wanted his family - read that ‘his women’ - back, while Claire refused to go back to how it was. For obvious reasons, though, both were reluctant to take it to court and risk exposing the details of their ‘irreconcilable differences’.

Mia also got her closure. I’m not entirely sure how they did it, nor was I sure if I even wanted to know, but I suspect her father pulled some strings. Somehow, he managed to get access to the still intubated and restrained Campbell, and let Nora tell the man how she felt about someone who comes after her children, mercilessly shattering his delusions. As far as I heard, he entered some kind of semi-catatonic state after that and would be transferred to the mental ward as soon as he had recovered enough to be moved.

Though, according to Bill, that was extremely stupid and dangerous. While it did indeed help Mia, this whole thing could’ve just as well blown up in their faces. If Campbell hadn’t broken down, he could have instead delved completely into a murderous obsession with Nora. I wasn’t sure what George Miller would have done to the guy in that case.

As far as my own medical recovery was concerned, they stopped packing my leg a week later, just like we had hoped. The P.T., however, would continue for a lot longer before I wouldn’t need a cane anymore. The therapist wasn’t particularly happy about the switch from a crutch to the cane, but he accepted it. Here, too, Claire was with me the entire way. She accompanied me to every session that I now had to attend at least twice per week, and did what she could to raise my spirits afterwards.

Mia also helped a lot. With all the time we were spending together, I found myself enjoying her company more and more, and genuinely missed her whenever she wasn’t around. I felt myself falling for her. And that was kind of a problem.

Since she still had some trouble sleeping alone even after getting her closure, she spent a lot of her nights in my bed. Though, we were seldomly alone in it, since Ava was still joining us, and I was reluctant to tell her off after learning that she, too, had trouble sleeping since the parking lot incident. With Ava sleeping right next to us, and my mother only thirty feet away in my relatively small apartment, there wasn’t much room for romantic activities between Mia and me.

It also didn’t help that I was still refusing to rely on Claire and Ava for my sexual release, despite my broken collarbone stopping me from doing much myself, so I hadn’t seen any action since that evening before Claire came back from John’s. A situation that quickly caused some trouble for me, when Mia, Ava, and I were in bed watching another movie.

Our now usual sleeping arrangement consisted of Mia cuddled up to my healthy left side, while Ava would cuddle up on my right side, but with her head on my stomach to stay away from my collarbone.

One evening, the TV screen suddenly showed a particularly raunchy sex scene. I could feel Mia getting some ideas about what we were presented with, and felt her lips pressed against my neck. But when I looked at her pleadingly, hoping she would have mercy and stop teasing me, I noticed that she wasn’t paying me any attention. She was watching Ava’s face, which was transfixed on a massive erection that I had developed without realizing it.

I only saw it because I wanted to know what Mia was looking at and craned my head. Until then, my view of my groin was obstructed by Ava’s head. Looking back at Mia, her expression was free of judgment. She was simply studying Ava, who was studying my hard dick producing a tent in my pants. The worry about what kind of conclusion Mia might draw regarding Ava’s relationship with me quickly killed the mood, and my erection was completely gone before Ava could show any incriminating behavior.

Mia did not comment on it in any way, though two nights later, we found ourselves in a similar situation. This time, however, Mia had purposefully provoked it by cautiously rubbing herself against me, while also kissing and licking my neck and ear. As soon as she noticed the effect it had on me, she stopped everything and watched my sister instead.

Ava had, again, completely forgotten about the TV. The tent in my sweatpants was apparently a lot more interesting than the show we were watching before. She didn’t do anything too telling, but one of her hands that was lying on my lower stomach was now slowly wandering downwards in the most minute increments before she caught herself.

From that day on, and to my dismay, Ava and Mia started spending a lot more time together.

Over the following few days, whenever Mia was in my apartment, they would withdraw into Ava’s and Claire’s room for “Girl’s Talk”. On occasion, when we were spending time together and I entered the room, they were caught up in a whispered conversation that abruptly stopped as soon as they noticed me. I have to admit, that kinda pissed me off, since I would feel myself being thrown back to my time in the family home as a fourteen year old.

The whole situation escalated another few days later, when we were all in bed again.

I was already dozing off when I suddenly felt Mia’s hand slip into my pants and wrap her fingers around my dick. In my already half sleeping mind, I simply enjoyed the feeling of her delicate fingers probing my cock, pressing her thumb on different parts of my shaft as if exploring it, before sliding further down to grab my balls and gently stroking them. She had me hard in no time.

When she pulled her hand out of my pants again and licked her palm, I finally woke up enough to remember that we weren’t alone. I looked to my side and could see that Ava was lying on her side with her back to us, but that back was firmly pressed into my side. By the time I looked back at Mia to tell her to stop, her hand had already found its way back into my pants.

When I opened my mouth, she simply cupped it with her other hand to stop me from speaking, and smiled sweetly at me. Her intention was clear now. She was doing that on purpose. She wanted to play around with Ava next to us.

The weeks of no release, coupled with the naughtiness of the situation and Mia’s encouragement, won against my reluctance to play along. Mia had positioned her mouth close to my ear, so I could hear and feel her hot lustful breath, only interrupted whenever she kissed the side of my neck. Simultaneously she started jerking my shaft in painfully slow and long strokes.

After about a minute of that, she used the hand cupping my mouth to turn my head away from Ava and towards herself, removed it from my mouth, and shut me up with a passionate kiss instead. Her tongue invaded my mouth and massaged my own, as her hand kept rubbing along my dick at a steady pace. When I opened my eyes, I could see that she was again attentively watching Ava for any reaction to what we were doing, as she slowly and carefully pushed down the waistband of my sweatpants and exposed my hard cock to the air.

Mia, now less careful with what she was doing, spat in her hand for extra lubrication before rubbing it all over the tip of my cock. I unsuccessfully suppressed a small jerk that traveled through my legs, and felt Ava now press her butt into my hip. That was it. She was awake and surely knew what we were doing literally behind her back.

To my surprise, though, instead of making herself known, I could see her thighs rubbing together while one of her hands seemed to make the journey towards her nether regions. Looking at Mia, I saw a mischievous grin appear on her face as her eyes sparkled.

Watching Ava’s reaction to what we were doing, Mia was now resuming my handjob with less inhibition. For the following few minutes, she didn’t care about making noises anymore, though she didn’t go so fast it would cause my body or the mattress to move too much and force Ava to acknowledge what was happening. Then she placed her mouth close to my ear again and spoke in a whisper that, in the quiet room, was surely loud enough for Ava to hear as well.

“Come for me.” and she increased the speed of her jerking hand significantly. “Don’t you want to shoot all over my hand, Stud? Right next to your oblivious sister? Come for me, Tim. Come right next to her. Don’t hold back. I’ll catch it all. Just come!”

And with that, she leaned down, wrapped her lips around my tip, and jerked me off into her mouth. I came in seconds and felt my body tense up as I emptied myself into her waiting mouth. And, apparently, Ava came as well! While I shot rope after rope, my eyes jumped between the sight of Mia’s lips around my cock, and the sight of my sister rubbing herself right next to me. Suddenly, Ava’s body slightly trembled and her legs stretched out. Mia continued sucking on my tip and slowly stroking my cock until Ava’s body relaxed. Only then did Mia wordlessly pull my pants up and snuggle back against my side.

Within no time, I could hear the both of them breath their slow and deep breaths, telling me they were asleep. I, on the other hand, was wide awake and horrified.

Mia had just jerked me off, even used her mouth on me, right next to my sister. She knew Ava had started masturbating halfway through, and climaxed around the same time I did. Mia had deliberately done this. But for what reason? What was she trying to achieve!? And what would happen now? I only saw one possible course of action: Deny any knowledge of what Ava had just done! So, the very next day, as soon as the opportunity arose in the morning, I turned to Mia.

“What the fuck was that last night!?” I asked, trying to sound as pissed as possible.

“Why? You didn’t enjoy me sucking the cum out of you?” she simply grinned.

“Not with my fucking sister right next to us! What if she woke up!?”

She suddenly looked at me with pity in her eyes. Like I was a little child that didn’t understand something obvious.

“Muffin, she was awake.” she smiled. “Didn’t you notice that?”

“No.” I stood by my decision to keep denying everything.

“She did even more than being awake. She came just seconds after you did.”

Interestingly, her voice did not sound like she was building up to some kind of blackmail. She simply informed me of a fact.

“No, she didn’t.” I insisted, causing her to sigh.

“Look. I’m pretty sure she likes you, Tim.” she said in a soft tone.

“Likes me? You mean, like,...”

“Yeah. I meant it as in being attracted to you. And not just physically, but emotionally.”

“You say that like it’s the most normal thing ever.” I said, after realizing that she was sounding more supportive than condemning.

“Yeah, well, I can’t really blame her.” she sighed again. “I talked to her a lot over the past few weeks. And I have to say, I kinda get it. For me, you took a bullet in a heated split-second decision. But for her, you actually risked your life to protect her after having enough time to think about it, knowing you’d be risking your life. She feels safe with you around.”

“So what!?” I called out, all pretense of my disapproval gone from my voice and demeanor. That little piece of information Mia had just given me was genuinely shocking. I knew Ava wanted to have sex, but I didn’t know about her developing those kinds of feelings for me! “Do you feel safe around Jack? Or your Dad? Does that make you attracted to them as well?” I asked, not believing that she would be actually okay with this. To my astonishment, she simply shrugged her shoulders.

“I mean, it’s not like I never thought about it. Jack IS my big brother, I’ve idealized him for a long time. But while I would never actually act on it, things for you and Ava are different.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Your history, Tim!” she threw her hands in the air as she said that. Somehow, someway, we had started our first argument. Not only was it about my sister being attracted to me, but also about Mia telling me that it was perfectly understandable! “Look, you barely spent any time together since even before you entered high school. And then, when you come back into her life years later, you’re a completely new person! Of course her inhibitions about you being siblings are lessened! She might know that you’re her brother, but when she looks at you, you’re probably just that hot guy who cares for her so much he’d put himself in danger to protect her. If I didn’t know you, and someone told me that you’re her little brother, I’d laugh in their face!”

That actually sounded like it could make sense. The big question was, who came up with that? Was it Mia herself, simply reaching conclusions after trying to make sense of what she had seen, or was it Ava who had possibly thought this whole elaborate plan up to get Mia on board with our relationship? I couldn’t decide, but I also couldn’t face this discussion at that moment. So, I decided to run. As best as I could with a cane. I shook my head, signaling that I didn’t share her opinion, and got out of bed to hide in the bathroom.

With my leg no longer being packed, I could finally enjoy proper showers again. Naturally, I used that time to come to terms with what I had just heard from Mia.

My biggest fear was still the possibility of our relationship not working out. Let’s face it, teenagers don’t normally think long term, and what she just told me about my sister was not something you’d want an angry ex to know about. Even if we became a couple now, she was going to leave for college in a few months and stay there for years. Who was to say she wouldn’t find someone else? Then she would carry around knowledge of what was going on in this family and be a continuous threat.

But even if that came to be, I had saved her life! And I knew about her father’s sexual preferences that could damage his business reputation just as much as she could damage mine. Mutual assured destruction, and all that. As long as she didn’t turn into another Logan and secretly recorded me with Ava, damaging our reputation with rumors would be all she could do.

On the other hand, if we ended up as a couple and didn’t split up during her college years, I would have a girlfriend that, apparently, wasn’t exactly opposed to my family’s activities. I was pretty sure that was kinda necessary if I wanted the family to be a part of my life. If I were to spend my life with a woman, there was no way I could keep something so big a secret from her indefinitely. Sooner or later, it would all come out. In this case, maybe the emphasis was on ‘sooner’.

My sling came off in the first week of february, little over a week after I had my discussion with Mia. I was now completely pain free as long as I didn’t try to walk, which meant that I was officially cleared to get nasty in the bedroom again. As soon as I got the news, I called Mia to deliver the good news.

“Hey Muffin.” She happily greeted me after the first ring.

“Hey yourself. Guess who has two fully functioning arms and is planning on using them to carry you into his bedroom?”

“Probably half the guys in school. And possibly a few of the teachers as well, if we’re honest. But they’re out of luck, because I have that guy I’m kinda seeing.”

I could hear how much she enjoyed turning that around on me, and I had to admire how quickly she got back with that line.

“Oh, are you now? Sounds kinda serious?” I chuckled.

“Yeah. Kinda just happened. But, seriously, are you telling me that your Collarbone is fully healed?”

“Yup.” I confirmed proudly. “So...” I let my voice trail off.

“If I tell you that I’ll be over in about two hours, how easy would you think I am?” she asked, not in a way to shut me down, but as an actual question.

“Pretty easy. But I reckon, the fact that there’s just that one guy you’re easy for balances it out, doesn’t it?”

“You got a point there!” she laughed. “Alright, see you in about two hours!”

I informed Claire and Ava about Mia coming over for something special, and they quickly offered to spend the night with John and Danny, so Mia and I would have my apartment just for ourselves. Before they left, though, Claire came over to me and embraced me in an unusually tight hug before telling me how happy she was for me. She actually left the apartment with a marvelous elated smile on her face.

I used the two hours I had to prepare something to eat and clean up a little, but as it turned out, Mia was much more eager to start than her words on the phone led on. As soon as she entered my apartment, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a kiss, pressing her body into mine.

“I’ve waited way too long for this!” she breathed between kisses, as her eagerness to press herself into me caused me to tumble back and fall onto the couch. She didn’t waste any time before jumping onto my lap, straddling me. “Do we need to go to the bedroom or can we just continue here?”

“Mom and Ava are out. Not coming back before tomorrow!” I replied, pushed my hand into her hair at the back of her head, and pulled her into another kiss.

My hands started roaming her body. They found their way underneath her clothes, and continued to expose her trim body. One hand pushed the back of her shirt up, while the other pushed the hem of her yoga pants down. My hands were now stroking and kneading her flesh, while she rubbed her body against mine.

She leaned back to look me in the eyes, causing my hands to slide across her hips to her front. Since they were still underneath her shirt, I couldn’t help but push them upwards over her belly, to grab a handful of her firm perky breasts. I don’t know what she saw in my eyes, but she had a very pleased look on her face.

She rocked her hips back and forth a few times, grinding herself on the hard object in my pants, before her own hands wandered down my chest and over my stomach to open my belt.

Next she opened my pants and, as soon as she had lowered the zipper, hopped off my lap to pull my pants off completely before losing her own as well. Then she did something new. She straddled my legs again, her thighs spread widely, awarding me a clear view of her pink pussy lips only inches away from my hard cock that lay atop my stomach. Then she reached down and played with it.

Her hands gently stroked over the sensitive skin, barely applying any pressure, and driving me crazy. I was already leaking precum onto myself when she finally wrapped her fingers around it. But even then she only teased a handjob. She greatly enjoyed seeing the lust and want in my eyes, as I tried to resist the urge to take her forcefully.

She used her fingers to smear my leaking precum all over my tip before she finally grabbed my dick properly and scooted up a little, so her clit was pressed against the bottom of my shaft. Only then did she start moving her hand up my length. Her hold on me concentrated on my tip, grabbing it only to massage it in a circular motion, before slowly pulling upwards until it fell out of her grip.

“Stop teasing me! I need you, Mia!” I groaned, and she chuckled.

Wordlessly she reached for her purse and pulled a condom out.

“I’m on the pill, but I don’t want to risk anything. I’m definitely way too young to get pregnant!” she explained in a still wanton voice, as she used the opportunity to tease me a little more by rolling the condom over my dick.

I simply nodded, lost in my lust that she had expertly raised to almost unbearable heights. She lifted herself up on her knees, lined up my tip with her opening, but still refused to stop the teasing. Instead of sitting back down and allowing me to finally penetrate her, she dragged my tip up and down through her inner lips as her tongue invaded my mouth. Her moaning drove me crazy as I grabbed her asscheeks with both hands, giving them a forceful squeeze.

“OH my god! PLEASE!” I moaned, when she lowered herself barely enough to let my tip enter her opening.

It did feel different with a condom, but she had me way too horny to care. It wasn’t the physical stimulation that had me going. It was her teasing, her ragged breathing, her lustful moans, and that sultry smile on her beautiful face that made me want this girl more than I could express.

Slowly, inch for inch, she lowered herself onto me, finally allowing me to enter her wet canal. As soon as she was fully resting on my thighs, she simply sat there with closed eyes and her mouth opened in a silent moan, while both of us savored the feeling of our first time being joined.

When she started riding me, she did so in cautious movements. Her hips raising and lowering in maybe two inch increments, while her pussy clamped down on my cock almost painfully.

“Oh, Tim! TIM! I love this!” she moaned, before she leaned in for another kiss.

“You have no idea how much I want you!” I moaned back, and her riding gained in speed and force.

We breathed into each other’s mouths, unwilling to move away too far and risk missing the display of need on the other’s face. I was now thrusting up into her, meeting her movements while resuming the kneading of her ass. Then she leaned fully back, placed her hands on my knees to support herself, and started riding me with reckless abandon. Every time her hips raised, I would gain a perfect view of my dick invading her. And then it happened.

The next time she leaned forward, the movement of her hips never slowing down, her head dropped next to my face and I could hear her breathy voice.

“I love you!”

As soon as I heard it, I knew for sure I felt the same. I had felt myself falling for her for weeks now, the only thing holding me back was the family situation, but she had shown signs of being fine with that. At that moment, I wanted to risk it.

“I love you too, Mia!”

Hearing me say it pushed her into overdrive. Her hips moved faster than I thought possible, as she wildly grinded herself into my groin until her lungs pushed a high pitched scream out of her, and I felt her body tremble. I wrapped my arms around her torso and held her in place, her breasts smashed flat against my chest, until her shaking subsided.

I wasn’t done with her yet, though. I used my hold on her torso to lift us both off the couch, turned, and lay her onto her back. Then I leaned forward and started fucking her as forcefully as I could. The condom did a surprisingly good job in helping me last, as Mia wrapped her legs around my hip as if she had to stop me from pulling out.

“I love you!” She moaned again. “I do! I DO! YES! YEEEES!”

I felt her tremble yet again, her nails scratching over my back, and her pussy massaging my cock as the ripples of her orgasm traveled through her. That pushed me over the edge as well. With one forceful thrust, penetrating her as deeply as I possibly could, I joined in her orgasm and unloaded myself into the condom.

When our spasms had finally subsided, we lay there panting, covered in sweat, kissing all over our faces. Then we didn’t move for a long time, simply embracing each other and reveling in our postcoital bliss. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t pull out of her, since she still had her legs wrapped around my waist. Finally she spoke.

“Let’s take a break. Then we’ll continue in the bedroom.” she laughed.

We moved over to my dinner table, not bothering to put on clothes, and sat down to eat. But now, that we had reached that stage, there was something we had to discuss before we could move forward.

“So...” I started pensively. “Now that we told each other how we feel ... I guess there is something we need to address.”

“And what’s that?” she asked casually, not even looking at me.

“Ava.” That caused her to finally put the food down and fix me with a calculating look.

“Okay.” she said, before taking a deep breath. “I’m gonna be honest with you. I’m not exactly the possessive type. But I do expect the guy I’m with to be faithful. Now, that being said, what you told me in the hospital was mostly true. I am going to leave for Northwestern in four months, and I’m gonna be away for three years before I get my degree and can join Daddy’s company. But I won’t be gone for four years. I’m going into the JD-MBA program. Double the course load, but it takes ‘only’ three years.”

I swallowed my comment about three years not being that much better than four. It didn’t seem necessary anyways, as her eyes had taken on a rather regretful look. Though, it vanished after a few seconds before she continued with newfound resolve.

“I plan on holding on to you. After all, since you put Craig in his place, half the cheer team wants you too. And I’m the one who got you.” she chuckled.

“Who’s Craig?” I asked, confused, not necessarily surprised about the second part. I knew that since Ava had told me how they asked for my number and relationship status.

“Kathy’s boyfriend?” she tried to elaborate, but saw equal confusion in my eyes. “The guy who tried to make fun of you for only having one girlfriend so far.”

“Oh! That guy!” I called out. “But what does all that have to do with Ava?”

“Well ... Look.” she sighed. “Ava’s been my best friend since we were in kindergarten. She’s like a sister to me. And, as I said before, I can’t really blame her if she wants to be with you after what you did for her. So ... how about ... I give you a limited hall pass?”

“You ... what?” I was stunned.

“I’m not gonna tell you what to do. Whether you want to go down that road with Ava will be your decision. But IF you find yourself ... tempted ... you have my blessing. At least she can’t steal you away from me. Not like you two could marry.” she grinned. Then her grin turned mischievous. “And, maybe ... Well, it wouldn’t be the first time Ava and I have some fun together.”

“You and Ava!?” I asked incredulously. I knew Ava had boyfriends over the years, but I never knew she had a girlfriend.

“Girls like to experiment sometimes.” she shrugged her shoulders. “Anyway, it’s your decision. But you don’t exactly look like the thought appalls you.”

I had to find an excuse. And fast! I couldn’t very well tell her that Ava had already spent quite a few nights in my bed as my literal cumdumpster.

“Well, it was hard not thinking about it during the last week, after you pointed it out.” That part wasn’t even a lie. Since she pointed it out, I had thought much more about it than before. “And I could see that you weren’t wrong.”

“Really. Is that so.” she grinned again, and I got the impression she was thinking about ways to tease me about it.

“So ... are we, like, official now?”

“I’d say we are, Muffin.” God, she had a gorgeous smile!

“You sure that’s what you want? I’ll be working a lot.” I reminded her.

“I know, and I’m not complaining.” she said firmly, and noticed the doubt in my eyes. “Look, I thought about that already. You told me in the hospital that you’re working about seventy hours each week. But that’s including the almost forty hours in School, right? So, by the time I’m back from Northwestern, you’ll have settled into a nice nine-to-five. Then I’ll be the one who’s probably working longer hours than you, while Daddy’s showing me the ropes in his firm.”

“Awwww.” I laughed. “You make it sound so romantic!”

“Oh, you want romance?” she asked with raised eyebrows before nodding as if to concede. “Okay. Ava told me that she and your Mom are basically depending on you right now. And that they probably will depend on you at least until the divorce is through. And I have to admit, seeing you step up and provide for your family...” she leaned towards me to whisper the next part. “ ... kinda makes me want to lose the condom the next time you mount me.”

I blinked at her for a moment, surprised by that brazen statement. For a split second, I wondered how choosing a father for her children based on his ability to provide was in any way romantic. But then I remembered how rich that girl was. She didn’t need my money at all. She was simply telling me that she was willing to start a family with me, and it fucking floored me for a moment!

“In that case I need to start making plans for Saturday.” I proclaimed.

“Why? What’s Saturday?”

“Valentines Day.” I reminded her, and her eyes got wide. “How about we go on a proper date? I think it’s high time.”

We did not finish our meal. Instead, after hearing my plan to take her out on our first date, she moved seats in favor of sitting in my lap. Two minutes later, she had me so hot again that I simply grabbed her, carried her into the bedroom, and we resumed our activities from earlier.

That night, I fucked her in every position we could think of until the pack of condoms was emptied, and thanks to the condoms lessening the intensity of her tightness, I was pretty sure she enjoyed it just as much as I did.