The Six | A Reverse Harem Novel | ✔️

Eighteen

They wouldn't touch me.

Hours later, when the tears stopped flowing and I couldn't keep my head up, I fell asleep strewn across Jason's chest. His fingers tangled in my hair, stroking slowly as he whispered words of comfort and encouragement. It was a reminder of why I was so in love with him in the first place. Yet, with all their promises and declarations, I woke up alone.

My body was wrapped securely around an oversized grey body pillow and the Six were in their respective beds. Similar to the setup at home, a massive supreme bed dominated the main bedroom and six beds were stacked and sunken into the surrounding walls. Each bed was full. Mine, however, was heart numbingly empty.

I twisted and turned for the next two hours, trying to get comfortable enough to sleep, but nightmares chased away it. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, I pulled myself from the silk sheets and padded into the kitchen for a glass of water. Once my tall clear glass was filled to the brim, I glared around the darkened kitchen.

Set on the right side of the underwater compound, the kitchen was built to serve me as well as the Six. As I leaned against the Viking refrigerators, I glanced to my right and out of the floor-to-ceiling windows. They spanned half the room, reflecting the bar stools and solid marble countertop running perpendicular to me. Behind the counter were the two stoves, cabinet spaces, and two farmhouse sinks.

Gulping down the water, I found my way down the backside of the marble island and sank to the floor, directly in front of the windows. My frame was hidden, but if you stepped deeply into the kitchen, you could see my wild hair around the edge. Sadness pulled at my heartstrings as I sat down, enjoying the pulsing heat from the floors. Lazily, I traced the bright blue lights lining the walls, suspended just above the floors.

It felt alien to be here alone and so... so... wrong. I was meant to be with them, but I could tell that they would be standoff-ish until they could come to grips with what I had revealed. And the betrayal in Charlie's eyes... mine squeezed shut tightly against the memory, I wasn't sure he'd ever forgive me for keeping something so explosive from him. When my glass was empty, I stood and turned around, yelping out.

"Chris!" I whisper-yelled. "What are you doing? Hiding in the dark?"

He stared at me, raising a single eyebrow. "Isn't that exactly what you were doing?"

"No," I pouted, "just needed a minute. I thought you were sleeping."

His arms came around my waist, pulling me into his bare chest. "I was, but I felt your unease through the link."

"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you." My confidence deflated when he pushed me away. "Come on, let's go back to bed."

"Blue, you don't understand." Chris caught my wandering hands and cuffed them behind my back. We were chest-to-chest, staring one another down. I bit my lip as our stare held, feeling his erection press into my lower belly. "If you ever freaked out when I touched you... "

"I know who is touching me, I won't freak out." He shook his head. "You've touched me thousands of times before and I didn't freak! Why would it change now?"

"Uh huh... yeah..." Chris looked unconvinced and released me, ambling over to sit down at the window. He watched me from his seat, analyzing me with his brilliant blue eyes. Tiredness clung to him, drooping his shoulders and creating dark circles around his eyes. "I need a little more information about your situation with Catrina."

"What?" I hissed, narrowing my eyes at him. "What else could you possibly want to know?"

"Don't get defensive with me, B." His arms opened as he leaned back and he motioned to his lap. "Come here."