Light Gathers Darkness | 18+

51.

"Ahw, they're like puppies," I hear David tell Ivan.

I laugh, but it's muffled in Dominic's chest. He's hugging the shit out of me, together with Asher and Easton.

They don't want me to leave.

I smile. "Guys. It's just four days. I'll be back Saturday night." Their grips only tighten.

My heart melts. "Babes, we can call every night." Asher shakes his head in my shoulders. "I don't wanna call. I wanna have you here."

I turn my head to him and kiss his forehead. "When I'm back, you're getting what you want. I'm sorry, but this was planned ages ago."

Easton grunts. "No it wasn't. It was three weeks ago." I roll my eyes. "If you knew, then you knew this was coming. Now, pretty please, let me go. I'll miss my plane."

Dominic's arms wrap tighter around me. I sigh. 

"I've missed you too much already," he mumbles. I frown. "That's not fair, you're just blackmailing me!"

He nods in my chest. "Is it working?"

I slightly shake my head. I see his shoulders slump. 

"If you don't leave, I'm gonna cry," I whisper. This is taking too long for me to stay unemotional. 

Ash mumbles something. I turn to him, and Dominic and Easton slightly release me. "What did you say?"

He keeps looking down. "Nothing. .  ."

I tilt his chin with a finger and see a few tears on his cheeks. Ahw. "Oh, baby. I'll call as soon as I land, okay? We'll call the whole evening, and you can stare at my pretty ass while I unpack."

He nods, still sniffling. I give him a soft kiss, then do the same to Easton and Dominic. They seem really upset I'm leaving for a holiday, even though it's only four days and I'm not even leaving the country.

I wave and smile, turning around to join Ivan David. They seem bored with me, because of my guys. Meh, their own fault.

But before I'm even close to them, Dominic stops me again, one arm around my waist. Ivan rolls his eyes and drags a hand across his face in annoyance. "She was almost here!"

I chuckle and turn to Dominic, expecting a begging look, but it's stern. Oh shit. He's hot with it, but I know I'm about to get a rule.

"No touching yourself," he warns. I cock an eyebrow. What the fuck is he thinking? I literally stole a vibrator of them.

He softens his rule with a kiss on my forehead. "Saturday night is our night. We're gonna fuck you stupid," he whispers in my ear. "And I want you squirming until then."

I sigh. "Fine. But it better be good then." I peck his lips again and then take off, officially making it to my friends this time.

David groans. "Fucking finally! Man, what did you tell them? That you're gone for two years?"

I laugh. "Oh, babe. I'm just so amazing, they'll miss me a lot." Ivan snorts at that. I give him a look, making him look at the side.

Then, he winces and groans. "Seriously?"

Both David and me look in the direction he is looking, and I see Easton waving at me like a town idiot. I laugh and wave back.

They are adorable.

"I think it's best if we ignore them from now. Or we'll never be able to leave," I chuckle. Both men nod in agreement and we walk away.

I throw a last kiss at them and don't turn back.

***

"Do you miss me?"

Ash's sad voice fills my hotel room. My heart swells at his cuteness. It's three hours later in Ohio than in California now, so he's in bed while I'm unpacking.

"I miss you a lot, baby," I say. I'm not completely lying, but I'm not crying because I'm not with them.

"I miss you more. Dom and Easton are boring without you," he sighs. I grin. "Maybe if you weren't all sulking. . . "

His frown fills my screen. It's dark in his room, and he isn't wearing a shirt. It does make me miss him. I'm sure it wasn't coincidence.

"We aren't sulking. Just sad our favorite girl left."

I almost start to cry. Why are they so cute?

But I laugh it away. "I'm the only girl in your life. Of course I'm your favorite girl."

He shakes his head. "Even if we had thousands of girl friends and sisters, you'd still be the favorite. And we do have other girls in our lives, we're not that sad."

I sit down on the chair next to the table my phone is on. "Oh? well by all means, Ash, tell me about these girls that make your life less sad."

I'm teasing him, and we both know it. He laughs. "Well, most of them are women who just deal in business with us, but okay. And then we have your friends, your mom and. . . oh! You're also the best of all my students and colleagues."

He gives me a soft smile. I can see he's tired, but he says he rather talks with me than sleep. Weirdo.

"So you choose me over that baby you hold in lectures?" I ask, holding in my laugh. He's whipped about that baby. There's a young girl in his class who doesn't have a babysitter so she has to take her baby to class, and he holds her baby while teaching to let her concentrate.

He's too sweet. No one would believe he's one of the three leads of the American mafia. I wouldn't if I hadn't known.

His face falls at that question. "Next question. And he's a boy, so I don't have to answer that."

I start laughing harder. "I don't blame you. From the pictures you showed, he looked adorable."

He smiles, eyes half closed. "He is the cutest." He lays his head on his pillow, blinking against the sleep.

I glance at the clock. It's eleven pm here, means it's two am there. "Ahw, go to sleep sweetie. I'll call you while I get dressed, yeah?"

He pouts, but is too tired to fight me. "Can I choose what you wear?"

I blow him a kiss, and he blows it back. "Of course. Good night!"

He waves, eyes closing. "Good night, butterfly."