Project Apollo: Book Two ✔️

Chapter Six

"For what?!" I tried to wiggle out of his hold. "Axton, let me go. Oh, my god. You weren't lying. You're a snuggler. I'd like to commend your lack of care when it comes to the gender of your snuggle buddy, but I am not that person."

He wasn't awake–not really. He didn't answer me. He didn't let me go, either. I was stuck in an iron grip that held me captive. Maybe it should have terrified me that this straight boy was attached to me, but...it didn't. Not after yesterday. It didn't solve everything, but enough. Enough that I could breathe around him. Not that I expected him to drag me into...Apollo's bed, I believed, but I couldn't move. So, I patted his hand as his whimpers died down.

While I was stuck there, I started to wonder what nightmares plagued him. What caused him to panic in his sleep? And why did someone lying with him calm him so quickly? It had to mean that Apollo, at the very least, stayed with him, and held him when he was scared.

It took me an insane amount of time to process that. Axton was this, tall guy, who held killer energy about him any other part of the day. Yet, now he was snuggled into my back. It made him appear smaller than the aggressive energy he put off. Somehow, it helped me see him in that light that shined over him yesterday.

I used to like snuggling. It was my favorite pastime. But after everything that happened to me–I haven't chased another hook-up. I didn't want a relationship. I didn't need cuddles to make me feel better. But what if I did? Because the way I allowed myself to relax in the arms of someone I shouldn't considering his sexuality, and my fear–scared me to death.

Not enough to think about it more.

Last night, I slept like shit.

And it caught up with me when I knew there was no getting out of this position without possibly causing Axton more panic. If I woke him, then I'd have to deal with whatever monster came out when I did. And I wasn't about to find out what happened when I woke him from his panic-addled sleep.

My mistake was closing my eyes. My biggest mistake was falling asleep. And the nail in the coffin was after an undisclosed amount of time I felt someone staring at me through the grogginess of my sleep. It made me crinkle my nose. The arms around me were warm, so I didn't move. I fell back into the warmth of the arms around me. I pretended they were someone who loved me–cherished me.

Okay, I was crazy.

And those laser eyes were still staring.

Then a poke to my shoulder made me groan. "Go away."

I tried to turn over but was held in place by the strong arms wrapped around me. The eyes wouldn't relent. So, I cracked open my eyes, and to my fucking horror, there wasn't one pair of eyes staring at me, but three.

Emery was slack-jawed. Alaric was entertained. Apollo was fucking pissed. Shocker.

Apollo reached over and pinched Axton somewhere I couldn't see. Somewhere near his face. "Ace!"

Axton whined like a child in my ear. "Shut the fuck up, Apollo. I'm comfy."

"That is not me."

Axton must have opened his eyes because I gasped when I was suddenly tumbling toward the floor. He kicked me onto the floor! I popped my head up and glared at him. "This is your fault!" I shouted at him. He pressed his lips together, his eyes conveying an apology while he tried for rage. Right. Okay. "Jesus, you whined, and wouldn't shut up." And I conveyed back the same apology. His eyes held understanding. I saw it because I chose to see it. "I was your captive. This is far from my fault!"

"You could have woken me!"

"I tried, you mammoth!" I clawed at the end of the bed, standing up as I sucked in a breath. "You wouldn't move! I was trapped in my own little horror show. Who knew you were such a cuddler?"