Page 56 of Shattered Silence Duet

“I see, we’re old news now, are we?” Max asks teasingly. Not wanting him to feel like he isn’t important to me too, I turn to him and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him into a gentle hug. I place my face into his neck and give him a quick kiss. When I pull back, he’s grinning down at me. I guess he likes hugs, too.

“Alright, go on then, go see the others,” he says, stepping down and holding his hand out for me to jump down after him. I practically skip to the door, but it flies open before I get there, and I see Atlas stepping out, staring at me, looking angry. Somehow, I already know him enough to know he’s not angry at me.

As I step up to him, I watch his expression relax as a smile tries to break free. He opens his arms for me and I don’t hesitate to wrap my arms around his waist. He wraps his around my shoulders, swaying back and forth with me before dropping his hands under my butt and lifting me up. My arms and legs go around him instinctively as my eyes widen in shock. I’m just wearing my school kilt and underwear, so it’s not a very appropriate position. Part of his hands touch my bare thigh, making my core start to heat.That’s a new feeling.

He turns and carries me into the house as I press my nose into his neck. This seems to be my new favorite place on all of them. I smell his neck, and the scent is so good I almost groan. I place a very gentle kiss there, not yet sure if I want him to know I do it.

After a moment, he places my butt on the kitchen island, just like he did last time I was here. He pulls back and looks at me,cupping my face in his hands. He looks like he’s searching my eyes for something. “You okay, Malishka? Really?”

I pull out my phone and type, turning it for him to see.

Me: I’m better now I’m here.

He kisses my forehead and sighs. “I was worried about you this weekend.”

I see Ben come around the island then. “Hey, Princess. You want something to drink?”

I shake my head and hear Max call out from the living room, “Atlas, bring her in here, share her with the rest of us!”

My heart warms, knowing they all want to spend time with me. Atlas gently picks me up by my thighs again and carries me to the living room. I hear the door open and close as Atlas sits me on the couch beside him. Dom seems to appear from thin air, claiming the seat on my other side.

I turn to him to give him a proper hello. I think about my flirting list and give Max a quick glance to see if he’s paying attention. He’s giving me a huge grin, almost like he knows what I’m thinking. I really want to try this flirting on the others and see if it works, but my flirting attempt with Max has left me confused.

For now, I just decide to play it cool and just give Dom a little finger wave hello. He smiles at me. I want to give him a hug, too, but it feels awkward now. I bite my lip, wondering if I lean towards him, if he will hug me back.

“Oh my god, Dom, can’t you see she’s dying to give you a hug?” Ben says, and I jerk my head around to him in surprise, my cheeks heating in embarrassment.Am I that obvious?I notice Gideon and Tucker taking seats across from us. Oh my, all seven of them in the same space is… a lot.

“Is that true, Kitten? Do you want to give me a hug?”Kitten?Why did I like that so much? I hesitate, and he gently grabs my chin, moving my head so I look at him.There’s that strange feeling in my core again.“Remember, be honest. Tell me what you want.” I nod my head and open my arms, and he gives me a big smile,pulling me in for a hug as he whispers, “good girl,” in my ear, then gives me a peck on my temple before letting me go.

Glancing at Gideon and Tucker, I don’t know how to properly greet them. Tucker is my teacher, and Gideon is my guidance counselor. I haven’t seen them outside of school before. And I’m sure students aren’t supposed to hug their teachers, but they don’t feel like my other teachers. And they definitely don’t look at me the way my other teachers do. They look at me the same way their brothers do.

Sensing my unease, Gideon breaks the tension. “Do you want to come over and say hello?” He lifts his arms so his question is unmistakable, asking if I want to hug him.

I silently stand up and walk around the coffee table and head towards him, watching as he smiles warmly at me. As soon as I’m close enough, he gently pulls me into a hug, his arms somehow missing any major injuries. “Hi, Mina,” he whispers in my ear before he releases me.

I turn to Tucker, who’s sitting right beside Gideon, and he pulls me close and wraps me in a huge hug, making me hiss in pain. He manages to press on my arm, back, and side all at the same time, the pain too much to ignore.

He immediately releases me, his face etched with concern. “Did I hurt you, Sugar?” His eyes, shadowed with worry, sweep over me like he’s cataloging every inch of my exposed skin, afraid he’s missed something.

I shake my head, he didn’t cause my injuries, so I’m not technically lying.

“But youarehurt,” Tucker states, not letting me avoid answering. “Show me where.”

I shake my head and gently pull away, heading to Ben. I saw him in the kitchen but didn’t say hello yet properly. I sense the tension thick in the air, but choose to ignore it. Ben gives me a gentle smile as I approach him.

“Hey, Princess, I missed you.” I pull my phone out of my pocket to type a response and show him.

Me: I missed you too. I’ve only met you once though, doesn’t that seem weird?

“Does it feel weird to you?” he asks with a tilt of his head. I think about it for a second, but it doesn’t seem weird at all. We were texting each other on the weekend so even though this is only the second time seeing him in person, I feel like I know a lot about him already. He’s funny, he likes gadgets and computers and playing video games, and he’s really smart. I shake my head to answer his question.

“Good,” he says, giving me a warm smile and kissing the top of my head as he pulls me in for a quick, gentle hug. “Go sit between Atlas and Dom, and we’ll bring lunch in here for everyone.”

“Nope!” Tucker, suddenly standing in front of me, stops my path and grabs my hand, bringing me to the other side of the couch where Gideon is sitting, and pulls me down to sit between them. Then proceeds to glare at Dom and Atlas. “You two and Ben get her during third period. So we get her now, right Gideon?”

“Actually,” Gideon says thoughtfully, “You get her for gym class, so, to be fair, I should get her to myself for lunch period.”

“No way, I’m teaching a class, I can’t spend quality time with her!”