Page 2 of Liberating Water

I could see Micah gearing up to smack Parker again, so I interjected. “Whatever it was, we stopped it and I’m fine. Let’s get some sleep before something else happens and we are running on empty.”

Parker groaned, flopping against the couch. “Why would you even put that into the universe, Trouble? So not cool.”

I chuckled as I headed into one of the bedrooms that had the king-size bed. Tossing off the extra pillows, I pulled back the covers and got settled in the middle of the big bed. A few minutes later, Brayden crawled in next to me and pulled me against him, intertwining our legs. I tucked my head under his chin, and we both let out a heavy sigh.

“You scared the shit out of me, Lailah,” Brayden whispered after we had been lying there for a few minutes in silence. “I could feel how much pain you were in, and I couldn’t do anything to help you.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist, clutching him to me. “You did do something—you saved me. If you all hadn’t placed a hand on me, I don’t think I would have survived.”

He kissed the top of my head, then my forehead, the tip of my nose, and then our lips met. I could feel his need for reassurance that I was truly okay. This wasn’t about sex; it was purely the need to hold me. I surrendered to him, giving him what he needed—what we both needed.

“I didn’t know how much I was truly in love with you until I thought you were going to leave me,” Brayden said, pulling me away so he could look me in the eyes.

I felt my eyes widen at his words. “Brayden, did you just declare your love for me?”

“Apparently not very well if you’re questioning it,” Brayden said, love and laughter in his gaze. “Lailah Mackenzie, I am hopelessly in love with you.”

My chest burst with the happiness and love that flooded my body. I couldn’t tell if it was from him or if it was me… not that it mattered, since the feeling was mutual. This time I could say it in return.

“Brayden Dolton, I love you too,” I admitted seconds before his lips came crashing onto mine.

We made out until both our lips were swollen and red from being nibbled, bit, and sucked. Neither of us had much energy to do anything else, but with our connection, there was no doubting how we each felt about each other. Finally, we both found ourselves drifting off to sleep, my hands under his shirt planted on the skin of his back, while he wrapped his arms around my waist.

* * *

Sometime later,I was awoken when I felt someone climbing into the bed on my other side. I cracked an eye and found Micah, who was pulling up the covers and laying on his back beside me.

“You okay?” I murmured, untangling myself to face him.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Micah said gruffly.

“Want to tell me about it?” I pushed, knowing there was something more. He never showed his vulnerability.

He turned to look at me, and the fear in his eyes shocked me. I’d seen many emotions from Micah, but fear like this hadn’t been one of them. I reached out and took his hand, and that seemed to break whatever control he’d been holding onto. Yanking on my arm, he pulled me away from Brayden and across his chest. His breathing was fast and uneven, like he was on the verge of having a panic attack.

“Shhh, it’s okay. We’re all safe. We made it out in one piece,” I murmured as I combed my fingers through his hair.

“You can’t leave me, Lailah,” Micah rasped.

I squeezed him tighter as his words almost made me cry. “I’m not going anywhere, Micah. You’re not going to get rid of me that easily.”

“I won’t be able to survive if another person I care about dies. Losing my parents nearly broke me, and I haven’t let anyone else in besides Brayden,” Micah said, talking quickly. “I don’t know how it happened, but you somehow forced your way into my heart, and I can’t lose you too.”

I pulled Micah’s face away from my neck and looked into his eyes before I kissed him. Unlike my kisses with Brayden, Micah’s was desperate, clutching at me, fisting my shirt in his hands. I held onto his face, cupping his jaw in both my hands so he could feel me. Kissing Micah was like a thunderstorm; it was wild, electric, and completely unpredictable. Micah kissed down my neck, biting every so often, making me gasp at the jolts it sent through my body. He started to fumble with my shirt, but I stopped him.

“Micah, wait,” I panted.

“Why? You want this, I can tell,” he asked, frowning.

I shook my head at him with a smirk on my lips. “Yes, I want you, but I don’t want the first time we have sex to be because you’re upset. Not to mention that your best friend is right next to us.”

“Brayden won’t care. I’m sure he’d even join in if he woke up,” Micah countered.

I sighed, fighting what my body was crying out for now that he had lit the fire within me. “I’m still going to say no tonight, Micah. As much as it kills me to stop, it’s not the right time to do this. I want you to be absolutely sure you want to be with me and are ready to take the Oath, because I don’t take sex lightly.”

Micah flopped onto his back and ran his hands through his hair before looking back at me. “You’re right. It’s not fair of me to ask you to give me your heart when I can’t offer mine in return.”

Leaning forward, I pressed a kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”

“Can I still sleep here tonight?” he asked.

“If you think you can manage it, you’re more than welcome,” I said, letting him snuggle up against me.

Once we got settled, Brayden pressed up against me from behind, wrapping himself around me and nuzzling the back of my neck. I’d never felt so safe or cared for in my life, and this was just the beginning.