Welcome to Part 5 and thank you for reading along, so far! Unfortunately, the gap between submissions is going to get a little longer as I settle into the working year. I kind of want to keep this series going in perpetuity while working on other projects. Basically, I just love the family and want to put them in all sorts of crazy situations!
There's a fair bit of anal in this part. I did include it in the description on part one, but this is a little reminder for anyone who'd rather skip over those bits. They aren't 'story essential' scenes.
As always, please feel free to reach out with feedback and do me a favour by providing a rating after reading! You don't even need to be logged in :-) I try to be as responsive as possible.
All characters are eighteen or older. Any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental. Stay safe, stay responsible, and please enjoy the story!
Chapter Ten
It was the day before Emily's birthday. Saturday.
I woke up in our oversized bed with a warm body pressed against mine. My arms were around it and its arms were around me. It pulled me closer until I felt soft lips press against my shirt; heard a dry tongue clap and a satisfied groan. Then, my eyes adjusted to the light and my nostrils opened to the smells of the world around me.
I was holding beautiful Riley.
The blonde made a point of looking into my eyes. Her steely pupils were gentle in a way I didn't know that colour could be and her lips made a smile so subtle yet so radiant. Without letting go, while actually pulling me closer, I heard her say,
"fuck you."
We both laughed at her little declaration; at her way of saying that I was confusing her. Hell, I was confused too!
I wondered what the limits of love were. With my sisters, I realised that love had no rules and with Mom, I came to see that love could be truly unconditional. Love is unceasing, unstoppable — an incessant force that knows no limits nor assumptions. I wondered how many people you can love at once. Such a complicated question seemed to have the simplest of answers.
I've never loved two people the same way. In the universe of my heart, Emily is a thief who steals my adoration with her naughty assertiveness. Blake is my partner for life and the closest thing I'll ever have to a wife. Then there's Mom... The most unexpected of the relationships I forged in those two weeks three years ago. With her, I realised we'd see our relationship grow deeper, eternally.
Now, there was Riley. I held her like any man would hold someone he loved dearly. We fell back to sleep; her body warm and comfortable in my hands. Our future was uncertain, but we knew that we were feeling
something
, even though it didn't have a name yet.
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
I woke up properly an hour later, this time in an empty bed with sun pouring into the room.
Although we'd started a tradition of early runs, I decided to forego the exercise that morning. Instead, I took a long shower with the water getting warmer until I was lost under its fiery touch. It was like a firm massage that released the little knots of tension in my shoulders and loosened my chest. I spent some more time in the bathroom; shaving and brushing my teeth obsessively. Afterwards, I pulled on some jeans and a nice shirt.
Mom and Blake were due to arrive that afternoon and I wanted to look good. I extended my morning routine to get the best possible results; excited to welcome them back. Looking in the mirror, I realised that I needed a haircut. Then I looked a little longer and decided I actually liked the scruffier look. It made me feel a little older; convinced me that I was growing into some sort of patriarch with his own little harem.
I went searching for Em and Riley. They weren't in the kitchen or living room, so I assumed that they might have gone to their old bedroom. I poked my head through the door but no one was around, and I figured they went out to town. So, I took the opportunity to grab my book and head outside.
The sea still looked ominous, and I had no intention of going down to the beach. Instead, I settled into a recliner on our deck and dove into my favourite fictional universe.
Something wasn't quite right. I started reading and rereading the same sentence over-and-over without making any progress. The noise of the waves bothered me, then an unwelcome sense of paranoia followed. At first, I wasn't worried about where the girls were. They were old enough to do their own thing. But I looked at the ocean and wondered if they might have gone for a swim. If that was the case, were they safe?
I started pacing — marching up and down as my mind concocted upsetting scenarios. The water still scared me, but nothing could stop my brotherly instincts: my desire to protect my family... It was irrational, primal, rushed, and I ran with a strange determination. All the while, I felt my lungs fill with unreal water as I approached the place where a few days ago I'd almost drowned.
My feet hit the sand and I remained fixated on the sea as I searched for signs of life. A sudden voice out of nowhere jolted me. My brain registered its pitch before processing the words — I jumped in my own skin. The voice was shrill and urgent.
"Josh! Josh!" Emily yelled.
I turned around. Spinning on my heels and almost falling flat on my face as I searched for my sister. The sun blurred my vision; the sounds of the world overwhelmed me for a moment.
Relief poured over me as I caught sight of my sister. She was sitting on the sand with her legs stretched out while Riley laid flat on her stomach next to her. They'd picked a bit of beach that offered protection against the wind, which is why they were hard to spot. Most importantly, they were safe and sound — serenity evident on my little sister's face!
"Going swimming in your jeans?" Emily queried. Her eyes were behind dark shades that matched the contour of her brows. She wore a white one-piece with a frilly lining along with a touch of nude lipstick on her mouth. In her left hand, she held an unlit cigarette while her right rested on a bottle of wine. "We decided to take a beach day."
My adrenaline was still pumping, and I struggled to focus on words and phrases and stuff. So, I tried to put a sentence together, but it wasn't quite working.
"Come sit with us," Emily patted the sand. "I love that you're all dressed up, but maybe take your shoes off?"
My sister's last statement came with a sweet smile that disarmed me — made me calm down just a little. I pulled off my shoes and went to sit next to the girls. My heart thumped; I took long breaths to try and get rid of the dread that filled me moments ago.
I watched as Em broke her cigarette in half, knowing that I didn't approve of the habit. She smiled as she did it, resting her free hand on mine. "Were you worried about us?"
"A note would've been nice," I realised that my words had a sting. "Sorry, I'm—"
"Don't worry," my little sister rested her head on my shoulder. "Something tells me you had a bad experience in the water."
