Homecoming

 

Home. I exhaled when Knox pulled into the garage, feeling my body instantly relax. Knox and Theo started unloading the car, but I remained anchored to my seat. Even though I had only been gone a few months, it seemed like a lifetime, and I could still scarcely believe I was back in Santa Cruz, back with the guys.

I felt a light pinch on my arm and turned to find Knox smirking at me.

“It’s real,” he mouthed.

I stared at him, stunned. “How did you . . .? Can you read minds?”

“Give me a little credit.”

“Whose Jeep is that?” I asked, admiring the pristine white Jeep Wrangler parked next to Theo’s Subaru.

“Mine,” Knox answered.

“I like it. It’s cute.”

“Cute?” He sounded appalled.

“I told you it was girly,” Theo said, and I laughed.

I followed them into the loft, soaking in every detail—the sound of my shoes on the floor, the way the light streamed through the windows, the weight of the door knob in my hand. Theo walked past my door but lingered in the hallway, making me wonder if he’d completed another room makeover in my absence.

I opened the door slowly, afraid it wouldn’t live up to my memory. At first, everything from the sapphire bedding to the decorative items on the bookshelves appeared the same. It wasn’t until I looked closer that I noticed small differences.

The frame that used to hold the photo I took to Portland had been replaced with one of Chase, Jackson, Liam, Knox, Theo, and me on Christmas Eve. Several new framed photographs lined the wall—me, Chase, Theo, Jackson, and Penny on the beach; Liam as Sir Lancelot with his arm around his Lady Guinevere; me and Knox surrounded by redwoods. Scanning the images, I briefly relived each memory, trying not to dwell on the fact that Ethan was literally out of the picture.

“Thanks for the pictures and the flowers, Theo,” I said, bending to smell the vase of red roses on my nightstand.

“Actually, the photos were Knox’s idea, and the roses are from Jackson and Penny.”

I jerked my head back in surprise. “Jackson, as in Jackson Hart?”

“The one and only.”

Next to the flowers sat my keys and a new iPhone. I pressed the home button and found my contacts programmed in, all my photos intact. Even my playlists were the same, except for the addition of a new one. Thanks, Chase, I thought, and looked forward to listening to it later.

“So, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” Theo asked.

“Good, I guess.”

“The good news is you’re home, and we can spend the rest of the day doing whatever you want. The bad news is that Jackson, Liam, and Chase were delayed, and they won’t be home until tomorrow.”

My shoulders sagged. “After all this time apart, you’d think one more day wouldn’t seem like such a big deal.”

“I know you’re disappointed, sweet pea.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Trust me, it’s killing them that they’re not here for your homecoming.”

Theo left me to unpack, and I discovered several new items of clothing in the closet, including a cute dress, a navy and coral striped shirt, and a sun hat. And, when I went to shower after a run with Knox, I found a new bottle of Philosophy’s “Christmas Cookie” body wash along with a note.

Welcome home, gorgeous. Now you’ll look and smell good enough to eat.

I laughed. Leave it to Liam to flirt through body wash.

After dinner, Knox and I headed down to the basement to watch Arrow. Knox assumed his usual place on the couch and patted the cushion next to him. Remote in one hand, he draped his arm casually behind me.

“Will you be bored if we pick up where we left off?”

“I couldn’t watch it without you, either,” I confessed, and he pulled me closer.

“You better not start without me,” Theo called, bounding down the stairs.

I straightened and moved to distance myself from Knox before Theo discovered us, surprised when Knox kept his arm wrapped around me. Theo jumped over the back of the couch, landing fluidly on the cushion next to mine. With more than enough places to sit, it was clear that they wanted to stay close to me.

“You’ve been watching Arrow, too?” I asked.

“I was, but Knox wouldn’t let me watch past season three. Maybe now I’ll finally get to know what happens with Olicity.”

“Let’s not forget that you’re notorious for giving away spoilers.” Knox pressed play before Theo could respond.

I stared at the TV, but my mind was too busy obsessing over their nearness to pay attention to the drama on the screen. Without turning to look at Theo, I tried to gauge his mood, but he didn’t seem to mind that Knox had his arm around me. I certainly didn’t mind, or wouldn’t have if we were alone.

Was this how things were going to be now? I had assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that none of the guys would show me affection in front of the others. Not that an arm around my shoulder was a big deal. It wasn’t that different than the night we played laser tag at Patrick’s, then watched movies, me cuddling on the couch between Knox and Chase.

Oh, who am I kidding? This wasn’t the same, and we all knew it.

 

*  *  *

 

The next morning, I took my time getting out of bed, surprised by the late hour. Even with Knox and Theo at work, and the rest of the guys still on assignment, I was glad to be home. Pushing my hair out of my face, I wandered into the kitchen, halting mid-step. I shook my head to clear it, certain I was dreaming. Why else would Chase be standing in the kitchen, shirtless, the hem of his gray sweatpants skimming the ground?

“Chase?”

He straightened and turned to face me, a huge smile on his face. Good morning, I thought as my eyes grazed over his messy blond hair and bare chest, lingering on his incredible abs.

“Haley.” He whispered my name like a prayer.

Before I knew it, I was in his arms, and his lips brushed against mine, sweet and familiar. Unable to resist touching him, I skimmed my fingers along his sides.

“Haley, stop.” He laughed between kisses, attempting to pull his torso away from me.

“Stop what? This?” I feathered my fingers over his skin again, taking advantage of the fact that he was ticklish.

Chase grabbed my hands, holding them firmly behind my back and forcing us closer together. His blue eyes scorched me with their intensity, and I could feel the heat radiating from his bare chest as he pressed his lips to mine once again. This time, his kiss was intense, passionate, and I nearly gasped aloud.

“Definitely worth the wait,” he rasped. “That kiss was even better than I remembered.”

I bit back a smile as he led me by the hand to the couch.

“Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but what are you doing here?”

His expression changed to one of uncertainty. “I live here.”

“Since when?”

“Since Kyle graduated in May.”

Thanks for the heads up, guys. While I loved the idea of seeing Chase daily, I worried things would get awkward with the four of us living together.

“Sorry to spring it on you,” he added quickly, “but I wanted to talk to you about it myself. Are you okay with me living here?”

His uncertainty made my decision for me. “Of course.” I was the last person to begrudge him a place at the loft. “So, what else have you been up to?”

“Let’s see,” Chase said, tapping his finger against his lips. “I saw an incredibly talented and beautiful girl perform at an open mic night.”

My cheeks heated, and I wondered if he realized I had been singing for him, to him, without knowing he was there.

“What did she sing?” I asked, knowing full well what the answer was.

“Our song.”

My breath hitched. “Our song? We have a song?”

“Ever since that night you slept over at my apartment. Although, that song has been playing in my head since the day we met.”

I laughed. “You mean the day we collided in the library?”

“I know, it’s kind of cheesy.” He scrunched up his face.

“I love it.”

“And I love . . . breakfast,” he said, jerking to his feet. “Let me grab a shirt, and then we can eat.” Chase sprinted upstairs, pulling a T-shirt over his head as he reemerged from his room.

“What else did I miss?” I asked when he joined me at the table. “What has your admirer, Melissa, been up to?”

“Not my admirer anymore. I heard she was dating some guy before she left Zenith for an internship.”

“Luke?”

“I don’t know. That sounds right, though.”

I laughed to myself, remembering how Melissa insisted they were just friends the night we went clubbing.

“What about Kara? Team Falcon?”

“Kara asked about you several times, and she seemed pretty suspicious. I think she was worried we locked you in the basement or something.”

“What did you tell her?”

“The same line we told everyone—that you took a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons.”

“Even Patrick?”

“No, Patrick knows everything.”

Everything everything? I was tempted to ask if that included the new dating arrangement, but I was probably better off not knowing.

“I’m sorry you had to lie for me. I’m sorry for leaving like that. I’m just . . .” I bit my lip, hating myself a little. “Sorry.”

His gaze pierced mine, and he nodded. “It’s okay, Haley, but I don’t understand why you didn’t come to me. I have skills, you know,” he added with a slight smile. “I could have helped you with Douglas.”

I reached across the table and took his hand. “I do know. At the time, the situation seemed impossible. It sounds silly now, but I wanted to protect you and the guys as much as myself.”

“That doesn’t sound silly at all.” He squeezed my hand, then went back to eating, clearly ready to drop the subject. “I know you just got home, but there’s a band I really want to take you to see this weekend.”

“Just the two of us?”

“Yeah.” Chase rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “You know, as a date.”

A date, my first date. I was tempted to do a happy dance until I remembered he wasn’t the only one who wanted to ask me out. Despite Theo’s promises, I found it difficult to believe that Chase, of all the guys, had agreed without reservations.

“It’s okay if you’re not interested.”

“No!” I took his hand in mine. “I want to go with you.”

“I’m sensing a but.”

“Honestly, I’m feeling kind of out of my depth.”

“And you don’t think I am, that we all are?”

“At least you guys have dated before. I have literally zero experience, and I’m dating all five of you at once. Wow,” I shook my head, “that’s the first time I’ve admitted that aloud.”

Chase grimaced, quickly covering it with a smile. “Let’s simplify this. If you ignore everything else and focus on the two of us, do you want to go out with me?”

“Of course,” I answered immediately.

“So, is that a yes to Saturday?”

I beamed. “Yes, Chase, I’d love to go out with you.”

“Awesome.”

My laptop chimed from down the hall, alerting me to an incoming call from Jess on Skype.

“Sorry, bad timing, but I need to take this,” I said to Chase before retreating to my room.

“Hales!” Jess’s smiling face appeared on the screen.

“Hi, Jess!”

“Where have you been?” I could see her eyes scanning the room behind me. “Wait, where the crap are you?”

“Is California enough of an answer?”

“It most certainly is not, Haley Jones.” She wagged her finger at me through the screen.

“Knox and Theo convinced me to come home.”

“Oh, thank god. You finally saw the light. And, home would be where, exactly?”

“Their loft in Santa Cruz.” I gave her a virtual tour of my room.

“That’s your room?” she asked, slack-jawed with surprise. “No wonder you went back—awesome room and super-hot guys. Wait, did you just tell me your location?”

“Maybe.” I grinned. “Hang on a second.” I glanced down at my phone to find a new text message from Jackson.

Jackson: Penny wants to see you. Come over at three and bring your swimsuit.

“What are you smiling about?” Jess interrupted before I could respond to the message.

“A text from Jackson.”

“Mhmm. So, are you going to tell me what’s going on? I thought you couldn’t go back because of the evil blackmailer and the Ethan-Chase-Liam situation, and—”

“The blackmailer is not a concern for the moment, and the Ethan-Chase-Liam situation is, well, let’s just say it’s complicated.”

“Hmm, I’m intrigued.”

“I thought you might be.”

“Aren’t you going to tell me more?”

“Maybe, but not right now. Chase is down the hall eating breakfast.”

“What? It wasn’t enough to live with two hot guys? You get Chase, too? This is so not fair.”

If only she knew.