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Lily jumped to the ground and was enveloped by the twins. Jake pushed his hands up her coat sleeves. “Jesus, that’s better,” he muttered and kissed her cheek.
“What’s better?” she asked.
“Needed to touch you, baby.” Josh kissed her cheek.
Nate tugged her into him, and she went willingly, wrapping her arms around his waist, her cheek on his chest.
Matt rubbed at his forehead, the urge to drag her away from them was strong. He knew she was theirs as much as she was his, but knowing it and seeing it wasn’t the same. Especially when he knew she was hurting and needed him.
“I’ll text Jonas and tell him we can’t make it tonight,” Nate told her.
“Thanks. I’ve had enough today,” Lily replied.
“C’mon, let’s get to the treehouse, and we can talk about it.” Nate kissed the top of her head before releasing her to text Jonas.
Matt went towards her but was beaten by the twins grabbing her hands and tugging her with them. He clenched his fists, stuffing them into his jacket pocket as he followed them.
—***—
MATT LISTENED AS SHE talked. He could hear her guilt and regret, but he wasn’t surprised she’d lost it. Her life was in a tailspin, she wasn’t going to be all sunshine and daisies.
“He didn’t seem to think it was a big deal, said he’d help me learn to control it.”
The twins were sitting either side of her, and it was driving him up the wall. He couldn’t get anywhere close to her without them baring their teeth at him. So much for sharing her.
Nate nudged his shoulder sharply, and he realised he’d missed something.
“What? Sorry, I was miles away.”
“We’re going to get her to try again now.” Nate frowned at him. “We need to keep our wits about us in case it gets out of hand.”
“I have no idea how I did it then. How can I do it now?” Lily asked.
“Try and use the secret name?” Matt suggested. “Im is the name of wind.”
“She doesn’t use fire’s name, why would she need air’s name?” Josh pulled a face and Matt gritted his teeth.
“Just do what you do with the candles but use wind instead.” Jake nudged her shoulder. “Just try, Lil.”
“Clear your mind and concentrate on bringing up a breeze,” Nate added.
Matt knew she could control fire, but air was a different thing. It was much harder to control and manipulate because it wasn’t a tangible element. Maybe it was too soon, she was tired and upset. They should probably wait for another day.
A warm breeze tickled the hairs on the back of Matt’s neck. It picked up into a stiff breeze that blew around them, messing with his hair. The playing cards on the floor shifted and whipped up into the air in a vortex.
She’d done it. She’d bloody well done it.
Her eyes sparkled with happiness, dimples on show, and it made his stomach flip with desire. He wanted to drag her onto his lap and kiss her. She was amazing, and she was his. The cards fell to the floor and the breeze dropped. He swept a hand through his hair to get it out of his eyes.
“Well done.” Nate laughed, clasped her face between his hands, and kissed her.
Matt looked away. She was his. But she was theirs as well.
“How did you do it?” Nate asked, and Matt looked back at her, taking a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time to think about it. She needed their help, and he had to concentrate on that.
“I imagined it.” She sounded unsure.
“The tablets will be out of your system now,” Josh said. “Try something else.”
“Like what?”
“See if you can move things around,” Jake prompted her.
She looked at the playing cards. They were still for a few moments, and then they shuffled into a neat pile. “I did it.” She laughed happily.
The cards shot into the air and scattered around them. A single card fluttered into Lily’s lap—the Queen of Hearts.
“Who did that?” she asked with a laugh.
“We did,” Josh said, and the cards shot up in the air and spun in concentric circles in suit order.
She clapped her hands, meeting Matt’s gaze. He winked at her, and she blew him a kiss.
“What do you want to do about Drew?” Nate caught her attention.
Her smile faded. “Do? What do you mean?”
Nate took his glasses off and used the hem of his t-shirt to clean them. “We haven’t been exactly supportive of you.”
“You want to get to know him, don’t you?” Matt asked, and she nodded. “Then we’ll try as well.” Surprise registered in her eyes, and it made him feel bad they’d let her down already.
“You don’t like him.”
He didn’t deny it. There was no point. She wasn’t stupid, just a little naïve when it came to Drew. But to protect her, they’d dance with the devil until they found out his price.
“We don’t like the way he scared you, the damage he did. It’s not exactly the best way to make us trust him,” Nate said.
“Yeah, I know. You’re right. He said he lost his temper because it didn’t work. I can’t say anything about tempers though, I struggle with mine sometimes.” She shrugged. “Must have got it from him.”
“What we’re saying though, Lil, is that we’re going to back you up. It isn’t our decision what you do anyway.”
Matt took her hands in his. “But we want to help you with magic. Jonas does as well, with all of us, it’ll be better for you.”
“I don’t understand why they have conflicting stories.” Her fingers curled around his, and he tightened his hold.
“We don’t know. Neither does Jonas.” Josh caught her attention, sliding his arm around her neck.
“Maybe they’re both right,” Nate said, sitting up straight.
Lily pulled her hands free and knuckled her eyes. “What do you mean? How can they both be right?”
“Maybe Jonas is right with the number of magical people, but Drew is right about magic remaining in nature.”
She picked at the laces on her trainers. “I don’t know how either of them can know for sure.”
“He’s done research though,” Jake pointed out.
“What sort of research?” she asked.
“Well...He’s...Nate?”
“He’s been about a bit, travelled a lot of places, met others, I guess.” Nate looked at him, pulling a face.
Now he thought about it, he couldn’t remember Jonas telling them how he knew, but he must have at some point.
“Drew said we don’t advertise who we are to anyone.” She fiddled with her laces, not looking up at them.
“It’s too dangerous,” Jake agreed.
“So, there’s a chance that he hasn’t found them because they’re hidden too well.”
“Jonas wouldn’t say if he didn’t know,” Nate pointed out.
She shrugged but didn’t reply. Matt could see that she wasn’t as convinced as they were. But that was fine; she didn’t know Jonas like they did. They’d get Jonas to prove it and then she’d see that Drew was feeding her lies.
“Do you feel happier about calling up air now?” Josh changed the subject.
“Yeah. I just need to control my temper,” she said ruefully.
“You’ll get there. Nate has a nasty temper, and he doesn’t blow us all away every time he loses it.” Jake snorted with laughter.
“Only because your mum would cry herself to sleep,” Nate retorted.
“Ah, but Nate, you’d miss us too.” Jake launched onto Nate’s lap making loud kissing noises against his cheek.
“Get off me, you fucking nutter!” Nate shoved him, but Jake clung on.
“Aww, mummy’s baby doesn’t like being teased?” Josh cooed.
“Matt! Get them off me!” Nate was now under a pair of twin bodies, helpless against their combined weight as they pinned him down.
“Nah, you’re okay. They just love you.” Matt jumped to his feet, holding his hand out to Lily. She took it, and he helped her up. He’d seen a chance and he was going to take it.
“My glasses!” Nate roared. “Watch my glasses, you bloody degenerates!”
“Lil. Catch!” Josh threw something at her, and she just managed to catch Nate’s glasses.
The teasing had descended into a scrap that wasn’t stopping soon.
“Should we stop them?” Lily asked, her eyes held a shade of worry.
He took the glasses and put them on the trunk. “There’s no point. One of them will get bored and use magic. Probably Nate.” He led her up to the top level of the treehouse.
She stopped at the railing and leant on it. “It’s beautiful here.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her back from the railing. “It’s probably safe, but I don’t want to chance it.” He kissed her cheek, relishing the shiver that went through her. She rested against his chest, and he rested his chin on top of her head.
“Drew said there aren’t any ley lines around here.”
“Maybe he hasn’t been in the right spot.” He slid his hands to her hips. He didn’t want to talk about Drew.
She turned, lifted herself on her toes and his pulse quickened at the brief brush of her lips over his.
“Matt?”
“Yeah?”
“Will you kiss me? Like you did in the car?”
Hell, yeah, he’d kiss her.
Sliding his fingers into her hair he tilted her face and brushed his lips over hers. It wasn’t enough. He kissed her gently, slowly, closed mouthed kisses. She made a noise in the back of her throat as her fingers brushed across the back of his neck. The tip of his tongue touched her lips, asking for an entrance he craved. The brush of her tongue against his set his blood on fire, and he lost himself a little. He moved his hands down her back until his fingers brushed the edge of her sweatshirt. Inching his fingers under the material, he grazed the warm skin of her back, and he groaned.
Tugging his hair, a moan escaped her, and it spurred him higher. He stroked the skin of her back above her waistband, aching to slide his hands inside and squeeze her butt, but he wasn’t sure she was ready.
She was so soft and warm, he wanted to get his mouth on her, to lick and kiss his way up her back. Sensations zinged down his spine as his fingers nudged her bra strap. It would be so easy to unsnap the clip and bring his hands around to cup her.
Their kisses deepened, becoming more urgent, and he brushed his thumbs against the swell of her breasts. She jerked violently, crying out into his mouth. He’d moved too fast for her. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her face into his neck. “I was too fast, I shouldn’t have pushed you, sorry.” He pressed a kiss against her hair.
“Matt, you aren’t pushing me,” she said.
Goosebumps broke out over him as her tongue flicked over his skin. She licked under his ear and his eyes rolled back in his head. “Jesus, Lily, that isn’t going to help me to slow down.” His arms tightened around her as he took deep breaths, willing himself to cool off.
“It’s not me that’s stopping you.”
Her words sank in, and he lifted his head. She smiled at him, a shy look in her eyes that made his stomach flip. She had a control over him he’d never experienced before. He knew what being led by his cock was like, but this was different, this was Lily, and she affected him much deeper than a physical response.
He splayed his hands over her lower back, stroking her warm flesh. Her mouth met his, and he groaned as her fingers left his hair to trail down his back. She slid them under his hoodie, and he was lost the instant her fingertips touched him. Urgency fuelled their kisses as she pressed closer to him, making amazing noises in the back of her throat as he trailed his fingers over her skin.
“Oi! You two! Let’s get going before it’s dark.” Nate’s voice rang out from below.
She pulled away and the flash of guilt on her face was like cold water over him as she moved to the steps. She shouldn’t be guilty, she wasn’t cheating on anyone.
“You’re my girlfriend too.” He caught her hand and pulled her around to face him.
He couldn’t tell what she was thinking, not even when she smiled at him.
He opened his mouth to tell her that he knew she’d kiss the others in the same way. That it was what they’d all agreed on. But no words came as a mental image of what it meant flashed into his mind.
Maybe it wasn’t as okay as he thought it was going to be.
“Matt?”
“Come on down, number seventeen, your time is up,” Josh hollered.
Irritation swept through him. “You go on. Tell them I’ll catch up.” He turned away from her, making it look like he was watching the sun set over the tree line.
Was this any different from Connie?
Lily wasn’t cheating though. It was their idea, not hers. And it was an idea he’d jumped on because he knew he didn’t stand a chance if she had to choose.
He felt her touch his back, and he turned in surprise.
“I’m your girlfriend too.” She went onto her toes and kissed him. Catching his hand tugged him towards the steps.
This was nothing like Connie. He’d be fine with sharing her because she was his girlfriend too.
