This part turned out a little longer than initially imagined. It takes us up to the edge of Emily's birthday weekend, when things are bound to get crazy ;-)
Thank you for reading along and please enjoy. Every rating, comment, favourite, and bit of feedback is immensely appreciated. Please take note that part five might take an extra week or so to put out. It's written, but I have some alterations to make after I decided to make this part longer.
All characters are 18 or older. Any resemblance to real persons or events is coincidental. Stay safe and responsible out there :-)
Chapter Six
Thursday morning, I woke up with one hell of a hangover and a heavy head laying on my lap. Out of habit, I ran my fingers through its hair but when an unfamiliar groan replied, I quickly pulled back.
Somehow, Riley had ended up sleeping on top of me. Her shoulders started to stretch and her grey eyes slowly opened. She greeted me with a smile before her expression changed to one of alarm. Springing to life, she rushed for the bathroom. (I hoped it was a reaction to last night's wine and not to me...)
My own lips were dry, but my head wasn't quite pounding and my stomach felt strong. I began articulating my body; making a mental inventory of how I felt. The previous night had ended with me and the girls making out on the couch. Well, with me and Riley making out with Emily. It was quite the event, and I was eager to see how everyone would handle it.
First, I found my little sister in the kitchen, hunched over a cup of coffee. She looked beaten-up; kinda like she used to look every morning before school.
The old routine was that Mom would berate her while Dad took her side. He wasn't a total asshole β he always adored Emily, but he wasn't serious enough for the rest of us. Every morning that his daughter didn't want to go to school he would say, 'She's too smart for school!' As I stumbled toward her, I thought about that, and it brought a smile to my otherwise queasy face.
Emily saw me approach, "Fuck, Big Brother. What happened last night?"
Not sure how to answer, I froze up.
"No, I know what happened-happened, but why?" she whined.
I shrugged my shoulders, "It was fun though, right?"
My little sister snorted and her lips twisted into a lovely shape. "It was fun."
Walking over to the fridge, I gave Em's bum a little squeeze as I passed. "I guess it's going to become more common once Riley moves in with us."
"What?!" Emily jolted.
"Sorryβ I was justβ I assumedβ"
My little sister sank onto her elbows, "No, you're right. I guess it's something we have to eventually discuss, possibly."
I put a hand on my sister's shoulder to reassure her. For a couple of days, I had all these doubts about Riley's place in our lives. Yet, something changed; something brought back my confidence.
I'd always had an unshakable belief that Em was my partner for life, that Blake was my protector, and Mom my oracle. With each passing day, I became more of a 'family man'. I wanted nothing more than to care for and protect these incredible women. One day, that would include a sister-in-law, and it would no doubt be the blonde throwing up in the bathroom.
"I waited my whole life for you," Emily twirled a finger through her hair. "Now, I need to avoid fucking things up."
My little sister and I embraced in the kitchen β smelling of booze and limbs heavy. We didn't have much power in our arms, but we held each other as tight as possible. After what must have been a few minutes, Riley emerged from the bathroom. She shot us a half-smile and we all laughed. Then, everyone retreated to their respective beds as we slept off the previous night.
At about 11 AM, a loud knock on my door scared the shit out of me and I shook myself awake. It was Riley, "Sorry, but your sister is asleep and there's a delivery here for you."
The blonde still looked a bit under the weather, but she had regained her happy disposition. I checked my phone and realised that our new bed was due to arrive.
Looking scruffy, I went to greet the delivery guys, and we started the process of lugging the thing up the stairs. But first, we had to remove the old bed and mattress. This wasn't the kind of thing I wanted to be doing with a massive hangover. Still, I was also ecstatic that the thing finally arrived!
We'd had no trouble on a king-size before, but with everyone living together, we needed an upgrade. The new bed and mattress were a custom order β emperor size! That meant seven feet by seven feet, accommodating everyone in our little family. Hell, Riley could also hop on, and we'd still have a ton of space.
As soon as it was in place, I crashed onto the massive bed. My hangover subsided as I sank into the foam, and I was half-asleep as soon as I made contact.
Riley had been watching the whole process intently, "Wow, it's huge."
"Yeah, we'll have to make the room bigger," I boasted.
The blonde giggled and went to sit on the far edge of the bed. It seemed like she had something on her mind, but it took her a while to put into words. Finally, she decided on an approach, "So, last nightβ"
"Last night was interesting," I interjected.
"Do you think that's what it will be like? You know, if I stick around?"
I shifted back until I was sitting upright. My friend's hair was messy and the side effects of her hangover still showed in the way she carried her body. She'd changed into a pair of grey cotton shorts and a sleeveless white top. Her arms were muscular, yet feminine and the profile of her face was beautiful.
"Do you regret anything?" I asked.
"Hell no!" Riley laughed. "It was great, but are you okay with it? I mean... I'm gay-gay and, wellβ"
"You never have to worry about that," I assured.
Would it be fun if life were an all-out orgy with a limitless supply of beautiful women? Maybe. Probably not, if I'm being honest.
I'd grown very fond of Riley over the last few days. I loved the way she cared for my sister; loved the kindness in her heart, and her shy charisma. I wanted to give her a hug and say, 'welcome to the family!' But I didn't want to sleep with her (not at that very moment).
Yet, if ever given the chance...
"We can still do some stuff!" my thoughts were interrupted by an uncharacteristically forward remark from the blonde
"Stuff?"
"Real brother-sister stuff. Like, hand holding and cuddling," her eyes shifted away from me.
"Oh, is that what real brothers and sisters do?" I teased.
Riley seemed to squeal as she overcame her shyness, "If I'm going to taste your spit on Emily's mouth... I'm going to want to hold your hand."
I didn't quite know how those things linked up. All I could do was smile and nod politely as if I did understand, which, let me make it clear, I did not...
My visitor continued, "I'm also pretty sure that you guys don't normally sleep in separate rooms. I don't need special treatment, Josh."
The use of my first name was like a splash of cold water, "Of course! Of course! You can sleep here tonight."
"Good," Riley smiled. "And I want you between me and Emily. We need to get used to holding each other."
"We do?!" my eyes went wide.
"Yes!" the usually shy blonde's voice went loud and she chuckled. "Gosh, for a guy who seems to kill at life, you are a bit silly. I'm ready to go all-in on this weird life you guys live β I just never want your dick inside me."
My simple male brain could not comprehend what she was saying. Upon reflection, it made more sense than most relationships: it was going to fluid but it had a hard limit. Like she said, she was 'gay-gay' but still wanted to be part of our unique family set-up. I nodded thoughtfully before cracking a lame joke, "So, do we cuddle now, or...?"
The blonde's melodic laugh filled the room again, "Ugh, don't make me regret this."
As she started walking to the door, something popped into my mind. "Riley, there's just one thing," I mulled over my next words carefully. "Guys have a tendency, when they're close to someone... Physically close... Well, what I guess I want to say is... Uhm..."
"I can handle a boner poking at me," Riley smirked. "It'll be... New, and I mean, how big can it really be?"
With that, the blonde winked and exited the bedroom. I found myself staring at the ceiling for half-an-hour.
There was no way this doesn't end badly.
Chapter Seven
They never really fought, but there was a mutual sense of frustration between my sisters. Both wanted the other to live up to their full potential. Emily thought Blake was anti-social and Blake thought Emily never finished things. Personally, I think both made a good point...
One night, after we'd just moved in together, Emily raised some of her gripes with me. "You should get a girlfriend."
"What?" I looked at her with a puzzled expression. "I thought I had three girlfriends?"
"We're all family β that's what makes it special. Girlfriends are for other things; that's why I have one."
"I don't need a girlfriend."
"Blake definitely needs a girlfriend, though," Emily shrugged.
I snorted, "You know, she might want a boyfriend."
"Oh, please, just because she's in love with her brother, doesn't mean she's not a dyβ"
"Emily! Language!"
My little sister rolled her eyes, "You would never let her have a boyfriend in any case."