Beneath Dark Skies (Rolling Hills Ranch #1)

40. Farron

FORTY

FARRON

HALLOWEEN NIGHT

Day 441

I don't realize I've fallen asleep on the couch with my book until a knock on the door jolts me awake. Blinking in the darkness of my living room, I see my book lying on the floor, and Magnum curled up at my feet. As the knocking continues, I groggily attempt to gather and orient myself.

I used to be able to sleep without being woken up by pounding on the front door, I think wryly, almost missing the days before the guys started showing up. Almost . But I know that’s not really true.

My attempt at saying, “I'm coming!” is a garbled mess, my voice thick with sleep. I push myself off the couch, my legs unsteady and numb like a newborn fawn. I stumble to the door, flicking on the light switch as I go, and open it to find Theo and Adrian standing there. Seeing them both together surprises me, and for a moment, my guard goes up, ready for trouble. But Theo’s soft expression and Adrian’s broad grin quickly put me at ease.

“Well, don't you look absolutely adorable all sleep-rumpled?” Adrian coos with a grin. “The PJs? Absolutely iconic. What a perfect choice for Halloween night,” he remarks, pointing down at my outfit. Earlier, I had changed into black sleep shorts adorned with tiny bats and cauldrons, paired with a cozy sweatshirt that reads ‘Good Mourning’ and features a cute little vampire cat.

Barely awake and puzzled by their visit, I simply raise an eyebrow at Adrian, saying nothing.

“We thought, in honor of Halloween, we could do a movie night?” he says, although it comes out as more of a question. He holds up a DVD set of all the Scream movies, which I know he only found in the main house with the help of my grandparents.

“And, of course, we brought snacks,” he adds, pointing over to Theo, who’s holding a basket in his hand. He raises it to show me that they have, indeed, packed a variety of food in preparation for what they wanted to do tonight.

A wave of hesitation washes over me as I recall my last movie night with Adrian, followed by a rush of heat at the memory of the morning after. I shake my head to clear the thoughts and look between them, pretending to consider their offer.

“Alright, come in,” I finally say, stepping aside to let them in before I narrow my eyes at them and raise a finger in warning. “But no funny business tonight.”

Theo grins, drawing my eyes momentarily down to his dimples, while Adrian gives me a mock salute and a cheeky, “Yes, ma'am.”

I leave them to arrange everything in the living room, heading to my bathroom for a quick tooth brushing and face wash. Glancing into the mirror, I instantly see what Adrian meant. My hair is a chaotic mess, the aftermath of my nap leaving curls wildly escaping my hastily thrown bun. I have a few creases and indents on my face from sleeping, as well as some slight puffiness around my eyes.

Despite that, I can’t help but notice how…alive I look. Even with the unflattering bathroom lighting, my complexion appears rosier, my cheeks fuller. I think back to the last time I examined myself in the bathroom mirror a few months ago, and I’m genuinely shocked at the di fference in my reflection. The dark circles around my eyes are the one thing that hasn’t faded, although I don’t know that they ever will.

After finishing up in the bathroom, I return to the living room to find the movie paused at the beginning, an array of snacks strewn across the coffee table alongside Theo's notebook and pen. Adrian and Theo occupy opposite ends of the couch, leaving a spot for me between them. I flush when I realize they’re both watching me and hurry over to sit on the couch, Adrian pressing starting the movie as soon as I do. As the movie plays, I catch Adrian mouthing along to most of the lines as though he knows the film by heart.

“Let me guess,” I say dryly. “ Scream is your favorite?”

Adrian shoots a blinding smile my way before shrugging. “It’s one of my favorites,” he clarifies. “I love all sorts of horror movies. When you find a really good, psychologically impactful horror movie, you think about it forever and always remember just how uncomfortable and unsettled it made you feel. When you find a classic horror movie filled with jump scares and plot twists, you find yourself drawn to the story, even when it’s not the best or most scary thing you’ve ever seen. And when you find a particularly bad horror movie? It’s easy to make fun of and laugh at. No matter what, you’re entertained. You can never go wrong,” he rambles, his hands signing along just as enthusiastically as his actual voice is, making Theo huff out a laugh next to me.

I turn to Theo and ask him, ”What about you?”

He picks up the notebook and pen off the table, hastily writing down his response, before he passes the notebook to me.

“It depends on the horror movie. A lot of horror relies on scary sounds and music to add suspense, and I obviously don’t hear that. Some movies use visuals incredibly well, making me feel uncomfortable in my skin watching it.” I nod as I think about that.

His words strike a chord within me. I make a silent promise to myself to delve deeper into Theo's preferences, so I can make sure he never feels excluded or feels like he has to settle for subpar experiences with me due to his Deafness. Adrian, peering over my shoulder, reads Theo’s note before chortling out a laugh.

“Do you remember when we watched The Conjuring?” he asks Theo, his hands frantically following his words before his eyes move back to me. “Theo was practically stoic throughout the entire film, not even flinching at any of the ghosts that popped up on the screen. But then we come across this one scene in the movie where it’s raining, and there’s a flash of lightning, and Theo just about jumped out of his own skin when that happened,” Adrian tells me with glee.

I turn to Theo for confirmation, and he just shrugs and smiles sheepishly, readjusting the glasses on his face.

As the movie plays on, I find it hard to focus, barely even noticing the little quips Adrian makes about the film.

“It was obvious Sydney’s boyfriend was bad news,” he explains. “His eyes had little to no emotion the entire time. Plus, the dude's name is Billy Loomis. Can you say red flag?” He also points out how Stu should have been an obvious suspect with the way he joked and made fun of all the deaths. “Nobody normal does that,” he opines.

I hear Adrian’s words, but they barely register.

His arm has found its way around my shoulders, pulling me tightly against his side. His hand plays with a lock of my hair, twisting and twirling it gently, sending tingles across my scalp. On my other side, Theo is pressed snugly against me, his body warm and solid. His left hand rests on my thigh, his thumb moving in slow, soft strokes that send shivers down my spine.

How am I supposed to focus on the movie when these two are making it impossible to think about anything else?

Theo’s hand creeps higher up my thigh, his touch feather-light, clearly teasing me. The higher his hand goes, the more muddled my thoughts become, everything around me dissolving into a haze. Finally, his fingers brush just under the edge of my shorts, sending a jolt through me that makes my breath hitch. I jump up, turning to face them both.

“I told you guys, no funny business,” I exclaim, though my voice betrays me, thick with lust.

The two men share a look, seeming to communicate silently, before turning back to me, both of their eyes hooded. “No funny business, Sunshine,” Adrian says with a shake of his head. “T told me how worried you were about coming between us, but that’s exactly what we want. You, right in between us.”

I shake my head in disbelief, struggling to accept that Adrian is being honest with me right now. My gaze darts over to Theo, who is watching me with an intense expression, his eyes hooded with desire. He nods slowly, a silent promise before he reaches out for my hand. One by one, he lifts my fingers to his lips, placing tender kisses on each of them. The warmth of his breath sends shivers down my spine, making my heart race. I can’t resist him as he slowly pulls over to him and into his lap, pressing his lips against mine.

He kisses me gently, but I’m so aware of Adrian sitting just a foot away that I can’t let go and kiss him back. Theo must notice because he pulls back from me and furrows his brows, his eyes moving over to Adrian in a silent plea. I feel Adrian shift closer to us, his hand finding its way back into my hair, massaging my scalp, before he pulls it taut and brings my face to his.

“Stop being scared, sweet girl,” he says, tilting his chin forward to place a soft kiss on my lips. “Let Theo and I show you just how well we can share.” He uses the hand in my hair to twist my head back to Theo, pushing me towards him. Theo kisses me again, and this time, when his tongue swipes against my lower lip, I open up for him. He kisses me ravenously, and I feel Adrian’s hand make its way out of my hair and down my back, rubbing gently.

Theo eventually pulls back from our kiss with a smile on his face, his dimples popping out, and tilts my chin towards Adrian, who’s watching me hungrily. This time it’s me who reaches a hand into his hair, pulling him to me. I kiss him like I’m starving for him, nipping at his lip while my hips begin to move on Theo’s lap. He lets out a sharp hiss, gripping my hips to stop their movement, causing me to pull away from Adrian and let out a soft whine.

“Are you going to let Theo and I take care of you, Sunshine?” I nod emphatically, wanting nothing more than to continue this with them.

Theo places another kiss on my lips and grabs my hand, pulling me up and towards my bedroom. Adrian follows closely behind us.