Page 122 of Shattered Silence Duet

My pulse and breath quicken and I take a few deep breaths to try and calm myself down. Jasper offers me some water, which I sit up to drink, grateful for his help. That might have been the most I’ve spoken at once.

Feeling like I need a slight break in talking, I point to Jasper as they both join me in sitting up.

“Dare,” he says, narrowing his eyes at me.

“I dare you to kiss me,” I whisper quickly, squeezing my eyes shut.Why did I ask that?Stupid!

Suddenly, his lips are on mine, and my eyes shoot open. He moves his lips against mine, keeping them closed, but I still feel it down to my core.

I pant heavily as he pulls back and offers me another sip of my drink. He smirks at me as he asks, “truth or dare, Mina?”

“Hmm…” What could he possibly dare me to do from bed?

“Dare,” I answer without breaking eye contact, and a grin lights up his face.

“I dare you to show us how you were touching yourself the last time you played this game,” he says, licking his lips.

I gasp at the thought of doing that. He wants me to touch myself, right now, in front of them? I twist my head to look at Max, who wears an identical grin.

“Well?” he asks with an eyebrow raised. “You gonna do it, Sweetheart, or do you want to take a truth instead?”

He doesn’t think I’ll do it. I’m not sure I can either. I turn to stare up at the ceiling. I want to do the dare, but I’m scared. I’ve never been able to orgasm before, and last time I tried this over text with Max, I froze.

“I—” Before I can answer, Tucker and Gideon suddenly appear in the doorway, making me jump.

“Sorry, Love, didn’t mean to startle you,” Gideon says as he sits on the bed beside Max and leans over to give my arm a squeeze.

Tucker stands behind him, smiling at me. “What’s going on in here? You three look guilty.”

My face heats as I quickly reply, “nothing! Just playing a game.”

“Hmm…” He narrows his eyes and looks between us. “Well, Ben is bringing up dinner for all of us to eat in here tonight. We thought we’d watch more of The Office. Sound good?”

“Perfect,” I reply, not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed over not doing my dare.

The next morning, after the four of them have left for school, I find myself bored and lonely. Ben, Atlas and Dom work from home, but I find myself missing them. Dom slipped into my bedroom last night without a word, wrapping himself around me like he did that first night. I waited for him to say something, but I found myself drifting off to sleep before I could build up the courage to ask him to clarify what he has meant the other night.

Being left alone so much reminds me of being back at my old home. Sure, from the moment the twins get home from school, until they tell me it’s bedtime, I have at least two of them with me all evening. But throughout the night, I’m alone, and I’m constantly tossing and turning. Memories of my past abusers flashing in my head.

During the day, the flashbacks aren’t as bad, but it doesn’t stop my mind from wandering. As far as I know, they’re all still out there somewhere. Will they come looking for me? Will they be able to find me here? I hate to think of what they’d do if they found me here. That thought sends a shiver down my spine.

“Malishka?” I glance at the doorway and see Atlas frowning back at me. “What’s wrong?” he asks, as he comes and sits on the edge of my bed, taking my hand in his.

“Nothing,” I say with a shrug.

“You shivered, are you cold?” He rubs my hand between his as he waits for an answer.

“No, I’m fine,” I tell him as my eyes drop to look at his large hands surrounding my little one.

“Okay, do you need anything?”

Should I tell him that I’m lonely? That I need company to distract me? I don’t want him to think I’m pathetic.

“Malishka, tell me what you need,” he demands, obviously being able to see right through me.

“I…. was wondering if you would stay in here with me for a bit. I’m bored of tv and…”

“And?”