Heart In A Cage

46

Isabella

This morning felt like stars and fireworks.

I felt like I was soaring through clouds, wandering through a meadow of daisies, and bathing in a beach flecked with rays of golden light. My admission, his admission—they lit something up in me.

Our admission lit something up in me.

I hop out of bed, wash up, dress myself, and steal through the house. It's all gloomy and quiet, dull but for sections where the sun meets the interior through windows without drapes. Like the wide one stretching by the kitchen counter, light shining through the thick glass and brightening the surface where I take out premade pancake mix.

Andreas would be taking on the role of chef if he weren't asleep, and with the peaceful heaves of his muscles as he breathed, I couldn't find it in me to wake him up. Just to prove I'm not reliant on other's cooking, I whip up a mighty stack of pancakes and reserve it for him.

I eat my own, shovelling heaps into my mouth as I scroll through my phone. When I find an advertisement for an appealing range of summer dresses, there are soft thumps from behind me. I twist in my stool, eager to find him up and prepared in his blouse and pants for work, but the steps are too many...they belong to too many.

Blake appears at the base of the stairs, looking blank as he spots me. Then Zac comes down, and I'd consider that usual had Leo not followed behind him.

The two latter are shirtless.

I drop my fork.

"I—" Words fail me. Blake leisurely guides each of them out the front door, passing over crumpled clothes that I hadn't noticed with this new information. I can't greet Leo and Zac as they offer me rushed smiles.

I face Blake, and just as they're all through the door, he strides into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

I turn back to my plate of pancakes and continue eating. Between bites, I can't handle the awkwardness roaming around the room as I chew soundlessly and he flicks through an old newsletter from the counter, coffee in hand, so I tell him, "I'm happy for you two—I mean three. I'm happy for you all."

He sets down his mug and glares at me. "Bella, I'm not in the least bit embarrassed. We hear you and Andreas fuck every night."

He continues browsing through the newsletter.

"Did you hear us...today?" I need to know.

He shrugs. "I was about to congratulate you on your first day of not having at it so early. Or late."

That makes my heart flutter. Andy was so gentle with me that no one had even picked up that we were fucking on the couch only three hours ago.

Blake chugs the rest of his coffee and discards his cup in the sink.

"Have fun at work," I tell him.

"I've got a day booked in for patients checking for STI's. I can squeeze one in for you and your boss if you'd like." He slings a satchel from atop the fridge over his shoulder and heads for the front door, which still, is ajar from when his...buddies had left.

"You're one to talk. I hit it with one person, and you share with two." I get a scowl as he walks through and slams the door. At least that awkwardness is gone and I've got the kitchen all to myself.

That's what I convince myself through the rest of my plate until there's a warmness surrounding my body. Two tattooed hands emerge from either side of me and tighten on the edge of the counter.