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Back Losers: Part I Save as PDF
Chapters (58)
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Content Note
  3. A Note From The Author
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. Acknowledgements
  57. Also By Harley Laroux
  58. About The Author

It took a while for everyone to shower and get into bed in various states of undress. Jess was swaddled in one of my shirts, and figuring out where she fit into this cuddlefest took another ten minutes of shifting around and swearing at each other. Eventually we settled in, with Jess in between Manson and Jason, and Lucas and me on either side.

“You’d better not kick me in your sleep this time,” Lucas grumbled, even as he wrapped his arms around Manson’s chest and rested his head against his back. We shoved away the blankets, our combined body heat more than enough to keep us warm. I’d always been a night owl and was used to staying up late, but even if I wasn’t tired, I still didn’t want to miss the opportunity to cuddle up in bed. I missed it too much on the nights I was gone.

Jason sighed against me, and I looked down to find him already drifting off to sleep. He was usually tossing and turning for hours. But Jess’s arm was thrown over his back, her long nails slowly scratching soothing circles on his skin.

Soon enough, I was the last one left awake. But part of me felt like it was worth staying awake just to see all of us so close.

After everything that had happened over these past few weeks, it was nice to feel at peace.

48

48

Jessica

When I first opened my eyes the next morning, blinking slowly in the golden light from the window, I immediately knew I wasn’t ready to get up yet. I was too cozy, too comfortable. My legs were tangled with Jason’s, my arm laid over his side and resting on Vincent’s chest. Manson was against my back, so I closed my eyes and snuggled into the pillows, dozing off again until the need to use the bathroom finally drove me to get up.

Quietly slipping out of bed, I noticed Lucas was already gone. I wasn’t sure whose oversized shirt I was wearing, so I pulled it over my nose and deeply inhaled — Vincent. Sour-sweet marijuana and citrusy brightness that left a smile on my face as I left the attic.

“Good morning, Jojo,” I greeted her at the base of the attic stairway, where she was sprawled across the floor. Her tail wagged lazily as I patted her side, giving a little sigh of sleepy contentment.

I finished up in the bathroom and felt a bit more awake with my face washed and some of the tangles worked out of my hair. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the house, beckoning me downstairs and into the kitchen.