Becoming Us (COMPLETE)

*Forty Nine*

In the morning, the urge to pee woke me before the guys, and I didn't even have to be at work. I groaned internally. I didn't want to get up, but I didn't have much of a choice.

We'd moved around during the night—now Tre lay on his stomach with his arms under the pillow. My head rested on his shoulder and my arm hugged his waist. Carey was behind me on his back with his large hand on my ass. Of course, we'd kicked the blankets to the floor at some point because with three of us, it was just too hot.

The lightest bit of daylight streamed in through the window. Carefully, I tried to move without waking them. As I shifted, Carey's grip tightened for a second, then slipped over my skin as I slid toward the bottom of the bed. With me gone, he rolled to his side in his sleep and snuggled against Tre.

My heart swelled in my chest. They were adorable and as soon as I finished in the restroom, I'd get my cell and take a picture.

After finishing my morning routine, including a quick wash up and brushing my teeth, I snuck from the bathroom, finding that things had gotten even sweeter. Tre had shifted toward Carey, and Carey had worked his leg over and between Tre's.

I tiptoed from the room to grab my cell from the counter in the kitchen. One notification lit up the screen when I lifted it—a text from Mama.

Uncomfortable tingles crawled over the back of my neck, and my stomach clenched. I shook my head, telling myself to calm down. It might be good news. At least she was answering me.

Mama: I miss you and love you too, sugar.

Invisible weight pressed my shoulders toward the floor. It wasn't any news at all. Nothing about how she's doing or if she's happy or even safe.

My eyes burned. I closed them and inhaled slowly. I'd be there for her as soon as she let me. There was nothing I could do before then, except keep letting her know I'm here and I care. She has some place to go and people who love her. I exhaled through pinched lips.

Now, to get a picture of my snuggly boyfriends. I crept back to the bedroom and stood at the foot of the bed, studying them. God, they were beautiful.

I lifted the camera, glad no one's business was hanging out. Taking an unsolicited dick pic seemed just as bad as sending one.

The soft light covered them at the perfect angle to highlight the hills and valleys of their muscles. Both faces were hidden—Carey's in shadow and Tre's mouth and chin were buried in Carey's hair.

I took several pics and scrolled through them. For a second, I was impressed with my photography skills, but then I looked back at the real-life version and realized a monkey with a camera could've done just as well with these subjects.

An alarm went off, and I almost jumped out of my skin. Carey rolled over and caught me standing, wide-eyed, staring at them with my cell held in front of me.

His brow furrowed and as I glanced away, lowering the camera, with my best innocent expression, he cracked up. "What are you doing, Gem?" He leaned, grabbing his phone from the nightstand and stopping the alarm as Tre rolled over and stretched.

"Nothing." I was just walking by when your alarm scared me." Heat covered my cheeks, and they both chuckled.

"Are you sure, baby?" Tre grinned. "You look like you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar."

I sighed, and before I could respond, Carey made a deep sound in his throat. "Is that what you were doing?" He wiggled his eyebrows at me. "Were you watching us with your hand in the cookie jar?"

"Mmm." Tre's lower lip slipped from between his teeth as he grinned. "Don't stop if that's what you were doing."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, for shit's sake. I was taking a picture of you two being cute."