club or a venue, Archie arranged for champagne, edibles, and freaking fireworks right where we were. I couldn’t even find it in me to give him grief for the cost. It was…magical. They even drew straws for kiss order, and it was hysterical and adorable.
“Making a resolution?” Archie asked as I leaned back against him and watched the fireworks, my lips still tingling.
“Gonna focus on my music full time now,” Ian said, then slanted a look at me. “And hopefully, my partner will be all in.”
I grinned.
“Locking in that school decision,” Coop said. “I really don’t give a damn where we go as long, as it’s got a program for all of us.”
“And we’re all there,” Jake added. “Splitting up is not an option.”
No argument from me. Even if it meant letting go of Harvard.
“That’s not a resolution.” Coop flicked popcorn at him, and Jake just flipped him off.
“I’m making plans, not resolutions.”
I grinned as they sniped at each other.
“What about you?” Ian asked me, and I lifted my shoulders.
“I like all of yours,” I told them. “Finish senior year, we have what? Ninety days or so left? Pick a college that wants me. Turn eighteen. Pass my AP exams. Graduate. Try not to screw this up with all of us. Mine are pretty basic.”
“You’re not going to screw this up,” Archie said, nipping my ear, and the warm and somewhat warning looks I got from the other three added to the weight of his statement. “If anyone does that, it’ll be us.”
“No one is screwing it up,” Jake said, then cracked his knuckles.
“Or you’ll what?” Coop asked drily. “Beat the shit out of us?”
“Damn straight.” Jake nodded once. “Pretty basic. We work this out. We worked too long and hard to get here, so we keep right on working.”
“That’s almost poetic,” Ian told him. “I should put that in a song.”
Jake just lifted his middle finger, and we all laughed.
New Year’s Day was spent alternately packing—Archie was having most of it shipped back to us, but some things none of us wanted to wait on—and just spending the time together. I baked, because I really hadn’t since we’d been there, and I wanted to make cupcakes. That night though, after the food had been eaten and a movie had been watched, I slipped away with Archie as the rest went to beat on each other in one last gaming session. The car would be getting us early.
In the room still filled with roses, though some had been consolidated, Archie pulled me over to the bed and wrapped his arms around me. The soft kiss he feathered over my lips had me sighing as he tugged off my clothes. I helped him pull them free before I went to work on stripping him, but after we were naked, it was just about curling around each other.
“Thank you for letting me spoil you the last couple of weeks, babe,” he whispered against my ear before pressing a kiss behind it, and I chuckled.
“That should be me thanking you.” I sighed as he traced patterns against my shoulder with his thumb. “I would have said no if you’d asked me before doing all of this.” Guilt nibbled at me over this admission. “I’d have worried about the expense—which doesn’t mean I’m still not—but I would have also worried about the cats, the time away, and…”
He pressed his finger to my lips. “I know, babe. That’s why I didn’t tell you. Sometimes, it’s just easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. I want to spoil you with everything. You needed this trip.”
“You needed it, too,” I murmured, scooting to lay more firmly over him, and he balanced me easily as my legs tucked on either side of his and my breasts crushed against his chest. It was comforting and erotic in equal measures. He stirred against me, but it wasn’t about turning each other on, not right now. I traced a finger along his jaw.
Spreading his palm against my ass, he smiled. “Yes, I did. I needed this time with you. We all needed the time to figure this out. And if I haven’t made it perfectly clear to you yet, babe, I’m in. For all of it. The five of us work, and I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks about it. The only people who are important are in this lodge.”
He trailed his fingers up to my shoulder. It didn’t sting anymore. Yet the lightness of his touch sent