Chapter 172: Madeline
Once everyone’s full, plates scraped clean and bellies satisfied, the energy shifts. Softer now. Sleepier. The kind of quiet that comes after something intense—the kind that feels like it wraps around everyone like a blanket.
I start gathering dishes without thinking. It gives my hands something to do, my body a purpose. There’s no hot water, obviously, so I work with cold, sudsy water and the dim light from a nearby lamp on the counter. It’s not ideal, but the movement is calming. Everyone else is lounging—some on the couch, some sprawled across floor cushions. Someone yawns behind me. I think it’s Charlie.
“Hey, Mads?” Liam calls out from the living room. His voice is gentle, easy. “You okay up there last night?”
I glance over my shoulder, surprised. “Yeah. I was fine. The twins basically buried me under forty-eight blankets.”
A ripple of laughter spreads through the room.
“They would,” Finn says, shaking his head fondly.
“They’re obsessed with heat control,” Charlie adds. “One time Jake made me wear two pairs of socks in summer.”
I smile to myself and glance down at the sink. I guess… they don’t know. About me and the twins. About the way I fell asleep last night, half-naked, tangled between them. About how my body still feels warm from their hands.
The thought makes my cheeks flush, but I hide it by rinsing a plate.
When I’m done, I dry my hands and turn back toward the group. “Hey, would it be okay if I ran to the other house to grab my notes and laptop? I just… I want to get some work done later, if I can.”
The words barely leave my mouth before both twins respond at once.
“No,” Reid says firmly.
“No way,” Jake echoes, almost in the same breath.
I blink. “Why?”
Reid gestures toward the window. The wind outside is still slapping against the glass, and rain streaks in sideways. “Still storming. Still dangerous.”
Jake sighs, stepping forward with that calm voice of reason he always uses. “We’re not risking anyone going out there until we’re absolutely sure it’s safe. That means no quick trips. Not even across the hill.”
I pause. They’re serious. Protective.
“But—” I start.
“You’ll be paid for today,” Jake adds quickly, reading my expression.
I frown, confused. “Wait, why paid?”
Charlie chimes in from the couch, voice a little sleepy. “Because this job is unpredictable. When the twins started SWMRI, they decided if there’s a day off without a 24-hour warning, we still get paid. Otherwise it’s not fair. Could storm for days and none of us would make rent.”
“They never told me that,” I say softly, stunned.
“You’re new,” Liam shrugs. “And also, you never ask about anything money-related. It’s kind of adorable.”
I let out a breathy laugh, but my eyes find the twins.
Reid is leaning against the fridge, arms crossed, his usual unreadable expression on. Jake’s closer to the kitchen island, idly spinning an empty mug in his hand.
That warmth in my chest expands again.
Reid may be tough—blunt, gruff, quick to bark orders. But it’s not because he doesn’t care. It’s because he does. More than he knows how to admit out loud.
And Jake… Jake’s never not thinking of the people around him. He notices things before anyone else. Anticipates what people might need. He carries it all quietly, without looking for thanks.
I fold the towel in my hands and rest it on the counter.
“Okay,” I say gently. “I’ll stay here.”
Jake glances over and smiles at me, small and soft. Reid doesn’t say anything, but his jaw ticks and I know that means he’s relieved.
I walk back toward the couch and curl up near Charlie, and let the comfort of this strange, wild, beautiful group settle around me.
This place—this job—these people… they're starting to feel like something more.
Like home.
Sloane groans from where she’s sprawled on the couch, arms crossed over her chest. “Okay but seriously—what the hell are we supposed to do all day?”
Finn, sitting half-limp next to her with a pillow behind his bruised head, nods. “Gonna go stir crazy if I don’t move.”
Reid raises an eyebrow from where he’s leaning against the fridge, a mug of tea in hand. “Ever read a book before?” His voice is dry. “Passes the time. Builds character.”
Charlie snorts into her tea. “Wow. Thanks, Grandpa.”
Even Jake laughs from the table, where he’s flipping through a weather app that still somehow loads on his half-dead phone. “Okay, okay,” he says, voice calm and easy. “Here’s the deal—we all just chill for the first half of the day. No power, no WiFi, but I’ve got a bunch of movies downloaded on my laptop and Reid has a few too. Battery’s still good.”
He glances around the table, checking to see if anyone’s resisting the plan.
“No point exhausting ourselves first thing. If the storm calms down by this afternoon, we’ll split into teams. One goes to check on the Vigil, make sure nothing’s broken. Another checks the other SWMRI house, especially with the busted window. And someone’ll do a supply run.”
Sloane looks less annoyed now that there’s a plan. Finn makes a face. “Shotgun not doing groceries.”
“Fine,” Charlie shrugs. “Then you’re on broken window duty.”
“Aw, come on—”
“Relax,” Jake cuts in with a grin. “We’ll figure it out later. For now, just... recharge.”
There’s a beat of silence, and then Reid mutters, “And seriously. Try reading something.”
I pout without meaning to, lower lip jutting out just slightly as I murmur, “I left my book at the other house…”
Reid looks up from his mug with an almost-smile. “We’ve got a ton here. Pick one.”
Jake nods, nudging his thumb toward the hallway. “Yeah, seriously. The shelf’s upstairs in the hallway across from my room. Go wild.”
I sit up straighter. “Wait, really?”
Reid snorts. “You look like we just offered you a free vacation.”
I don’t even deny it. “Books are a vacation.”
Jake chuckles and waves me off. “Go on. Find something.”
I don’t need to be told twice. I slide off the couch and hurry out of the room. I hear my socked feet slap the wooden stairs as I make my way up, and behind me, Liam’s voice floats through the air.
“Is it, like… normal to be this excited about books?”
“Yes,” both twins say at the same time, completely deadpan.
“No,” Charlie and Finn say, also in unison.
Everyone chuckles, even Sloane, and I find myself smiling as I reach the top of the stairs.
The hallway is quiet, warm, still dim from the stormy light outside. I find the bookshelf exactly where Jake said, packed to the edges with hardcovers and paperbacks, spines creased and titles faded—clearly well-loved. I run my fingers along the rows, already calmer than I was five minutes ago.
If this is how today’s going to be—quiet, cozy, and surrounded by people I feel safe with—then I really can’t complain.