Ever After Awaits (Layla) novel Chapter 148

Chapter 148: Layla POV

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The first thing I become aware of as I wake on Sunday morning is warmth. Hunter’s arm is draped heavily across my waist, while AJ’s breath stirs the hair on the side of my neck, and the soft weight of the duvet that’s cocooning all three of us in quiet morning light. I shift slightly and feel AJ’s fingers tighten at my hip, while Hunter lets out a contented, half–asleep sigh.

“Think she’s awake yet?” Hunter whispers, his voice raspy with sleep.

“Mmmmm,” AJ murmurs against my shoulder. “Only one way to find out.”

I don’t even open my eyes when I say, “If either of you tries to kiss me before I’ve had a chance to brush my teeth, I swear I’ll bite you.”

Hunter chuckles, nuzzling closer to me. “Kinky.”

“But not in the fun way,” I groan, squirming out from between them and sliding down to the end of the bed. “I have lake hair, lake skin, and lake breath. Let me shower in peace.”

AJ props himself up on one elbow and grins as I grab the open shirt fronts of Hunter’s flannel that I’m still wearing over my swimsuit, and wrap it around my body. “But you’re so soft and grumpy in

the mornings, Cupcake. It’s quite adorable.”

“Adorable, my ass. I’m a swamp creature right now. And I’m fleeing,” I huff out as I start heading to

the bedroom door.

Hunter lets out a groan of disappointment and grumbles playfully, “Our girl is so cruel sometimes.”

I flash them both a grin as I slip out the door. “Cruelty is a survival mechanism.”

The warm water in my bathroom washes over me like a reset button, as I rinse away the lingering

scent of lake water and sunscreen. Then, I towel off and slip into soft cotton shorts and one of Cade’s oversized tees that somehow mysteriously appeared in one of my dresser drawers. The fabric smells like him–clean cotton and something faintly nature–like–and it makes my chest ache in the gentlest of ways.

Downstairs, I find Cade and Xavier already in the kitchen, and Xavier hands me a mug of coffee the moment I reach the kitchen island. “Morning, Princess,” he says, leaning in to brush a kiss to my

temple.

Cade’s eyes sweep over me, taking in the shirt he must recognize. “Well, that’s not fair,” he mutters

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Chapter 148: Layla POV

with a playful smile. “Wearing my clothes and looking that good in them.”

I laugh, lifting my mug towards him in a mock toast. “Consider it a compliment.”

He catches my waist as I walk past and pulls me into a slow kiss that’s soft and warm and still laced. with sleep. “Compliment taken.”

We keep breakfast simple: toast, eggs, and some leftover fruit from the day before. Our conversations are light and teasing. Easy. At one stage, I go and sit at the kitchen island to cut up the fruit, while the guys move around me, and there’s a comfort in the rhythm of it all. It’s the kind of Sunday morning that allows you just to exhale.

A few minutes later, AJ and Hunter also drift into the kitchen–barefoot, still sleep–rumpled, and both of them wearing that lazy, weekend calm. AJ heads straight for the coffee machine and expertly brews a fresh pot while humming an obscure melody under his breath. Hunter grabs the stack of plates without needing to be asked, setting them out on the dining table with a quiet efficiency that always makes me feel like I’m part of something solid. They move around me like we’ve done this a hundred times before–Hunter brushing my shoulder gently as he reaches for the cutlery, AJ sliding a glass of orange juice beside me like he knows exactly what I need before I do.

It’s seamless. Familiar. Like family, but so much better.

After a breakfast that was lighthearted and grounding, I settle onto the couch with my laptop and a stack of class notes. I have readings to catch up on and a few assignments to polish before the new week starts. But even while I study, I’m never truly alone.

AJ drifts by me first at one stage, pressing a cold glass of iced tea into my hand and ruffling my hair on the way past, so I try to swat him while wearing a feigned frown.

Cade comes past about 30 minutes later with a granola bar and a kiss to the top of my head, muttering something about fuel for brilliance.

Around midday, Xavier, ever the precise one, sets a tiny bowl of trail mix beside my laptop without a word, then squeezes my shoulder before disappearing upstairs again.

And Hunter? He doesn’t say much; he just brings me a soft blanket from upstairs and drapes it over my legs, brushing a kiss to my forehead as he goes to leave again.

Their touches are brief but grounding, and their presence is woven into the quiet fabric of my day.

As the sun starts to dip into late afternoon, someone suggests a movie night, and the suggestion is

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8:53 Fri, Sep 19

Chapter 148: Layla POV

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