Finding Eden(50)

"Should we answer?" I whispered.

"No," Calder groaned.

"I thought we were getting up. Maybe this will be a good way to force us out of bed."

Calder chuckled and then stopped when the pounding started.

"What the hell?" he said, getting up and grabbing his jeans off of the floor and pulling them on.

I sat up and pulled the sheet up against me as Calder left the room. Then I got up and went to use the bathroom and quickly brush my teeth.

I pulled on my jeans and top and then pulled the sheet and comforter up on the bed when I heard male voices outside the bedroom and went out to see what was going on.

When I walked out to the large living area, Calder was standing with his arms crossed against his bare chest and Xander was leaning against the counter, raking his hand through his hair looking like he'd been up all night.

"Hey, Xander," I said, haltingly.

He looked up at me with tired, red-rimmed eyes and gave me a small smile. "Hey, E."

I walked up to Calder who put his arm around me and pulled me tightly to him. Xander smiled at us. "I knew you two would work it all out."

I gazed up at Calder, but then looked back at Xander worriedly. He didn't look great.

"What's wrong?" I asked, furrowing my brow.

He shook his head, blowing out a breath. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't come here to interrupt this reunion  . Shit. You guys don't need this. You deserve—"

"Xander," Calder said. "Whatever I have—"

"I have half. I know," he said quietly. Xander ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah."

Calder nodded and looked down at me. "You know what Xander needs, right?"

I bit my lip, making my expression very serious. "The Bed of Healing?"

"I think so."

I nodded. "I think so, too." Calder let go of me and I grabbed Xander's arm and pulled him along behind us to the bedroom.

"Whoa! Where are you taking me?"

"To The Bed of Healing," Calder said, standing next to it.

"Come on." I pulled Xander and he stumbled and fell onto the bed. Calder and I got in, one on either side of him, and we lay there on top of the comforter staring up at the ceiling. I giggled.

Xander looked to Calder and then to me and then back up at the ceiling. "I'm not having sex with either one of you," he said, starting to sit up. Calder pushed him back down by bringing his arm straight down on his chest. "Okay, maybe Eden, but definitely not you, Storm," he added.

"Definitely not Eden," Calder gritted out. "Eden, scoot away from him a little." I laughed again.

"I thought this was The Bed of Healing. Already I sense anger here," Xander said.

Calder chuckled and threw a leg over Xander's leg. "No anger," he said. "Only healing. And quit it with the Storm business. You know I couldn't put my real name out there. It's a cool name." But there was amusement in his voice. Xander laughed.

"It sounds like a stripper."

I couldn't help giggling and Calder laughed, too.

We all lay there silently for a minute. I smiled. It was a really comfortable bed. I took Xander's hand in mine and squeezed it.

"The Bed of Healing smells like sex and . . . peaches," Xander said, wrinkling up his nose and glancing between the both of us.

"The Bed of Healing smells just like a bed of healing should," Calder said.

"Dude, when was the last time you showered?" Xander asked.

"Four days ago," Calder answered, no embarrassment whatsoever in his voice.

"Yeah, I can tell." Xander rolled closer to me and I laughed again.

I turned my face to his. "Seriously, Xander, what's wrong?"

He sighed and took his hand from mine, rubbing it on his dark five o'clock shadow for a second.

"There's this girl," he said quietly, sounding practically tortured.

Calder laughed. I sat up slightly, frowning over at him. "Sorry," he mumbled. "It's just that every story of woe and tragedy throughout history starts out with those exact same three words. ‘There's this girl’" then he groaned dramatically and threw his hand up over his eyes.

Xander laughed softly and I frowned again, flopping back down on the pillow. "Not even true," I said.

"Does she have you all twisted inside out?" Calder asked, taking his arm down.

"Hell yes," Xander said.

Calder sighed. "Yeah."

"Wait," I said. "What's the problem here? You're in love, Xander. Does she not love you back or what?"

Xander reached up and grabbed the hair at the front of his head. "That's the problem. I think she might."

"Why is that a problem?" I asked, confused. "That's great."