She shuddered.
He smiled, though it was slightly forced. They may not intend to permit jealousy among the group, but right now she could tell Jay was feeling every ounce of the envy he’d joked about his partners feeling when they arrived to meet her.
He stroked her back with his hands. “Promise me you’ll give them a chance.”
She nodded, tears welling up. “I will.”
“They’ll each take turns spending time with you. It’s how we operate. Don’t let it feel weird.”
She smiled. “Jay, every single thing that’s happened since I met you has been weird. I’m afraid my weird meter is maxed out.” She slid her hands to his chest and patted his firm pecs. “But I’ll do it. For you. For us. For the collective group.” What she knew was that she had powerful feelings for Jay. Whether her attraction toward him was rational or not, it existed.
The world that once existed before the apocalypse was gone. In its place was a land where Layla needed to live every day as if it might be her last. No matter how safe this compound was where they were taking her, the planet was not so safe anymore. Lives were often in danger.
Now was not a time to quibble over past norms. The fact was, men far outnumbered women in this new universe. No matter where anyone lived or what their beliefs had been before women stopped giving birth to equal numbers of male and female babies, two-partner relationships were by design a thing of the past.
No matter where Layla landed, she would be surrounded by polyamorous relationships. She’d spent her entire life hiding so that she would never be forced into a relationship with someone or several people she didn’t have feelings for. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t or shouldn’t form a family unit with several men she wanted.
The Wanderers believed in free will and choices. They treated women as equals. According to Jay, all sorts of family units existed within their society. Most were polygamous, but all were by choice. No one would ever force her or any other female to do anything they didn’t consent to.
Layla certainly hadn’t expected things to work out this way so quickly, before she and Ariel had even reached their destination, but her goal had been to get them to safety. It looked like that was about to happen.
Falling for Jay had been icing on the cake. Learning to accept his way of life was something she would give every ounce of her energy to because, in her gut, she felt like she was making the right decision.
He kissed her again, not as long or as deeply as before, but with the same amount of passion. “Be safe,” he muttered against her lips.
“I will.”
“I’ll see you in a few days.”
“Three, Jay,” she insisted. She would not slow them down from trying to get to the compound as quickly as possible so that someone could return to relieve Jay. She knew Ariel wouldn’t either.
He grinned. “So bossy.”
She smiled and kissed him again. “Mmm. Better get used to it.”
“Oh, I fully intend to.” He spun her around and walked her toward the stairs, keeping his hands on her as they climbed.
When they stepped out into the dark cabin, she found Ariel waiting with both of their packs, jammed full with replenished supplies.
Ariel was chewing on her bottom lip, looking both apprehensive and pleased. Interesting.
Layla was a bit stunned when Jay turned her around, held her close against his chest again, and kissed her soundly in front of everyone. “See you soon,” he whispered when he finally released her.
She shrugged into her pack and followed the others out the door, glancing over her shoulder, trying hard not to let herself get emotional. This wasn’t some horrible goodbye where she wouldn’t see the man she’d fallen so hard for ever again. It would only be a few days. Why did it hurt so much?
As they walked into the dark of night, the only light coming from the moon, Layla slid her arm into the crook of Ariel’s and held her tight.
Ariel smirked at her uncharacteristically.
“What?” Layla asked.
“How is it that I take a nap and wake up to find out my sister has four men while I still have none. Greedy much?”
Layla laughed. Hell, all three men did too. She barely knew which one of them was which, and yet they were indeed hers. If she was willing to have them.
It still seemed ludicrous, but she certainly liked them all, and they were a package deal, so she’d give them a chance.
“You’re only nineteen. Don’t rush it.”