Page 35 of Bound By Brielle (Crave & Cure Productions)

“He is both dominantandsubmissive.”

She nods. “So…” she draws out and I take another drink of my coffee, not wanting it to end, because it feels like when the coffee ends, the morning is officially in the past. Which is illogical but the prospect of being involved with Aug and Lance has me in a hazy state. I wanna stay here forever.

“He needs to be dominant sometimes, but other times, and what I gather so far is, he wants to be submissive. But Aug cannot submit to give Lance his dominance, like, at all.”

Now she’s wrapping a curl around her finger as she stares intensely, nodding. “Okay, well, wow. That’s…” she shakes her head. “I thought it was gonna be something like, he’s too jealous or, he wants to get married and I don’t or something. I had no idea it was so…kinky.”

I reluctantly finish the coffee and toss it into the trash near my dresser. “I told them I’d be submissive to them both,” I admit, an instant flush hitting my cheeks. But when I look at my best friend, I don’t find shock on her face.

I find… awe.

“I don’t know what to say,” she finally stumbles, a slow grin taking up her face. “You’re like, super badass.” A thought hits her, and she chews the inside of her mouth before quickly adding, “You’re not worried about getting jealous or left out?”

I shrug. “I’m trying not to worry about anything. Just… go with it and see where it takes us.”

“So that’s what coffee was about this morning? Mapping out the route?” she asks.

I consider her question and weigh it against the morning. We had coffee—I had a bear claw the size of an actual bear claw while Aug ate a fruit cup and Lance slammed two espressos—and they explained things as I ate.

“Sex is very personal to us,” Aug said, keeping his dark eyes focused on mine. “And we don’t want to enter into a physical relationship without an emotional balance.”

My cheeks flare at the memory of myself plucking a piece of pastry up with my fingers, grinning at them as I said, “I like you both, a lot, even though you’re both kind of jerky and massively territorial.” I shrugged, and took the bite, sipping my latte after, loving the way their attention hovered, the way they waited patiently for me to finish. “But I like the grouchy, territorial guys, too.”

“Reminds you of yourself?” Lance quipped, and we shared another sarcastic smile, the three of us.

“See—we smile when we’re together. You two never smiled together before,” I said, wanting to see if they noticed that, too.

“We know,” Aug said, speaking on their behalf. It made bumps scatter along my flesh; what would it feel like to have a man like Aug answer for me? On my behalf? My cunt pulsed in my panties as I finished my bear claw knowing that I’d eventually find out.

“I like you both and though I admit I don’t know whatmorelooks like between three people, I’m willing to explore.”

At the same time they replied, “Same.”

Aug and I ordered another drink, while Lance snagged a dying banana from the barista’s fruit bowl. We sat and talked, about anything that wasn’t related to Crave or our budding dynamic.

I smile across the bed as Winnie waves a hand in front of my face. “Earth to the three way queen,” she snarks, and I pull the neck of my t-shirt over my mouth, hiding my unabashed grin.

“We’re having dinner tonight. A late dinner. At Aug’s house, to talk more about the things we discussed at coffee,” I tell her, my whole body going warm and achy at the mere idea. In a private space, alone with those two—“Not gonna lie, I can’t believe it’s happening.”

Her eyes go wide and she abandons the curl she was messing with. “You’re gonnado ittonight? Already?”

“I don’t know, no! I don’t think so, at least?” I say, unsure but excited nonetheless. “I just meant… this is so new and exciting.”

Winnie sits back, tilting her head, a slow, gentle smile taking over her face. “I think it’s good for you. I mean, I don’t want your vagina torn apart or for you to get your heart broken, but you need this.”

“I know, and I’m excited.” I was also excited about how well I’m doing around the set, and I wanted to share that with my dad, to tell him it’s not what either of us imagined, but he still won’t answer my calls. I nod, putting my focus on the edge of the comforter on my bed, playing with a loose string. “I just wish my dad wasn’t basically ghosting me,” I admit, hating that I’m letting his negative bullshit seep into my thoughts. But I’m very aware of the day. It’s the 15th. The day he pays the student loans. And I always hear from him on this day.You know, to make sure I remember how much he pays.

“Your d—,” she starts, chewing the inside of her mouth. It’s rare to see my chatty best friend at a loss for words. “He’s…” she trails off again before settling on, “You do you, B. Don’t worry about anything else. It’s your last semester of school. Your last time to be utterly carefree.” Winnie smiles.

I shake my head. “It’s just hard because… I realize I wouldn’t be here without him.” His money, yes, but him, too.

She arches her eyebrow. “I drove us here after summer break.”

Twisting my lips with sick displeasure, I clarify. “I meant my bills, and the wholeraising me since I was seventhing.” I shake my head at her.

“Well”—she sighs—“he probably thinks that you’re making a bad choice, and he doesn’t understand what you could possibly learn at Crave. And it goes against who he knows you to be, someone who concedesto him, not someone who rebels and fulfills the program regardless of his wishes.”

I blink at her. “That’s a very apt assessment of my dad.” The back of my neck heats. Either she knows my dad personally or I’ve just complained about him that much.

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