Page 73 of Bound By Brielle (Crave & Cure Productions)

“I think you should probably give her some space,” Aug says, placing a gentle hand on my dad’s chest. “And she’ll contact you when she’s ready.”

I watch as my dad goes speechless. I think it’s the first time ever. And no amount of telling me what he pays for will get him back in this house, and he knows it.

“Fine,” he harrumphs, straightening his already straight suit jacket before sheepishly sticking out his upturned palm. “My phone,” he says, waiting.

It starts ringing again, right as I’m about to pass it off, only it’s not actually ringing. It’s a text message. My eyes read it before I give myself permission. It’s impossible not to read a text when you’re staring at a phone screen, I swear.

And after I read it, I look at my father and though he hasn’t read the message, he knows that I now know that he has gone behind my back yet again. As if convincing my best friend to rat me out isn’t bad enough.

I swallow around a lump of rage and confusion, embarrassment and shame. “Why did you text Mr. Leon?” I ask, my voice weak and wavering from the revelation. “Oh my god,” I breathe, my knees suddenly feeling as weak as my voice. “Get out,” I say and then with more strength I repeat myself, because those two words are the only thing that fills my brain at this moment. “Get out!” I throw the phone at him and it falls to the floor, shattering the glass screen. I step for it and kick it, watching it hit the closed front door with a resounding thud. “Get out you asshole! Get out!”

Aug and Lance follow him out the front door, blocking his view of me as he attempts to look back over his shoulder, saying my name low and slow, like he’s only just now realizing that he possibly is in the wrong. Years of teaching me to go after what I want, grab it with both hands because if I don’t someone else will. And I did it. I embraced this mentorship and it unknowingly changed my life, and how he’s trying to ruin it. Behind my back, no less, all because he doesn’t like it.

I sink to the floor, my body nothing more than a heap of bones and flesh. How could he embarrass me to my professor that way? The front door opens and closes, and Aug and Lance are there, helping me to my feet. We head to the kitchen where coffee and breakfast wait.

After sitting down, I sip the coffee Aug passes me, my mind an absolute mess as the two of them take seats around me. Lance sips his coffee a little before clearing his throat. “What do we want to tackle first? Do we want to tackle our thing here, do we want to get Ezra squared away or should we handle Dad?”

I twist my neck to look at him. “Winnie ratted me out to my dad. She didn’t just tell him where to find me, but she told him that we’re together. ThatI’m sleeping with my bosses.” I shake my head, just staring into the rippling surface of my steaming coffee.Why would she do that?Why would she hand him my most private information? It makes zero sense. “She usually talks shit about my dad,” I think aloud, sifting fingers through my insanely tangled hair. “Maybe he’s black mailing her or something? I don’t know. It makes no sense why she’d tell him that.” I lift my phone from the counter, where it’s been since last night. “And she hasn’t even called or texted me. Like, she’s just somewhere thinking everything is fine and in reality, she told my dad about my relationship and sex life!” It makes no sense, and those four words are all I can repeat to myself before Aug speaks up.

First his hand comes to my back. He comforts me in long strokes up and down my spine. “I think we find some stability first. Let’s talk about us,” Aug offers, smiling at me before taking a sip of his coffee.

Ready to get my mind off of the fact that my dad showed up here and my best friend betrayed me, I nod. “Us,” I agree, sifting through this morning in my mind. When my dad barged in here, they stood up for me, then ushered him out when he upset me. That’s… romantic. I sip my coffee and recall their words whenithits me, slaps me across the face and nearly knocks me off the barstool.

I turn my head, my eyes already hot with emotion, and look up into Aug’s crazy dark hair, tousled with sex and sleep. I study his gorgeous green eyes, sparkling and certain. “You guys said you love me,” I repeat, remembering the most important parts of earlier. My dad is a jerk and my friend stinks, but I won’t let the bad outweigh the good. This morning,they said they love me.

I turn and look at Lance, who winks over his coffee mug.

“Not really how I wanted that exchange of words to go down,” Aug adds, standing and reaching for the carafe to refill our mugs. Lance was closest but Aug rose and reached across the bar. It’s subtle, but it shows me that he is, through and through, a man who thrives off not just control butcare.

“But it’s true?” I look between them until Lance feeds his fingers through mine, and Aug does the same. On my lap, I find both of my hands, each clinging to a man I trust, adore and love.

“It’s true that when we started this, I didn’t know what it would become. I didn’t have any plans, honestly. I stopped making promises and running full speed and I just… followed my heart. And after doing that, I find myself in this house with you two, happier than I’ve ever been, happier than I thought I was previously, and so yeah, I’m certain thatthisis something I want. There will be lows, challenges, all that. But I want it. I want a full life with both of you. Because yes, Brielle, I love you. And Lance,” he directs an emotional gaze across my body, to him, “I love you.”

Lance tugs our joined hands, asking for my attention, so with watery eyes, I face him.

“I love you, too.”

He cracks a grin, and the three of us burst into laughter. I use the cuffs of my sleeves to wipe tears from my eyes before finally saying, “I get a speech from him and four words from you, huh?”

He shakes his head, raking his big hand down his bare chest. “Aug’s got big speeches covered.” He leans in, his breath smelling like coffee and desire. “You’ll learn he’s the mushy one.”

I giggle at that, taking another sip of my coffee, so appreciative that they’ve taken my mind away from the chaos for at least the morning. “I don’t know, I might be mushy. I haven’t decided yet.”

Aug cuts off our banter by rising from his seat, and circling the counter to the covered pan of eggs. He plates up breakfast and instead of sitting down at my side, where he was before, he stands before us, watching us eat.

“You gonna eat?” I ask, hunger taking over at the sight and smell of good, home cooked food.

“After I talk.”

Lance wiggles his mug, and Aug refills him, taking care to froth oatmilk separately and carefully pour it on top. “Thanks baby,” he says.

“Brielle, what kind of relationship do you want here? Do you want all or nothing when it comes to the physical side?”

I rest my fork near my plate and take another drink of coffee. The adrenaline of the morning is starting to wear off, and fatigue is creeping back in.

“What do you mean?”

“You can be with Lance when I’m not around. I know that love is what bonds us, and sometimes, you two may be together and turned on and need to fuck it out, and I get it. But what do you want? Because Lance and I, we’ll give you everything you want. That’s why we’re here.”

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