Page 40 of Rock On

“Yes.”

“The only rules are that I expect nothing but honesty from both of you, and kindness. No matter how angry or frustrated you get by what you find out, there will be no raised voices, no name calling, and no threats. Are we clear?”

Harley and I both nodded.

“Go ahead, Tommy.”

There was one question I needed answered before we could move forward because everything else hinged upon the answer, so I didn’t hesitate, even though I knew the answer might change everything I thought I knew.

“When was the first time you had sex with Carter?” I asked.

Harley didn’t react, as if she’d been expecting the question, and she seemed to shrink even further into herself.

“Harley?” Allisha spoke gently after about a minute, when Harley still hadn’t responded.

“There was only the one time,” Harley whispered.

Despite my promise to stay calm, I practically vaulted out of my seat and upset the chair in the process, a litany of curses coming from my mouth faster than I could stop them.

“Tommy.” Allisha also got up, putting herself between Harley and me as she faced me.

“Why?” I demanded, talking to Harley over her shoulder. “Why wouldn’t you have told me that?! Why did you hide it?”

Tears were streaming down Harley’s face.

“Harley!” I couldn’t hold back, stepping around Allisha and dropping to my knees in front of Harley, barely cognizant of the pain in my knee. “Talk to me, dammit!”

“What do you want me to say?” She exploded, her face turning red as she shoved me back. “You wanted that damn threesome! Once we found out we couldn’t have kids, you suddenly started wanting to get crazy and do all the fucking things! That was all you. I never had any need or desire to sleep with other men, but I did it. For you. When I found out I was pregnant I knew it couldn’t be yours and I also knew what it would do to you to watch me have another man’s baby. You couldn’t even consider adoption, much less raising your best friend’s kid. So I left. Every motherfucking thing I’ve done since the day I met you has been with you, for you, or to protect you!”

She was breathing hard, her face even redder now, her chest rising and falling with each word.

Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

If not for the pain in my knee, I probably wouldn’t have been able to move. The pain was enough to propel me off my knees, but all I could manage was to move to a sitting position right there on the floor, with my legs sticking out in front of me. Getting to my feet would have taken more energy than I was capable of.

My brain was practically imploding with this new revelation, and I couldn’t even begin to process it.

I was trying to think back to that night, the night we’d had the threesome, but it was a blurry montage of moments.

Harley riding me reverse cowgirl style on the bus during the opening act.

Carter coming in and watching.

At some point we’d both been inside of her.

Everything else was like some kind of ethereal dream.

I remembered how good it felt, how it had felt to be with both of them, but I couldn’t remember any details.

Had I even asked her if she wanted to do it?

Had he worn protection?

Had I really been so self-absorbed that I’d taken both my wife and my best friend for granted?

Had there ever been a discussion about the three of us doing something so intimate and what the possible repercussions would be?

Of course not.

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