Page 63 of Intertwined Souls

Ryker sits up and slowly pulls out of Harley, making her wince as her face scrunches up with discomfort. Ry just laughs as he stands up next to the bed, but before he can say anything, Harley growls, “Shut up!”

Laughing, Harley and I get up after Ry and follow him into the bathroom across the hall to get cleaned up.

Staring at my naked, perfect girlfriend, I feel content and sated, but there is also this deep longing somewhere inside of me as I crave Ryker as much as I do Harley. It’s a selfish thought.

Harley

After we all shower and get cleaned up, we climb back into the bed naked. Ryker wraps himself around me from behind while I lay on my side facing Grayson. He rolls onto his side, bringing us nose to nose, and gently runs his fingers through my hair, pushing it behind my ear. Not even five minutes have passed before Ryker’s breathing has deepened and it’s just Grayson and I left awake.

Gray’s eyes bounce past me, landing on Ry, where they soften, and he bites the corner of his lip. I saw how he watched everything, how he didn’t even question Ryker taking control of everything for us.

He wasn’t just watching me. He was watching Ryker, too. I saw Ryker look at him a few times as well, although a lot more subtly.

Bringing my hand up to take his that is resting against my cheek, I intertwine our fingers and search his beautiful green eyes before saying, “You love him. As more than just a friend, or a brother.”

Grayson’s eyes widen in a slight panic, but I shake my head and gently squeeze his hand.

“Don’t panic. It doesn’t bother me, if that’s what you’re worried about. It actually…” My brows furrow, these thoughts confusing even me. “It feels right. Like it’s something that should happen,” I murmur.

“I do… I think I do love him. Differently than Cade, or Noah. They are my brothers, and I love them more than anything, but I’ve never seen Ryker as my brother. There's always been something—something that’s just more. It’s like there's a match between us, but it just won’t light. Sometimes it feels like it might, like he feels the more too, but then it fades, and I feel like I’m just trying to see things that aren’t actually there.”

He takes a deep breath. I watch his expression grow troubled.

“I’ve never been good around girls. I just get too nervous, or just don’t feel the attraction like others do. Until you came along and just made it all so easy. Now my mind is constantly conflicted, and I don’t even know how I’m supposed to feel about loving two people like this.”

His eyes water slightly, but he quickly blinks his tears away.

“Don’t give up on it, Gray,” I whisper. “Today proved that there is something there even if you guys aren’t ready to admit to it yet. Give Ry time. He will have to come to terms with it on his own. And loving more than one person is okay. At least, that’s what Bri tells me,” I chuckle quietly. “Don’t hold back because it feels wrong or selfish. The four of us have to figure this out together.”

Exhaling, Grayson nods and kisses the tip of my nose. “You’re right. Together. We will figure this all out together.”

Smiling, I nod at him.

My smile turns into a sly smirk that I try to hide as Grayson curls up closer to go to sleep when Ryker inhales sharply against the back of my neck and his arms tighten around my stomach.

He heard it all.

The next morning, Cade comes over and lets us know that Gabe wants to speak to all of us. After I finish using the bathroom, I walk out to the kitchen and find Ryker sitting at a bar stool staring down into his cup of coffee.

Walking up behind him, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his cheek. “You okay?”

He turns his head towards me and places a chaste kiss on my lips. “Yeah, just a lot on my mind,” he says quietly. I can only assume he’s thinking about what he heard Grayson say last night.

Nodding in understanding, I murmur, “I’m here if or when you want to talk. We all are.”

I don’t push any more than that, allowing him time to process on his own because I think this is just one of those things that he needs to work out for himself, and as soon as he is comfortable in his mind about it, he will show it, and nothing will hold him back.

I can only imagine how life-altering it is to truly come to terms with who you are when you probably never thought little actions or words would turn into something so much more.

Winking at me he says, “I know, little flame. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” I grin at him.

“We need to go,” Cade grunts from behind us.

Ryker rolls his eyes but quickly drains down his coffee and grabs my hand as Cade, Gray, Ry, and I head out back to walk over to the club. When I take my hand from Ryker’s, he stops and glances at me.

“You and Grayson go first,” I say, gesturing towards Cade.

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