Page 24 of Kink in the Road
His words warmed something inside me, but the doubts still lingered.
“But how would this work? I don’t want to come between you and Aiden.”
“Good morning, beautiful people,” Aiden’s cheerful voice interrupted us as he sauntered into the kitchen. He dropped a kiss on top of my head before moving to pour himself some tea. “What’d I miss?”
Finn gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Riley’s having doubts about us.”
Aiden’s eyebrows shot up as he turned to face us. “Doubts? About what?”
I sighed, running a hand through my tangled hair. “About... everything. How this would work, what people would say, whether I’m enough for both of you.”
Aiden pulled out a chair and sat down, his expression serious. “Okay, let’s tackle this one thing at a time. First off, how this would work is pretty simple – we’d be together, all three of us. Equal partners in this relationship.”
“But what about the practical stuff?” I pressed. “Where would we live? How would we handle finances? What about if one of us wants kids someday but the others don’t?”
“Those are all valid questions,” Finn said calmly. “And they’re things we’d figure out together, as a unit. We don’t have to have all the answers right now, Riley. We can take it one day at a time.”
Aiden nodded in agreement. “Exactly. As for where we’d live, well.’ He waved a hand around his head. “This house has plenty of room. Or we could look for a new place together if you’d prefer. Finances, we’d work out a system that’s fair to everyone. And kids? That’s a conversation for further down the line, but Finn and I stand firmly on the pro-side of the equation.”
I glanced at Finn who nodded his agreement. I absorbed their words, feeling some of the tension in my chest ease. But there was still one nagging doubt.
“What about what people will say? You’ll have to go off the island at some point—and neither of you are from here. Your families might have something to say about this.”
Aiden snorted. “You know I haven’t spoken to my parents since the inheritance was announced.”
“And mine couldn’t give a shit, so long as I’m happy,” Finn said, raising his mug to his lips. “You’re protesting for the sake of protesting, Ry.”
“No, I’m not,” I muttered petulantly.
Finn leaned forward. “Look at me.”
I met his gaze reluctantly.
“The only people whose opinions matter in this relationship are the three of us. Yes, people might talk. They always do. But we’re not doing anything wrong or illegal. We’re three consenting adults who care about each other. Anyone who has a problem with that can fuck off.”
A startled laugh escaped me. Aiden grinned, reaching out to ruffle my hair. “There’s our girl. Look, Ry, we get that this is a big change. It’s okay to be scared. Hell, we’re a little scared too. But we want this – want you – more than we’re afraid of what might go wrong.”
“Really?” I asked, hating how small my voice sounded.
“Really,” Finn confirmed. “We’ve wanted this for a long time, Riley. We just didn’t think you felt the same way.”
I swallowed, still trying to reconcile my desires with my new reality.
“I need some time,” I said, uncertain as to why exactly I needed it but wanting it all the same. “I’m not saying no. I want this but….” I tried to find the words.
“It’s a lot.” Aiden topped up my cup. “You take all the time you need, Ry. We’re not going anywhere.”
I raised my mug, breathing in the familiar scent of tea. The doubts I had were mine and mine alone—and I needed to battle those demons.
“Oh shit,” Aiden said suddenly, jerking upright. “What time is it?”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. “Just past seven, why?”
“Crap,” he groaned. “We’ve got that breakfast thing for the singles in less than an hour.”
Reality came crashing back, reminding me of the world beyond this kitchen. “Oh God, the singles weekend. I completely forgot.”
Finn chuckled, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Duty calls, I’m afraid. But how about we have dinner tonight, just the three of us? The pub is closed, and we can talk more about... everything.”
