I scan what I think is their driveway for the bridge, but there’s so much water, I can’t make it out. Definitely not safe for me to drive my car. That part is real, except that their car will make it just fine, so I was never really trapped. What do I do with that?
I relent and pile into the SUV with the three wet men. No one wants to waste any extra time getting to the hospital.
Mammoth carefully navigates the road, and I hold my breath while he correctly gauges where the bridge is. Out of all the things I can be thinking right now, I wonder why he told me to call him Mason. Was he struggling with keeping his guard up too?
Wyatt’s pinky brushes against mine, and the gesture makes me smile. My heart feels full. What the hell is happening? Why can’t I control my feelings?
I pull my hand away and shake my head no at him.
“You okay, Wyatt?” Gabriel looks over his shoulder. “What are you guys doing back there?”
“Drop it,” Wyatt says.
Mammoth attempts to dissolve the tension but the hints of irritation in his voice betrays his efforts. “Let’s all pull it back. Nobody expected Avery to go into labor today. Do we need to talk about what happened while I drive?”
“We don’t need to talk,” I say.
Mammoth surprises me. “We should. We told you we’d show you how a real man would treat you. A real man wouldn’t just watch you fuck his brother and then send you packing.”
“You’re not sending me packing. I was never supposed to stay.” My defensive walls are back up. I’m not going to talk about my feelings. I’m going to bury them.
“But plans changed.” Mammoth won’t drop it.
“Fine. Let’s have a conversation. What do you need to say so that you can feel like a real man?” I say as sarcastically as possible, keeping my façade in place so they won’t know how thin the veil is.
“It’s not like we have to prove something to ourselves. I just want to be sure you’re okay, that you have a chance to ask questions.”
“No. Got everything sorted out. We’re good.”
“We’re still here for you.” Gabriel turns himself practically all the way around in his seat, his gaze darting between me and Wyatt. “I thought the mood would be a little lighter.”
“It’s fine,” I say too quickly.
Wyatt looks at me, taking my hand even though I try to resist.
He cups it gently. “Beatrix, you don’t have to pull back. What we had, that was amazing.”
“And we knew that it had an expiration date so Avery won’t hate all of us.” I just wanted to be as wild and free as everybody thinks I am. It was great, but now it’s time to accept real-world obligations. “Sorry, I’m just jittery about Avery and the baby and this fucking storm that won’t quit. Are we going to make it to the hospital in time?”
Wyatt says, “She’s at the hospital. They’ll take good care of her. The classes all say she should be in labor for hours. We’ll be there in plenty of time.”
“Are you sure that’s all that’s bothering you?” Mammoth asks.
“Yep, and now I know that having orgasms with men is better than having orgasms by myself. So, consider me well educated, and let’s just drop it.” I stare out the window, tears brimming. I can’t believe I betrayed my best friend and failed to guard my heart.
Wyatt strokes my shoulder. “We can give this some time. Let Avery get past having the baby and then talk to her about us being together. Would you consider that?”
My heart flutters in a way I’ve never experienced. Yes. Yes, it’s what I want. If they weren’t my best friend’s brothers, they would be fair game, except I’m so much younger that I wouldn’t even be on their radar.
I think back to all the times Avery was frustrated with the girls who just wanted to get to her brothers. “She doesn’t need you guys complicating her life.”
“We just want to help her,” Wyatt says. “That’s why we’re building the addition.”
“She appreciates that, but she’s scared. If she wasn’t having a baby, she would never move in.”
“We’re taking care of family,” Wyatt adds, not getting it.
“That’s great. But she’s always been in your shadow, and you’ve always been the big, annoying, older brothers bossing her around. Wyatt, remember how you said all the girls you tried to date wanted your older brothers?”