Page 149 of Some Like It Hot

My heart aches in my chest.

She and Aidan are the loves of my life and I’m not letting her go. Even if she doesn’t know it yet.

“Hey, Elise,” Blake says, starting for her.

She holds up a hand. “You really came back from London early because you found out about the wedding?” she asks me.

“No,” I tell her. “I came back from London early because I realize that I haven’t told you that I’m in love with you. And I couldn’t go another day without saying it. And I had to say it in person.”

I take a step closer to her. Her eyes are locked on me and she’s pressing her lips together.

“I’m in love with you, Elise. Madly.”

“I thought you were in love with Aidan.”

I nod. “I’m madly in love with Aidan too. I want you both. And I want you to stay married to Blake. But I want you and Blake to keep seeing me and Aidan.” I take a step toward her. “I’m moving to Chicago. I’ll still have to go to London at times. And other places. But this is where I want to live. Where I want to make my life. With all of you.”

I take a final step, stopping about a foot in front of her. “I’m very spoiled. I’ve lived a very privileged life. Please don’t make me start learning the word ‘no’ now.”

She’s blinking her big brown eyes, but I see the corner of her mouth twitch.

Aidan steps up beside me and takes my hand. “Me too, Elise. I’m in love with you too. I’ve fallen for you both so fast, but it’s completely real. Yes, I was jealous when I found out that you really married Blake. But only because I want to be a part of your forever too. We screwed up not telling you how we felt as soon as we realized it. I guess we didn’t really have a great moment? We were waiting for a good time. But we shouldn’t have. We should have just blurted it out.”

She’s pressing her lips together, staring at both of us. Her gaze goes to Blake.

“I’m in love with you, too,” he says, his deep voice even gruffer than usual. “Asking you to marry me was the smartest thing I’ve ever done. I did it in a really stupid way, but the idea of having you forever, is the best idea I’ve ever had. I love you, Elise. And I am so sorry I didn’t say that before now. In my defense, I just realized it as we were standing in front of the judge. So I didn’t really have time before that. But…I was an idiot to not realize it before that.”

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

Aidan jumps in. “And before you say anything about how this can’t work or how we can’t deal with messes or disorganization or lost phones or whatever…no. It will work. It’s already working.”

“What messes?” Blake asks.

She opens her eyes and focuses on him.

“You mean your organizational style?” he asks. “None of us care about that.”

I smile. I love Elise’s “chaos” and I love how Aidan and Blake have embraced it as well. As I’ve gotten to know Aidan, it doesn’t surprise me. He is loving and accepting and just a good man. I had my doubts about the big, burly hockey player, but he’s all in. The way he cares for Elise and just rolls with all of the beautiful things that make her the unique, gorgeous woman who stole our hearts, makes me appreciate him and makes me look forward to a future with him in our lives.

“We will give you an entire room wherever we live and you can do whatever you want with it,” Blake tells her, stepping forward until he’s within touching distance. “Or you can have four rooms. Or hell, I kind of hope you’ll set up some racks and stuff in every room with your dresses and accessories. You and your passion have brought color and creativity and sexiness and fun into my life in a way I would have never imagined and I want it around me all the time.I love being at your apartment. It makes me smile and feel surrounded by joy. This place—” He glances around his apartment. “Is empty and sterile and I hate it here now that I’ve spent time with you.”

She gives him a shaky smile. “Wow.”

He returns the smile, looking almost relieved.

Aidan continues where Blake left off. “And, as for your schedule, where sometimes you forget you need to do something until the last minute, that just means there’s never a dull day. I never know what to expect and honey, I’m perfect for that. As a firefighter, I live with that kind of routine constantly. I’m so good.”

I jump in. “And the phone thing is nothing. To me that just means you need one of us with you most of the time so people can call us if they need you.” I shrug. “Needing one of us by your side all the time is an easy fix, because there’s nowhere else we’d rather be.”

Blake nods. “Yeah, sorry to break it to you, but if that’s the best you’ve got to try to scare us off, you’re stuck with us. Forever. Because that’s nothing stacked up against love.”

“He’s right, love,” I tell her. “You’re going to have to do a lot more than just leave things lying around to scare us off.”

Aidan gives her a grin. “Yeah, you’ve really screwed up trying to push us away. We are all completely head over heels and we’re not going anywhere.”

She swallows, then takes a breath and says simply, “I know.”

We all just stand there, like dumbasses.

---