Page 66 of Four Times Taken

"Okay, Lily." Ryan rubbed my shoulders. "Stop arguing with the non-existent woman in your head. Eric didn't cheat on you," he said, reading my thoughts. But I'm not convinced.

"You're lying," I accused.

"No, sweetheart," he objected in an overly sweet tone. "It would benefit me more to lie and say that he is, wouldn't it? Try to split you up? Have you all to myself?" He pulled me closer with a smile. "But I'm telling you that Eric won't mind. Now, why would I do that instead of telling you whatever I need to, to make you leave him?"

"Because you're his best friend, and you're not a psychopath? I hope," I responded.

He grinned. "Exactly. That's how I know you have nothing to worry about. Trust me."

Now, I was more confused. Whether Ryan was Father Delulu at the moment, or he was hiding something of importance from me, I couldn't run away from my prerogative. I had to come clean with Eric about my attraction to not just Ryan, but all his friends, and cross my fingers in hope that he didn't look at me in disgust and reduce me to a whore. I was out of my damn mind. Of course he would. What man wouldn't? Still, it didn't change the fact that I needed to own up to my actions.

Chapter 44

Ryan

"Where the hell have you been?" Eric asked as my vehicle pulled up in front of Lily's house.

After Lily kicked me out of the house yesterday morning, I spent the rest of the day and night at a hotel. If I had gone back to the Airbnb, they'd put two and two together. I could tell Eric what happened myself, but the tension piling onto Lily's shoulders over sharing what happened between us with Eric was visible. I didn't want to break the news before she could.

Also, despite what Eric said, I still didn't know how he'd react. It's not like I asked his permission beforehand. I just can't think when I'm around Lily. All I am in her presence is a ball of intense passion. With Eric's confession and Lily leaning into my advances, I forgot for a few seconds that she wasn't mine, allowed myself to believe that she belonged to no one, and who she shared herself with was her decision alone to make. But it's clear she has loyalties to Eric, and he, to her, regardless of how I feel.

This conversation is for them to have, even if I have my own loyalties to him and broke that with my actions. That's one reason I denied anything happened between us at the fair. That and the fact that I was still burning from her rejection.

"Nowhere. Living on top of you all can be suffocating sometimes," I said.

"Since when?" Eric asked as the other guys pulled up behind his car.

"Since always," I responded in a distant voice, checking my phone as it alarmed. It's a reminder about a job I forgot everything about in a whole other state. Damn. Hawaii. We were supposed to make that stop on our travels, after leaving Durham. I forgot everything about that. It's like my life began the moment I stepped foot in Durham. Everything outside of it has been forgotten, until now. This job was confirmed six months ago, before coming here. I've had six months to opt out of it, but I haven't. And I can't, just one week before I'm supposed to leave. But I'm not ready to leave Lily yet. She could always come with me. It could be all romantic. In what world? I scoffed at myself. There are too many variables.

Listen to me. Making a big deal out of nothing as if I can't just go to Hawaii, do the job, and come back. I don't want to spend a second away from her company though. Even leaving her house yesterday, and doing without seconds and thirds of her body, whenever she'd be able to squeeze me in, was hard for me. But the shoot is a week long, and each day is already planned out.

One week away from Lily? I think I'll forget how to breathe. I know I could turn the job down and not starve. I have rich friends, but I'm not the mooching kind. I like my independence. Plus, money can put a strain on friendships. With the way things are going, and my disloyalty to Eric? I can't afford to put any more strain on my friendship with these guys. So, I have to go to maintain my own bank account.

Shit.

My face was less than pleased, and there's no hiding it.

"Oh, no. Looks like your one-night stand can't forget about you," Ethan teased, responding to the alarm by leaning his tall ass over my shoulders to peek into my phone. We're all pretty tall, but Ethan's six-foot-five frame makes me feel like an ant.

I threw the phone in my pocket, even though I had nothing to hide. It's not like Lily has texted me sweet nothings, messages telling me how much she's missed me or wants me since yesterday. Honestly, I'm afraid she'll chicken out, and we won't share another moment like that again. Damn it, I hoped Eric would take this well and wouldn't go back on his word.

"Nosy," I responded to Ethan who grinned.

"Why do you think Lily's called us all over? She sounded pretty terse on the phone. Think it's something serious?" Matt asked before knocking on the door.

"Let's hope she's not breaking up with me again," Eric said under his breath.

My dumb ass patted him on the shoulder and replied, "It all depends on how you take it."

He turned his head swiftly toward me. "What do you mean by that? Do you know something?"

Ah hell. Here I went, letting cats out of bags and shit. "Nah. No. Maybe." I shrugged. "All I'm saying is, you might be pleased with the news? At least, I hope you are."

"What aren't you telling..." he started to ask, but the door opened to reveal Lily standing there in her matching blue sweatshirt and pants.

He pulled his attention away from me and toward Lily. "Hey, boo." He leaned forward for a kiss, but she dodged it, and it landed on her cheek. I turned my eyes to the ground.

"Hey, guys. Come on in." She pasted a smile on her face, looking toward me just as I looked up at her. Our eyes met for a millisecond, redness filled her face, and she looked anywhere else but at either of us.

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