Page 106 of Saved By Two

“I mean that you and Noah are together, and I don’t want to be between you.”

His brow creases, shooting up to his hairline. “Hmm, and yet if I do recall, one of your favourite places is between us. Us both buried deep inside you, just like last night.”

The heat that infuses my skin is almost instant. “That’s not what I meant. Physically, we’re great together, but I can’t keep doing it.”

I see the way he clenches his jaw, his eyes probing as he stares me down, and unable to handle the scrutiny any longer, I look away and grab whatever is on the duvet and begin to haphazardly add it to the case to give myself something to do with my trembling hands.

“And why exactly is that? Do you not care about us, is that it?”

Now I feel as though I’ve taken a physical blow. I glance up from the clothes. “What, no, of course, I care about you, I care about you both a lot, but…”

Expelling a deep breath, his nostrils flare. “But what?”

I lick my lips, swallow, my throat dry, and I pretend to focus on the case. “I care about you both, but you love each other.”

Out of my peripheral vision, I see him drop his crossed arms and take a measured step towards me.

“Have we ever made you feel like a third wheel in this dynamic?”

I don’t need to think before answering and giving him my attention as I turn to face him. “No, of course not.” I’ve always felt very much included.

He’s staring at me now. His gaze is hard and steady, unwavering, the way his face gives nothing away. It’s like steel, and yet his eyes are full of emotion. I have to swallow past the lump that forms in my throat.

“Have we ever made you feel less than you deserve, that we only wanted you for sexual pleasure?”

That question stings. “No, of course not.”

Flexing his fists, he reaches out and grips my hips, his fingertips pressing into my flesh, not enough to hurt, just enough to keep me still.

“Did we coerce you into doing anything with us you didn’t want to do?”

Okay, now his questions are beginning to piss me off.

I cover his hands and try to push them away, unable to think while he’s touching me.

“You’re making this sound sordid somehow. Everything we did and shared was consensual. Please, don’t cheapen what we had.”

He moves so fast, the breath leaves me as he backs me against the wall. His face is so close to mine, I can see the speckles of colour around his pupils. And yet he’s not touching me. There’s a cushion of air between us, letting me know I can move if I want to—I’m not trapped.

“But isn’t that what you’re doing by implying what we all shared was just purely physical? A chemical reaction to our mutual attraction?”

I turn my face away from him. “No.”

“You’re lying, Jessica.”

Somehow, him calling me out and using my name to do it claws at my chest.

“You want the truth?” I ask, anger lacing my words.

He nods. “Yes.”

If he wants to know the truth, I’ll tell him.

“Because Caleb, who will be there to catch me when I fall?” The words get stuck in my throat, and my eyes well with tears.

He moves his hands beside my face. “We will, Jessica, because we already fell. We’ve just been waiting for you to catch up.”

I squeeze my eyes closed, the impact of his words like a branding iron searing onto my soul.

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