Every ounce of tension filtered out of my body. It wasn’t the reaction I’d expected from myself when that loaded word left his lips. It wasn’t like any reaction I’d had before. Running, joking, and freaking the fuck out were all reactions I’d had when it had undoubtedly been said before. But not that time.
The realization that they wanted to love me, and I them, was equally freeing and debilitating. Mostly because I couldn’t comprehend the words I needed to use to express the change they’d sparked within me.
So I nodded. It wasn’t enough compared to their combined declaration, but that single nod was more than I’d ever given, or planned to give, to anyone else.
“No matter what happens to us, every day spent with you is the best day of my life.” Josh’s words didn’t waver, and I was rocked by the honesty in his voice. It felt like a strong hand took hold of my heart and squeezed it within an inch of never beating again.
Until I realized I’d heard those exact words before. The emotions causing chaos inside of me must have slowed my reaction time because it never took me more than a few seconds to identify a line from one of my favorite movies. My understanding must have been written all over my face because the serious expression he wore immediately morphed into the megawatt smile we all knew and loved. It was confident, like he was proud of himself.
“Did you just—” I stuttered.
“QuoteThe Notebook?” Reed finished for me. I could feel his own smile against my neck, on the soft spot below my ear. “Yes, he did.”
The giggle that bubbled out of me was sudden, and I quickly slapped my free hand over my mouth, trying to keep it in. “I told you there didn’t need to be anyNotebook-level declarations, but how is it possible that you both know that movie well enough to quote it?” I asked, already aware of the likely answer.
“It’s the first movie you made us watch with you, and it was the main showing of several movie nights after. Had we known being forced to watch random movies with you was going to become at least a weekly occurrence…” Reed was again enthralled with kissing and licking up my neck, so he didn’t finish his sentence.
“We would’ve found you sooner,” Josh finished for him, and I let my hand that covered my mouth drop so he could see me smile. But something was gnawing at me—I’d wanted to know about it for a while but could never find the time to bring it up.
“Back then… was there ever anything. I mean, did either of you ever feel…?” My inability to form a proper sentence had less to do with nerves and more to do with Reed’s hand slowly inching up my bare thigh and hiking up the short skirt of my dress. His lips were also blazing a trail across my skin that was making it hard to think of anything else.
“Did we have feelings for you? Yes.” Reed said confidently, but I already knew that. They’d made it clear since the day I sat down in that biology class and started talking a mile a minute that they were goners.
“No, for each other.”
Silence followed. Reed’s journey up my skirt stalled, and he lifted his head to peer over my shoulder at Josh. I could see Josh swallow, Adam’s apple bobbing with the force, but I couldn’t see Reed behind me. I could only feel their connection gliding over me like I always could. Like I was part of their connection, too.
“Looking back, I think maybe there was a reason why we were always drawn together. But it wasn’t until recently—until you—that I understood it was because there was something deeper than friendship,” Reed explained.
“I’ve thought the same thing,” Josh agreed. “But I also thought you were kind of a pretentious ass back then. Nothing would have happened when we were in college for that reason,” Josh confessed. I barely suppressed another laugh while Josh smiled.
Reed seemed like he was prepared to argue, even acting offended with a quick “Hey!” But he shook his head and laughed along with us. “I was kind of an ass, but I was also eighteen. And you were too laid back and free-spirited. You annoyed the shit out of me most of the time.”
“Yet you still wanted to be my friend,” Josh joked. “So strange.”
“My frontal lobe wasn’t fully developed back then.”
“So what’s your excuse now?”
“It’s just fucking insanity now. I feel like I’m going crazy between the two of you,” Reed quipped, but there was a fondness in his voice that made me smile. With them, I felt lighter. The gnawing in the back of my head, waiting for Adam to call or for news from Will, lessened when they monopolized my time and my thoughts.
“As much fun as it is to listen to you two bicker,” I murmured, dropping my voice lower and shifting my weight until I was propped on my knees. They were quick on the uptake and immediately snapped their attention to me, following every movement with an undiluted lust and longing. Their fingers tangled on the couch in front of me, the small displays of affection had become more and more frequent between the two of them, and I enjoyed every moment of watching their relationship grow alongside ours.
I threaded my much smaller fingers between theirs. “I’d really prefer to go back to that thing you were talking about—worshiping my body. The food, drinks, and shower can wait until after that.”
Josh licked his full lips, and I could feel my sex clench in response to his crooked smile. A noise from the back of Reed’s throat, something akin to a growl, made my nipples harden beneath the thin fabric of my floral dress. If I didn’t feel their hands on me soon, I was going to burst.
They worshipped me, cherished me, cared for me, andlovedme. There were so many pent-up emotions inside of me that I needed somewhere for them to go—their confessions raced through me. And although I couldn’t find the accurate words to describe my own feelings, I knew I could at least show them in the interim.
“Actually I think we could knock out three of these at once. Reed’s shower is massive, and we haven’t fucked there yet. And a shower beer soundsperfect,” Josh said, seemingly confident with his masterful plan.
Reed rolled his eyes, but I saw a hint of a smile behind his grumpy exterior. “Fine. You make the drinks while I go get our girl ready to take both of us.”
Quicker than I could anticipate, Reed lunged for me. His arms wrapped around my waist, and he hoisted me off the couch. A very uncharacteristically girly giggle and startled shriek erupted from me. He lifted me off the ground and over his shoulder.
“Wait a fucking second.” Josh rose from the couch and swiftly blocked Reed’s path down the hallway leading to the bedrooms. I hung uselessly over his muscled shoulder.
“When have we ever settled things like that?”