Page 21 of Eternally Devoted

Juniper sips her coffee, green eyes ping-ponging between the two of us. “The only thing I want to talk about is us.” Nerves suddenly clog my throat as sweat slides down my lower back, colliding with the waistband of my pants. She wants to talk about us? I push back from the table, the feet of the chair screeching against the flooring.

Getting to my feet, Dash reaches out and grabs my wrist while Juniper’s eyes hold me captive. “Where are you going?” she asks, my eyes instinctively dropping to Dash’s grip on my wrist before jumping back to their faces.

“Let you two talk,” I stumble, my voice hoarse, words slow.

“No,” she says, more adamant than I’ve ever heard her. “The three of us. When I say us, I mean the three of us. Always.”

Something about that proclamation eases into my chest with weight and warmth, and my arms and fingers go a little tingly. “Okay.”

Dash releases me, but somehow, his touch lingers.

“Did you guys enjoy last night?” she asks, surprised that sweet Juni isn’t shy when it comes to discussing what happened. I mean, I was so busy replaying it in my mind all night and trying not to come all over my couch that I didn’t pay much thought to how we’d handle it.

But she wants to talk about it. Hell, it seems like it may be the only thing she wants to talk about.

My eyes dart to Dash where I discover he is watching me. “I enjoyed last night,” he responds, silvering eyes piercing mine.

“Sterl,” Juni calls, my name sounding like a one-word song.

Her eyes are soft, blonde hair framing her face in fuzzy whisps as she smiles at me from the table. Her at my kitchen table in the morning, knowing she was twisting in my sheets all night, her lips rimming my BLUEBELL WASTE coffee mug—I don’t want to get used to how good it makes me feel.

“Yeah?”

“Did you enjoy last night?” she asks again, both her and Dash’s focus on me causing my skin to warm.

I look at my roommate, who is as much my best friend as anything else. He’s frozen, as if suspended in time, waiting for my response.

“Yeah,” I say coolly, not wanting them to know that I likely enjoyed it more than anyone. “I had fun.”

I had fun.

Jesus, Sterling. It wasn’t fun. It was the most sensual and erotic night of your entire life.“It was cool.”

Dash smirks, and I’d give anything to know what he’s thinking.

“Do you guys still wanna hang out tonight?” she asks, and despite this being the strangest morning of my life, I still remember we had plans to bowl tonight. The three of us bowl together once a week.

“Bowling, sure, nothing’s changed,” I agree, taking in the sight of Dash on his knees in front of her, the two of them looking like a Hallmark moment.

Juniper’s bright green eyes narrow on me. “After we bowl, do you want to hang out together here tonight?” she clarifies, throwing all sorts of ideas into my mind.

I didn’t jerk off last night after… what we did. This morning is testing me.

I glance over at Dash and at the same time we say, “Yes.”

If this is the way that I get her, like him, I’ll take it. For as long as I can.

Eventually, the novelty of being their third will wear off. But until then, I guess I’m playing violin until the ship goes down.

CHAPTER

NINE

WHAT DID YOU DO, JUNIPER?

Dash

The group chat is always pretty active, but on days we have plans, it’s nonstop. The banter flows between Juniper and Sterling, and I find myself scrolling through their messages wearing a smirk, laughing to myself while Keanu thinks I’m crazy.

---