Page 65 of Christmas with my Three Best Friends

Definitely, I reply.

29

Marius

Imeet with Richard and Jax in my office. There’s a smidge of sunlight attempting to poke its way through the clouds outside, causing a powerful, filtered glow to make me squint when I gaze out the window.

My shoulders feel tense. The back of my neck tingles. I’m restless and eager to move forward, to do something, to stop letting fate take the reins and screw me out of the only relationship I’ve ever wanted. I can’t believe I fooled myself into wasting all that energy on toxic people when I could’ve focused all my resources on the one woman who has always been there for me.

Richard sits on the sofa, subtly biting the inside of his cheek as he goes through his phone, checking new messages. Jax joins us, fresh out of the sauna and covered in a thin layer of sweat, wearing nothing but his gym shorts—not a strange sight in these parts, for sure.

“Alright, we’re all here,” I say, taking a deep breath and looking at Richard. “We do need to talk.”

Jax nods in agreement. “We done messed up.”

“You can say that again,” Richard sighs deeply. “I can certainly say it. We have to do something about Shay.”

“I think the three of us are in agreement here,” I reply.

“You saw the marketing plan she left us before she went off on her break to Canada, right?” Jax asks me, and I respond with a single nod. “I think she wants to leave the gym altogether.”

I had my own suspicions on the matter, but the words still hit me like a punch in the gut as they leave Jax’s mouth. Reality has a way of cutting deeper than theories and thoughts. And when you’re faced with the hard truth, it’s as if your worst nightmares have suddenly decided to materialize. Hearing about this now only serves to tighten my shoulders to the point where I feel as though I’ve got a humongous boulder strapped to my back.

“I wouldn’t blame her,” I mutter mostly to myself. “It doesn’t mean we should make it easy for her to go.” I pause and look at Richard. “Then again, you’re leaving first. She’s got every right to do the same.”

“About that,” Richard replies, pressing his lips into a flat line.

“Are you serious, Rick? Don’t play with us, man, we’re already going through enough.”

“I’m serious,” he says, lowering his gaze. “Shay was right. I’m being selfish and afraid to commit in more than one aspect of my life. Good things are worth fighting for, and I should’ve thought thrice before announcing my departure, before I even considered the decision. This place is great, it’s got tons of potential, and with Shay’s new marketing perspective, I’m pretty sure we’ll finally have that competitive edge we so desperately needed.”

“I cannot believe I’m hearing these words coming out of your mouth.” I chuckle softly, leaning into the window frame. “Not that I mind. If anything, I’m happy to hear you’ve changed your mind on this, Rick. We do need you, man. Not just as a business partner but as a member of this… weird little family of ours.”

“It’s not a family without Shay,” he says.

Jax clears his throat. “We have to get her back. There’s no other way about it. I’ve sat with myself on the matter, and I can’t say I’m happy with how I handled things. I should’ve been more attentive toward her, especially when I could feel her slipping away.”

“It wasn’t her fault. Life sort of… got in the way,” I tell him. “I did the same. I didn’t push hard enough when she needed me to.”

“Same,” Richard sighs deeply. “This marketing plan of hers feels more like a goodbye, though. It’s as if she’s trying one last thing before she walks out the door. And if she’s already in that mindset, how do we pull her back in?”

It’s a good question. Shay isn’t the type we could appease with a mere apology and a promise of better days ahead. Shaking my head slowly, I look to my closest friends and allies and smile.

“We need to be honest with her. Whatever happens, we do have to accept the possibility that it may very well be over between us on an intimate level,” I say. “And we have to say it out loud. That we messed up. That we should’ve stayed closer, especially when outside elements started interfering with our relationship.”

“By outside elements you mean Vincent,” Jax says.

“And Roxanne,” I admit. “And the issues with the gym. Alice. Sales. All that jazz. We’ve always had a lot on our plates, if you think about it, but ever since we got together with Shay, the stakes went all the way up into the stratosphere, yet none of us adapted to that fundamental change in our lives.”

Richard checks his phone. New messages are pouring in, and he frowns slightly. “I know where she is in Canada with Cassandra.”

“How’d you get a location so fast?” Jax asks, slightly amused.

“Cassandra just texted me,” he replies with a cool grin.

“We could go up there,” I say. “The more time she spends away from us, the easier it’ll be for her to cut the cord completely when she comes back. And I know it sounds manipulative, but it’s not. Shay is probably trying to go through each day adjusting to the idea of a future without us, and the longer we let her, the less likely it’ll be for a reconciliation to actually work. She needs to know we’re still here and willing to make this into something more.”

Richard gives me a curious look. “Are you really willing to keep sharing her with the two of us for the long term?”

---