Page 81 of Stuck On Them

“You’re afraid of getting attached, I get it. But you’re here with us now.” Luca wrapped a possessive hand around the back of my neck. “Doesn’t that tell you something? That maybe what we have could be more than fleeting? That it could be real?”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I wanted to believe his words but wasn’t sure I should. Words were just that: words. People threw them around all the time and didn’t mean them.

Ryker rubbed my arms as if he were trying to warm up my cold heart. “We won’t let you go if you don’t want us to.”

My traitorous heart thawed just a bit and I leaned back into Ryker. This week was hard. Hell, the past few months had been hard, but what was I going to miss by shutting them out?

This could be the best thing that had ever happened to me just as much as it could be the worst. Instead of one man holding my heart in the palm of his hand, there were three. Three opportunities for heartbreak. Three opportunities for a pain that I didn’t know if I could recover from.

There was just as much at risk for them with their friendship and company. And yet, there they were, offering me something so different and beautiful that I couldn’t turn away. They weren’t going to let me run, that much was clear.

“I...” I closed my eyes as Garrett joined us, the three of them surrounding me like a protective forcefield. “Next Saturday was supposed to be my wedding day. It’s hard to think past that.”

“And that’s okay. We’ll be here.” Garrett wiped a tear from my cheek.

The three of them wrapped themselves around me like this was right where I belonged, protected by the three of them.

I tried to keep my emotions bottled inside but they bubbled out of me in a sob so anguished that it nearly took me to my knees.

I didn’t want them to see me like this or just how much it still affected me. But I couldn’t hide it any longer.

Someone picked me up—not sure who—and carried me to the couch, sitting with me in their lap. The other two were there too, their hands smoothing my hair, my back, my arms and legs. They didn’t sign up for the hot mess express, but here they were, picking up my pieces.

One by one, their lips found mine, melting away the pain and worry I’d been feeling. It was time I stopped giving in to my fears and accepted what was in front of me—three incredible men who wanted nothing more than for us to explore whatever this connection might be.

And that was exactly what I wanted too.

Chapter25

Fun and Games

Ryker

Growing up, I never got to experience all the joys that holidays could bring. Even once Libby and I were taken in, there wasn’t much joy when all I could think about was everything I’d lost in my life. It didn’t help that I was a teenager and was too cool to be seen in public with the adults who were raising me.

So when Luca suggested we spend Saturday evening at an adult-only night at a fall festival and then rent the corn maze down the road after hours, I didn’t have the faintest idea what was in store for me. I’d, of course, seen them on television and read about them, but I hadn’t expected the sense of joy from the sounds, sights, and smells.

And I definitely didn’t expect him to force me to wear a flannel that matched all of them.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” I climbed onto the stool in the face painting booth, taking the laminated card from one of the four people doing face paint.

Paige giggled, sitting next to me and looking over at the card. “I already know what I want.”

“You two are so adorable,” the woman assigned to me gushed. “Most men don’t get their face painted or match their... wife? Girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend.” I took Paige’s hand and held it against my thigh.

“He lost the corn cob eating challenge earlier.” Paige squeezed my hand, her voice full of amusement. “So don’t give him too much credit.”

The woman laughed and pulled out her supplies. “What are we thinking of doing?”

Before I could answer, Paige spoke up again. “He should get a bee with a big stinger.”

I looked over at her, raising my eyebrow with a smirk. “Really, Paige?”

“I’ll get a flower with lots of nectar. It will be perfect.” She winked and, fuck me, my heart did some weird flutter thing where I seriously wondered if I was about to have a heart attack.

Last night, I thought we’d somehow broken her. Had we pushed her too hard too fast when she’d just gotten out of a relationship?

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