Page 39 of Falling for Them

Not even a month ago, I had been dumped because Justin didn’t like that I’d be living with my male best friend, and now I was in the middle of some bizarre love triangle with my boss and my best friend. The image of them facing off in Leo’s office flashed through my mind, and my chest tightened.

I buried my face in my hands, trying to steady my breathing.

“Stop it,” I muttered to myself, but it was no use. The dam broke, and I found myself sobbing quietly at my desk, my shoulders shaking with the effort to keep it silent.

Ethan meant everything to me, and if it came down to a choice, it should, no questions asked, be him. But then there wasLeo. While I didn’t know him that well yet, I felt this undeniable pull toward him, no matter how much he got under my skin.

How could I be feeling things for both of them? What kind of person did that make me?

I knew I was having foolish thoughts—people could have feelings and love more than one person—but the guilt and feelings of uncertainty were still there.

A knock at the door made me jump. “Libby? Are you okay?” It was Carter, and I hastily wiped my eyes, trying to compose myself.

He had conveniently forgotten his tablet when we went to lunch and still wanted to show me the photos from the weekend. Lunch with him had been nice and he’d definitely been a flirt, but I didn’t feel anything for him other than perhaps becoming friends.

“I’m fine!” I called out, wincing at how obviously not fine I sounded. There was no point in trying to hide it now. He’d probably heard everything anyway. “Come in.”

The door cracked open, and Carter’s worried face appeared. “You don’t sound fine.” He slipped inside, shutting the door behind him. “What’s going on?”

I opened my mouth to brush it off, to say it was nothing, but instead, I found myself spilling everything. The confusion, the guilt, the anger—it all came pouring out in a jumbled mess of words and fresh tears.

When I finally ran out of steam, he gave me a sympathetic smile. “It’s okay to be confused. You’re human, and sometimes, we catch feelings for more than one person at a time. It doesn’t make you a bad person. Isn’t your brother in a multi-person relationship?”

“Yes, but they wanted that from the beginning. Ethan and Leo hate each other.” I took a deep breath, feeling some of the tension leave my body. “What am I supposed to do?”

Carter shrugged. “Kick them to the curb and date me instead.”

I laughed and wiped my nose. “Carter…”

“Don’t worry, I know when I’m not wanted. Story of my life.” He smiled, even though it was forced. “Anyway, do you want to see these pictures? I can send them to you instead since Ethan’s feelings for you are a sensitive subject right now and his feelings areveryclear in these photos.”

“Sending them to me would probably be better. I don’t know if I can emotionally handle them at the moment… and thank you, Carter.”

He winked as he stood. “Anytime,princess.”

I couldn’t help but smile as he left my office.

I left work feeling emotionally drained. Not just from the situation with Ethan and Leo, but from a job I felt I wasn’t the least bit prepared for.

I had absolutely no clue how to be a program director of a community center, and it had been painfully obvious when I spent the afternoon trying to figure out what positions were needed and their job descriptions. On top of that, knowing I was going to have to supervise whoever I hired was a lot. Imagining myself firing someone who wasn’t up to par was enough to give me hives.

In time, I knew I’d figure it out, but right then, I wanted to march right up to my brother and tell him he was insane for wanting me in that role. At least he’d had enough brains not to make me the foundation director.

And now I had to deal with my incompetence in my personal life.

As I approached my condo, a knot formed in my stomach. Ethan would be home, and I’d have to face him and the feelings that had put distance between us. It would either push us further apart or bring us together in a way that I was scared shitless about.

What if we tried for more than friends and it didn’t work out? What if I couldn’t ignore my feelings for Leo? What if everyone left me, just like they always did?

Taking a deep breath, I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Ethan was sitting on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen. He looked back over his shoulder as I kicked my shoes off and dropped my bags on the console table.

“Hi.” His voice was soft and uncertain. “Can we talk?”

I nodded, joining him on the couch. We sat in awkward silence for a moment, the tension between us growing.

Ethan finally broke the silence. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have confronted Leo like that, but Lib… he’s…”

“He’s a womanizer? I’m aware of his history.”

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