Page 75 of These Pucking Boys: Part Two

Ryan winks at me and holds my stare as we sip the wine. Heat spreads through my body like wildfire, and it’s not because of the wine or the food—I didn’t have a chance to take a bite yet.

“Silly for you,” Lachy replies.

“Man, this is good,” Ryan says after swallowing the first bite.

Jake and Lachy say the same thing, making pride swell in my chest. I know my Frito pie is yummy, but when they enjoy my cooking, it’s extra special. I guess there’s extra satisfaction in feeding the people you love.

“We finally have a date for your visit to my school. The kids are super excited,” I say.

“Only the kids?” Jake asks.

“Me too... but I’ll probably be a wreck. What if I’m too obvious that I’m dating all of you?”

The boys trade a glance, and something changes in the air. The lightness is gone. They all grow serious, and it makes me tense. Shit. This is it. They’re going to tell me it’s over.

“About that...” Jake starts.

My stomach drops. “You’re breaking up with me, aren’t you?”

Jake’s brows shoot to the heavens, and his shocked expression is quite similar to Lachy’s and Ryan’s.

“Lass... be serious. Where did you get that notion?”

“You’re acting all... cagey.”

“It’s because we want to propose something you might not like,” Ryan replies.

I wait for someone to elaborate, but when they all remain mute, I say, “Are you going to spill it on your own or do I need to knock you over?”

“We’re not happy about our current arrangement,” Lachy replies.

I blink fast. “I don’t understand.”

“We don’t want to hide our relationship, Peaches. We want more,” Ryan pipes up.

The sinking feeling in my stomach returns. They want to date me out in the open, confess they’re all my boyfriends. This should be wonderful news, but the anxiety squeezing my chest says otherwise. I can’t imagine my life without them, but at the same time, I can’t picture how I could be their girlfriend and not have my life implode.

My parents come to the forefront of my mind. They’ll never accept I’m with three men. I’ll be cut off, shunned. I can’t get air into my lungs, thinking about being labeled an outcast by everyone.

“Are you okay?” Jake asks.

I push my chair back and get up. “I need a moment.”

“Where are you going?” Ryan asks.

My heart is beating so fast, I can’t answer him right away. “I... I just need some fresh air. I’ll be right back.”

JAKE

My stomach sinks as I watch June head to the balcony. We totally ambushed her with this conversation. Fuck. We should have waited.

“That went well,” Lachy grumbles.

“We caught her by surprise. She’ll come around,” Ryan replies, but his face doesn’t match the optimistic message.

“What if she doesn’t want to openly date us all?” Lachy turns to me.

I rub my face. “Then we have to respect her wishes.”

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