Page 70 of Fractured

“But how do you know?” My voice cracked.

“Because you’re strong. You’re not your mother. I don’t think you’re broken. And definitely not crazy.” He was so sure of his words, it helped me breathe. At least one of us was certain.

Then he did what he always did best, he started a conversation. “Why do you think a poly relationship works so well?”

I blinked. This wasn’t the typical deep topics he threw out there. Although, this was an important question I thought of often. And I never had an answer, not really.

“I don’t know. Maybe because the human heart has the capacity to love more than one person, and sometimes, we meet others who need that love and acceptance just as much as the giver?”

The corners of his lips twitched, but he didn’t fully smile. “I think that sometimes, souls are split between more than two bodies. I think that sometimes, the most fulfilling relationships are ones where there are more than one person to understand you and love you as you are.”

“Or that we just work.” Kenzo shattered the serious moment as he dropped at my feet, winking as he plucked an apple from our cooler. The crunch of his first bite was so loud and out of place in Ambrose’s musings, it made me laugh. I laughed until I cried and even then, I still laughed and hiccupped.

Atticus pulled me from the lounger and down to the blanket between him and Kenzo. He held me in his arms as Kenzo cupped my feet in his warm hands. “Sometimes when the world is dark and no one gets it, it’s good to laugh a little. Wouldn’t you say, Kenzo?”

“Hell yeah. Laughter is medicine to the soul,” he said.

Then Atticus leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Are you good now?”

I hiccupped again but smiled up at him. The vision of him was blurry through my watery gaze. “Yes. I’m good. Better than I have been in a long time.”

“Good.” He kissed the top of my head.

“Are you going to see Harper today?” Saint took my spot on the lounge chair.

I paused for a second as I thought about it. She’d been hounding me to go see her. It even got to the point where she was threatening to show up on my doorstep to meet my boyfriends if I didn’t make time for her.

That scared me a little.

It wasn’t that I was embarrassed of them, and she clearly didn’t judge me for my dating preferences since I’d been honest with her. Still, there was this selfishness inside me that I couldn’t squash.

They were mine, only mine, and often the keepers of my sanity. If I shared them with her, I was afraid that they wouldn’t be just mine anymore.

It was absolutely ridiculous, but I couldn’t shake it.

“Yeah, I think I will. Today’s a good day.” From this position, the sun warmed my skin. I closed my eyes and let the rays soak into me as it dried my tears.

“Good, she’s been a good friend to you, and you’re always happy after you speak with her.” Ambrose rolled a small conk shell over in his hands while he studied it.

“She has been a good friend to you.” The power of Kenzo’s stare penetrated my contented haze. Opening an eye, I glanced at him to make sure I wasn’t imagining it.

“Kenzo…” I started.

He knew I hadn’t told Harper about Brett. They all did.

But telling your best friend that her boyfriend might not be faithful was harder than it seemed. We’d already established I was a coward. I didn’t want to be a bad friend, but I hadn’t been able to bring myself to say anything. My own insecurities had too strong a grip on my tongue.

“All I’m saying is, it wouldn’t hurt to tell her the truth. She loves you. She’s not going to hate you for looking out for her.” He made so much sense, but what he was asking for was hard.

“Why don’t you tell Brett you know? Wouldn’t that solve a lot of issues here?” Atticus tossed a piece of seaweed at Kenzo.

He cleared his throat and looked out over the water. “I tried. Brett laughed it off at first, but now he isn’t talking to me. He doesn’t know I’m seeing you, so he thinks I have a thing for Harper.”

“What the hell?” That was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard. “You’ve barely been in her presence more than a couple times and always at the bar.”

“Yeah, but he thinks I’m just trying to break them apart. And Brett’s a good ole boy. He strongly believes there’s nothing wrong with a little something on the side.”

I covered my face with my palm. Damnit. Telling her was exactly what I didn’t want to do.

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