Tyler straightens slightly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck, a sure sign he’s stalling. “We…we just have a question,” he says finally, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant.
Ally’s confusion deepens, her lips parting slightly as her eyes dart between us. “What kind of question?”
Tyler looks at me, his silent plea for backup clear, but I don’t move. This is his moment, not mine.
“You guys are seriously freaking me out,” Ally says, her arms tightening across her chest as she takes a small step back. Her eyes narrow slightly, and her tone sharpens. “Just ask me already. What’s the big deal?”
The tension is thick enough to cut with a knife, and my pulse pounds in my ears as I wait for Tyler to speak.
“Ally,” he says, his voice softer now as he finally meets her gaze. “It’s…about us.”
Her brow furrows deeply, confusion flickering across her face. “Us?”
Tyler nods, his hesitation palpable.
“What aboutus?” she presses, her voice firmer now.
I glance at Tyler, urging him silently to just spit it out. But as Ally’s gaze shifts back to me, her nervousness clear in herexpression, I can’t help but wonder if this was a terrible idea from the start.
I watch Tyler square his shoulders, his confidence settling back into place like armor. He takes a deep breath, the kind that signals he’s about to dive headfirst into something risky. Even with his cocky exterior, I can feel the tension in the air, thick and heavy.
“We like to…share women,” Tyler says, his voice low and steady, yet careful. “Would that be something you’d be interested in?”
The room feels like it stops breathing. Ally’s jaw drops, her blue eyes wide with shock. For a moment, she’s frozen, and I’m bracing for her to throw us both out on our asses.
Her lips part slightly, but no words come. Finally, she blinks and asks hesitantly, “Like…separately, or…?”
“Together,” Tyler and I answer in unison, our voices overlapping.
Her expression flickers between disbelief and intrigue as she sinks back into her chair. The chair creaks softly under her weight, but the silence that follows feels deafening. Her lips move as though she’s trying to form words, but nothing comes out.
“See? This was stupid,” I snap, turning to glare at Tyler. “I knew this was a long shot. Why do you always have to ruin everything by being greedy?”
“Greedy?” Tyler fires back, his tone instantly defensive. “This wasn’t just my idea! We both talked about this!”
“Well, clearly, it was a terrible idea,” I say, throwing my hands up in frustration. My voice bounces off the walls of the office, sharp and biting.
Tyler crosses his arms, huffing like a kid caught sneaking cookies. He glances away, but I can see the tension in his jaw.
My attention shifts to Ally, who’s still sitting in her chair, her face a mixture of shock and thoughtfulness. The light tapping of her foot on the floor is the only sound filling the silence.
“Look,” I say, softening my tone as I step toward her. “Ignore my stupid brother. We won’t bother you again. This was way out of line.”
Before I can finish, Ally raises a hand to stop me.
“Yes,” she says, her voice clear and steady, cutting through the tension like a knife.
Tyler and I freeze, our argument dying instantly. I turn to look at her, sure I’ve misheard.
“Yes?” Tyler echoes, his face lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Yes,” Ally repeats, sitting up straighter. A soft blush creeps across her cheeks, but her gaze is steady, almost defiant. “I don’t have a boyfriend, and…both of you could be…fun. I’ve never done anything like this before, though, so you’ll have to teach me.”
My jaw practically hits the floor. For a moment, I can’t even process what she’s saying.
“You’re serious?” Tyler asks, stepping closer, his grin so wide it’s ridiculous.
“Yeah,” Ally says, her voice a little quieter now but no less confident. “If this is something you both want…I’m in.”