Page 72 of On The Edge
But the way they all look at me—like I’m the most important thing in the world, like my answer could either break them or make them whole—I feel it like a weight in my chest.
Adam swallows hard, and for a second, his mask slips. He’s vulnerable now, standing in front of me with his heart in his hands, waiting.
“I’ve always been yours,” I whisper, tears lining my eyes. “But the question I need to know before we go forward with this is, are you all okay with this? I can’t… I can’t be with one of you, and not all of you. I love you all too much to do that, to tear you guys apart.”
They all look at each other, looking from side to side to see the others' reactions.
“There’s no choice for me, baby,” Markus speaks up first, his words resolute. “I won’t live without you. Not again.”
“Same here.” Kai nods, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ve spent the last six years in a fuzzy hell. You, Melody, are everything I want and more. Sharing one girl with my brothers? Just crazy enough for me.” He smacks Markus on the shoulder. I chuckle through the watery sobs, a barking laugh that Kai pulls from me so easily, even when I’m terrified out of my brain.
Reis clears his throat, and my eyes are drawn to him.
He looks confused with his eyebrows pinched together, and a grumpy kind of look on his face. Stuffing one of his hands into his pocket, he rubs his eyes roughly as if he’s trying to block out something before looking around at the other guys.
“While I love Melodywith everything I have,” he says, staring directly into my eyes, the amber brown orbs leaving no room for any doubt in his words. “Before we sign on to try this… reverse harem?” He asks in question. “We need to put down some boundaries, answer some questions and decide what we want,” Reis says, holding his hand out to the side.
“Like what?” Adam asks.
“Like, is this serious? For everyone? What if someone gets jealous, or wants to take you out on a date, but everyone elsewants to go too? What are we going to do about… private alone time?” Reis asks, looking right at me.
I knew Reis would be the one that had the hardest time with this. He’s more possessive than the rest of them, wants to make sure he gets his share, but is no nonsense. He used to have a hard time sharing a candy bar, and now we’re asking him to share his woman?
“What are you asking me?” I question, needing the clarity before I jump in with answers. The four of them surround me from all sides, standing close enough to me that I can feel their body heat warming me up to the point that I might start sweating soon. Although, it could be because I’m really fucking nervous. It feels like everything I’ve ever wanted is right on the line.
“I think what he’s asking is if you’re going to go steady with us, Songbird,” Markus smirks off to my side, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at me with a one-sided smirk. “The rest, we can figure out and discuss. But none of it matters if you don’t want this too.”
“You all want me? Want this?” I ask to clarify. We’ve all talked about this separately, but I need to hear them say it. Together. Right now.
I need to know, without anything being misconstrued, without any miscommunications. The moment of truth.
“Yes,” Kai says with a strong nod and a small fist-pump into the air.
“I need you, Mel,” Adam agrees.
“If you’re mine, I’m yours,” Reis vows.
“I believe we’ve already discussed how very on-board I am with this.” Markus nods with a playful grin on his face.
“Thank fuck,” I cry out, blurting the words out with a happy sob. Smiling through my tears, I see the bright smiles on all their faces, and it feels like everything slides into place.
We can change our future, fix things to be how it should’ve always been.
Love each other, support each other, grow with each other.
“I want you. All of you. I want to be with you all. It’s all I’ve ever wanted,” I confess, wiping the stray tear off my cheek.
“Why didn’t you say anything sooner? We could’ve been together in high school,” Reis asks, “In any way that you wanted. We were all head-over-heels for you, just as much as we are now.”
“Because they all had me convinced I was a whore, asinner, for wanting each of you. I thought that if you guys knew, then our relationship would never be the same, and you’d leave me.”
Kai steps forward, pulling my arm free from my waist, and turns me to face him.
“I hope you know, if you’d told any of us back then that you wanted us, we would’ve all rejoiced.”
“But now that we know how you feel,” Adam steps closer, holding me around the waist so his front is flush to my back, enveloping me in his warmth as he speaks softly in my ear. “And you know howwefeel, you’re completely stuck with us. We’re never letting you go again.”
“You run, we follow.” Markus steps forward, kissing the side of my neck. My eyes close at the feeling of his soft lips on my skin, of Kai’s hand in mine, of Adam at my back, and then they’re all gone as Reis stands in front of me.
