Page 11 of Beautiful Revenge

I don’t need kid gloves, and I’d tell them so if that didn’t also mean telling them everything I’ve been through.

“What’s this about, Briar?” Devon asks, leaning closer as he cages me against the wall. Why is that so hot? Crap.

“Nothing,” I say, and we all know I’m lying.

Dylan comes up beside us, and Devon moves over so they’re blocking me in. If they were anyone else, I’d start panicking right about now. You don’t go through the things I have without coming out at least a little damaged.

Me? I’m becoming an outright monster.

“You’re lying, Brie,” Dylan says. “Tell us what you want.”

I blink at the two of them, trying to figure out what they want from me. “What do you guys want? You’re sixteen now, right?”

They both nod. “We are, but what we want has never been a secret from you, Briar,” Dylan says, and I frown.

“You treat me like I’m a breakable kid,” I point out, and Devon blinks.

“You were until recently, baby. We want to do what’s best for you. Tell us you want us, too,” he whispers, leaning down to get closer to me.

“I was never a kid, Dev. That’s where you’re wrong,” I whisper, swallowing the emotion that’s come over me.

“You won’t tell us what you’ve been through, Brie,” Dylan whispers, looking upset as he leans in, laying his forehead against one side of mine.

Devon does the same, so we’re closer than we’ve been in years, but this feels different. It feels like a crossroads of sorts.

“I want you guys. Both of you.” I look into each of their eyes, and they smile.

Devon’s smile looks like it belongs to the devil himself, and it’s hot as hell. But Dylan, my sweet Dylan, looks like an angel. They’re two sides of the same coin, each taking up half of my heart to make it whole.

“Both of us?” Dylan asks, but not in a shocked way. It seems more like he’s checking to make sure I understand what I’m saying.

“You don’t exist to me apart. Both of you are my shining lights in the darkness. The only thing that keeps me from drowning is you,” I whisper, reaching my hands up to cup each of their cheeks.

“We’ve only ever wanted you, princess,” Dev admits, and I smile, but it’s a sad one.

“I can’t… there are things I can’t do that you might want.” I close my eyes at the confession, afraid that they’ll reject me once I say it.

“That’s not possible,” Dylan promises, and I believe him. I believe he wants to believe that, but he hasn’t seen my monster or what she craves.

“What do you think is so bad that we’d turn you away?” Devon asks, narrowing his eyes at me, anger clear on his face.

“You’ll see me differently,” I warn, knowing I need to give them the chance to back away.

This probably isn’t the right place to confess anything either, but it’s safer than their house where their parents could overhear. And Dev knocked the guy out that tried to steal from me, so this is the best place of any.

“Nothing will change the way we feel for you, Briar. We’ve been in love with you since we were ten years old,” Dylan admits, and Devon nods his agreement.

Taking a deep breath, I look at them both, praying they don’t move away from me when I tell them this. Them being so close is comforting to me. “I can’t have sex.”

They both stare at me like I’ve grown another head. “Let me rephrase that. I can’t have sex with you until I destroy them,” I whisper, and anger overtakes both their faces. They don’t pull away, though. If anything, they push in closer.

“Briar,” Devon growls, a darkness overtaking him that calls to my own in a way I hadn’t expected. “He does more than hit you, doesn’t he?” I nod. “Son of a bitch! I fucking knew it!” He pulls me closer, semi-knocking Dylan out of the way, but it’s only seconds before I’m trapped between them in a hug I wasn’t prepared for.

I’m so unprepared for it I start to sob. The emotions I’ve locked away break free as they hold me tightly against them with words of ‘I love you’ and ‘We’ve got you’.

“Brie,” Dylan’s voice cracks behind me, and I wiggle around to face him, seeing tears running down his face. I hate that I hurt him. “You said them,” he whispers.

“Yes.”

---