Page 113 of Puck Yes

I thought you might be interested in this pic. It probably wouldn’t look good for someone who’s getting the Sportsman of the Year award to be sleeping with his teammate’s wife. Let me know by Tuesday if you want to reconsider that investment opportunity.

He’s attached a photo of Stefan and me walking into his apartment building with my dog this morning.

That’s it. That’s all. But it’s clear—Stefan has forty-eight hours to pony up or else Xander’s going to claim Stefan’s screwing his teammate’s wife. That he’s not a good sportsman. That he’s not worthy of an award he deserves and his family is flying over to see him receive.

I march over to Stefan at the window and shove the phone back at him like it’s infected. From her sentry point on the couch, Roxy barks at me with obvious canine concern. I’m concerned too. This is my ex, and I need to fix this, but my god, how many ways can an ex go bad? Is he the worst ex-apple in the ex-bushel?

I wheel around, pacing, dragging my hands through my hair, hunting through options. “We can’t let him get away with this.”

But maybe he won’t get away with anything. This is a perfectly innocent photo. Only his insinuation is salacious. Xander didn’t send shots of us on the rooftop. Not that those would have proved anything either. I was with both of them. Xander’s completely misunderstanding our arrangement if he's insinuating infidelity.

There’s no infidelity when we’ve all consented.

Yet I’m tired of people underestimating me. I’m tired of people thinking they know who I am. I’m tired of shenanigans.

Fueled by this storm of emotion, I turn to the two men in my life and in my heart and say, “Let’s tell our own story.”

Stefan leans against the window, a little listless. “You’re going to need to elaborate.”

With sparkling eyes, Hayes pumps a fist. “Yes, fucking yes.”

I haven’t discussed a thing with Hayes, but he crosses over to Stefan too, curling a hand around his teammate’s shoulder. “What I think she’s saying is get dressed. You’re fucking coming with us tonight.”

But Stefan’s not buying what Hayes and I are selling. His eyes are hard. “As your third wheel?” Stefan shakes his head, waves a dismissive hand as he stares back at the city below, dreary from the day’s rain. “No thanks.”

My heart hurts for my man. He sounds weary and over it.

Hayes and I didn’t plan this, but I’m giddy that we’re on the same page. The anger I felt over the blackmail note washes away, replaced by the fizzy sense of possibility. I stride over to them, stand between them.

I’m more than ready. I want them both, even if it’s temporary. I’m already with Hayes publicly, so why not expand this so they’re both my acknowledged partners? I’m not worried how it’ll look. Trina paved the way with my brother and Chase. Jessie stands behind them. Their teammates support them. My grandma’s firmly in my camp, and so is my mother. My sister too. While the world hasn’t shifted, my world has.

“If we’re doing this publicly, we’re all doing this. We’re together. The three of us.” It’s a declaration, one that’ll echo beyond these four walls. “What we are in my home and in your homes is who we are.” I point to the window and the city beyond. “No one is going to go out there and say there’s any cheating. We’re all a part of this.”

The distance in Stefan’s eyes burns off, leaving curiosity. “What are you saying exactly, Ivy?”

A thrill rushes through me. “The three of us will go to game night together. We’re going to go to the Sportsman of the Year awardstogether.”

I can’t make any promises beyond that. Too much has changed in my life over the last several weeks. Too much has changed at work. But for now I’m going to take control.

I curl one hand around Hayes’s strong arm, then the other around Stefan’s. “I have a husband and a boyfriend,” I say. “We are not a secret. And we’re not fake.”

Hayes lets out a huge sigh of relief, chased by laughter, and it’s so welcome to hear. But the bigger thrill? When Stefan’s smile returns. When the clouds drift away. When he becomes my upbeat, happy-go-lucky guy again. “So it’s not just a marriage of convenience. It’s a…throuple of convenience?” Stefan asks with a curve of his lips and a tease in his tone.

I’m electric at the thought. “Yes.”

“Then I need to text Ledger and Carter to cancel our plans for tonight.”

After Stefan sends his messages and changes his clothes, we leave the building. Outside on the steps, I set a hand on Stefan’s cheek and then kiss him possessively in front of the city. I turn and do the same to Hayes.

We are all dating—at least for now.

45

LET’S MAKE A DEAL

Hayes

Kana swings open the door. Her expression is unreadable for a few seconds, then curious as she roams her inquisitive eyes over the three of us, taking in our body language.

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