Page 90 of Match Point

Only after going home and processing everything did it all make sense to me. I didn’t mind that Miranda was seeing other people. I knew that already, and I genuinely didn’t mind it. But for it to be Tristan Carfrae, my doubles partner, stung. They kept it from me, a secret they didn’t think I could bear. The clandestine nature of their relationship, hidden from my knowledge, made it feel like something different.

Tristan helped me see how wrong I was. They wanted to tell me, but didn’t want it to distract from my Wimbledon performance. Because I was certain of it, now: if I’d known about them ahead of time, it would have distracted me during the tournament. Waiting untilafterWimbledon was the right decision.

It just sucked that the tabloids broke the story first.

Now here we were, in Miranda’s condo in New Jersey, having a threesome. I had been nervous about the whole thing. Tristan and I had agreed beforehand that if either of us were uncomfortable, we could leave at any time. But he didn’t leave, and neither did I. We stayed for the whole thing.

It wasn’t uncomfortable. It wasinsanely hot.

Watching Miranda and Tristan together increased my own lust, like watching foreplay of what I was about to do. Her eagerness and enthusiasm for both of us definitely added to that. And when I drove into her from behind while she rode Tristan, double-penetrating her with my doubles partner…

Yeah, I thought while cleaning up in the bathroom.I can definitely share her. As long as it means having a piece of her heart.

I left the bathroom and the others cleaned up, then we got dressed and collapsed onto the couch together with three fresh beers. Miranda sat between the two of us, idly caressing our legs with her fingertips.

“So, are you glad I came along?” I asked.

She flashed a huge smile at me. “Soglad. I’ve spent a lot of time these past weeks worrying about what you think of me.”

“You really enjoyed… what we just did,” Tristan commented. “I’ll be honest. I didn’t know you were into anything like that.”

“Honestly, I didn’t know either until recently.” Miranda took a long sip of beer and then cleared her throat. “Which brings me to the thing I wanted to tell you earlier. I’ve started seeing Gabriel. Moreau.”

The news washed over me. For some reason, it didn’t sting. Maybe that was because I knew she had already gone on a date with him back in Paris. Or maybe it was because I had come to terms with not having Miranda all to myself.

“Gabriel Moreau? The tennis player?ThatGabriel Moreau?” Tristan asked.

“Is there any other one?” Miranda replied nervously.

Tristan leaned over to look at me. “You seem to be taking this well.”

I shrugged. “I don’t mind Miranda being with other men. I’ve come to terms with it. The honesty is what matters to me, so I appreciate you telling us now.”

“Itriedto tell you when you first got here, but you wouldn’t hear it,” she added.

“He’s so… ugh,” Tristan groaned. “Did it have to be him? Billions of other men on the planet and you picked the biggest cunt arsehole…”

“His arrogant attitude is all a front,” she insisted. “He’s really quite sweet when he acts like himself.”

“He shouldn’t have toactat all,” I muttered. “Some of us try to be genuine most of the time.”

“Yeah, what he said,” Tristan agreed.

“There are complicated reasons for the way Gabriel behaves,” Miranda said defensively. “I know it’s hard to put yourselves in his shoes, but trust me, he’s dealing with his own issues.”

I shared another look with Tristan. He shrugged. “Yeah, but… did it have to be him?”

“It is him,” she replied. “If this is a problem… then I understand.”

Her voice cracked at the end, and I realized just how nervous she was. Miranda was being very vulnerable with us right now—maybe even more vulnerable than she’d been during sex just twenty minutes ago. She was being honest with us, and giving us the chance to walk away.

There’s no way I’m walking away from this girl.

“I don’t like Gabriel, but that’s not a deal breaker for me,” I said. “Not even close.”

“Damn right,” Tristan agreed. “I’m not gonna have a cry about it.”

She let out a long sigh of relief. “I’mreallyhappy to hear that.”

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