Page 54 of Secret Triplets for Christmas

I hoped so. “Liam visited me in a dream last night. He was angry at me for not listening to him. But you know what really pissed him off? Fucking you.”

She flinched, and her eyes flared in surprise and pain.

“He told me to stay away from you.”

"He wouldn't be like that." Her voice was flat.

"Our last encounter wasn't exactly pleasant. We fought, and he stormed out, saying I didn't know anything."

"He was probably just stressed. He always looked up to you and loved you."

I stared into my whiskey, wishing things could be different but knowing they couldn’t. “He accused me of having a thing for you… of jerking off to you.”

Her gasp told me I was successful at shocking her. If only she’d get pissed and leave. “Why are you doing this?”

I hated being such a jerk, but I had to keep her safe.

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re just trying to make me mad so I’ll leave. It won’t work, Oliver.”

“He wasn’t wrong, Lindsay. And it’s fucked up. I shouldn't have fantasized about fucking my brother's girl."

“Maybe you shouldn’t have fucked her either.” She was pissed, but not enough to leave. No, she was standing up to me.

“No, I shouldn’t have.”

She took a deep calming breath. “Did you know that Liam was jealous of us?”

That took me by surprise. “What?”

“He told me once that he wished he could be as close to you as I was." She walked closer and sat on the couch.

Having her so near made my pulse quicken, but not in anger or fear.

“And that Halloween before Liam’s death… he and I…”

“You and he what?” Except I knew the answer.

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re not going to get rid of me, Oliver.”

I was overwhelmed with emotions. Fear. Anger. Frustration. Desire. Love. “The truth is, Lindsay, that I can’t be with you and not want you.” I hadn’t wanted to confess that, but I needed to get her away from me to protect her and my sanity. “It’s fucking torture to suppress it. It was hell five years ago, and it's worse now."

She swallowed, her lovely blue eyes staring at me in sadness and surprise. "Maybe I should leave, then? Give you some space?"

“Yes. Please. Just go.”

She stared at me for a moment and then rose from the couch. She went to the table to get her purse and then started toward the door.

She stopped, turning to look at me, tears glistening in her eyes. The only time I’d ever felt like such a piece of shit was when I'd learned Liam died and I remembered how hard I had been on him.

“It was hard for me too.”

“What?”

“Falling for my boyfriend’s brother. It was hard for me too.”

Slowly, I rose from the couch. “What are you saying?”

She let out a breath. “God, Oliver, how can you be so dense? I’m saying that I felt the same… that I feel the same.”

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