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Ugh, now I feel bad for giving him shit. “You’re welcome.”
Laney opens the backdoor of the car for me to give me a berth for the bag.
I clear my throat and close the door. “Welp, that’s everything, then.”
“Yes, it is,” Laney’s voice is soft.
Nate approaches the car, sliding his hands in his pockets. “Thanks for coming up, Mason.” I smile. “Even though you weren’t invited.”
Hotness builds up in my cheeks. “Well, I–”
“Just giving you shit, man.” Nate holds out his hand toward me.
I eye it, dread creeping up in my chest.
This is it, then. The harbinger of normalcy. We’re going back to a life where we aren’t doing a dance around Laney, trading her back and forth, making her the center of our universe.
That’s that. I’ll spend the drive home telling myself not to cry because it’s over but smile because it happened. That shitty platitude is fucking annoying me now.
How can I smile about something that happened when I know I lost it? When my bones ache for it? They ache for Laney. For my queen. And they ache for the court around her, too.
Yesterday, I came harder than I’ve ever come before. Laney’s pleasure became mine. And none of that would have been possible without Nate. Wouldn’t have been possible without our dual worship of a woman who was once mine and then was his and then belonged in some way to both of us.
Or maybe we both belonged to Laney.
What’s her magic? Her secret spell?
Whatever it is, I want more of it. Want the enchantment that was the three of us intertwined together, deep and unflinching. Unrepentant for wanting something so unfamiliar and strange.
I take Nate’s hand. Shake it. He pulls me into a hug, as is his way. Very Edwin of him, trying to maintain a distance and then folding, his heart too big for his chest.
I love Nate. My best friend.
“Get home safe,” he mutters in my ear.
“You too. And rest. Don’t test Laney, huh?” I give him a clap on the shoulder.
Nate grins. “Trust me, I won’t.”
I turn to Laney. “And you!”
Her eyes widen.
“No speeding. I know you have the heart of a drag racer, but–”
Laney laughs, bearing all her teeth, her head flying back. “Oh, shut up!”
I take a step back. If I hug her, I won’t let go. I’ll probably kiss her too. And that’s going to make it harder for my heart to give her up. Givethisup.
Looking between the two of them, I can see it. See their future. Two blonde-haired, blue-eyed kids. He’ll be the wild and crazy, she’ll ground him.
Breaks my heart, but they’re good together. “See you, guys.” I head off toward the truck.
With every step, I’m kicking myself. Why didn’t I just hug her? Kiss her cheek? That would have been casual enough, wouldn’t it?
Too late. It’s ruined, the moment. It’s over.
I pull open the door to the cab of my truck, letting out a sigh.
