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Liam nodded. “The long-distance part would be temporary. If it works out, we move.”
“You would do that?” Alyssa asked, shocked.
The three of us swung our heads in the affirmative.
“My uncle lives in the Bronx,” Mateo said. “He has been trying to get me to visit.”
“Joining the FDNY? It’s like the big-leagues of firefighting,” Liam said.
“It’s the same job as it is down here,” I argued.
“You know what I mean,” Liam replied. “They’re the most famous. When I tell my family back home I’m a firefighter in Florida, they ask about alligators and bath salts. But if I was in New York? That means something.”
Alyssa looked at him, then Mateo, then finally me. It was almost like she didn’t believe us, or thought we were pulling some kind of prank. I couldn’t blame her. She’d been here a little over two weeks, and had only been with me two days. Offering to move to New York—even after a period of long-distance dating—was a huge gesture. A massive commitment.
Alyssa is worth it, I thought firmly. There’s no doubt in my mind. I missed my chance with her a decade ago. I won’t make that same mistake now.
“No,” Alyssa breathed.
Me and the boys tensed.
“Now, just think about it before you answer,” I said.
Alyssa shook her head emphatically. “It makes no sense for the three of you to move to New York. The simpler option is for me to move here.”
I opened my mouth to argue more, then shut it.
“Huh?” Liam asked.
Mateo started mumbling something in Spanish.
“But you hate it here,” I said. “You spent your entire childhood talking about how you couldn’t wait to leave. And then you made good on that promise.”
Alyssa sat in one of the chairs next to Mateo at the kitchen table. “It wasn’t Florida I was running from. It was my mother. Now that she’s gone, Clearwater feels like a totally different town. The food, the beaches, the people… it’s like I was wearing glasses with the wrong prescription, and I finally got them fixed. Now I see everything in a different light.”
“So you don’t detest Clearwater anymore,” Liam said slowly. “That isn’t exactly a compelling reason to move here. Especially considering how much you love New York.”
Alyssa snorted. “Honestly, I think I was in love with the idea of New York. It’s a great city, and there are lots of things I appreciate about it. But there’s lots of things I hate. My shoebox apartment. The expensive food. Trying to avoid getting groped by strangers on the subway. And the winters! It’s so cold in December and January. The skyscrapers create a wind-tunnel effect, and it’s so freaking cold. I feel like I can’t leave my apartment without freezing to death. After living there for a few years, I think I’m ready for a change.”
“And your photography?” I asked. “You’re established in New York.”
“And I have ten thousand other photographers to compete with,” she muttered. “All of whom are extremely good at their job. Being a small fish in a big pond sucks. I think I’m ready to try being a bigger fish in a medium pond. There’s definitely a lot of demand on the Flytography app.”
“Are you sure?” Liam asked. “We don’t want you to uproot your entire life just for us. What if it doesn’t work out?”
Alyssa smiled. “Five minutes ago, the three of you were willing to uproot your lives for me.”
“Sure, but…” I trailed off. She had a point.
“Being back here has been good for me,” Alyssa said, standing and caressing Liam’s cheek. “It’s given me the closure I needed on some things.” She walked by Mateo, leaning down to kiss the back of his neck.
Then she turned to me. I would do anything while those eyes are peering into me.
“And it’s given me a new perspective on other things. Things I never knew I had, and never knew I wanted.”
She brushed her lips against mine, then pressed herself against my chest in a hug. I folded my arms around her automatically. Yeah, I thought. Keeping you in my arms is the most important thing.
I glanced at my teammates, who were smiling too. And I’m glad that I trust the two men I’m sharing you with. Because this would never work if I didn’t already love them, too.
