“Baby, demisexual is still queer. And as someone who’s struggled to hide my sexuality from my family because they were ashamed of me, I think you’re really lucky to have these people. Marcus and Charlie are not going to judge you, Bastian. No one here will. They all love you.” He smiles kindly. “But if you’re not ready, they’ll understand that too.”
I look over at Fi and Charlie and nod my head for them to follow, and we all rejoin the group.
CHAPTER THIRTY
FIONA
Seb leads us back into the dining room, and I hide a smile when I notice his hand firmly clasped in B’s. Charlie side-eyes me, and I wink at her. They obviously just did something dirty together in that bathroom. The flushed cheeks and just-fucked hair don’t lie.
The tricky part is that Charlie is confused, and I’ve been avoiding her all night because I don’t know the etiquette for telling your best friend that you’re fucking her brother but also another guy. Lincoln and Marcus seem to think that the guys are both hot for just me, but I don’t think it occurred to them that B and Seb are also into each other. I mean, what’re the odds of two throuples in one friend group?
The room is warm, almost too warm, and everyone is chattering and laughing. Now that the sun has set, the windows look out into a black abyss, and something about the pervading darkness makes me feel exposed. Anyone could be out there looking in.
Seb stops when they reach the head of the table. “Hey, guys,” he says with a nervous smile that’s very uncharacteristic of thegrumpy man I’ve come to love. Link, Trey, and John pause and look over, and Link takes a long pull of his drink as if bracing for something. He’s always so dramatic. Marcus’s eyes drop to the guys’s linked hands, and he frowns and looks back up at his brother.
Seb clears his throat. “I don’t really know how to explain this, but I wanted you to know—” He looks between Charlie and Marcus. “Really, I want you two to know, that I’m demisexual. I think.”
Trey’s eyes light up, and Link elbows him. Everyone else is quiet for a beat before John speaks. “No disrespect at all, Sebastian, but I don’t know what that means.”
Seb gives a faint smile. “Basically, it means I need an emotional bond to feel attraction. It seems gender is irrelevant as well.”
“You guys are together?” Marcus asks, pointing between Seb and B, his grin widening. “I was sure it was Fi after the way you two flirted before she got together with Anna.” Then he winces and looks over at me apologetically. “Sorry, Fi, I shouldn’t bring up your ex.”
“No, it’s okay, Marcus, but—” But before I can correct him, Lincoln barks a laugh.
“Bothof you forgave Michaels?” Link gives Brantley an amused look. “Do you have a magic cock or something?” Seb and I exchange a smirk, and Lincoln narrows his eyes at me. “You’re all fucking each other.”
“Wait, what?” Charlie says, raising her hands. “Fi would have told me if she’d hooked up with my brother.” She places her hand on her waist and pops out her hip. “Right, Fi?”
“Uhhh, well…”
“Fiona Flowers! You bitch!”
“I’m sorry,” I sputter. “We were at my dad’s cabin alone together, and things just happened, and surely you can understand that I can’tchoose?—”
Charlie tackle-hugs me, interrupting my rambling apology. “We’re going to be sisters!” she crows.
“Wha…” I start.
“That’s a bit of a stretch.” Seb says nervously, sitting back down at the table and taking a long pull of his drink. “We haven’t really discussed commitment or labels.”
B sits next to him, throwing an arm over the back of Seb’s chair. It makes my heart happy to see them comfortable together out in the open. I still worry that the real world will ruin this—ruin us—but I have a bit of hope now.
“But there’s a chance,” Charlie replies with a giggle, still wrapped up in my arms. I kiss the side of her head and wink at the guys.
B grins widely. “Bastian, if we both date Fi, will that make us boyfriends-in-law?”
Trey snorts a laugh and looks at Link. “Awww, baby, you’re my boyfriend-in-law.”
Lincoln glares. “Absolutely not.”
Just then, something prickles the back of my neck. I whirl, staring out the large window, and see movement just before glass explodes over the dining room.
Charlie and I dive to the floor, and I swear the weight of all the alpha males in the room trying to shield us is like one of those football dog piles.
“Jesus, guys, I literally can’t breathe,” I whine.
Charlie groans next to me in agreement. I push myself up between B and Seb, accidentally kicking Trey in the process.
