It wasn’t until it was time to cover the layers in crisp, perfect fondant that Andrew got a second wind and started talkingmore. While I worked, he stood next to me, offering help where he could.
I felt bad for keeping them up, so I offered, not for the first time, for them to go up to bed. “I’ve got this part. I’ll need help with stacking, but you can at least nap before I need you back.”
He stared at me, watching me closely the same way he had been most of the night. “I spent last night wondering if we’d ruined everything. I went through list after list of things we could’ve done better, including being sure that prick Milo was gone. I regretted that I hadn’t been as open with you as I could’ve been about our feelings. I hated thinking that you might not know what you mean to us, that you might believe those things about yourself. I’m not slipping away for a nap tonight when I have the time to tell you now.”
I paused with my fondant smoother in the air, my breath held in anxious lungs.
“We’re crazy about you. We want a life with you. It probably feels soon to you, but we’ve spent our adult lives looking for someone who we cared about as much as we care about you. You’re it for us. We want a life with you.”
Lucas looked exhausted as he nodded. “You’re our Cupcake. There’s no one else for us.”
“We want it all with you.” Warren smiled sweetly. “Anything you’ll give us.”
My heart ached again, but the pain had shifted. Instead of breaking, it seemed like it was growing. Big enough for my three men. “I realized after I left that I’d fallen for each of you. And it scared the hell out of me. It still does. I didn’t know this was even possible a week ago. Now I know it is.”
“We’ll work out the details. What matters is that we’ve got you.” Andrew cupped my face in his hands and kissed me. “And that we get some rest after you make this cake.”
I grinned and nodded. “We’re getting there.”
I couldn’t keep that grin off my face as I finished wrapping the cakes in fondant. I stacked them with the help of the guys and several dowel rods before decorating. I was just putting the last few touches on the cake when some of the kitchen staff started coming in to prep for the day. I was dead tired and felt like I’d been through a marathon, but I was proud of my cake. It was the best cake I’d ever made, and I knew that even if Macy never spoke to me again, she’d love the cake.
Andrew left instructions for the cake and then eased me into his arms. Carrying me like a bride, he took me to his suite, and after setting an alarm, we all crawled into bed and collapsed. There was peace in knowing that they wanted me the same way I wanted them. I felt safe as I curled between Lucas and Warren, with Andrew begrudgingly on the other side of Lucas. I felt like things were going to be okay because that swelling feeling in my heart was welcomed.
I felt like I’d barely closed my eyes when I heard Macy’s voice. I rubbed at my eyes and sat up, sure I was hallucinating. I couldn’t tell what time of day it was, and the bed was empty. Frowning, I got up and went to the doorway that separated the bedroom from the rest of the suite. I could definitely hear Macy’s voice, and it was raised and angry.
Cringing, I forced myself to walk closer. She was my best friend and I deserved her anger. I couldn’t hide from it.
“You three couldn’t find someone else? Out of all the women in my bridal party, youhadto choose my best friend?”
Andrew’s anger was palpable as he raised his voice. “We didn’t come here looking for one of your friends to fuck. Trust us, Macy, there were several of your friends who made it clear that they were up for the taking. Theonlyone of your friends who tried to stay away from us, at all, is Cupcake. She was so worried about upsetting you that she was willing to ignore her heart, and ours.”
“Cupcake’sheart wasn’t yours for the taking! She’s my best friend. I don’t want to share her with you assholes.”
“You won’t have to worry about that if you keep treating her the way you did last night.” Lucas sounded just as annoyed as Andrew. “She’s an adult woman, making her own decisions, and you talked to her like she was trash.”
“I shouldn’t have been so mean, but I was hurt and horrified. You three had your gross hands all over her in that picture. It didn’t look like love. It looked like the start of a porn.”
“Macy, it’s time for you to grow up.” Andrew was clearly still angry. “Cupcake isn’t yours to keep. And maybe we’re not the most traditional option for her, but there’s no one who’s going to care for her more than we do. We’re not going to hurt her. We care about her. You should be happy to know that she is going to finally be treated like she deserves.”
Warren sighed. “Take it down a notch, Drew. Macy needs time to wrap her head around this. We can’t just shove it on her and expect grace right away.”
I stepped into the room, wearing the same clothes I’d worn to the dinner the night before, probably looking like absolute hell. I wrapped my arms around myself and made myself known. “Warren is right. You shouldn’t be mad at her. She had every right to be angry with me.”
Macy looked like she hadn’t slept much the night before, either. She looked at me and then down at her feet. “You don’t need to take up for me, Sara.”
Andrew grunted. “You’re damn right she doesn’t. But that’s your best friend, coming out here to make sure we aren’t too hard on you.”
I frowned at him. “Stop. She didn’t do anything wrong.”
“No, you don’t think she did anything wrong because you love her and you’re so guilt-ridden. But what she did was wrong. What she said was wrong. You’re not some fucking skank. Sheknows that. She knows that and she said it anyway, just to hurt you.”
“Like I hurt her. I knew it would hurt her if I slept with you, but I let it happen anyway.” I looked at Macy and found her staring at me with tears in her eyes. “They’re mad, but I’m not. I deserved that.”
She shook her head. “No, you didn’t. I’ve felt like shit all night long because I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said some of the things I said. It’s not you I’m furious with. It’s these idiots. I should’ve talked to them first and found out the entire story before lashing out.”
“That’s a start.” Andrew shook his head and sank into the couch, staring at me like he was daring me to argue with him. It was clear he was in a mood that morning.
Unfortunately for him, I didn’t care about his bad mood. “It’s more than a start. It’s a finish.”
