But Molly? I didn’t know how she’d react. True connection between people didn’t conform to arbitrary societal standards. If she felt even a fraction of what Kaz and I felt for her, I hoped she’d consider it. After all, she’dseenit work for her sister.
I pressed my fingers to my neck, feeling my pulse beating out an anxious rhythm. Maybe she’d be in my bed and in my arms tomorrow night. All that soft and supple skin still left to explore. The thought of her writhing beneath me was enough to get my dick stirring. I wanted to see her come apart, to know each one of her expressions when she reached her peak. There were so many things about her I’d missed out on knowing, but maybe I’d still get my chance.
Tomorrow, I’d tell her how I felt.
The ultimate leap of faith.
And I was ready to take it.
* * *
“We need to talk.”
Molly lowered her camera and looked at me with curious eyes. “What about?”
We were lounging around downstairs while listening to the final mix of “Mahogany”, our new single scheduled to come out next week. It had Trinity’s approval, and all we were waiting on now were the photos from the shoot to go with the release. A week from now, if everything went to plan, we’d have our biggest hit yet.
Somehow, that felt a lot less monumental than the conversation we were about to have.
Kaz lifted the guitar he had on his lap and propped it against the wall. No matter how calm he seemed, I knew he was as anxious about this as I was. He met my gaze and gave me a barely perceptible nod before standing up. “I’ll be right back.” We’d agreed he’d let me talk to her one-on-one first.
I cleared my throat, more nervous than I could remember feeling in years. Molly’s brows rose slightly as she waited for me to speak.
“Molly, I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Whatever she’d been expecting, it wasn’t that. She grew very still in her chair, her fingers tightening around the camera.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes since you’ve come back into my life,” I said. “I told Kaz I was over you when I wasn’t. I tried to push you away and failed. I acted like a jerk and I pretended I didn’t care. I said things I regret. Well, here’s me finally saying what I really feel. I want you, Molly. I’ve never stopped wanting you. And I—”
She shot up. “Mase. Stop. I can’t. I’m—”
“You’re with Kaz, I know.”
“This is exactly what I was afraid of. Getting between you two.” She wrung her hands, tears pooling inside her eyes. “I’ve made a mess of things, haven’t I?”
“Please, let me finish,” I pleaded.
There was an intake of breath and then a nod.
“I feel things for you, and I think you feel something for me too,” I plowed on. “Maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part. Maybe you’ve moved on from me far better than I managed to move on from you. I don’t have a very high opinion of myself, so really, it would be a miracle if somehow you still liked me after everything I’ve put you through. But if I’m right, and there’s still something here…please, tell me.”
She was shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter what I feel. I can’t choose between you and Kaz. I can’t do that to him, or to you. My job was supposed to be about helping you, not tearing you apart. I’m not worth it, I promise you. Oh God, I never should have done any of this.”
I steadied her trembling form, placing my hands on her shoulders. “I’m not asking you to choose. And neither is Kaz.” I nudged her chin up with my index finger. “Look at me, Mol.”
Tears were trailing down her cheeks. I wiped them away with my thumb. “We’re not asking you to choose between us. We’re asking you to chooseus.”
Understanding crashed over her features like an invisible wave. The speed with which she caught on seemed almost too quick. As if the thought had crossed her mind before. “Both of you?” she asked tentatively.
“Yes,” Kaz’s voice sounded. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, his hand anchored to the wall. “Both of us.”
Molly twisted in my arms, turning to him.
Kaz’s features lost some of their hardness when he saw her tear-streaked face. “Don’t cry, baby girl.”
“I don’t know,” she mumbled, wiping her face dry. “This is crazy. You know it’s freaking crazy, right?”
“Crazier things have happened,” Kaz said, walking up to her until they stood inches apart. “Us meeting here after all those years. You taking a chance on me. Mase opening up to you.” He slid his hand around her waist. “I don’t believe in fate, but recently, I’ve been thinking back to that college party.” His eyes met mine. “It feels like the universe wanted to show us something, doesn’t it? The three of us together.” He dropped his gaze back to Molly. “Like it was meant to be.”
