Page 224 of Rising Heat

“You belong with us,” Mack says. “If that’s what you want.”

They move closer.

“If you still want both of us…” Tyler says.

“…because we love you.”

Something inside me gives.

“I do⁠—”

Mack folds me against his chest before the words are fully out, Tyler closing in a beat later and wrapping his arms around me from behind.

“I came back yesterday to tell you that I love you, too. Both of you.”

“We’re never letting you disappear on us again,” Mack mumbles against my forehead.

Tyler’s mouth pulls into a crooked smile.

“Unless you really, really want to leave.”

“Debatable,” Mack counters.

I laugh. It comes out wet and shaky and completely involuntary, but it’s the first laugh I’ve had in days that doesn’t feel like I’m trying to prove I’m okay.

Before I can say anything else, Tyler cups my jaw and turns my face toward his. The second he kisses me, every awful, tight, frantic thing inside me gives way at once.

Relief floods through me so hard my legs feel like they’re about to give out. His hand slides into my hair like he’s been wanting to do this for days, like he’s been holding himself back from it.

“We were fucking miserable without you,” he admits.

My heart’s already racing a million miles a minute when Mack’s hand comes up to my cheek, guiding my face back toward him.

“I meant what I said,” he murmurs against my lips. “About you belonging with us. I just should’ve said the rest of it, too.”

“What’s the rest?”

“That losing you would feel unbearable. That we’ll never make you feel small or like your life isn’t yours, but that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t fight for you. That we’d never make it easy for you to walk away. Because you’re everything, Darcy.”

Tears spill down my face.

“Mack… Tyler…”

“There’s nowhere you could go that we wouldn’t bring you home from, Trouble,” Tyler whispers against the shell of my ear.

Then Mack’s lips are on mine, hard and demanding as ever, like he’s trying to make up for four days of distance all at once.

“Your parents might have some questions about all of this, though…” Tyler teases.

“Oh my god, Tyler,” I groan. “What did you guys even say?”

“We may have announced ourselves as your boyfriends.”

“Your mom wanted logistics,” Mack adds, clearly entertained.

“Not happening⁠—”

“Your dad looked slightly horrified,” Tyler adds.