AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah, please?”
“Well then, maybe I should take a page from your playbook, huh? Maybe I should just sneak out of here and let you choke on your words.” He scowls.
“I would deserve that.” I look down at the blanket covering my lap and sniffle.
“Hardy,” Owen presses him. They share a silent conversation in pointed looks, but Hardy finally relents. He shuffles across the floor a bit closer, but he doesn’t come over the entire way.
I try to push my glasses up my nose, but they’re gone. It’s going to take some time to get used to losing them. Even though I only really need them for reading, they became so woven into my identity, such a symbol for who I am, I feel naked without them.
“What?” Hardy barks at me, clearly impatient.
“I’m, well, I know it doesn’t mean much, but thank you both so much. You saved my life.”
“Hardy is the one who went to check if you got caught up in that avalanche.” Owen nods at his friend. “He’s the one who didn’t stop looking until he found your car too.”
“Really?” I look up at Hardy hopefully. Maybe it’s not too late to save this. To save us.
“What was I supposed to do? Let you die?” he scoffs. “Anyway, if that’s all you wanted, I’ve got other things to do.” He turns around and starts to walk toward the door.
“Stop!” I yell.
“Excuse me?” He turns back around and his face is twisted with rage. “Who the fuck do you think you are telling me what to do, huh?”
“Hardy, chill out man.” Owen holds up his hands.
“No, I won’t fucking chill out. If you want to be her little lapdog, getting little head pats whenever she decides you’re good enough for it, then that’s on you. I’m not playing this game anymore. I’m fucking done.”
“It’s not a game,” I protest.
Hardy’s jaw clenches and his beard twitches. Anger sears a red streak over his cheeks and his eyes narrow. “You left, remember? You snuck out of here, packed your shit and took off. That doesn’t sound like someone who’s playing games to you? Did you even leave a note? Huh? Did you give a fuck about us at all before you decided the only place we were good enough to look at was in your rearview mirror?”
“No,” I whisper, tears brimming my eyes.
“That’s what I fucking thought,” he growls.
“I wasn’t trying to leave because I was playing games.” I try to convince him, but his face doesn’t change. If anything, I think I’m just making him angrier.
“Oh, really. Then please, enlighten me.” His voice is dripping with sarcasm. “What would you call it then?”
“I was trying to leave because…”
“Because you’re ashamed of what you want. Because you can’t admit your own desires. Because you care more about your self-image than us.” Hardy checks his points off on his fingers, one by one he paints a picture of me that’s not very flattering.
And the worst part is, he’s not entirely wrong.
“Yes, those things are true. I wasn’t ready to be honest with myself about any of this. I’ve been lying, telling myself that I’m not this kind of girl. Like you have to be something bad to want this. To want us.”
“Told ya.” He looks at Owen smugly.
“Let her finish, man,” he answers.
“Fine,” Hardy huffs.
“But when that snow buried me…” The tears I’ve been trying to hold back fall down my face. I can’t hold them back for even a second more. “When I thought I was going to die out there,” I sniffle, “I realized that, yes, what you’re saying is true. But the bigger reason, the real reason I tried to ditch you guys is because I was afraid.”
“Afraid? Of us?” Owen looks hurt.
“No. Not of you.” I reach out and grab his hand. He flinches like my touch hurts him and it makes me cry harder. “No, the thing I was afraid of was admitting that, well, admitting that I’ve never felt this way about one guy before, let alone two. Admitting that I want you both, that I need you both, that I’m falling in love with you both.” My voice chokes up and I sob into my hands.
“You’re falling in love with us?” Owen eases down off the arm of the couch and settles down beside me. I don’t look up, I’m afraid he might say I’m crazy or stupid or both. I can’t face his rejection. I can’t face either of them telling me they don’t feel the same way.
“I thought I was the only one who was feeling that way,” Owen murmurs.
My heart sings like a chorus of angels. It soars in my chest and makes me feel like I’m bursting with light. I throw my arms around Owen’s neck and he kisses me softly.
“Pffft,” Hardy interrupts the moment. “So now you love us? Come on.” He rolls his eyes. Still, instead of walking out that door, he saunters across the floor toward us.
