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Russell clears his throat. “I hope you know how I feel,” he says. “Just know that whatever happens in your life, I’ll be there to support you, to love you.”
“It’s what I want too,” Tom says, but this time he brings my hand to his mouth, kissing my knuckles tenderly.
“I know it’s hard to hear right now. It’s hard to trust anyone after what happened, but this week has changed my perspective on things.” Stefan rubs his chin nervously. “I thought I was too old to want a family, but I’ve realized I do. I forgot how much I missed living with other people…this week has opened my eyes and I realized that I can’t imagine walking away from this house and you not being in my life.” He glances around. “All of you.”
I look to Oliver, who’s been silent through all of it. “I feel the same, but I don’t have any expectations that you’ll ever be able to forgive me for what happened.”
“I don’t understand.” I squint at them all, frustrated and uncertain. I don’t believe they’re all seriously declaring feelings for me. My life is hanging by a thread, and they want me to choose between them. How much more stress do they think I can deal with?
“We want you,” Theron says. “We all want you.”
I stand, my despair now turning to fury. None of this is fair. None of it.
“I can’t choose between you. You should know that. And shame on you for putting this kind of decision in my hands when I’m barely hanging on to my sanity.”
“Allie.” Tom snags my hand again, standing to tug me into an embrace. “We’re not asking you to choose between us. We would never put you in that kind of position.”
I blink up at him in confusion. “So, what then? I’m just supposed to walk out of here knowing you each have feelings for me. I have to just leave all of this behind? I wish you didn’t tell me. Why would you do that?”
“No.” He smiles at my confusion, which only makes me feel more unhinged. “We want you to stay here and be with us all.”
“Stay here?”
“Well, there’s a lot to sort out,” Theron says. “We all have jobs to go back to.” He raises his hands in apology when he realizes how that sounds with my career balancing so precariously. “But Oliver has offered this beach house so that we can have a home together. While we all get our lives in order, we can meet here at weekends and use any vacation time to spend time together. We can start slow and build this into something amazing.”
“You all want to be with me, at the same time?”
The men all nod in sync, confirming their idea.
It’s what I longed for so many times, but I never thought it was possible, and here they all are offering me my dream on a plate.
“What about your families, your jobs, your lives?”
“All of that can be dealt with in time. I’m not saying everything’s going to fall into place without any issues.” Gabe looks at his cousin and they share a pertinent glance. “Our families are probably going to be crazy for a while. I’m sure there will be many other people who won’t like this idea. But we know what we want. We know we can make it work. All we can do is try…that’s if it’s what you want too?”
The tears that have been a burning ball in my throat spill down my cheeks. The relief I feel at not having to walk away from this house a second time almost makes me drop to my knees. All the times I told myself that I’m crazy for wanting what Dawn has, echo in my mind. All the times I told myself I was making a mistake for being intimate with these men, risking my career and morals for pleasure and connection now ring hollow.
They want what I want and tried and failed to bury under a heap of sensible arguments.
They want me. They want this crazy life that was supposed to be over in seven days to stretch out into the future.
Tom swipes my face with the pad of his thumb, and all around me, men stand to crowd closer, passing me from one embrace to another, filling me with encouraging words and soothing touches. I collapse into each one of them, the relief to be in their arms bringing fresh tears.
“You’re okay,” Russell says, tipping my chin so he can stare into my eyes. “Everything’s going to be okay.” When he kisses my mouth, I fall into the sweet affection, gripping his shirt in my fists, holding on for dear life so he never lets me go.
“Is that a yes?” Jonas asks. “Don’t keep us waiting. You’re killing these men slowly right now.”
I pull away from Russell, laughing in a nervous bubbling kind of way that’s part joy and part overwhelming relief. “Yes. It’s a yes.”
The whoop from ten huge men sets the chandelier tinkling, and then they’re backslapping and bro hugging, and I’m lost in the jubilation and warmth.
Can I see a clear future in front of us?
No. There will be many hurdles to overcome.
Do I think every day is going to be a bed of roses?
I know from Dawn that large harem relationships face challenges like any other.
