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“Oh, okay. We have some people at the office who could help you when you’re ready,” Hunter answered.
“I’m ready now, Hunt. I can’t stay here forever. I need to start earning some money so I can put down a security deposit and first month’s rent on a place. I need to get Willow settled before she’s due to start kindergarten next year.”
“We should head home. It’s getting late,” Sam said as he and Garth got to their feet and gathered up some empty glasses to carry inside with them. I didn’t miss the way the other three shared a silent conversation with their eyes as I said good night to Sam and Garth.
As soon as they were gone I looked to Hunter and raised my eyebrows, awaiting his explanation as to what they had been up to and why Sam and Garth felt the need to leave.
“Maddie, I don’t think we’ve been very clear and I think we need to be,” he began.
“Clear about what? Do you need us to leave sooner? It’s okay if you do. Nico said we could…” I was cut off by Kai.
“Maddie. We don’t want you to leave sooner, sunshine. That’s the point. We don’t want you to leave at all,” he told me.
“I can’t live here, guys. You have your own lives to live. What happens when you get girlfriends? They won’t want me and two kids hanging around,” I scoffed.
“That’s not going to happen,” Cam told me as he cradled my daughter even closer when she stirred a little.
“Of course it will. You’re not going to be single forever.”
“No we’re not,” Hunter agreed. “We’re going to have a girlfriend and hopefully a wife one day.”
“Of course you are. You’re good men. You’ll find someone you love one day,” I agreed, even though the words felt bitter on my tongue. It hurt to think of them with other women.
“We already have,” Kai cut off my ramble again.
“What?” I stopped and looked to them with horror. “Oh my God! Of course you guys have girlfriends! Are they pissed we’re staying here? What am I saying? Of course they are. I need to call Nico. He’ll help us get flights back. We’ll be out of your hair as soon as possible,” I panicked. “God, I’m so sorry you guys. You should have just told me. I’d never have imposed like this.”
“Fuck, Mads. Take a damned breath,” Cam demanded.
“We don’t have girlfriends,” Hunter laughed.
“But you just said…”
“We said we’ve met the woman we love and want to marry,” Kai told me as he leaned forward towards me. “That woman is you, Maddie. It’s always been you. We’ve loved you since the minute we met you, soaked through and shivering, your face covered in wild red hair. We walked away because we thought we were protecting you. We will never make that mistake again. You’re ours.”
“What?” I uttered as I stared at Kai, completely dumbfounded by his words.
“We love you, Maddie. You’re it for us, for all of us. We knew that when we were kids. We’ve always known it,” Hunter told me.
“No.” I shook my head, in complete disbelief at what I was hearing. “You love me like a sister, right? That’s what you mean?”
“No, baby.” Now it was Hunter who was shaking his head, a gentle smile on his face. “We’ve never seen you that way.”
“But you never said anything?”
“When we met you were still a kid. We all knew how we felt, but we agreed we wouldn’t say or do anything until you were older. Then everything went to shit,” Kai explained.
“We know the timing isn’t great. You’ve been through so much and you have the kids to consider, but we needed you to know. We don’t plan on letting you get away without a fight this time Mads,” Cam spoke up.
“Oh my God,” I whispered to myself as I sat there trying to process what the hell had just happened. They were offering me everything I had wanted since I was a kid, crushing on them all. They were telling me that whole time I had been dreaming of a life with them, they had also had feelings for me.
“Maddie, it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. No matter what, we will always be here for you,” Kai soothed as he reached out a hand and placed it on my knee.
I looked up at the three of them and couldn’t miss the utter disappointment on each of their faces. It was so cute, it made me smile.
“I feel the same way,” I told them, needing to put them out of their misery. “I’ve always felt something for you guys, and for Ev.” I looked up to Cam with a sad smile. “I just…I was too scared to say anything when we were kids because I didn’t think you guys saw me like that. I thought I was more like an annoying little sister.”
“Trust me, babe. There is nothing sisterly about the way we feel about you. Never has been,” Hunter chuckled.
