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“No. I’m sick of this! She needs to know,” Bhodi explodes. I take a step back from him. Heisintimidating when he’s angry, but I’m not scared. I just know that if our roles were reversed, I’d want some space.
“Bhodi!” Reef snaps. Maybe he thinks Bhodi’s scaring me. I want to explain that he isn’t but my tongue’s tied.
“I need to know what? What’s happening?” I ask, head whipping back and forth between the two of them.
“What’s going on out here?”
Cove steps through the open doorway and joins the fray. Oh god. What do I say? Will he be mad? Upset? Hurt?
I silently beg Bhodi and Reef not to say anything. But I can already tell that Bhodi has no intention of keeping quiet. I didn’t want it to come out like this.
“Malia’s got herself all worked up over us,” Bhodi tells him. His words aren’t unkind, but his tone is barbed.
“I see. What’s wrong Mai-Tai? Can I help?”
That’s so like Cove. Doesn’t want to know the details, just wants to jump in and fix the issue to make me feel better. He really is a nice guy. The nicest.
“She’s freaking out because she’s been kissing me and you, and now Reef too.”
I stare at him with hurt written all over my face. It’s not a massive betrayal, but still…
“Okay.”
“Okay?” I ask. “What do you mean, okay?”
“Malia, do what makes you happy. Kiss who you want to kiss. Don’t you dare be upset for feeling.”
“For feeling what?”
“Anything. Everything. All the feels, feel them. I don’t care.”
“You don’t care?”
“I care about you, and your happiness. You want to kiss Bhodi to feel good? Kiss him. If Reef makes you feel happy, kiss him too.”
“But…I thought, me and you…”
“You and me will always be good. We can be whatever you want us to be.”
“But—”
“No buts.”
“Are you seeing other people?” I demand, more invested in the answer than I have a right to be.
Cove shakes his head. “No, I’m not. Nor do I want to. But you do you. I’m perfectly happy with what I’ve got.”
“But you all…you’re just…okay with this?”
“Malia, we live together,” Bhodi cuts in. “I’ve known you’ve been dating Cove from the offset. He knows I’ve been taking you to class and about our handful of dates. We know you’ve been confiding in Reef—”
“Because I thought he was my therapist!” I cry.
“And we’re sorry for deceiving you,” Reef adds softly.
I whirl to face Reef and stare at him accusingly. “Did you tell them? Did you all sit around and have a laugh and a chat at my expense over my issues?”
He shakes his head, looking torn and sad. “Never. I didn’t breathe a word beyond what they needed to know.”
