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His words set off a storm of anger and jealousy inside me. My body hums with the need to fight for Harper, to claim her as mine, but I know I can’t. Not without jeopardizing everything.
“Since when are you the boyfriend type?” I ask instead.
He scoffs. “Since when areyou? Jealous, Hudson?” Antonio smirks, his eyes narrowing playfully. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
“Shut up,” I snap, the heat of my anger rising quickly. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, the blood rushing through my veins. “This isn’t about jealousy.”
“Sure looks like it to me,” he counters with a chuckle. His teasing tone only stokes the flames of my irritation further.
“Harper is…” I struggle for words, my mind a swirling mess of frustration and confusion. “She’s important to me, okay? And I don’t want you playing games with her.”
“Games?” Antonio scoffs, his voice dripping with disbelief. “You think I’m playing games?”
“Damn right, I do,” I growl, taking a step forward. Our chests press together as we face off.
“Look, Hudson, I get that you’ve got a thing for Harper,” Antonio says, his voice low and steady. “But so do I. And I’m not going to back off just because you’re suddenly all possessive.”
“Neither am I,” I shoot back, refusing to back down. My gaze remains locked with his, neither of us willing to give an inch.
“Then it seems we’ve got a problem,” Antonio says, his voice cold and hard.
“Seems so,” I agree, my jaw set in determination. I won’t let him win this battle. Not when it comes to Harper.
“Enough!” Benedict’s voice cuts through the mounting hostility like a knife. He steps in between us, pushing us apart with surprising strength. “What the hell is wrong with you two?” he demands, glaring at both of us.
“Harper,” I growl, my fists clenched as I try to quell the rising tide of anger within me.
Benedict shoots me a disbelieving look before turning to Antonio. “And you?”
“Same,” Antonio mutters, his eyes narrowed. It’s clear that neither of us is willing to back down from this fight, regardless of how much sense it might make.
“Christ, you idiots,” Benedict sighs, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. “You’re seriously going to ruin your friendship over a woman? Have you both lost your minds?”
“Look, Benedict,” I snap, my patience wearing thin. “It’s not just any woman, okay? She’s different.”
For the first time, I’ve admitted that, and half of me is completely and utterly shocked, but the other part of me…? Well, it just wants Harper.
“Then we need to find a way to share her,” Benedict suggests.
My chest tightens at the thought of sharing Harper, but it’s better than losing her altogether or sacrificing my friendship with them.
“It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve shared a woman, right?” Benedict laughs, trying to soothe the situation.
He’s right. It wouldn’t be the first time, but this time is different.
Antonio’s eyes narrow, studying me for a moment before he exhales sharply. “Fine,” he says reluctantly, his deep voice strained with frustration. He shoulders past me, brushing against my arm and sending a jolt of annoyance through my body. But beneath the irritation, there’s also relief—relief that we might be able to find some kind of resolution to this impossible situation.
“I hope we can pull this off,” Benedict mutters under his breath. I doubt that I’m supposed to hear it, but I do.
I clench my jaw, fighting back the surge of jealousy that threatens to consume me. The very idea of sharing Harper is almost unbearable, but what other choice do we have? Losing her entirely would be even worse.
“Look, Benedict, it’s not like any of us planned for this,” I say, forcing myself to remain calm. “But it’s the reality we’re facing now. We all care about Harper, so we need to figure out a way to make this work.”
Benedict looks at me. “Honestly, I’m surprised you’re acting like this.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve never seen you care about someone before, definitely not enough to watch you get into a fight over them. I’m actually really happy for you.”
