AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It felt like something that had been weighing us all down evaporated and the room visibly brightened. We were going to do this. We were all in.
“Then we’re going to give it our best shot,” Seth said. “I’ll admit, I’m pretty excited. I hated that I was away from you over Thanksgiving, but I loved that I also knew others were around. That you had Justin and Justin had you too. That Bryan had somewhere to go. It made it so much easier for me. I liked that not just Cadence had people, but that everyone had people. Being away like that, it only solidified for me that this was the right thing to do.”
“Boundaries,” I blurted out. They all turned to me. I licked my lips. “I think we need to talk about it, right? I mean, I know you mentioned sharing everything and this is a different level of sharing…but really? Sharing everything everything?”
“Fuck. No.” Bryan said and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the others. “I’m not sharing that stuff.”
Seth chuckled. “Probably preferable. Boundaries are a good thing to talk about. For now, we keep what we do with her to ourselves. Like, don’t go bragging about it if you do anything intimate. This isn’t about competition. Even couples have their own speeds, I’d expect everyone to have their own speed. Take the time you need.” Seth focused on me. “And you have my permission to punch someone in the face if they try to brag about things. I also want to add that if you do need help with something, or advice, I am open to talking about it. I think many of you know at this point I’m not a shy man.”
Paxon chuckled. “We know.”
The others laughed.
“What am I missing?” I asked.
“Seth likes to walk around naked.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never seen him naked and I practically live here.”
“I’ve been careful,” Seth said.
“Oh.” It seemed I had a lot to look forward to.
“It’s going to feel like tiptoeing,” Seth said. “As we find our balance, but I want to stress that we need to communicate, especially Cadence. You’re the one dating us. And there are five of us. That’s a lot of time. And we know you have your job. Be open with us, tell us what you need, especially when you need space. Some of us will be needy.” He side-eyed Toby.
“Hey! I’m not needy,” he said.
“Sure you aren’t,” Bryan said.
Toby grumbled, but he didn’t seem offended. It actually looked like he was trying to hold back his laughter. “You might have a point.”
That got some chuckles.
“So let us know when you need space.” Seth glared at the others. “And we will respect that. We don’t want you overwhelmed. We just want to be able to spend time with you.”
I nodded. “I’ve never really dated anyone before. I don’t have experience. Never really had it on my radar. So please be patient with me. And I’ll do my best to let you know when I need my space.”
The conversation went like that for a long time. All of us stating different needs, fears, concerns, questions. With Seth there to guide us, we talked it all out until our throats hurt. At least until mine did.
But it all felt worth it. I felt more settled with the idea of having five boyfriends. It felt overwhelming, but didn’t at the same time. And I was excited to explore how these relationships would develop moving forward.
I’d never dated before.
Never had a boyfriend.
Now I had five and I was happier than ever before. To have people to call my own. To know that there are people out there who cared for me and wanted to protect me. To have people of my own who I wanted to take care of and protect.
It all felt so right. So perfect. So terrifyingly wonderful.
