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“Huh,” he remarked, smirking. “I didn’t think I’d get it up again for a week. I might have been wrong.”
“You’d better be. Katy wanted us in bed waiting for her when she got back. She probably should have been here already.”
Suddenly serious, Levi asked, “What are we gonna tell her, Con?”
“The truth, dumbass.” Connor smiled, trying to lighten the mood, but deep down he shared the same fear Levi did.
“Shut up.” Levi nudged him with his shoulder, giving him a shy smile. “I wasn’t suggesting we lie to her. I meant,howdo we tell her?”
“Gently, so she understands that she’s the centre of our universe. Us doing this—” Connor motioned between the two of them, “doesn’t change anything with her.” when Levi leaned in and kissed his forehead, Connor nuzzled into him, breathing in the orange and cedar scent that was uniquely Levi, mixed with a healthy dose of sex.
“Come on, let’s get cleaned up and check what’s taking her so long.
Swinging his legs off the bed, Connor stood and walked toward the light spilling in from the open front door. Katy normally locked up when she left—the predawn cool chilled the air too much otherwise. He walked over to it, checking the latch. It wasn’t even closed, never mind locked. Nausea passed over him.Fuck.“Lee, you need to get out here.”
“What’s up?” the other man asked as he wrapped an arm around Connor from behind dropping a kiss on his shoulder, before stepping to the side.
He pointed to the door sitting ajar. “I think Katy might have already come home.”
Katy
Katy closed the door to her car gently and rested her head back against the seat. Hands trembling in her lap, she blew out a breath and tried to quell the ache in her heart. She was happy for them, but it didn’t make her reality hurt any less, didn’t ease the pain. She curled in on herself and cried, knowing she wasn’t needed anymore. The realization had hit her full force when she’d seen them moving together on the bed, hot tears falling before she’d even made it through the front door. Like a category five hurricane had swept through her, everything good in her life, everything that made her happy had been obliterated with the sight of them making love.
She was alone.
She’d lost them. Both of the men she adored with every fibre of her being were gone. Deep down, she’d known it would happen all along. It was inevitable that the attraction between them would spark eventually. She’d secretly hoped it would—how couldn’t she? She’d loved Levi for her whole adult life, and if she were honest, Con too. Now that they’d finally given into the yearning, she wasn’t needed as the buffer. And like she’d always known, they were beautiful together—masculine grace personified. She’d never forget the image of their intertwined bodies, moving as one.
So now, she had to do one more thing for them. She had to leave—pick up the debris after the storm and hold her head up high. They were happy, that’s all that mattered. Her battered heart would survive. Maybe in a million years she’d be able to love again. It was their time now. She’d had Levi for long enough that the memories could carry her through. Wiping her cheeks with the heel of her hand, Katy started the car and looked at the house one more time. Tears welled up again as the memory of Levi carrying her over the threshold when they’d first moved in flashed before her eyes.
It was done, over.
“Katy, suck it up and get the fuck outta here,” she chastised herself.But where do I go?She needed time to think, time to heal. The airport was tempting as fuck, but she had too many responsibilities to just pack up and leave. People were relying on her to make the happiest day of their lives complete, no matter what havoc was being reeked in hers.
She didn’t have a destination in mind when she reversed out of the drive, but ten minutes later she was at the beach. Problem was, it was the same beach that she and Levi had taken Con to when he’d come home, and so many times since. She couldn’t do it, couldn’t force herself out of the car to head down onto the sand, so she pulled away.
Driving again, she found herself at her cousin’s house. Katy didn’t know why she’d gone there. Or maybe she did. Con had done the same thing when he’d needed space. Maybe it’d give her peace too. Not giving herself time to change her mind, she strode to the front door and pressed the bell. Chimes sounded in the background, and after a moment, the door swung open. The smile slipped from Emma’s face as she took in the hot mess Katy knew she was. Sweaty and dressed in ratty running gear, she’d headed to work to issue a few invoices and check that payments for two cakes she was working on had come in. Then she’d driven home and walked in on Levi and Con making love. Now her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen too.
Silently, Emma opened the door more and ushered her in, waiting until it had swung closed again before she took Katy into her arms. “You okay, honey?” The embrace was all wrong. Emma was too skinny, too soft, her smell too floral. Katy wanted her men. She needed them. She loved them more than life itself. How the hell was she going to walk away? Her body shook as she cried into the other woman’s arms. “God, the three of you have had such a rough trot.”
Katy curled into her and cried harder. “It’s over,” she whispered, her breath hitching on the last word as she choked out a sob. Saying that, putting a level of finality on it, shattered her. Sapped all her happiness, leaving her a mere shell.
“Oh, Katy.” Emma hugged her tight, and ran her other hand down Katy’s hair, like Con always did, making her cry harder. “You can’t work it out?”
Katy shook her head. “No.”
When Emma went to lead her deeper into the giant house, Katy wrapped her arms around herself. “Come on in, honey. I’ll make us some tea and we can talk if you like.”
She wiped the tears from her face and took a fortifying breath. “I don’t wanna impose.” Pointing to the beach outside, she added, “Can I just go out back for a while? I need some time. I’ve got no idea what I’m gonna do from here.”
“Of course. Take as much time as you need.” Emma placed a hand on her stomach and waved her hand around, adding, “And make yourself at home. I’ll be in the bathroom if you need anything.”
Katy looked her friend over for the first time. She looked drawn, tired. Ill. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just got a tummy bug. I’ll be okay when I kick it.” Emma motioned with her thumb over her shoulder and headed toward what Katy knew to be the downstairs bathroom.
Katy let her gaze roam around the house. Everything was white—walls, floors, kitchen, furniture—but there were splashes of bright colours everywhere too—the rugs, throw cushions, the paintings Nick’s best friend and their neighbour, Cam, had painted. Everything was beach themed, worshipping the waves that were framed by the double height floor-to-ceiling wall of glass serving as the back door. The stacked sliding doors were open, a warm breeze floating in. She could smell the salt in the air, hear the waves rolling in. Pandanus palms framed the view at the end of the garden. The ocean beckoned to her.
Katy slid open the screen door and crossed the small lawn, heading out of the white picket gate to the beach. Here the sound of the pumping surf as it crashed against the sand bar was much louder, it’s steady pattern soothing. Katy unlaced her running shoes and tossed them back over the fence when she’d taken them off. The surface of the sand was warm on her bare feet, but cool less than an inch down. She walked directly out to the water, not stopping until she was knee deep in the waves. Crystal clear and cold, the water swirled around her legs, the push and pull from even that depth quite strong. The foamy whitewash from the surf rolling in tickled her. But Katy stayed, letting the wind and waves do their magic. Out on the beach, Katy could switch off and just be. She was at home there. The sun, the surf, the awesome power of nature, of the universe, gave Katy a connection. It grounded her. The ocean healed her, albeit temporarily.
