Total pages in book: 260
Estimated words: 245483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1227(@200wpm)___ 982(@250wpm)___ 818(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 245483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1227(@200wpm)___ 982(@250wpm)___ 818(@300wpm)
“Does he make you happy?” she asks.
“Yeah, happy but worried.”
“But happy?” she asks again and I let out a short laugh, pulling one knee into my chest balancing my foot on the edge of the chair.
“Yeah, he really does make me happy. He makes me feel like me.”
“It might take some time not to worry, you know?”
Swaying in my chair, I know she’s right. I hate time, though, it hasn’t been good to me.
“Yeah,” I agree with her and then ask, “Want to take my mind off of it? Or is one a.m. a little too late and you’d rather sleep.”
The sound of her rolling over in bed filters through the phone before she lets out an easy sigh. “I may have met a man,” she says and then hums. I’m grateful for her, for friendship, for her stories. I try not to think about the fact that I probably won’t see her very much once this is all said and done.
Instead I laugh along with her and decide I’m grateful phone calls exist.
It’s not long after that I hang up, thanking her and telling her to have sweet dreams of her dark-haired mystery man that I hear their bikes.
Breathing in deep, I down the last of the decaf tea and head to the sink to wash out the cup. I grew up to that sound, the rev of the engines. I know it so well, I can clearly hear two of them.
I don’t know what exactly is going on with the three of us, but I’m grateful both of them are coming home to me. Whatever it is we’re doing, I want it. I want both of them however I can have them.
Reed comes in first, holding the door open for Cill. Adrenaline pushes me to move to the threshold and fuck I wish I hadn’t. I’m paralyzed by the sight of Cillian. Tremors run up my spine.
He’s covered in blood. His shirt is stained.
“Oh my God,” I nearly fall to the floor, my trembling hands covering my mouth. “Hey, Hellcat,” he says. “It’s not mine,” he clarifies and although that’s fucking horrible in and of itself, the relief is immediate.
“Are you all right?” I ask and look over both of them, still standing in the threshold and too scared to move. Reed closes the door and I note there’s a bit of blood on him too that’s smeared across his shirt.
“We’re both fine.” Reed adds, “Promise.”
“What did you do?”
“We ended things here.”
Things. I know exactly what that means. It’s his uncle’s blood.
“Do we need to leave?”
Cill nods, catching my eyes as he pulls the shirt over his head. “We’ll pack up and move tonight.
“Tonight?” Surprise is evident in my rushed-out word.
Cill nods as if it’s not a big deal to pick up and move in the middle of the night. “We’re starting over. Just us, and Reed.”
It takes me a minute to process what he’s said, my head spins with all of this happening at once. “Reed too?”
“I think the three of us should keep doing what we are …” Cill says and lets his gaze drift down my body. “What do you think, Reed?” He looks over his shoulder at Reed, who’s stripping down to take off the bloodied clothes.
His muscles ripple as he does the same, looking me up and down like I’m some kind of meal for the two of them to enjoy together. He even licks his lower lip before nodding and saying, “I think that’s exactly what I want.”
My body flushes from head to toe. I can’t believe he just said that. I can’t believe that Cillian is standing in the middle of my kitchen with someone else’s blood on him, and talking about sharing me with his best friend.
Something in my heart clicks into place. I meet Reed’s deep brown eyes, feeling shy. I can’t speak. I never dreamed that Cill would suggest something like this. I didn’t think I’d want him to, but now that he has, I can’t imagine it being any other way.
“You like that, don’t you?” Cill questions.
I’m hesitant to nod, but I do it. “I just want to love you two.” I swallow down every apprehension.
“Good,” he says with finality. “’Cause that’s all I want too.”
“Same,” Reed adds. “We love you, Kat.”
I stare between the two of them, not believing while also eager for this to be true. “I love you both too.”
Epilogue
Kat
* * *
One week later
* * *
Reed drives with the windows down and one arm out in the California breeze. It’s taken us over a week to get here. We could have made the trip faster, but none of us wanted to. Their bikes are in the back and we got a notice that everything we packed up and shipped arrived at the new place.
We’re almost there. I have no idea what it’ll be like. But I know I’ll have both Reed and Cillian, so I’ll make it home.