Chapter 22
I shook my head and found my voice finally. “No, Macy. I’m so sorry. Just...I don’t know what to say. I’m so, so sorry.”
“You’re sorry? Were you sorry when you were fucking all three of my brothers?”
A resort employee walked out of the ballroom at that moment, their eyes wide. I fought back an embarrassed sob and ignored them. “Macy, I felt like shit the whole time. It just happened and I got carried away. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“No, I’m sure you didn’t. Not sweet Cupcake.” Macy glared at the slow-moving worker and all but hissed at them. “Move along!”
“I’m just so sorry, Mace. You’re my best friend. You mean everything to me, and I know that I fucked up. I know that I don’t deserve your friendship after this, but I don’t want to lose you.”
“Why my brothers?” Her voice broke, and she let me see her tears. “Why them? You know that’s a line.”
I grasped for the words to help her understand.
“I just... It happened, and then I spent more time with them. It just...happened. I don’t.
.. I don’t know how to tell you this without making it all worse.
I just... I think I fell for them. I don’t know what to do, Mace.
I’m so incredibly sorry that I hurt you. ”
“What do you mean, you fell for them?”
I wiped at my tears uselessly. “I care for them. More than I ever cared for Milo. Or any other guy I’ve been with. I know it’s wrong. I know I’m fucked up for it. I just don’t know how to stop it.”
Her face was horrified as she listened. “You care for them? Like...you want to be with them? Not just for whatever fucked up sex thing you were doing?”
I winced and curled into myself. “I’m sorry.”
“I just don’t fucking understand. You’re not some skank who fucks three men at the same time.” She shook her head. “Or maybe you are. I don’t know. I don’t know you at all right now.”
I felt the blow like it had been physical. My heart aching more than ever, I tried one last time. “Please know that I didn’t mean to hurt you. I love you, Mace.”
“But you also love fucking my brothers, so...just...go. I’m not ready to work this out with you. I don’t even know if I can. You can’t be in my wedding tomorrow, though. It’s too much. It’d just be a lot easier if you left in the morning.”
I straightened from the wall and tried to wipe my face. “Okay. I understand.”
“I don’t think you do.” She walked past me, heading back to the bar, and didn’t look back.
I had to walk through the resort with tears streaming down my face and shame sitting heavily on my shoulders.
I felt like everyone who saw me knew and thought the same thing as Milo, and even as Macy.
She’d been nicer in her names, but it was clear she thought the same of me. I was a whore who disgusted her.
Never looking up, I walked to my room. I just wanted to get inside and pack my bags.
I could call a cab and stay at a motel near the airport.
I didn’t want to stay at the resort knowing Macy hated me and knowing that everyone would probably find out about me sooner rather than later.
If I could catch an earlier flight, I could avoid seeing anyone.
“Looks like you lost in the end, huh?”
I looked up and found Milo leaning against my door. His eyes were both black and swollen, but he still managed to look smug. I didn’t bother trying to hide my tears from him. “Yeah, I did.”
“You’re lucky I didn’t tell everyone what a slut you are.” Moving towards me, he blocked me from getting to the door. “It would’ve served you right. I can’t believe this is who you turned out to be. But, hey, I’ve got a few friends back home who’d love to take a turn with a woman like you.”
I lashed out and hit him square in his already swollen nose.
When he grabbed it with a hoarse cry, I shoved him out of my way and let myself into my room.
I locked the door and held my hands over my ears as Milo kicked the door and screamed all the terrible things he could think of at me.
I was already down, but the words still had sting to them.
I grabbed the TV remote and turned it on, turning the volume up painfully loud. Then, I went into the bathroom and turned on the tub, shower, and sink. I just didn’t want to hear a single thing.
Grabbing my suitcases, I started jamming things inside without any rhyme or reason.
I could see the door shake every so often from the force of Milo kicking it, but I pretended I didn’t.
I didn’t want to think of the scene he was causing and what he was yelling.
Everyone would know. Everyone would think the worst of me.
I had to look at my phone for long enough to look up a motel I could stay in, but when I did, I saw all the missed texts and calls.
I saw the effort the triplets had put in for me.
It just hurt even more. I wasn’t their first, though.
I wouldn’t be their last. They’d find someone who made them happy, who didn’t cause a rift in their family. They’d find someone better.
I sat on the end of my bed, scrolling through the messages they’d each sent me.
Andrew was forever demanding and bossy, while Lucas’s messages started out with more humor and eventually grew frustrated and bossy.
Warren’s were patient and gentle, his concern for me almost palpable.
They were all worried about me. They all missed me. Like I desperately missed them.
Over the sound of everything running in my room, an even louder sound of wood exploding like a bomb hit it filled the room and jerked a scream from me. I stumbled away from the room door that hung off its hinges, not knowing who was coming in through it. Or what.
What I didn’t expect was to see Lucas rubbing his shoulder as he marched in, both of his brothers behind him. I gaped at the three of them, trying to make sense of what I was looking at.
“Happy now? I’ve officially turned into the Hulk for you.” Lucas walked straight to me and dragged me into his chest. “Come here, Cupcake.”
I remained trapped in his arms as Andrew and Warren moved around my room, turning things off and grabbing my bags. “Are you kicking me out? I was leaving. I just need to find a motel...”
Andrew growled. “I’m going to kill Macy.”
Warren stroked my hair and met my gaze. “No, Cupcake. We’re moving you into Andrew’s suite with us so you can’t hide from us. You’re not going anywhere.”
Lucas easily lifted me into his arms and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Not without us.”
“I’m going to fire Jason and cut her off and then kill her.” Andrew stormed out of the room with my bags, but I could still hear him swearing.
Warren groaned. “He’s going to take forever to calm down.”
“No, he won’t. Watch.” Lucas raised his voice. “Andrew, she needs you.”
A second later, Andrew was back, his eyes concerned as he looked me over. Easily pulling me into his own arms, he stroked my hair and stared down at me with so much care that it made me cry. “No, baby, don’t cry. Everything is going to be okay. We’ll make sure of that.”
“Told you.” Lucas went through the room, grabbing anything I’d left behind, while Warren walked out to grab my other bags that Andrew had abandoned. Then, they strode through the resort like they owned the place, Andrew leading the way with me in his arms.
I realized that I still hadn’t said much, but the bursting door had thrown me for a loop.
I looked up at Andrew, still crying, and felt everything in me beg to give myself to him entirely.
To all three of them. They were saving me from the darkness that had been threatening to consume me, and I wanted to give them everything I had left in return.
Andrew walked through his open suite door and carried me straight to the bed, where he crawled in behind me and held me tight. “Don’t you ever disappear on us again.”
Lucas and Warren settled on the bed with us, and they took turns chastising me for leaving them. Then, they took turns holding me and comforting me as I cried. It took a while for me to come down, and when I finally did, they were calmer and ready to talk.
“Why’d you hide from us, Cupcake?” Warren stroked my hair out of my face and sighed. “We were worried sick about you.”
I sat up and scooted up the bed until my back was pressed against the headboard and I could see each of them.
“I knew Milo was going to tell people. I was afraid of what they were going to say. I was afraid of what Macy was going to say. I just...I don’t want to be hated.
I don’t want people to think I’m a freak. ”
Andrew was stern as he looked me over. “You’re not a freak. You’re none of the things that pathetic asshole called you.”
“He said all the things I’d been so worried about.” I gestured between the four of us. “This isn’t normal. I’m not normal.”
Lucas grunted. “Normal is fucking boring. Plus. Our life is no one else’s business. There’s nothing wrong with you and what you want, Cupcake. It’s not the traditional sense of monogamy, but this is monogamous. There’s no one else for us.”
“He’s right. You’re the only person we want to be with.” Warren smiled, creating that familiar warmth in my chest. “Are we wrong in assuming you want the same thing?”
“No. There’s just... I can’t have you. Life doesn’t work that way. Just because I want the three of you doesn’t mean I can have you. There’s Macy. She hates me for this.”
Andrew narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “Our sister is going to have a reality check when her wedding is over.”
“No, she’s right. I went behind her back and hid this from her. I crossed lines that I knew were there. She’s rightfully angry.” I sighed. “I hate it, though. She’s my best friend. She’s always been like a sister to me. But I could see it on her face tonight that she’s done with me.”
“Bullshit. She’s having a moment, but once her wedding is over, that moment is done. She can be mad at us all she wants, but you didn’t do anything wrong.” Andrew saw that I was going to argue and shook his head. “You didn’t do anything. You’re fucking perfect.”
I laughed, the feel of it shocking after days of feeling horrible. “You’re crazy.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just angry at our sister for treating you poorly. I’m angry at myself for not being pro-active. I’m angry that I spent so much time away from you, when I know you were suffering.”
“We all missed you, Cupcake. We’ve gotten used to having you at our side.” Warren leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. “In case you weren’t listening, we want you. Beyond this.”
I bit my lip and looked around at the three of them. “How can that work? Macy hates me. We’re leaving to go back to our normal lives soon. How can any of this work?”
Andrew pulled me into his chest. “We would move mountains for you.”
“It works because we’ll make it work.” Lucas shrugged like it was the easiest thing. “It works because we want you in our lives, and we’re willing to fight for you.”
“Why me?”
Andrew tilted my head back and kissed me. “None of us are sure it wasn’t always you.”
I held my breath as their words sank in. Could it be so easy? I wanted them, they wanted me, and that was enough?
“Oh, and Milo is gone. He somehow managed to shatter his phone and computer into a bunch of little pieces before getting on a plane out of here.” Lucas wagged his eyebrows at me.
“It wasn’t hard to convince him that I know a few biker gangs around that would be interested to know that he came after a woman. ”
I sagged in further relief. “Thank you.”
“Oh, it was my pleasure. I also saw that he had a freshly broken nose. Was that your handiwork, baby?”
“He asked me if I wanted to have some fun with some friends of his.” I shuddered. “People are going to think things like that about me.”
“We don’t think that of you.” Warren took my hand and held it. “We know that we’re a special circumstance.”
“I’m going to kill that little shit, too,” Andrew growled. “What he doesn’t realize is that I can end him without lifting a finger.”
Warren cleared his throat. “What Andrew is trying to say is that Milo isn’t going to be an issue anymore. He retreated with his tail tucked between his legs. And Macy will come around. She’s just having a shitty night. The cake fell through. The baker got sick and didn’t tell anyone until tonight.”
I sat up. “There’s no cake?”
Andrew shook his head. “No. You’re not baking a cake for our ungrateful sister who said mean things to you. She told us what she said. She’s going to have to apologize before she gets cake.”
“I love that you’re standing up for my honor, but baking Macy’s wedding cake has been my dream. Even if she hates me, she deserves the cake of her dreams. I know you don’t understand, but I hurt her. I messed things up. Even if she doesn’t forgive me, I can’t let her suffer, not when I can help.”
“So, what? You’re going to bake a wedding cake? The wedding is in about sixteen hours. Is that enough time?
I cupped Lucas’s face, energy buzzing through my body for the first time since I was last with them. “Oh, I have a lot less time than that. The kitchen will be working breakfast, so I have around six hours in that kitchen, if you can get me access.”
Andrew grumbled. “I can get you access anywhere.”
“Okay. I have to go.”
“I guess we’ll finish this conversation about us later?”
I pressed a kiss into Andrew’s chin and then pulled his face down to mine so I could kiss him on his pouting mouth. “I promise.”
“Fine.”
Warren grinned. “Guess it’s time to bake some cake.”
“It’s great that I managed to get so much sleep last night...” Lucas yawned and stretched. “Said none of the three men in this room who were desperately trying to get their woman back.”
I stretched forward and kissed him. “Sleep now. I’ll be in the kitchen for a while.”
“We’re not leaving you all alone.” He stood up and stretched again. “We’ll help.”
Warren laughed out loud. “Did you see her face? She definitely doesn’t want our help.”
Andrew lifted me off his lap and stood up. “Too bad. The four of us are a team.”
And so we were as we walked down to the kitchen together, preparing to work our butts off to finish a cake good enough to be Macy’s wedding cake.