Chapter 26 #2
Theo pulled away. “No need. It’s already set for three places. I knew you’d come,” he said, sauntering away with a deliberate sway of his hips that drew my eyes downward. “Just make sure you bring Asher to the table when you’re done. He’s too stubborn to accept help when he needs it.”
I walked around the couch and sat next to Asher, our bodies close enough to touch, facing him while he stared at the wall. “You being here doesn’t feel real,” he murmured. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness, your love, your loyalty.”
“You do, Asher. And you have all of that,” I said.
I reached forward and placed my hand on his thigh, hoping I wasn’t hurting him.
It healed something inside me when he didn’t flinch, didn’t wince.
He trusted me completely, even after everything.
“I love you. I shouldn’t have left you. When I walked in on your dad abusing you, I not only heard what you said, how you defended me, but I thought…
I thought we’d lose you. And I was blaming myself for that, and my piece of shit father.
It all started with what he did. If you’d told me what your dad wanted, I would’ve given him the videos without hesitation.
Nothing mattered more to me than you. Getting kicked out of school?
I could’ve lived with that. Losing my reputation?
That too. But losing you… that would’ve destroyed me. ”
My arms ached to pull him close, to offer the comfort of my body against his, but the mottled canvas of his skin warned me away. His neck bore the worst of it—an angry constellation of purple and crimson that disappeared beneath his collar, making me wonder just how far down the damage went.
“I started to pull away in the end, when I knew things would come back to bite me in the ass. I didn’t want to hurt you more, didn’t want to love you more and be hurt when you found out the truth.
So I pulled away, became more distant with my feelings, and tried to act like we were nothing more than coworkers.
But that’s never been true, Beckett. If I could go back, I’d not only tell you sooner, but I’d take all those moments to tell you how I was falling in love with you.
How you changed my life for the better,” Asher explained, his hand reaching out and lying on top of mine.
“I hope we can move forward and still be together. I’m ready to accept it all.
Belong to you and Theo for real, with the whole world knowing. ”
I reached into my back pocket and took out the phone he had given me, handing it to him. “Your dad was your monster, even though he was targeting me. This is something we can handle together,” I said, smiling.
He took the phone and pressed the code in, opening it. He opened the files and scrolled through them, finding names and dates of our work. “God, I can’t believe he’d hold all this information on his own son. That means he had to watch me…while I…” Asher’s face paled.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. He can’t hurt you again. He’s in jail. They have enough evidence, okay?” I reassured him, kissing his cheek where a bruise rested. This time not caused by me, and that angered me. Only I could leave my mark on him.
“Theo hired a lawyer for me to help me deal with the trust and helped us corroborate our story. Dad hadn’t mentioned his phone, but just in case, we said we had no idea where it was. We’ll destroy it together tonight. A new start.”
I nodded . “A new start.”
Asher clicked through the files on the phone, deleting them until they were all clear. “There, just like that, they’re gone.”
“Food’s ready!” Theo called out.
Rising to my feet, I extended my hand to Asher. His fingers wrapped around mine as I gently eased him upright, letting him settle his weight against my side before we made our way to the table together.
There was a beautiful Thanksgiving spread on the dining room table—which we rarely used—full of turkey, mashed potatoes, four-cheese macaroni, rolls, green bean casserole, and even a pie.
It reminded me of my old life, but better, because I had my new family by my side.
Theo filled each of our glasses with wine before settling into his chair. The three of us formed a perfect triangle around the table, our knees almost touching, eyes meeting across the feast.
“I can’t believe where we started and where we’ve ended up, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’re both my home now,” I said, raising my glass to meet theirs with a gentle clink before taking a slow sip of the wine.
Asher tilted his head toward mine, his lips brushing against my ear. “I can’t wait until I’m healed. I have such a surprise for you,” he whispered.
“Dig in!” Theo announced before starting on his food. “We’ve got so much more to do after this. Pie to eat, a movie to watch, and we’re going to play a game.”
Asher groaned. “Please, no more Never Have I Ever.”
“How about spin the bottle?” Theo asked, winking.
Asher laughed and shook his head. “I’ll settle for Uno or Yahtzee.”
“You’ve got a deal.”
“One thing we should probably discuss…what are we going to do for videos in the meantime?” I asked, glancing between them. The knowing look they exchanged told me they’d already had this conversation without me.
“Well, we’re going to pivot for now. All of our videos will be of us until Asher is healed and comfortable enough to return to the camera. You’re sure you want to keep doing this? Someone tried to use it to destroy your life.”
“Yes, I’m sure. I’m not even sure I want to finish college. I love studying, I love learning, and I’ve been asked to resume tutoring next semester, but I think…I want to work in porn creation. Is that crazy?” I asked, biting my lower lip.
“No, it’s not. I think if we put our heads together, we could create a great studio that could help make better porn and focus on education and dialogue. Using porn as a way of storytelling,” Asher said.
Of course, he agreed; he was fantastic at directing, and Theo was great at coming up with stories for us. If we brought in more people and had a full studio setup, we could do something truly unique and revolutionary.
“As long as no one touches either of you,” Theo growled, his voice becoming something I had never heard from him before. “You’re mine.”
“We can run a studio and create our own videos still. Be the first actors for the studio. Don’t worry, baby. No one else will touch us. I’d burn my own skin off if that happened,” I reassured him, and he smiled, going back to eating his food.
“Well, it’s a business! Let’s just…make sure we stay in school for now. If it takes off, we can reevaluate, but we have a year and a half left,” I said.
“Speak for yourselves. I graduate in the middle of next year,” Asher said proudly, a smug smile on his face.
It sparked that desire to academically show him up inside me again.
“I guess my business degree can help us after all. And Beckett, I’m sure your film classes can help with… something,” he said, winking.
I rolled my eyes, not giving in this time to his bait. School had always come easily to me, but the drive to excel was less about the joy of knowledge and more about the rush of outperforming others.
I’d convinced myself I was passionate about academics when, really, I was just hungry for the validation my father withheld unless I brought home perfect grades.
I took a deep, calming breath. “Good. We can combine our knowledge, you’re right.”
“I can’t wait to start a sex business with my boyfriends! Making a living getting paid to get fucked has been my dream, but I wouldn’t want it with anyone else,” Theo said.
I chuckled and shook my head.
The buzzing in my pocket interrupted our planning. I glanced at the screen and saw my mother’s name flashing, her timing impeccable as always. Instead of excusing myself, I answered right there between my boyfriends.
“Where are you and your brothers? It’s Thanksgiving, Beckett!” Her voice had that familiar edge.
Did she not remember what happened last time I was over?
“I’m eating with my boyfriends, Mom. And for a third time…Lucas in in New York, working with Sebastian, Dad’s old business partner.” I rolled my eyes.
Mom scuffed. “He wouldn’t. Dad hates Sebastian. He knows that. And what boyfriends? Nonsense, Beckett; you’re straight.” Her laughter crackled through the phone, dismissing my truth as if I’d told her I could fly.
“Sebastian probably caught Dad stealing—like he does from everyone he works with. Face it, Mom. You’ve already lost your sons.
Your husband’s in jail, and prison is waiting for him.
And Theo and Asher? They’re my family now.
Because whatever this was supposed to be…
it was never a real home.” It felt like a weight had lifted off my chest.
She started to respond, but I ignored every word and hung up on her.
“She really thought we’d be there for Thanksgiving. God, I can’t wait for my dad’s trial in April. I’m only going to go to watch her face when the sentence is handed down. Then, we can celebrate.”
Asher looked at me with a smile. “It was so hot watching you stand up to her. I’d suck your dick if I could get on my knees right now, but my body is a little sore.”
Theo bit his lip and looked at me. “Mine’s not though, so let’s finish this meal and Asher can live through me.” He winked.
“I’m definitely right where I belong. I love you both,” I said, my gaze traveling from one to the other, my eyes saying what words couldn’t quite capture. “Now, let’s eat because I was promised a blowjob.”
***
Asher Montgomery
I couldn’t remember a Thanksgiving that had ever felt this perfect.
The meal Theo’s chef prepared surpassed anything I could have dreamed of making myself—though I had promised to tackle Christmas morning breakfast. For dinner that day, we’d be at his parents’ house, where he planned to finally introduce us as his boyfriends.
One month seemed manageable. For now, my focus needed to be on healing and embracing this new chapter—one where I didn’t have to hide my love for either of my boyfriends anymore.
Beckett’s family already knew, and I had no family to tell.
All that remained was sharing the news with our small circle of friends and making our presence known around campus—though after that Halloween party, rumors had likely already spread.
For the first time in my life, I wasn’t afraid to let the world see who I truly loved.
After making sure all the photos and videos from Dad’s phone were cleared, I logged out of my cloud account and we were ready to smash it. We had a cement balcony with glass walls covering all sides, so no pieces would fall.
Beckett returned to the balcony, hammer in hand. “Found one in that random drawer of stuff,” he said with a half-smile. “Ready to destroy this thing?”
“You should take the first swing,” I offered.
Without hesitation, he positioned himself over the phone, raised the hammer high, and brought it down with a satisfying crack. His face lit up with vindication. “Damn, that was therapeutic.”
The hammer’s weight shifted to my palm as he backed away, giving me space.
My fingers tightened around the handle as I stared down at what remained of the device.
“For every time you chose cruelty over fatherhood,” I said, voice steadier than I expected, “and for trying to destroy what matters most to me.” I brought down the hammer with force, using it as a conduit for the rage I felt.
I passed the hammer to Theo. “And this is for thinking you can hurt the best men I’ve ever known!” Theo yelled before the hammer came down with a crunch of metal and glass, leaving nothing but fragments too small to ever reassemble. “That felt really good, though I wish it was your father’s face.”
Beckett surveyed the electronic confetti scattered across the balcony floor. “Should we clean up this mess now?”
“Later, yeah. Right now, it’s time to throw on a movie—of Theo’s choice, of course—and relax,” I responded.
We headed inside, the glass door clicking shut with a finality that felt symbolic.
Behind us lay the fragments of the past; ahead stretched the promise of something better.
The three of us had mapped out where we were going, built something unbreakable between us, and justice—slow but certain—was finally finding those who had tried to keep us apart.
“Yes. Theo’s choice, because you two pick the weirdest shit,” Theo said teasingly.
“And yet you’re stuck with us forever,” I pointed out, shrugging.
Theo froze mid-step, pivoted with theatrical flair, and flashed that smile that always made my stomach flip before rising slightly to brush his lips against my cheek. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, let me both introduce you to my favorite pink-obsessed female lawyer.”