41. Corey
41
COREY
T he knock at Seth's door sends my heart into my shoes. Donovan shoots me a look from his spot on the leather couch, while Seth heads to answer it.
"Need another drink?" Seth asks, pausing at the door.
"I'm good." My glass is still full, untouched since I poured it twenty minutes ago. The ice has melted, watering down the expensive brandy.
The door opens and there she is. I’m breathless at the sight of her. Abbie stands in the doorway, looking uncertain but determined. She's wearing her shift clothes that manage to hug her curves in all the right places. Her curly hair falls loose around her shoulders, and I fight against the desire to cross the room and take her in my arms.
"Come in," Seth says softly, stepping aside.
"Thanks." Her voice is quiet but steady as she enters.
Relief floods through me. Part of me was convinced she wouldn't show, that the mess with Chandler had scared her off for good. But here she is. Thank god.
"Hey." I stand, wanting to go to her but holding myself back.
"Hi." She meets my eyes briefly before glancing at Donovan.
"Have a seat," Seth gestures to the empty armchair. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"Wine, if you have it."
Seth heads to the bar while Abbie perches on a chair, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. The tension in the room is thick enough to cut with a knife.
"Thank you for coming," I say. "We... I needed to see you."
"Chandler talked to me," she says. "He apologized."
"I know. He told me." I take a breath. "But that's not why we asked you here tonight."
Seth returns with her wine. She takes a small sip, those hazel eyes darting nervously between the three of us.
"We need to talk," Donovan says. "About everything."
Seth leans back against the bar, his shoulders dropping as he watches her. The way his eyes soften when she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear - I've known him long enough to recognize that look. He's completely taken with her.
Donovan's no better. His jaw tightens every time she shifts in her seat, like he's physically restraining himself from going to her. The hungry gleam in his eyes reminds me of how he looked at her that night at dinner, right before everything went to hell.
"Abbie. I know this situation is... complicated."
She chuckles softly, taking another sip of wine. The movement draws all our attention to her lips.
"That's one way to put it."
Seth moves closer, perching on the arm of the couch. His fingers drum against his thigh - a nervous tell I haven't seen since college. "We've all been thinking about you."
"A lot," Donovan adds, his voice dropping to that low rumble that made her melt in my hallway.
The air feels charged, electric. I watch her chest rise and fall with quickened breaths. She's affecting all of us just as much as we're affecting her.
My best friends - my most trusted confidants - both want her as badly as I do. The realization should bother me more than it does. Instead, it feels right. Natural. Like pieces clicking into place. And I'm shocked as hell.
"Chandler and I talked too," I say, breaking the heavy silence. "He gave me his blessing, for what it's worth."
Abbie's eyebrows lift. "Really?"
"Our relationship has always been... strained." The words are bitter in my mouth. "I didn't know about him until he was twelve. His mother kept him from me, then dumped him on my doorstep when she couldn't handle him anymore."
"That must have been difficult," She says softly.
"I tried my best, but I had no idea how to be a father. Especially to a teenager who resented me for not being there." I take a long drink. "He acted out. Partied. Spent my money like water. I enabled it because I felt guilty."
"Still does," Seth mutters.
I shoot Seth a silencing look. "I know what kind of boyfriend he was to you." My hands clench. "He treated you the way he treats everything - carelessly, without thought for consequences. And most of it was my fault."
"He was young," Abbie says, but there's a tightness around her eyes.
"So were you." Donovan's voice is gentle. "But you were trying to build a future while he was destroying his."
"The point is," I continue, "Chandler admitted he messed up with you. Said it wasn't fair to stand in the way of whatever... this is."
"And what exactly is this?" She gestures between the four of us.
"Something none of us expected," Seth says. "But something we all want to explore."
"If you're willing," I add quickly. "No pressure. We just... we need you to know where we stand."
Abbie takes another sip of wine, considering us. The silence stretches, but I need to wait. To let her process.
Finally, she sets her wine glass down, her fingers trembling. "That's... that's all fine. But I can't choose between you. Don't ask me to do that, please."
My heart skips. I study Seth and Donovan, seeing my own surprise mirrored in their expressions.
"Each of you..." She takes a shaky breath. "I'm drawn to each of you differently. Corey, you make me feel safe and cherished. Seth, you bring out this playful side I didn't know I had. And Donovan..." Her cheeks flush. "You awaken something wild in me. And god help me, I’m attracted to all three of you, obviously."
The room feels too small, too hot. Her words sink into my skin like brands.
"This is completely new territory for me." She wraps her arms around herself. "I've never felt this way about one man, let alone three. I have no idea what to do."
"Abbie..." I start, but she shakes her head.
"How would this even work? What would people think? What would Chandler think? I mean, one of you is his father, another his godfather..." She runs her fingers through her curls. "And I'm just some inexperienced bartender who can't seem to stop thinking about any of you."
The vulnerability in her voice makes my chest ache. I want to go to her, to pull her into my arms and tell her everything will be okay. But I can't make that promise. Not yet.
"I don't know what to do," she whispers again, looking between us with those wide hazel eyes.
Seth leans forward, his eyes intense. "We do. We share you."
I heave a sharp sigh. Leave it to Seth to just put it out there. But he's right - it's the only solution that makes sense.
"Corey and I..." Seth glances at me. "We had our moments in college. Sharing. It worked then just fine."
I start to sweat just thinking about the memories. Those wild nights when we were young and exploring boundaries. I never thought we'd be here again, especially not with someone like Abbie.
"I can't speak for Donovan's take on it, but-"
"Any chance I get to be around her, I'm down." Donovan's deep voice cuts through Seth's explanation. His eyes lock onto Abbie, dark with promise. "No question."
Her cheeks flush deep red. She takes another sip of wine, a small smile spreading across her lips. The silence stretches as she processes our proposition.
"I..." She sets down her glass carefully. "This is a lot, guys. I need to think about it."
"Of course," I say quickly, not wanting to pressure her. "Take all the time you need."
"We'll be here," Seth adds softly.
Donovan nods his agreement, though I can see the tension in his jaw. He wants an answer as badly as we all do, but he knows better than to push.
Here's hoping Abbie's on board.