15. James
15
JAMES
I throw on my boxers and glance over at Bianca. She's slipping into my t-shirt, the hem brushing against her thighs in a way that makes me want her all over again. We've been at it for hours, but the urge to have her once more already gnaws at me. She grabs the remote and plops down on the couch, patting the spot next to her with a playful smile.
“What’re we watching?” I ask, joining her.
“Something mindless,” she says, scrolling through Netflix. “Got any suggestions?”
“Not a rom com,” I say. “I’d rather eat nails.”
She laughs, settling on an action movie. “This good?”
“Perfect,” I say, pulling her close. The scent of her hair mingles with the lingering smell of sex in the room. It’s intoxicating, making it hard to focus on anything else.
I try to focus on the movie, but my thoughts keep drifting. The way she fits against me feels so natural, like she’s always belonged here. I shake off the nostalgia and turn my attention back to the screen, determined to enjoy this moment.
Bianca gets up to go to the bathroom, and my eyes follow her every move. The sway of her hips is hypnotic, and I can't help but admire how she still has that effortless allure. Damn, she’s still got it.
Her phone lights up on the table, catching my attention. Curiosity tugs at me, and I lean over to glance at the screen. It’s a text from Alex.
Alex: “Are you free tonight? Liam and I have something planned for you.”
My blood boils as I stare at the screen. Alex’s text is casual, too fucking casual. She never mentioned she was seeing them too. The bathroom door creaks open, and she saunters back, looking relaxed and satisfied.
"Why the hell didn’t you tell me you’re seeing Alex and Liam too?"
She freezes, eyes wide. “James, I?—”
"Don't," I snap. "You’ve been fucking them while seeing me? What the hell, Bianca?"
She opens her mouth, but I cut her off. "You didn’t think I’d find out? Damn it, Bia, I thought we had something real here."
Her shoulders sag as she sits down, guilt and resignation on her face. "I didn’t plan it like this. It just... happened."
"Just happened?" I scoff. "You ghosted us back in college because you couldn’t handle saying goodbye, and now you're playing us against each other again?"
"No!" She shakes her head vigorously. "It’s not like that."
"Then what’s it like? Enlighten me."
She takes a deep breath, her eyes locking onto mine. “We’re working together and they were angry, so I thought that--”
“So, you thought screwing all of us was the solution?”
Her jaw tightens. “It’s complicated.”
"Uncomplicate it," I say, leaning in closer, my voice low but firm. "Either you're with me or with them. You can't have it both ways."
"James," she whispers, tears brimming in her eyes.
“No,” I cut her off. “Choose now: me or them.”
She hesitates, looking torn, but that just pisses me off more.
My thoughts are all over the place. I'm fucking pissed that Liam and Alex would be fucking her when they clearly saw her at my place. They're obviously fucking with me, trying to get back at me for dropping them all those years ago.
Bianca shakes her head, her eyes dropping to the floor. She sits down on the couch, silent for a moment. I can see her gathering her thoughts, the weight of what she’s about to say pressing down on her shoulders.
“James,” she begins, looking up at me with those big, expressive eyes. “I have feelings for all three of you again.”
I stare at her, my heart pounding in my chest. “What?”
“I can’t choose just one,” she continues, her voice steady but her hands trembling. “It’s not fair to any of us.”
“Not fair?” I scoff. “You think this is fair to me? To them?”
She sighs, running a hand through her braids. “I know it’s messy, but that’s how I feel. Seeing you all again... it brought everything back.”
“So what? You want us to just share you like before?” My tone is sharper than I intend, but I can’t help it.
Bianca’s eyes lock onto mine, hope and desperation flickering in them. “Would you ever be friends with them again?”
I shake my head, the question pulling at old wounds. “It’s not that simple, Bianca.”
“Why not?” She leans forward, her hand reaching for mine but stopping short. “Liam and Alex are still fine with sharing me. They love it.”
“It’s more complicated than that,” I say, the words tasting bitter. “We didn’t just fall apart because of you. We had our own issues.”
“Couldn’t you just try?” she pleads, her voice soft but insistent.
I lean back, running a hand through my hair. The room feels too small, too suffocating. “You don’t get it. We were supposed to start a company together. We had plans, dreams...”
“And you think they’ve forgotten that?” she asks, her tone sharper now.
“They haven’t,” I admit. “But it’s not just about business. It’s about trust. You left, and it felt like everything crumbled.”
Her eyes soften again, and she reaches out to touch my arm. “James, I know I messed up back then. But things are different now. We’re older, we’ve grown.”
I scoff, pulling away slightly. “Different? You think just because we’re older everything’s magically fixed?”
“No,” she says firmly. “But we can try to fix it now.”
I look at her, really look at her, and see the sincerity in her eyes. She means it. But can I? Can we?
I get up and pace the room, running a hand through my hair, trying to make sense of this chaos. There's got to be a way to salvage our situation. I stop and face Bianca, feeling the weight of my decision.
“Alright, here’s the deal,” I say, crossing my arms and meeting her gaze head-on. “If you can get Liam and Alex on board with this... arrangement, then I’m in. But if they’re not, you’re gonna have to choose.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “You mean it?”
“I mean it,” I say, nodding firmly. “But don’t think this is easy for me.”
She nods slowly, processing my words. “I understand.”
“Good,” I say, grabbing my clothes from the floor. “I need some air.”
She watches me as I pull on my jeans and sweatshirt, her eyes lingering on me, but she stays silent.
“I’m serious, Bianca,” I continue, slipping into my shoes. “If you can’t make this work with all three of us, then you’ll have to decide who you really want.”
“I will,” she says softly. “I promise.”
I give her one last look, my eyes searching hers for any sign of doubt, before heading for the door. “I’ll see you around.”
As I walk out of Bianca's apartment, the cool night air hits me like a slap. My thoughts whirl, refusing to settle. There's no way in hell Liam and Alex will agree to share her with me again. They’ll never go for it. This whole thing will implode before it even starts.
I head to my car, my hands shoved deep into my pockets. It's like just yesterday that everything seemed simpler. But now? Everything’s a mess.
Bianca has thrown everything off balance again. Seeing her was like a punch to the gut, but a part of me can’t deny how much I've missed her. Yet here I am, caught between old friends and old flames.
I sit in my car, hands gripping the steering wheel like it's the only thing keeping me anchored. The cool leather feels good against my sweaty palms, but my mind's a mess. How did I let it get this far? Seeing Alex and Liam’s names on Bianca’s phone was like a punch to the gut.
My head’s spinning with too many thoughts. Bianca said she had feelings for all of us, but what does that even mean? She’s playing with fire, and we’re all getting burned.
Liam and Alex are going to laugh in her face when she suggests this arrangement. They’ve never been ones to share nicely unless it was back then with Bianca. It worked because we were all wrapped up in the novelty of it, but now? It’s different.
My thoughts keep drifting back to that night at the bar when I saw her again for the first time. The way she looked at me, like no time had passed. The way my body reacted, like muscle memory kicking in. I was an idiot to think it would be simple.
I pound the steering wheel with my fist. “Damn it!” My voice echoes in the car, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.
How can she expect us to just pick up where we left off? She ghosted us without a word, leaving us all hanging like fools. And now she thinks we can just share her again?
Liam and Alex will never agree to share her with me again. It's going to make Bianca choose—something she should’ve done years ago when she ghosted us without a word.
And if she doesn’t choose... maybe it’s time to say goodbye for good this time. No more lingering hopes or what-ifs.
But fuck, that thought stings more than anything else right now.