Chapter 17
seventeen
. . .
Wick
I rubbed at my temples and tried to focus on the mind-numbing budget report in front of me. But it was a losing battle. My thoughts were consumed by the earth-shattering revelations of the past week—sweat-drenched skin, breathy moans and the slap of flesh on flesh. Meghan trembling beneath me, her face awash in ecstasy. Marco on his knees, those sinful lips stretched around my cock, his throat working as he swallowed me down. The three of us in Meghan’s bed, a writhing mess of heat and desire, lost in a pleasure so intense it bordered on pain.
Fuck.
I adjusted myself under the desk, my cock already rigid. I couldn’t afford to let my personal life bleed into my professional one. I had a job to do, a company to help run. Responsibilities that didn’t give a damn about the fact that my deepest, darkest desires had been dragged to the surface.
It was hard to compartmentalize when my entire world had been turned upside down. I’d spent years burying my feelings for Meghan, convinced that acting on them would be a betrayal of Emmett’s trust. And I’d never even let myself acknowledge my attraction to men.
Now though, everything was different. I’d opened doors I could never close again. And as terrifying as it was to confront the truth, part of me felt liberated. Like I was seeing myself clearly for the first time in my life.
I stood up from my desk, unable to concentrate on the spreadsheets and reports. My mind was too full. I needed a change of scenery, something to jolt me out of this endless spiral of thoughts and what-ifs.
Almost without thinking, I headed for the elevator, jabbing the button for the Special Projects floor. It was quieter down there, the hum of activity muted by the thick glass walls of the meeting rooms and collaborative spaces. A good place to clear my head, get some perspective.
As I stepped out into the hallway, my eyes landed on a familiar figure hunched over one of the high-top tables in The Common.
Carter Cassidy.
Before I knew what I was doing, I crossed the room to his table, pulling out the chair across from him. Carter looked up. His gray eyes narrowed as he took me in. “Wick. What brings you down here?”
I shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. Sure, we had drinks from time to time, but Carter and I never talked about anything more than work and sports. Yet something compelled me to push past the awkwardness and forge ahead. “I was hoping I could talk to you about something,” I said, my voice sounding strained even to my own ears. “Something personal.”
Carter’s expression shifted from annoyance to wariness. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not really the heart-to-heart type,” he said. “You should find Emmett. He’s all about that touchy-feely shit.”
“I can’t talk to Emmett about this. And I just…need to get it out .”
There was an awkward silence as Carter gave me an appraising look. Then, finally, he let out a heavy sigh and uncrossed his arms. “All right,” he said grudgingly.
I nodded, feeling a rush of gratitude and relief. “Thank you. I know this is asking a lot.”
Carter just grunted, but there was a softening around his eyes that gave me the courage to continue. I took a deep breath. “I fucked Callie’s best friend, Marco.” The words tumbled from my lips before I could lose my nerve. “And Meghan, Emmett’s sister. Together. At the same time.”
Carter’s eyebrows shot up. To his credit, he didn’t look disgusted or appalled. Just surprised, and perhaps a little impressed. “Damn,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“Yeah, neither did I.”
“Okay. That’s a lot to unpack. Tell me more.”
The words gushed out like a dam had burst. I told him about the years of hiding my feelings for Meghan, the electric tension with Marco I couldn’t seem to resist. The shame and confusion warring inside me. “I don’t know what to do,” I admitted. “I’ve never felt this way before. About a woman and a man. It’s tearing me apart.”
Carter was quiet for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was gentle but firm. “Wick, there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re not broken or confused. You’re bisexual. Who gives a shit?”
I blinked, stunned at his simple assessment .
“So, what does this mean? Are you guys, like...together now?”
“I don’t know. It’s all so fucking complicated.”
Carter nodded slowly. “I get it, man. It’s a lot to process. But for what it’s worth, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with what happened. You can’t help who you’re attracted to, and as long as everyone involved is on the same page, I say go for it.”
I frowned and picked at a loose thread on my cuff. “You don’t think it’s...I don’t know, fucked up? That I want them both?”
“Nah, man. Love is love. Or lust, or whatever this is. The heart wants what it wants.” Carter shrugged. “I say hold on to the people you love with everything you’ve got. You never know when you’ll lose them for good.”
There was a story there, I could tell. But I didn’t press. Carter had already given me more than I could repay. Something had loosened in my chest, a knot of tension I hadn’t even realized I’d been carrying. Maybe Carter was right. Maybe it was okay to want this, to explore it, to see where it might lead.
“Thanks, brother. I appreciate you listening. And not judging. Honestly, Meghan and I were kind of inevitable but Marco…” I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts. “Definitely did not see myself fucking Marco.”
“You fucked Marco?”
The sound of my best friend’s voice from behind me had my face paling and my blood turning cold. I turned to face Emmett. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to hear you tell Carter Cassidy , of all people—no offense—that you’re banging my wife’s best friend. What the hell, man?”
“Emmett, listen,” I began, my voice shaky. “I just needed to get some things off my chest and I wasn’t sure how you’d take it. ”
“Wick, what made you think I’d give a fuck if you were into dudes? I mean, I’m a little surprised it’s Marco. I always assumed you hated him. I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I have had to assure Callie that you didn’t. Now I won’t be lying, at least. Honestly, I would have expected you to be into someone more like Carter here. I bet you two would have some hot sex.”
Carter ducked his head to hide his smirk. Dick.
“Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?”
Emmett simply shrugged—truly unbothered by the conversation we were having. But I was bothered. And if he only knew the other half…or, third, I supposed.
“This is great actually. Double dates!” Emmett gave me two thumbs up, and I could have pummeled him in that moment. I was not in the mood for his dorky, happy-go-lucky attitude.
“No. Absolutely not. No double dates.”
His face fell. “Why not? One-time thing? Not surprising.” He turned to Carter. “They’re both big-time commitment-phobes.”
Carter looked like it was taking every ounce of restraint he had to keep in his laugh. My hackles rose. “No, it’s just...new, okay? Back off.”
Emmett threw his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry.”
“And don’t tell Callie.”
“Come on, Wick. You know that’s not going to happen. She’s my wife.”
“And I’m your best fucking friend.”
“Sorry, brother. Wife trumps best friend.”
“Ah, how the mighty have fallen.”
“Thanks, Carter. Very helpful.”
He simply shrugged and returned his attention to his laptop .
I blew out a breath and ran a hand through my hair. This whole situation was a fucking mess. I didn’t know how to begin processing my feelings for Meghan and Marco, let alone trying to explain them to Emmett. Especially when he was still unaware of his sister’s involvement.
Fuck, that’s going to be a hard conversation.
“Look, just give me some time, okay? I need to figure this out before the whole world knows my business.” I gave Emmett a pleading look.
He put his hands in his pockets and studied me for a long moment. “Alright, man. I get it. I won’t say anything to Callie. Yet.” He pointed a finger at me “But you know I can’t keep secrets from her for long.”
“I know. And I appreciate you giving me some space on this. It’s just complicated right now.”
Fucking understatement of the century.
Emmett clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Well, when you’re ready to talk about it, I’m here. No judgment. I just want you to be happy, brother.”
His words touched me more than I expected. It was nice to know my best friend had my back, but he was sure to change his tune when he found out about Meghan. I just had to find the right way to tell him.
“Thanks, Em. That means a lot.”
“Anytime. But I meant what I said about double dates!” He grinned, shouting over his shoulder as he made his way down the hall toward Callie’s office. “You, me, Callie, and Marco. It’ll be a party!”
“Oh, fuck off.” Leave it to Emmett to find the humor in my romantic crisis .
Carter glanced up from his laptop with a wry smirk. “You’re in for some interesting times ahead, Wick. Buckle up, buttercup.”
“Thanks for the stellar advice, Cassidy. Don’t you have work to do?” I flipped him the bird, but there was no heat behind it. As uncomfortable as this whole conversation was, I was grateful to have friends I could confide in. Even if one of them was a snarky asshole who took far too much pleasure in my personal drama.