38 Ryan
Frankie’s exhausted by the time she and Christian get home, so we decide to just order pizza and have a movie night.
She curls into my side as the movie plays, her head resting against my shoulder. At some point, her feet end up in Christian’s lap, and he absently starts rubbing small circles into her foot like it’s muscle memory.
Jamie’s on the floor, sitting with his back against the couch right in front of her, knees drawn up, arms resting loosely over them. She sighs and drapes her hand over his shoulder, and he catches it without thinking, idly playing with her fingers.
My breath catches for a second when it hits me- this is real. All of us, here. Together.
Frankie doesn’t last long. Her breathing evens out, soft and deep, her body going slack against me. I glance at Christian, then down at her.
Without saying a word, we all move.
Christian carefully untangles the blanket from her legs. Jamie’s already on his feet, heading down the hall to open her bedroom door. I scoop her up, loving the way she instinctively curls closer, even in her sleep.
It’s a tight squeeze, all of us in her bedroom, but we work together. I lay her down gently. Jamie pulls the covers up around her. Christian brushes her hair back from her face.
Then we all just… stand there for a second, watching her sleep.
Jamie clears his throat. “Okay, yeah. This is creepy.”
That breaks it. Christian huffs out a quiet laugh, already turning toward me. “Beer?”
“Yeah,” I say.
We drift back into the living room.
Jamie drops onto the couch and I take the chair. Christian disappears into the kitchen and comes back with three beers, handing one to me. Then he turns to Jamie, holding another bottle out.
Then his eyes go wide.
“Shit, I’m sorry.”
Jamie shakes his head. “Don’t worry.”
“Fuck. I- I’ll be right back.”
Christian turns and heads back into the kitchen.
“Is it cool if I drink? I don’t need to-” I start but Jamie’s already shaking his head.
“It’s fucking fine. This is my thing, not yours.”
Christian walks back in with two bottles of water. He sits down next to Jamie and hands him one.
“I’m really, really proud of you,” he says simply.
Jamie looks away, cracking the cap. “Yeah, well. I’m sorry I was so fucked up for so long.” He exhales. “I just felt… lost, I guess. Sounds stupid, but it’s the best I’ve got.”
“I don’t think that’s stupid,” I say. “I think we all were.”
Then a comfortable silence settles.
We used to do this a lot. Before.
After Frankie went to bed, we’d often sit over on Christian’s side of the duplex, drinking, watching TV, talking.
In some ways it feels the same, but as I glance over and Christian takes Jamie’s hand, it becomes clear just how different things are now.
“I can’t believe I never saw it,” I say.
“I can. We weren’t broadcasting it. I mean, we kind of didn’t even understand,” Jamie mutters. “It’s fucking insane. Makes no sense.”
Christian chuckles. “Wow. So romantic.”
I laugh but notice that Jamie doesn’t pull his hand away. If anything, he leans closer to Christian, settling into the couch.
There’s something that’s been bugging me all day and I decide to just bring it up.
“Can I ask you guys something?”
They both look at me, waiting.
“Are you sure about Frankie?” I ask. “Like- really sure?”
Jamie frowns. “What?”
“I mean…” I exhale, trying to find the right way to say it without making it worse. “She just let us back in. All of us. And if this turns into you two deciding you just want each other…” I shake my head. “That would wreck her.”
Christian answers without hesitation. “It won’t.”
I look at him, needing a little more than just that statement to ease my nerves.
“I meant what I said- this only happened because she’s here. Without her, I don’t think we work.”
I look at Jamie, who shrugs. “It’s all fucking weird, and I don’t understand it, but yeah. I want- need- both of them.”
I hold his gaze for a second, then nod slowly. “Okay. I just needed to hear it.”
There’s a brief pause, the weight of it settling, before Jamie lets out a soft scoff.
“And just so we’re clear- I have zero interest in you.”
I bark out a laugh. “Good to know.”
“I’m serious,” he goes on, leaning back. “I don’t know if we’re ever doing, like… all of us together. I mean, if she wants it, fine. Probably be hot.” He shrugs. “But me and you? Not happening.”
“Message received,” I say, chuckling as I take another drink.
Jamie studies me for a second, then says, “So, you two have been here for weeks. How far have things gone? How far behind are we?”
Christian looks at him like he’s lost his mind. “What the fuck? It’s not a race to have sex with her.”
“What- oh shit, no,” Jamie says immediately, scrubbing a hand over his face. “That’s not what I meant. I mean- yeah, I wanna know, but not like that. Forget it.”
I shake my head, smiling. “It took a while for her to open up about anything. Honestly, until a few days ago, we were basically friendly strangers who cuddled at night. And she said it didn’t feel right going further until she figured things out with you two.”
Christian tilts his head slightly. “Then what did I hear last night?”
I huff out a laugh. “You heard a fun-for-her, frustrating-for-me trip to second base.”
Jamie laughs.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing,” he says, still grinning. “Just… sounds like you were the only one under this roof who didn’t get off last night.”
Christian shoves him lightly, and I roll my eyes.