26. Eli
Eli
“Let’s be real here. We all know this thing with all of us is going to end.”
“I can’t seem to keep a man around. Ever.”
Up until now, I assumed Sienna would be the one to leave.
Now I realize how much we have in common. She’s afraid of being abandoned, just like me.
“I can’t seem to keep a man around. Ever.”
What the hell does that mean?
That Holden guy left her, which is why she came up here in the first place—to get over him. Knox was filling Cash and me in a few days ago. Apparently, the guy proposed to his new girlfriend right in front of Sienna. What an asshole…
“I loved him up until I came here and met the three of you.”
Drunk talks are sober thoughts.
Does that mean she loves us all?
I watch Sienna’s hands as she continues running them over my body, between the grooves of my muscles, over my shoulders. She cradles her hands around the nape of my neck when she’s finished.
Her gaze appears hazy, and when she parts her lips to exhale, I catch the scent of whiskey on her hot breath. Not fucking helping. My cock’s already stirring in my pants, and she still has her clothes on.
I want to fuck her. Feel her walls clamp around my length as she comes. Feel our bodies make promises. Things our mouths can’t quite yet say. How we need each other. How we can’t live without each other.
Most people in my life feel like they can’t live without me. I’m the rock everyone leans on when times are tough. But with Sienna, it feels different.
I know how difficult it is to lean on someone, especially when you’re used to people leaving. It makes it hard to trust. To surrender fully to someone.
But I compare this Sienna to the one I first met and see a huge difference. I wanted her immediately but now it’s for a totally different reason.
Her startling blue eyes caught me off guard at first. Her beauty was larger than life—no fucking wonder she was a Hollywood star. The girl held herself a certain way, like she was a queen or something, and wore that mask like it was life or death. In her line of work, I suppose it was.
But I’m attracted to so many other things about her now. Things that have nothing to do with her being a gorgeous actress.
The way she smiles into her coffee with tired eyes.
The way she dances, lighting up without even realizing it.
The way her smile widens every time Henry walks into the room. Nobody has ever bonded with him that way.
Sienna Lane is her best self when she’s away from the cameras.
And a selfish part of me wants to keep her here, away from Hollywood. They don’t see how amazing she really is, and they definitely don’t deserve her.
“Whoops!” Sienna loses her balance and almost trips over herself.
I grab at her hips, catching her. “We should get you outside for some fresh air. You might feel better.”
Sienna’s eyes come into focus all of a sudden. I know that look and my stomach flips.
“I have to go.”
“Go where?” As if I don’t already know the answer.
Sienna rubs her head. “This has got nothing to do with Holden, I promise.”
“Then what is it? Tell me.”
“I have to make amends in LA. I’ve let a lot of people down.”
I lock my jaw, knowing she can’t go back there. They’ll tear her to shreds. Too much has happened.
“You’re not thinking straight right now, baby.”
“I don’t know about that,” grimaces Sienna. “Sometimes whiskey provides clarity. It got all three of you to admit your feelings, didn’t it?”
“True,” I grit out. “And now I’m admitting them sober—don’t leave, Sienna. Please…”
Her face drops.
“You’re worried about being abandoned. But you’re not the only one. I’ve lost important people too. I know how it feels.”
Sienna bites her lip and looks away.
That’s when I hear footsteps clomping down the hallway. Cash pokes his head in—also shirtless.
Sienna drags her eyes up his torso, eventually meeting his eyes.
As much as I hate the guy for stealing Sienna, hoping to have her alone that first time, I really need his help right now.
“She wants to leave,” I tell Cash.
From what I can tell, Cash’s feelings toward Sienna are very… conflicted.
He’s never told us much about his life, aside from the fact that money destroyed the people closest to him. That’s why he came up here—soul-searching—wanting to get away from everything.
His initial hostility toward Sienna is kind of understandable, but his opinion about her has shifted over the past few days. And that’s interesting. Very interesting.
It means Sienna really does have the power to influence even the most stubborn people.
He doesn’t despise her anymore, and the jealous part of me really wished he did. He’d be one less man to worry about. I’d be one step closer to making Sienna mine.
But the closer I get to her, the more I’m starting to realize that she wants us all. We come as a package deal in her eyes.
“You’re happy here,” states Cash. “Why would you go back there? I know you hate all of that shit, deep down.”
Sienna chews on her lip. “I don’t hate it.”
“You can keep telling yourself that. But you’re lying.” Cash deepens his stare. “That’s what I did for a while.”
“What do you mean?” asks Sienna.
Cash shrugs, resting his hand on the doorframe. “I ignored the warning signs. Told myself things could be different, that I was overthinking.”
Sienna takes a step back, running a hand through her hair—still the most gorgeous shade of brown I’ve ever seen in my life. It looks much better without any product in it, so her natural curls can just take over.
“You said it yourself.” Sienna folds her arms over her chest. “I dragged you into my shit. Things are only gonna get worse.”
Cash shifts his weight in the doorway.
I narrow my eyes, unpacking her words. Worse how? Because it’ll be harder to make amends, to catch up with all her responsibilities? Or because the goodbyes will feel more painful?
“Trust me—those bastards won’t be coming back anytime soon. We made sure of that. It’s assault, what they did—coming up here and invading your personal space.”
I see the wheels spinning in Sienna’s mind as she thinks things through. The whiskey is leaving her system, her eyes returning to normal again. The shade of blue reminds me of the summer sky up here.
It’s a shame she’s not planning to stick around until then. She’d love it up here when everything is in full bloom.
“No.” Sienna shakes her head and escapes before Cash can grab hold of her. “Too much has happened, and I won’t drag Henry and you guys into all of this.”
That’s an excuse if I’ve ever fucking heard one.
I rush out of the room, following her down the hallway. But she’s too quick. I wonder if her being good at running has anything to do with the paparazzi.
“Sienna. Stop running.” I fly through the front door as she rushes out and catch her wrist on the porch before she gets to the stairs.
I flip her around and pin her against the wall. Her eyes are full of hurt, and when I look into them, I start to feel that pain myself.
She’s been carrying it around for years, hiding everything, putting on a brave face for the cameras. She must know she can’t do that forever though. It’s not sustainable.
“You’ve been drinking. You’re not going anywhere.”
The floorboards creak as two more pairs of feet join us. Knox appears behind me, stoic as ever as he assesses Sienna, keeping his thoughts and emotions to himself, as usual.
Cash is watching her too, and I see zero disdain on his face.
Jealousy stabs me in the chest. I think Sienna’s the first woman I’ve ever loved.
But I don’t think I’m alone in my feelings…
I keep Sienna pinned to the wall as another thought washes over me. I’ve been competing with the wrong people.
It was never about Knox and Cash.
My hatred should be with the entertainment industry.
They have Sienna in a chokehold, one so tight she can’t even breathe. She thinks it’s her duty to go back there. Thinks it's what she owes everyone. But if she goes back there, she’ll continue to sacrifice her own happiness for other people’s.
I glance at the two men beside me. This is bigger than jealousy.
I need all the help I can get to stop Sienna from leaving.
We’re stronger when we work together.
I catch Knox’s eye and feel like he’s starting to understand the same thing…
Especially when he starts to remove his shirt.
We come closer to Sienna, closing in on her.
She parts her lips and exhales, and she looks so conflicted.
I take my hands away from the wall now, trusting her not to run.
“Name one thing your career has given you, other than the money.” Cash folds his arms over his chest and waits for Sienna to answer.
But she just stands there, mute. We’re standing inches away from her, shirtless. She’s looking from one naked chest to the next, her mouth starting to gape open.
I catch the sunset behind her, reflected in the window. It has to be one of the best sunsets we’ve had in a really long time.
The sky is alive with so many different colors. Reds. Oranges. Yellows. Pinks. People pay a lot of money to see stuff like this. We see it from our backyard.
This place has always been enough for me. Living here, raising Henry, cooking homemade food that I’ve grown, and enjoying life with two men I view as brothers. I’ve never felt like anything was missing.
Until Sienna showed up.
Knox steps forward. “Leave. Right now. I dare you.”
My cock throbs in my pants. I need to bend her over. Right. Fucking. Now. I want to taste her wetness on the tip of my tongue. Feel how much she wants us.
“Do it.” I close in, knowing full well she won’t be going anywhere.
Not when I can see her nipples pressing hard against the thin shirt she’s wearing. They’re begging to be touched. Squeezed. Sucked. She wants it all. Her cheeks only turn that shade of pink when she’s horny.
“Don’t let us stop you.” Cash leans in and trails a finger along her jaw. “We won’t get in your way.” He drops the finger after running it over her face, stepping back. “Trouble is, Sienna, I think you get in your own way.”
“I’m—” she begins.
“You’re wet,” growls Knox. “I can smell it on you.”
Sienna makes a little gasp, causing my cock to tingle.