Uncut (Unexpected Book 4) (36 page)

“My sexuality?” I finish the sentence for him. “No. They don’t support me. I’m Catholic, so you can imagine the amount of support my church will give me if I tell them that I like to make love to women but also be fucked by men.” Then I tap my temple. “I have my own set of issues, but I’m working on them.”

“TMI, dude,” Jacob blurts.

“As disturbing as it is to listen to that information,” Gabe says, smiling widely, “I like to think of it as karma, Christian, for all the uninvited information you’ve provided me throughout the years.”

“I was educating you, college boy.” The man smirks at his husband. “Tell you what, let’s head home later and I’ll teach you how great I can be as a bottom, but then you let me top all night.”

Jacob and AJ make gagging noises, and Christian turns back to me. “I hope your parents learn to accept you. If not, it's their loss. From now on you have us as your family too.”

Months ago that sentence would have bugged me. I’m of the idea that families aren't necessary to survive. Today I'm relieved to know that Matt’s family accepts me, and that they helped us with Thea. They matter a lot to him.

Matthew: She's showering. Do you want to come upstairs?

Cooperson: How is she?

Matthew: Troubled, but better. We need to discuss her living arrangements—today.

Cooperson: After I finish talking with her. I’m on my way.

My heart has a little ache pulsating along with its regular beat. It increases when I leave the bathroom and find Tristan sitting on top of the already-made bed. His palms rest on top of his thighs, his left foot taps lightly against the wood floor. My head matches the tapping tempo, as I avoid his eyes.

Matt and I agreed to things but the biggest thing I’m yet to agree to is doing it with two of them. Whoa, hold your horses there. It sounds like you’re jumping in bed and letting them both straddle you. No wonder you’re freaking out right now. It hits me why all those thoughts playing inside my head while showering almost made me puke. Sex. I glide my hand up and down my upper arm.

“Thea?” His sad voice calls to me and it’s so unsettling that I let out a whimper. “What’s wrong?”

“Me.”

He scratches the back of his ear, and his green eyes have that crinkle to them that’s only for me. Yes, I love him too. That ache? It’s because I want more than anything for our love to happen, to become as real as the sun on a cloudy day. You don’t see it, but it’s right behind the clouds warming up the entire world.

I scratch the floor with my toes, wanting to find out exactly what he said to them. “You told them about my childhood.”

“Sorry. You were dry-heaving and not wanting us to be near you. That whispering hurtful voice begging us not to touch you.” The sudden silence makes me look up and I see anguish in his eyes. “I wanted to hold you so badly, to let you know that no one will ever do anything to you—that you’re not alone.”

The pieces of my heart continue melting as they’ve done since Matt and I spoke, and some of them begin to absorb each other. Those shattered pieces aren’t from yesterday, but from childhood years when I needed a goodnight kiss or a hug. The question of this being a wise move ticks like a clock attached to a bomb. My logical side screams
fix me
before I take many more steps with them.

“There’s more I have to learn about myself before . . .” I lose the words.

“Thea?” He walks toward me and puts his arms protectively around me. “I’ll be whatever and whoever you want me to be. The only condition I ask is that you don’t push me out of your life. Matt and I love you, and no matter how long it takes, we’ll make this work.”

Being back in his arms feels so good. “I want you and Matt in my life.” I hug him hard because I know that by doing so, promising to be with Matt too, he’s already pushing his hard limit. Matt wouldn’t take him if we’re to become a closet couple—would he? Searching for an answer I decide that for now that isn’t important. At least not today. “I’m no longer running from my past, but I won’t be telling all yet. Can you accept that for now?”

“We’re all compromising, Butterfly, taking it a day at a time.” I mumble a yes on his chest.

“Of course, I have to work on myself too. The breakdowns don’t happen often but . . . it was everything.” I crank my neck and stare at him for a moment. “Even the stench of alcohol played a role in yesterday’s episode. Honestly, I doubt I can go back to work tonight.”

He releases me, and rubs his face with both hands. Uh-oh. Are they firing me?

“They raided the place. The
fans
.” He clears his throat. “Reed saved the guitars, but the booze, the rest of the equipment, and the Deckers’ stuff is all gone.”

My stuff, my apartment.

“Matt’s brother-in-law was able to get inside and retrieve some of your stuff,” he continues. “The insurance has to assess the damage. He’s working with them to let him pack all your belongings today.”

“Where am I supposed to live?” I go into self-preservation mode, thinking about the possibilities. My appointment with the realtor isn’t until Monday. This weekend I was going to look for a car and get the information about getting a driver’s license. “Wait a second. Pria, she offered her home.”

Tristan walks to the door, opens it, and yells, “Matthew, we need you.”

It doesn’t take long before Matthew storms inside the room, Pria and AJ behind. Jacob watches from the hallway. All eyes are on me, and I’m feeling crowded.

“What’s going on?” I ask, taking a few steps back finding my own space.

“We thought you needed help, or something?” AJ speaks, then points at Tristan. “He sounded desperate.”

The three-ring circus is complete, as the gray-eyed scary man from yesterday saunters into the room. “Good, everyone is here. I have a two-hour window to pack and get everything out starting in thirty minutes.” He turns to look at Matt. “Chris and Gabe are already printing their spreadsheet, so I guess at least one of them is going.” His focus is now on his wife. “I have to be there, so you and Gracie need to stay behind. The rest are going to help pack.”

What? It’s my place. Who gave him the right to organize my own move?

“Hey, wait a second,” I call, while he’s still ogling his wife.

He turns around and today he isn’t as intimidating. That half foot he has over me isn’t as bad . . . Well, a little more than half foot, but still. That’s my home he’s talking about, and I’m not going to be kept away.

“Right, you’re the coordinator of this entire operation. After all, they are your belongings.” He then stretches his hand. “Mason Bradley. Sorry about yesterday. I wish we could’ve done things better.”

I shrug.

“Where am I going to live?”

“Here,” Matt offers.

“I wish that my old house was empty,” AJ mentions at the same time. “The renters are there until the end of January.”

“February,” Mason corrects her. “Dad’s old apartment?”

“Here is fine,” Matt insists.

“Not staying here, sorry. How much is the rent of that apartment, Mr. Bradley?” I ask Mason.

“I’ll have to ask him, but I doubt he’ll charge you much,” Mason says, smiling at me. “It is Mason, not sir or mister, and I’ll send him a message and let you know. We have to turn on the utilities and make sure it’s all working too. Maybe over the weekend you can stay here. Let’s go, people, we don’t have much time to evacuate that building as the insurance processors don’t want us to interrupt their work.”

The Decker patriarchs stay behind with AJ and the baby. In two cars we all head to my apartment. During the ride I learn that Mason has been part of the family for longer than I assumed. He’s the son of Dreadful Soul’s old bodyguard. A man who at some point decided to only be Chris’s security detail but coordinated the security for the entire band. Irony repeatedly slaps me in the face as I learn more and more details about this family. It gives me insight into my father’s past. Maybe that bodyguard can tell me who my father once was. Perhaps he met my mother too. Were they ever good, loving people? I think that’s the answer I want to know the most.

“S
unday dinner?” Matt asked earlier today.

“We have this tradition where the Deckers gather every Sunday. AJ brings her family, Jacob brings Pria, and I want to bring the two of you.”

I’m considering it, when Tristan says, “Of course, babe, we’ll go with you.”

Scrunching my nose, I cross my arms. Tristan flinches. “Sorry, it’s just that it really matters to him. Before, when I was an asshole, we fought a lot about it.” Instead of giving him a hard time, I kiss him.

“This,” I say, pointing at the three of us, “we have yet to discuss. Between moving my belongings from my old apartment to what’ll be my new place in a couple of days, we haven’t said anything about it. Make sense of what’s next.”

They both look at each other and then back at me. Matt cocks an inquisitive eyebrow at Tristan who nods.

Matt takes a step forward, then lifts my chin connecting our gazes. “Next . . . we continue our relationship. We’ve been together without a title for quite some time. It’s been an unconventional relationship where the three of us have come together and molded into each other’s lives.”

Tristan takes my hand. “There’s a big love between the three of us that we’ll nourish while we grow this relationship and are able to take further steps. Like being intimate, living together . . . one day at a time, Butterfly.” He trails kisses along my palm and arm. “You belong to us, we belong to you.”