Taking a deep breath, I let it out and sit back. “It’s over.” Relief washes over me then. Knowing one less predator is out there makes me feel better. The fact he was related to me makes me sick to my stomach.
“Carter, you need to get out of your head,” Bennett tells me, settling on the sofa beside me. It’s been a long while since we’ve really talked. Our emotions have been all over the place, but when I look at him, I realize we’ll all be together soon enough.
“Once Ella has healed, I want us to propose. Both of us. We can either each get her a ring or some token. She’s not alone anymore and neither are we,” I tell him. Taking in my best friend, I can’t help smiling. He nods in agreement.
“What do you think she’ll want us to do?” I ask him.
His brow creases in confusion as he regards me. I made my decision the moment I saw how he fought to find her. To save the woman we love.
“Do you think she’ll be able to give this a chance?”
My best friend stares at me for a moment before taking my hand in his. “We will have her. She’s ours. Ever since she walked into my office I knew. The thing is, I never expected to love her so much. It’s consuming.”
“It is.” Our pact was always in the back of my mind, but when Bennett leans in, his lips crash onto mine. The heat of him, his tongue fighting for dominance, which I don’t relinquish. I never thought of myself as bisexual. Not at all, but with him, I feel it down to my bones. We’ve tried to keep our friendship platonic, but there are moments we slip. Like right now as he pushes me onto the sofa. His body looms over mine.
“I love her. I love you. It makes sense,” he tells me. His hand is on the bulge in my trousers. My cock agrees. It wants them both. I know Ella doesn’t just love me, she loves him too. I’m not going to allow her to lose stability, when she needs it now more than ever.
I grasp his face in my hands, pulling him closer. I need this. I want her and I want him. I lean up to kiss him. Our tongues duel. His erection presses into my thigh and mine throbs in his hold.
“Are you sure?” His smile is wide and I know there’s no stopping this. There’s love that simmers through the three of us and it won’t stop now, and I hope it never stops.
“We do this and there’s no turning back. You hurt her—”
“I know. There’s no chance I’ll ever hurt her or you. If she chooses us both, then I’ll give her everything. She’ll smile every day. I love her, Carter.” His promise cements what I wanted to hear, what I already knew.
“She’s our priority now,” I utter. My body is alight with need. I want to be with them right now. I’m hungry for intimacy.
“There’s nothing that will take away those feelings, mate. We’ve finally found our girl and all I want to do is fu*k you both until you’re screaming my name,” Bennett mumbles quietly. His voice is laced with need and desire I feel to my bones. Silence falls between us and for the first time in a long while I’m not sure what to say to him. My mind wanders to the first time I met Bennett.
* * *
“Who are you?” I question the new boy. I’m sitting in detention and Mr. Douche who’s supposed to be watching us fu*ked off. Leaving five seventeen-year-olds alone in a classroom is not going to bode well for him.
“Ainsworth,” he grumbles.
I can tell he wants to come off as a hard arse, but he’s not. His eyes are a deep green, which reminds me of the fresh new leaves on a tree in spring. Nothing like I’ve ever seen before. Bright and almost see-through.
“What kind of name is that?” I chuckle, but he stares at me deadpan. fu*k, he’s going to be fun to be around. He watches me for a moment longer before sliding into the seat beside me.
“Bennett Ainsworth. It’s my last name, wanker.” He curses in his accent, which sounds like he’s from up North. His shirt is wrinkled and his tie is undone. I think we could be great friends.
“Hamilton, Carter Hamilton.” I reach out my hand and he stares at it like I’ve got the fu*king plague. Another beat, but I don’t move. In the end, he grips my hand in a firm shake.
“So, we’re friends now, Cart?” he questions, shortening my name like we’ve known each other for years. No other person ever calls me that, they know better, but for some reason, I allow Bennett to use that nickname.
Shrugging, I respond, “Yeah, I guess so.”
The bell rings at that moment and we shoot up from the small desks. I head down the steps, with my new friend beside me. I stop suddenly, remembering I need to get my sister.
“What the fu*k?” He glares at me.
“I need to get Kat.” I motion toward the sports field. She had her piano practice after school and I can see all the girls huddled outside the classroom.
“Who’s Kat? Your girl?”
“No, my sister.” As we reach the girls, Katherine runs up to us. Her curly brown hair bops behind her and her amber eyes shine with mischief. She’s a handful and I have to keep her in line. If I don’t, I’m sure my sister will get herself into so much shit.
“Hi, I’m Kat.” She offers her hand to Bennett and he chuckles and I’m sure I see her blush.
Oh, fu*k no!
“Yeah, this is Bennett. Let’s go,” I grumble in response to her flirting. I tug her along and we head out to the parking lot. I turn to him and take in the look he gives my sister. This is going to be a fu*king pain in the arse. “Do you need a lift?” I ask.
He nods. “Aye, that will be good. Thanks.”
I watch my sister flop onto the backseat before I tug him by the collar. “Don’t you lay a fu*king hand on her or I’ll cut your balls off and feed them to you while the whole school watches. Do you understand me?” I growl under my breath, but all it earns me is a chuckle.
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll see.”
* * *
When I open my mouth the words just come to me. “I think I loved you since the moment I met you in detention. I may have hidden those feelings for a long time, but they were there. Now, we’ve got the perfect life. The perfect girl. And I have you. Ultimately, though, it is her choice.”
His gaze snaps to mine with affection in it and I know it’s something he’s thought of all the times we’ve been together. “You sure you want the world to know you’re into dick and p*ssy?” he questions with a chuckle, watching me for any uncertainty.
I nod. “I do.” This is something I want to do for her, for me, and for him.
Hopefully over time we can erase Ella’s pain. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.
There’s love between us.
A triad of hearts, love, and devotion.
“Then so be it,” he confirms, his mouth on mine once more in a tender, commanding kiss and I groan into his mouth, savoring the taste of my best friend.
Ella