Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 60750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
♫ So here I am, putting away my pride, pride, pride ♫
♫ And it’s all for you,
Alyssa ♫
“Oh.” Once Rhys is finished with his song, I cut in. “You know what? That wasn’t half bad. It looks like this songwriting symposium might actually be helping you with your writing—”
“Fuck off, traitor,” Rhys murmurs over to me before he looks over at Alyssa again. “So, my darling…what do you think?”
There’s a look of confusion on Alyssa’s face as she quietly glances between us both, her gaze shifting from Rhys, to me, and then back to Rhys, all over again.
“I don’t…” Alyssa shakes her head. “I don’t know.”
“…You don’t know?” I playfully scoff. “Princess, I was pretty sure after the night we just had, that you’d pretty much already made up your mind—”
“I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know,” Alyssa whispers as she scrambles to her feet, hastily pulling the discarded high heels into her hand. “Rhys that was…really sweet. And Van...being with you earlier…”
Alyssa pauses for a moment before she speaks again. “I’m sorry. I can’t…I don’t know how to choose.”
“Well, that part is easy, my darling,” Rhys suggests. “Just pick the guy you want to be with more.”
“I can’t do that,” Alyssa insists. “I’m sorry. I know that sounds like total bullshit, but I…it’s both of you, Rhys. That’s the real answer. But I know that’s not something either of you would ever want to deal with, and just saying it out loud makes me feel like a total, um, word I don’t want to say…” Alyssa winces before she starts to slink away from the conversation, soon speedily making her way toward the rooftop’s door. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I never should’ve…I’m sorry I made such a mess of things. Let’s just…forget any of this ever happened, okay? Please?”
“Princess—”
“Darling—”
“Don’t forget, the music is the important thing. I’ll see you guys tomorrow!” Alyssa nervously shouts, her frame now disappearing behind the door to the lower levels of the building.
“Hold on, mate…Did she just say that the answer is both of us?” Rhys mumbles, slinking down into Alyssa’s previous chair.
“Yeah, she did.” I shrug. “Which kind of sounds like it’s up to us to figure out who’s going to be with her or—”
“Look Van, you know me,” Rhys interrupts, his eyes on the horizon. “You know I don’t care about being possessive or any of that shit. Alyssa is free to do whatever she wants with her body, whenever she wants. Besides, it’s not like this would be the first time I’ve been in a three-way relationship. It can be a lot of fun if everyone’s honest about it.”
“Then why do you look so down right now?” I ask.
“Because I know you,” he replies. “And this situation would have to include you. I know how weird you are about romantic relationships, too. If this were just about sex, I don’t think you’d really give a damn, but it’s clear that you have real feelings for Alyssa. I’m sure you think that means that she should just be wrapped around your little finger for the rest of her life, which means if she ends up going with you then I’ll never get to be with her again—”
I cut him off. “I’m okay with it, Rhys.”
“…What?” Rhys’s tone is lined with shock. “What do you mean? You don’t mind?”
“You’re right. I do have feelings for her,” I admit. “But…after we hooked up in the hotel room, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it might’ve hurt you, how being with her might’ve been enough to tear the band apart. Alyssa wasn’t worried about it though, because she said we were all just different sides of the same shape, that we complete each other.”
I sigh before I finish with my thoughts. “And I think she’s right, Rhys. I think…even if it might seem kind of fucked up to other people, we aren’t them, and this isn’t a normal scenario. The band is all of our dream. We are in this together. And because of that, having a romantic relationship with Alyssa makes more sense to do it all together rather than apart.”
I pause. Maybe what I’m saying is crazy, but I’ve never felt anything on a deeper level than this. “I don’t know. I think there’s just something about her that fits with all of us, like she’s the glue we’ve been looking for. And it wouldn’t really work if either one of us tried to keep her tied down.”
“Bloody hell, what about Cameron? He is really going to hate this.” Rhys chuckles. “You know how much he hates bringing romance into the band world. He barely wanted to come with me to the symposium to try and get Alyssa back in my life.”
“How do we know Cameron isn’t off somewhere with Alyssa right now?” I smirk. Anything is possible, after all.