Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 71814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
We were facing a complex web of emotions. Things could fall apart and unravel us all. Or we could be brought even closer.
I just hoped this wouldn’t shatter us. I wasn’t sure if I could handle that.
Zoe returned from the kitchen and stood in the middle of the living room as everyone else either stood on the outskirts or occupied her couch.
“Thanks for coming here. I just… we need to talk about what’s going on between us,” she expressed as she slowly did a turn to look at everyone. “I… uh… well, I thought I knew where to start.”
The corner of my mouth curled up as I watched her get a little flustered. She cared. We all did. Now, we had to organize all those feelings. At least, that was the best way for me to look at this. Emotional vulnerability wasn’t exactly my strong suit or my brother’s, but this was Zoe.
She made everything different.
“How do you feel? About us?” Matty asked from the couch where he sat next to Angus and Tobin.
Zoe took a deep breath and joined her hands in front of her, trying to stop fidgeting.
“I… well… I care about you all a lot. You’ve supported me. Taken my mind off things. Cared for me,” she expressed. “That means the world to me.”
“We’ll always care about you. No matter what,” Kieran assured her.
I nodded in agreement. We had been friends for years. Even if things didn’t work out past that, I would always care for her. She had been part of my life forever.
“Obviously, we’ve all engaged in… non-platonic activities,” Zoe continued with a small, sly smile on her face. Her expression then became serious as she took a deep breath before speaking again. “Which I don’t want to stop. Because I don’t just see you guys as friends. I want more than that, and I’ve been too scared to ask for that until now.”
“A romantic relationship?” Cohen asked, helping her thoughts along as she pieced them together.
“Do you really feel that way about all of us? Is that really possible?” Garrett spoke up with an unsure look on his face.
Zoe nodded.
“What I feel for you guys… all of you guys… it’s deeper than anything I’ve ever felt before. It feels crazy and nerve wracking and like I don’t even deserve it,” she expressed. “But I want all of you. Maybe that’s selfish and greedy, but I have feelings for all of you.”
“And you would want something with all of us? That wouldn’t overwhelm you?” Angus questioned her.
“I have a different connection with each of you, and I’ve never felt neglected or forgotten by any of you. I’m more scared of losing any one of you than getting overwhelmed by so much affection,” Zoe assured him with a loose smile. “I like the thought of being a little smothered by people who care about me.”
“We’ll spoil you. Not smother you,” I told her with a warm look on my face. I never wanted to scare her off, and I could tell by everyone else’s small smiles and subtle motions of anticipation that they wanted to cherish her too.
All of us. Together.
“I think it’s safe to say that we all see you that way too,” Paolo spoke up, coaxing nods from everyone else.
“But would you all feel comfortable sharing me? I don’t want to destroy the brotherhood you guys have,” Zoe fretted. “I want all of us to be happy together, but only if you all are on the same page with each other first.”
I glanced around at the other guys, seeing nods and hearing murmurs of agreement.
“You’re right. We do have a brotherhood,” Jae spoke up. “That means me trust each other. We rely on each other. Hell, we’d run through fire for each other.”
“We wouldn’t destroy what we have over a relationship,” Kieran added. “I think we’re so on board with this because you’ve brought us even closer together.”
Zoe’s face softened.
“Really?” she asked.
The guys and I nodded. It truly felt like that. We were ready to go to war for her as a unit, and our care for her made us realize how similar we all were. How we wanted the same things. Love and family and loyalty.
“There are two options that I see as being viable,” I said, making her turn toward me. “We either stop all the sex and flirting and remain good friends. Or we could try a poly relationship with clear boundaries and good communication. We can’t slack on that.”
“If we did a poly relationship, we also all have to be honest with each other,” Garrett commented.
“There are boundaries, right? What does that kind of relationship realistically look like?” Angus questioned us as he glanced around the room.
“Our case is going to be different from anything else you’ve probably ever heard, but our relationship is still contained to everyone in this room. No one else. We’re faithful to Zoe, and she’s faithful to us,” I explained. “The day-to-day things are something we have to discuss and figure out along the way, but we just have to keep each other in mind and communicate.”