Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“I love you too.”
“Usually it’s a hug orgy, but this is just a twosome. Do we get in on this?” Parker asked.
“Yeah, even I’m feeling left out,” Declan admitted.
We opened our arms and pulled the two of them in.
So much had changed the past couple of years. We’d all fallen in love, and Parker was married, but this, the core of us, would never ever change. So many people over the years had asked us which of us were fucking and which were secretly in love with each other, not believing us when we said that wasn’t the case, but it wasn’t. We were a different kind of unit, something that would never go away, something that went beyond relationships, dating, or sex. A relationship between any of us would fuck up the dynamic and would never work. We were the Beach Bums, and always would be.
“So…I’m assuming, because we’re all so happy, that you know he feels the same?” Declan asked.
“He said it first,” I bragged, before getting serious. “He makes me feel…I don’t know…more, if that makes sense. Like I’m more than I thought I could be. Yesterday I saw this negative comment on social media about me, and I just…I thought about how Spencer looks at me, the things he says to me, how he makes me feel. That didn’t take away all my negative thoughts, but it helped some.” And the rest I had to do myself. It was why I was going to start seeing a therapist, but it was okay that someone I loved helped.
On cue, Marcus said, “You know you can’t completely depend on him for that shit, right? You need—”
“I know,” I cut Marcus off. “I do.” Just as I was about to tell them that I’d decided to start therapy, that Spencer and I had found someone we liked and my first appointment was coming up, my phone buzzed, and I knew it was him. “Spencer’s here.” I looked at Marcus. “Be nice.”
He held his hands up. “I’m always nice.” When I cocked a brow, he said, “Okay, I’m always nice to people who treat well the three of you, my man, and your men.”
“That’s better. Let’s go celebrate me now!” I rushed out of the room and into the living room, planning on going to grab Spencer from outside. Apparently, I didn’t need to because he was standing in the living room with Kai, Sebastian, and Elliott…and the space looked totally different from how it had looked before I went into the studio.
“Surprise!” Kai jumped in the air as my gaze journeyed around the room. There were balloons and streamers and a banner on the wall that said Happy Birthday, Corbin. The table was set with all of my favorite foods and…
“Are those dick decorations?” I asked.
“They are. My idea.” Kai curtsied. “As was this surprise party that’s not totally a surprise party, but I wanted to have one, so we’re going to pretend you didn’t know everyone would be here today.”
It was a shock. At least all the decorations and how much thought they had put into it…for me.
“You knew?” I asked Spencer.
“Marcus came to talk to me a couple of days ago. I’ve been here since right after you went into the studio. Marcus was going to tackle you if you tried to leave the room.”
My eyes stung, then immediately welled with tears. I turned toward Marcus, who gave me a small shrug as if to say it wasn’t a big deal, but it was. It so fucking was. He didn’t want credit for anything he did for us. No one loved like Marcus, so completely and thoroughly.
I couldn’t move, overwhelmed by the moment. That all the people in this room loved me for me, even when I was cocky or annoying, or when I was sad and didn’t want to eat, or when I felt bad about myself. They were here for me, totally and unconditionally, loving me for me.
Marcus up-nodded toward Spencer. “Go hug your man, kid.”
Kai threaded his fingers through Marcus’s, holding his hand, and I went to Spencer, right where I was supposed to be.
I swear I tried to crawl inside him, wanted to be as close to him as I could, savoring the feel of Spencer’s beefy arms around me and his soft belly against my more muscular one. “I totally have the best boyfriend.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
But he had. More than he knew.
“Okay, well, you have the best boyfriend in me, but still. Thank you.” Kai had planned the decorating and surprise portion of the party, and Marcus had invited Spencer, so it wasn’t just today I was thanking him for. It was everything. And somehow, I knew he realized that.
“Always,” Spencer replied, and in that moment, I believed him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Spencer
“You pretended you still didn’t know Spencer or that we’re in love when I was talking to you earlier,” Corbin told Marcus while still holding my hand.