Footsteps come pounding up the dock, Liam’s deep yells ricocheting off the walls, but before I can turn around, all the air leaves my body as he rams his shoulder into my rib cage, lifting me off the ground and taking us back a few feet.
“Fucking asshole.”
I shove him away hard, sucking in a shortened breath, and back up to get my bearings.
“What the hell are you doing, dick? You won. Why are you trying to fuck me up?”
“Because,” he roars, stepping back, as he lets out a harsh breath. His next words come out quieter as his eyes stay locked to mine. “Because you let me win, you son of a bitch. Why’d you do that?”
I don’t answer because I did let him win. Even though we both know deep down this race doesn’t change anything, I wanted to do right by her and by him. It was my turn to lose. My hand runs through my hair as I close my eyes, bracing myself for the truth I’m going to admit to him.
“Because we both know you’d love her better. And I didn’t want her to lose again.” My answer sits there, in between us, making it hard for me to look at him, but I do. “I’m a prick, but she wants me anyway. And you’re right. I never really sacrificed anything. She was willing to give up so much for me—except she wouldn’t give you up. And I wouldn’t ask her to, Liam.”
His head tips up to the ceiling remorsefully. “But I did. And that makes me the asshole.”
“Guess we’re more alike than we’d like to admit to each other.”
Liam shakes his head and walks to the bench and sits. We’re a pair, all our anger stripped down, leaving us raw. Just two guys who love the same girl. I join him, my fingers curling around the wood, as I stare out at the wood planks of the dock.
“Be honest—do you love her? Is that why you can’t let it all go?”
I hate that I ask, but I have to know.
“I don’t love her, Grey. Not like you,” he says, filling the silence. “I’m not jealous, man. I know that’s what you think.”
My head turns to his. “Then why are you so hell-bent on breaking us up?”
Liam sits back against the wall as he speaks. “Because you made me stand there and watch you hurt her. There wasn’t anything I could do. No amount of hugs or jokes was going to fix what you did in that cafeteria. Don’t you get that? And it wasn’t just her you hurt. You accused me of fucking your girl behind your back. I’ve known you my whole life. And you treated me…us, like we were nothing to you.”
I did. There isn’t an excuse I could make that would take it away. But I don’t want to ever stop feeling the sting of it because I deserve that.
“You’re right. I hated you for taking her away, and I never stopped to think. All I could do was feel. You’ve always been the better one of us, Liam.”
He gives a laugh, but it’s true. Liam is good, and I wouldn’t know how to be if it wasn’t for him.
“I only make mistakes once, you know that. The depth of my love for her…fuck, Liam. She’s all-consuming. I would’ve done anything—including being a goddamn bastard if it meant that she admitted what I already knew. That she loves me as wicked and beautiful as I love her.”
My head twists to look over my shoulder as I continue, “I promise you that I’ll never hurt her again, and I’ll ruin anyone whoever tries. But you can’t hold me to that unless you stick around.”
Donovan
GREEN DAY’S “BASKET CASE” BLARES as I dance it out in the middle of my room. I needed to move, get all the pent-up emotion out of my system. Grey left this morning with a note that said he’d see me later, and I was determined not to mope anymore. I have to believe that time will fix this because I can’t. So now I’m jumping up and down, sweat mixing with the tears that occasionally fall as the music fills my ears.
Spinning in a circle, I close my eyes, throwing my arms in the air, my breath turning into pants as I thrash my head side to side. I spin again and the music suddenly drops, scaring the hell out of me. My hand flies to my chest, a scream shooting out when I see Grey standing at my desk.
“Jesus Christ! You scared the hell out of me. What are you doing, creeper?”
His grin makes me do the same as he takes off his shoes and walks toward me, pulling me into a hug. My arms go around his neck as he lifts me off the ground, planting a kiss on my lips before setting me down. Our bodies mold and everything stops existing for just a minute as he stares down into my eyes, lowering again to seal his lips to mine. His fingers pull me in closer by my waist before he moves a hand up, weaving through the nape of my hair, letting his tongue slip inside my mouth and wake up my whole body.
I moan into his mouth, but he lets me go, leaving me breathless, and smiles down at me. Oh, he looks like he’s up to trouble. I love this Grey the most.
“I have a surprise.”
My eyes widen, excitedly, because I’m pretty sure I know what it is. “Did you get donuts?” I tap out gentle punches on his hard abs. “Please say you went and got those little holes from that tiny little place by the boathouse with the ugly neon sign.”
He’s nodding, amused by my description, but I’m already drooling thinking of them, as he brushes his nose against mine. “Yes. I. Did.”
I pull away and look over at my desk, but I don’t see the pink box they usually come in. My head twists around, looking for my present, but I come up empty. Grey presses a kiss to my forehead and heads toward my bed, leaving me cold as I spin and look at him.
“Hi, hello…donuts. What are you doing? Did you eat them all?”
But before he can answer, my bedroom door opens, a little pink box in the hand of a hoodie-wearing Liam, making my breath catch. I snap back to Grey, who’s watching my face with all the love in the world. He did this. How, I have no idea, but he did this.
“Hey, Van.” Liam grins, dropping a kiss to the top of my head and walking to the bed, as if the last time we saw each other he wasn’t telling me he wouldn’t be my friend.
But I honestly don’t even care. He’s here. Grey’s here. And I might cry.
Grey grabs the remote, flipping on the television, as Liam plops down, stretching his legs out on my bed, and opens the donut box. But I can’t move, still stunned as a giggle escapes me. Of course, this is what they do. My boys are the most wicked when they’re together. My feet begin moving as I try and get the questions out.
“Who did this? How did this happen? What…When?” is all that comes out of my mouth, as I walk over to stand in front of Grey.
“Does it matter?” Grey counters, patting the spot next to him.
Liam looks up from the donut box next to him and grins. “We raced. Grey lost on purpose. We fought, said a bunch of stupid shit, and then got donuts.”
“Oh,” I answer, crawling over Grey. “So everything is all good?”
My words are said hesitantly.
“Want one?” Liam offers, nodding, holding one up with sprinkles.
“We’re good, Cherry,” Grey answers, eyes fixed on me, before turning back to the television as I snuggle into his side.
“Yeah, Van, because bros before hoes.” I turn, ready to kill him, as he adds laughing, “And when I say bros, I mean me and you, not me and Grey.”