Page 88 of Their Wicked Ways

“We’re not just friends,” Wes repeated gently. “And we were going to talk to you about all this tomorrow because we realized how much we must be hurting you. But it’s too little, too late.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” I said, an edge of panic creeping into my voice.

This couldn’t be happening.

“Things have been different because Wes and I have been trying to figure out how you fit with us.”

My mind went completely blank for a few seconds as my confusion was replaced by shock.

“And we should have told you that’s what we were doing.” Ez looked pained. “We were so focused on what it meant for us that we didn’t think about how it would affect you.”

“What?” I whispered, my thoughts bouncing around so fast I couldn’t keep up with them.

“That night we all went to dinner. Did that feel a bit…different to you?” Wes asked gently.

I nodded, barely breathing.

Were they saying what I thought they were saying?

“And the same a few nights ago when we were here?” Ez asked.

I nodded again.

“I guess you could say those were dates.” Wes’s smile was more of a grimace.

“Dates?” I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest so fast it felt like a horse was galloping away under my ribcage.

I’d been right?

“Yes.” Ez glanced at Wes. “That night after we helped you move. Things changed between us that night.”

I held my breath.Keep talking. Please keep talking.

“We broke our rules for you without a second thought. The only reason our arrangement worked was because of our rules. No emotions, no feelings. It was only ever supposed to be about sex.”

“It wasn’t with me?”

“No.” Ez sighed. “That first night was different. Special. It’s never been like that for us.”

Hope flared in my chest, but I ignored it and focused on their words.

“It took a while for us to understand it and to come to terms with it.” Wes rested his hand on Ezra’s thigh. “But we have feelings for you. Both of us.”

My mouth fell open.

“And we didn’t know what to do with that,” Ez said. “How to reconcile it or explore it. Even if weshouldexplore it. I’ve never felt anything for anyone other than Wes. He was my first crushand my first love. We’ve been playing with thirds for years, and it’s only ever brought us closer.”

“But things were different with you, and the more we got to know you, the more confusing things got.” Wes worried his lip between his teeth. “That second night changed everything, and we were both struggling with our feelings and not talking about them. When we finally did talk it out, we realized the only way to deal with our feelings for you was to figure out if they were real or just a weird fluke because we’d never hooked up with someone we knew before, and we’d never done a repeat.”

“You have feelings for me?” I asked, my brain still trying to play catch-up.

Ez nodded as Wes said, “Yes.”

My brain did that going completely blank thing again.

“And instead of talking to you about it, we made a bunch of rules for ourselves and took you out on dates without telling you.”

“We should have communicated with you better,” Ez said. “Ishould have communicated better. I didn’t realize how much leaving you on the outside would hurt you. I’m sorry.”