Page 91 of Their Wicked Ways

“Yes.” Ez squeezed my hand, a sign that he was as nervous about Jett’s answer as I was.

“You want me to be your boyfriend?” Jett asked, his voice cracking on the last word.

“If you want to be.” Ez gripped my hand so hard my fingers ached.

We’d talked about this last night during dinner and then again after we watched a movie. Then we continued the conversation in bed until the early hours of the morning.

We’d discussed every possible scenario at length and knew exactly where we stood on everything, but none of that mattered if he didn’t feel what we did.

“How do you know what you feel for me is real?” he asked, pain filtering into his voice. “How do you know it’s not just because I’m not a stranger or because you feel some sort of guilt or whatever because you were my first? What if we start something and you realize you don’t actually like me that way the more you get to know me?” Now he sounded panicked, like he was slipping into hysteria. “What if?—”

“Jett,” Ez said in that commanding tone that always snapped me out of my spirals. “Breathe.”

He sucked in a breath and held it, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.

“Now let it out nice and slow,” Ez coached. “Again. That’s it. You’re doing good.”

Jett’s eyes took on a slightly glassy quality, and his posture relaxed.

“Think about it this way,” Ez said. “We’ve been together for almost eight years and have played with thirds for the past two. Not once in all that time have we ever considered the possibility of seeing one of them again, let alone bringing them into our relationship. Do you think we’d do that if we weren’t sure that what we felt was real?”

Jett slowly shook his head.

“We’re flying blind here too,” he continued. “We have no idea what any of this means, but we want to explore what’s between us if you do.”

“This is a lot.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “I know what I want, but I’m scared to want it.” He pulled a face. “I’m such a loser?—”

“No talking smack about yourself,” I cut him off. “This is a confusing situation, and we just dumped all of this on you withno warning or buildup. It makes sense you’d need some time for your brain to catch up.”

“And you don’t have to decide anything tonight,” Ez said. “Take all the time you need to think things over.”

Jett blew out a breath like he was blowing a raspberry into the air. “All I’ve been doing for the past few months is thinking. I’m tired of thinking.”

“Why did you go to the club tonight?” Ez asked.

“Why did you?” Jett shot back, some of his defiance coming back.

“Do you think we went there to pick someone up?” I asked.

Was that what he thought?

He shrugged and looked away.

“Jett,” Ez said in hisvoice.

Jett slowly swung his gaze back to us. “I mean, it’s kind of obvious.”

“Why do you think that?” Ez asked carefully, his hand on mine telling me to keep quiet and let him handle this.

“Because that’s what you do. Why else would you go to the club?”

“To dance,” Ez said, his tone neutral now.

Jett stared at him suspiciously.

“Do you remember when we told you we don’t always go out with the intention of hooking up?” I asked gently.

He nodded, his head bobbing slowly.