The Choice

by Shayla Black

  Heavenly paused, then sent him a sharp stare of speculation, eyes narrowed.

  Oh, shit. Had she figured out that he and Beck had been punking each other? Yep, and judging from the expression on her face, she was not happy.

  “I can explain, angel. Let’s sit and talk over lunch.” He tried to usher her to the bistro table.

  “Why? Now that I know who’s responsible?” She jerked out of his hold. “I’m leaving. Get out of my way.”

  “Don’t do this… Please. Just listen.”

  “No. I’m not the one who started this, but I’m the one who’s going to end it.” When he tried to pull her into his arms and soothe her, the glare she tossed at him was so icy he would have sworn she’d give his balls frostbite. “Don’t touch me. Don’t try to stop me.”

  Shit!

  “Heavenly…” He dropped his tone to stern and Dominant. “Don’t leave angry. We need to sit and talk about this.”

  “We don’t.” Her face looked frighteningly blank. “I thought you wanted me, Seth. I thought this—we—were important to you. I was obviously naive and wrong.”

  Then she shook her head, her face so full of regret as she brushed past him, opened the front door, and walked out.

  “Angel!” He darted after her and was just about to chase her outside—when he realized he was still bare-assed. He pulled his T-shirt over his exposed junk and shouted after her. “We are important!”

  She didn’t even pause, just walked down the stairs and headed for the parking lot. He raced back to where he’d dropped his jeans and struggled into them. But by the time Seth had donned them and made his way outside, Heavenly had vanished completely.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “They did what?” Raine frowned, feet propped on a pair of pillows as she lay across the sofa.

  Heavenly sighed. “You’re not going to make me repeat all that, are you?”

  “No, but…” She rolled her eyes. “What idiots. Beck and Seth are acting like candidates for the Darwin Award.”

  That made Heavenly laugh for the first time since running out on Seth two hours ago. “Exactly. The cops were bad enough, but a donkey that…” She shuddered. “Where did Beck even find something that sick?”

  “With him, you never know. It’s awful but…” Raine pressed her lips together, mirth all over her face. “I would have paid money to see Seth’s face when he opened the door and saw Zelda and her ass standing there.”

  She found it funny now, especially since Seth hadn’t been wearing pants at the time. But she didn’t tell Raine that. Honestly, it was hard to focus on anything except the fact that she’d tangled herself up completely in two men who seemed more intent on playing games with each other than spending time with her.

  “You’ll have to ask him about it. At the moment, I’m not amused.”

  “Of course you’re not.” Raine struggled to sit up, then peered across the house and out the back doors. Liam and Hammer were still sitting outside, enjoying the temperate evening. She scooted closer. “Okay, they’re not looking. Listen. I know you’re upset or you wouldn’t have shown up in tears.”

  “You’re supposed to be resting, and I’m sorry to burden you with my problems. Normally, I wouldn’t and—”

  “Sweetie, we’re friends.” She took her hand. “I’m here for you. And as it happens, I know a few things about juggling two men.”

  Heavenly shook her head. “But Liam and Hammer are happy in the relationship. There’s no squabbling or strife or—”

  Raine burst out laughing. “Oh, my god. Is that what you think?”

  “Are you saying they fight?”

  “Not so much now, but a few months ago? All-out war. All day, every day. Ugly, ugly, ugly.”

  “Seriously?” Her jaw dropped. “But they’re best friends.”

  “They were even then…until they weren’t. And I was the reason everything changed. They stopped speaking unless it was to call one another names or threaten. One morning, Liam picked me up, carried me out the door, and disappeared for two days, leaving Hammer to wonder where we were and if I was all right.”

  She gaped at Raine. “Hammer must have been angry.”

  “Livid. It didn’t get any better when Liam asked me to be, um…his while Hammer was away. So when he came back and I was off-limits, that didn’t go over well. Of course, Liam also thought Hammer had gotten me pregnant by then. Long story. I’m rambling. But trust me, they fought. Dirty, underhanded, punching each other bloody…yeah.”

  If anything, Heavenly felt her eyes widen even more. She would never have guessed there’d been anything but harmony in their unusual relationship. “But that morning we met in the hospital—”

  “They put it all aside because I needed them.”

  Because they loved her; that much was clear to Heavenly. The more time she spent around these three, the more obvious it seemed that they belonged together.

  Heavenly was happy for her friend, but she wasn’t in Raine’s situation. “And they need you.”

  “I think Seth and Beck need you, too.” Raine’s face softened. “I’ve known Beck a long, long time. He’s always been the big, bad…um, smartass. With you, he’s really different. He’s tender—and I would never have thought him capable of that. You’re good for him. I don’t know Seth as well, but he always seemed…I don’t know, distant. I mean, he’s there, but not really involved. Like he was always trying to stay slightly removed. But not with you. I saw that kiss he gave you at Hammer’s party. He was all-in, and not just physically. When I first met him, he was so terrified of earthquakes that he didn’t want to be here at all. Now he doesn’t want to leave, and I have to think you’re the reason why.”

  “I appreciate the perspective.” Heavenly did, truly. “It’s not that I think they don’t care. When I’m alone with them, they make me feel special.” Not to mention beautiful, sexy, womanly—all the things she’d never had the chance to be. “But I have to stop letting myself be so fascinated by them that I forget to be realistic. I don’t have anything to offer them, not even time. And now it seems they’re far too interested in playing pranks on one another to focus on anything else, so…”

  Across the room, the clearing of a man’s throat caught her attention. She and Raine both zipped their stares to the back door. Liam and Hammer stood there, arms crossed, brows raised.

  Instantly, Raine scrambled to her back and plopped her feet on the stack of throw pillows. Her smile looked a bit too chipper. “Hi, guys.”

  “Aren’t your feet supposed to stay up, lovely?” Liam said the words sweetly enough, but Heavenly heard the steel behind them.

  Maybe he was angry. And that was her cue.

  “I’m sorry. It’s my fault,” Heavenly said, rising. “I came to speak to Raine because…” What the heck could she say? The last thing she wanted to do was spill the details of her last two alternately wonderful and humiliating dates to Liam and Hammer. “It’s been a pretty awful day. I think I’ll just go.”

  “Because Beck and Seth are being dumbasses?” Hammer asked.

  Heavenly blinked at him and nearly choked. “How much did you hear?”

  “Oh, we didn’t have to hear much to guess they did something stupid.” Liam shook his head.

  “Wait until you hear what those brainiacs did this time…” Raine began to fill her men in.

  Heavenly felt herself turning twenty shades of red. “You don’t have to—”

  “Yeah, I do. They need to hear this,” Raine assured. “Besides, rule number one around this house is we don’t keep secrets.”

  And without waiting for a reply, the woman carried on. The men both grinned when Raine recounted the police looking for a dead body, but when she got to Zelda and Clovis, they burst out laughing.

  “And I’m guessing these pranks interrupted something…important,” Hammer said more than asked, his voice thick with innuendo.

  Heavenly couldn’t stop her face from turning even redder and wishing she had a hole to
hide in. “The point is, it was supposed to be our time together, and they both promised me the space to date the other until I could make a choice. They didn’t respect that. Not that—”

  “I think you misunderstand, little one. Can I offer you the male perspective?” Liam sauntered into the living room and sat on the sofa beside Heavenly’s chair, lifting Raine’s feet into his lap.

  Could this get any more mortifying? “Thank you, but I’m not sure it matters.”

  “Do they matter to you?” Hammer took the other end of the sofa and lifted Raine’s head in his lap, stroking her hair. “If they don’t, then you’re right and feel free to blow them off. But if they do, then there’s another point of view here, and we’re willing to share.”

  A dozen thoughts zoomed through her head at once. Her confusion over why Beck and Seth had engaged in these stupid antics. Her embarrassment at having her love life so openly discussed with two men she barely knew. Her conflicting feelings for Beck and Seth with no end in sight. Her pressure-cooker of a life—work, school, Dad’s horrifically expensive meds, and how she’d actually pay rent once she bought those. Her bewilderment about why Liam and Hammer wanted to help her. Most of all, she couldn’t deny her curiosity. What other perspective could there possibly be?

  She sank back to the chair. “They matter. Right now, I’m not even sure why. I’m so angry. They’re behaving like children.”

  “They are,” Liam agreed. “But while the battle may indeed seem childish to you, to them it’s essential. After all, you’re the prize.”

  “But I’m not a trophy. I’m just a woman who”—she shook her head—“who probably shouldn’t have dated two men. I don’t know what I’m doing. And I’m not trying to string them along.”

  “Of course you’re not. Nor are you a trophy. That’s not why I called you the prize. What they’re after is your undivided attention. Your heart. Your love.”

  Heavenly rolled her eyes. They wanted her “love” so badly they’d staged elaborate hoaxes on each other as a means to prove it? That was the most nonsensical male logic she’d ever heard. “They have a funny way of showing it.”

  That made Liam laugh. “I can see where you might think that, but the truth is, they’re hurting. You’ve told them both you have feelings for the other?”

  She nodded and considered his words again. Beck had seemingly taken the news that she wanted to date Seth well. Had that been an act? Seth hadn’t hidden his reaction. He’d simply left. “I’ve done my best to be honest…but that’s been a problem in itself.”

  “It’s a blow to the ego when a woman says she has feelings for another man.”

  Hammer nodded. “It’s not easy for any guy to hear he’s not enough.”

  Heavenly frowned. “I never said—”

  “But that’s what they heard. Right?” Hammer turned to Liam for confirmation.

  “Absolutely. They may have made some ridiculous chest-beating decisions, but never doubt that, to each man, the competition is real and they are battling for their future—their lives—with you.”

  “What he’s trying to say more eloquently than I can is that these two bozos have been busy measuring their dicks. When they figure out—if they haven’t already—how fucking stupid they’ve been, they’ll focus again on what’s important: you. Trust me, all they’re really thinking about is who’s going to claim you.” He leaned in, peered closer. “Do you know what I mean by that?”

  She didn’t. “Be my boyfriend? That’s the choice I’m making, right?”

  “Not even close,” Hammer shot back. “They’re done questioning their feelings. They’re willing to give you their heart—if they haven’t already. What they’re doing now is fighting to determine who will get to spend the rest of their lives with you and father your children.”

  Raine patted her distending belly. “What he said. Think about wild animals. Males of the species fight to win and impregnate the female. It sounds silly in this day and age, but some things never change, I swear.” She grinned. “I tried to tell these two bucks that I’m not a gazelle, but…”

  The rest of their lives? And babies? She blinked. “I don’t think they’re that serious. We’ve only had a handful of dates and—”

  “Oh, they’re serious,” Liam cut in.

  “Very.” Hammer nodded.

  “They’re right,” Raine assured. “Beck doesn’t date. Like ever.”

  “Seth is one of my best mates,” Liam said. “He hasn’t dated in years, either. If they’re both taking the time to get to know you, they’re definitely serious. Obviously more than you realize.”

  If they were, why had they wasted time pranking each other? Obviously, she didn’t understand men. Heavenly wondered if she ever would. It wasn’t as if she’d had a lot of opportunities to try.

  “You look confused. You don’t understand man logic?” Raine laughed.

  “Not…really.”

  “Don’t feel bad. I’m still trying to figure it out myself.”

  “We’re not that complicated,” Hammer spouted. “Feed us, get naked for us, and let us put a smile on your face…”

  “I always do…” Raine chimed in with a grin.

  “At least Seth and Beck seem to be smarter than you and me, Macen. They didn’t beat the shit out of each other.”

  “Yet.” Hammer winked.

  “God, don’t give them ideas,” Raine groaned as her phone buzzed.

  “I’m curious, little one.” Liam focused his attention on her. “You seemed surprised to hear they’re so devoted to claiming you. Where did you think your relationship with either—or both—of them was going? How did you see the future?”

  Heavenly opened her mouth. He was looking at her expectantly. She wasn’t sure what to say. “Well…I, um, don’t know. Beck and I had a couple of outings as friends. After Seth kissed me, Beck declared that we were more than friends. We jumped off a bridge together, then…he kissed me, too.” She blushed wildly, thinking about what else they did at the restaurant. “Then when he fed me brunch, we were interrupted by the police. And with Seth, we had a lovely picnic. Our second date was aborted because I mentioned my feelings for Beck. Then suddenly, Seth was gone, but he came back and kissed me, which was…” She sighed. Hot. So hot. “Lovely. He invited me for lunch, and we got interrupted by a donkey. Nowhere in the middle of that did I hear anything about commitment and love and babies.”

  A glance up proved that both men were shaking their heads and trying not to laugh. Raine was busy, thumbs tapping rapid-fire into her phone as it buzzed again and again.

  “Maybe the better question, then, is what do you want from them?” Liam asked. “A few dates? Or more?”

  This wasn’t the first time Heavenly had the feeling Liam saw through her. He asked really pointed questions, ones that made her search uncomfortably for answers. “I hadn’t thought of it that way. My time with them is an adventure. A fantasy. But the future? My life is so full. Every day it’s just…putting one foot in front of the other—studying and turning in papers, volunteering, delivering food for tips, taking care of sick people. There’s so much going on that I haven’t thought about tomorrow.”

  “Then you must be feeling like you’ve been run over by a bloody great locomotive. But I’m telling you now, those two men are tied up in knots over you, girl. It’s not a game to them. You’re not a game.”

  “Let me ask you some questions.” Raine tapped on her screen for the final time, then set her phone on the table. “Pranks aside, do you want to spend more time with Beck and Seth?”

  Even if finding a few stolen hours to be with them was nearly impossible, she’d loved every moment with them. “Yes.”

  “Do you have feelings for them that are more than friendship?”

  She thought about them all the time, even when she should be focused on far more practical things. “Yes.”

  “Do you see yourself falling in love with them?”

  Heavenly squirmed under Raine’s surprisingly
wise stare. “I don’t know. I’ve never been in love. How should I know? But I feel like maybe I’m halfway there. With both of them. And it’s so confusing.”

  “Because you can’t pick between them? Do you want one more than the other?”

  “No.” She swallowed. “I feel terrible about it. They want me to choose, and I’ve tried. But they both make me feel wonderful but different things. When I try to untangle my feelings, I just end up more lost. And miserable. And guilty. What’s wrong with me?”

  “I have to sit up for this one.” Raine reached out to both Liam and Hammer, who helped her upright in the middle of the sofa.

  “For a few minutes,” Liam said. “Remember what the doctor told you.”

  “I’m timing you.” Hammer fixed his stare on his watch.

  “Guess I’ll have to be quick,” Raine drawled. “Look, there’s nothing wrong with you, doll. I’ve been where you are. I know what it’s like to be convinced I’d be hurting the men I love less if I could just make a damn decision. I even tried. I committed myself to Liam…but that didn’t do anything to erase Hammer from my heart. At the time, I was confused and angry with myself and sure they hated me for it. Now, I think everything happened for a reason. No, not everyone in the world is suited to this sort of relationship. But I’m wondering if you three are. Maybe that’s why you can’t pick.”

  “And once again, our wee lass proves she’s the smart one.” Liam grinned. “The way I see it, Heavenly, is you’ve got two choices and neither will be easy. If you can’t see yourself with just one of them, how about both?”

  “They can’t stand each other.”

  “They got along well enough before you. Did you know that?” Hammer asked, brow raised.

  Really? She couldn’t picture that at all. “No.”