by Hilary Storm
“All right. I’ll let you take me home, make sure I’m safe, then you have to leave.” He doesn’t respond. I pull out my phone and look at my messages from both of them this morning. Seeing how demanding Noah was in these, I’m honestly surprised there wasn’t two of them in the parking lot waiting for me.
We pull into the driveway and I see that Noah is sitting in his car waiting on me to get home. My nerves flare up instantly and I can only imagine the confrontation they’re both about to have. I open my door and decide to head straight into the house.
I need to prove to them that I’m fine to stay here, then make them both leave. “Please. Come in and see for yourself. I’m fine. No one is here and then you can both go home. I don’t want to talk about anything with either of you right now.”
“My dear, we aren’t here to talk. We don’t plan to leave anytime soon either. You’re going to let us make dinner and we’re going to have a night in at your house for a change.” I look at Noah with curiosity, wondering what they’re both up to.
“I left you both this morning for a reason.”
“And what the hell was your reason?” Noah snaps back as he sits the bags of groceries on the counter.
“I don’t like myself lately. You two have me confused and this isn’t going to help.” I sit on a barstool in defeat, knowing they’ll both be impossible tonight if I don’t just let them do their thing and make dinner. I’m leery of their intentions and watch for any clue as they move around the kitchen.
“Why wouldn’t you like yourself? You have two men who both care about you. Do you know how many women would jump at the chance to spend an evening with us?” Noah continues to parade around the kitchen acting like this is a normal night for us, while Levi begins to chop the onions.
“Well if you ask me, the pressure is overrated.” They both look at me simultaneously. Since I can’t decide which one to direct my attention to, I chose to move my focus to my hands as I fold them together on the counter.
“You just need to stop stressing. Tonight is only fun and relaxation. Leave all your worries for tomorrow.” Noah again, trying to make me forget about the triangle I’ve gotten us into.
“What are you two up to?” Levi looks up at me, innocently batting his eyes before he responds.
“We’re cooking you dinner. Maybe if you’re lucky, we’ll beat you in a board games before we leave.” I’m not sure if I believe either of them, but for now I’m just going to enjoy spending time with them one last time. Before the night is over, I’m going to tell them both where I stand. I have to walk away from them and they have to let me go.
I glance over at Noah and watch him pour three glasses of whiskey, topping them all off with a little coke. He slides one my way and another toward Levi. Since when do these two get along like this? I’m trying my hardest to just enjoy it, but I’m having a hard time believing that they’ve just magically decided to get along.
Taking back the drink quickly, I end up choking on the potent fire sliding down my throat. They both watch me move around the room as they continue to prepare the food. It’s as if they’re suffocating me. “I’m going to take a shower. I smell like a bar.”
I take this opportunity to walk out of the room and get some breathing space. It’s going to take a minute for me to get my thoughts together and figure out what I’m going to do with these two stubborn asses. I lock the door to my bedroom and the bathroom just to make sure neither of them get any bright ideas. I wouldn’t put it past either one of them to bust in on me.
Being in the kitchen with both of them only made me feel worse about what I’ve done. They are best friends and have been for years. Yes, they get on each other’s nerves just like brothers would.
I can’t be the person that comes between them and it’s inevitable if I choose one over the other. My shower is hot and steamy, just like I like it. I stay in longer than I plan to, but it does wonders to help me get some clarity.
If they want a normal evening where we pretend like things are going to work out, then I’ll give them that. But after this, I’m having my locks changed and forcing them both to stay away. Maybe if I break down and scream at them like I feel like doing, they’ll leave me alone.
Putting the least amount of effort into my hair, I brush it and pull it up in a messy bun while it’s still wet. I don’t add any makeup, the last thing I’m trying to do tonight is impress anyone. I roll down the waistband of my sweatpants, trying to keep them up on my hips. It’s past time for me to do some laundry, so I throw everything from my bag into a pile and pick it up. If they want a normal night, then I can’t think of anything more appropriate than doing my laundry.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Noah
She walks out here looking sexy as fuck, silencing both Levi and I at the same time. A tiny pair of lace panties hangs from the bottom of the pile of clothes in her arms and I recognize them as the pair I pulled off of her just last night. She catches me staring and only allows herself to look at me for a second. It’s obvious that she’s doing her best to avoid both of us tonight, which won’t help us see who she’s better connected to.
“How do you want your steak?” Levi manages to pull her attention for about the same length of time that I did.
“Medium rare.” Her messy hair fucks with my mind as I start to think what it would be like if I took a large handful of it and pulled her back against me while I fuck her from behind. I close my eyes and drink the last of my beer, even though it’s not my drink of choice.
We plan to keep our wits about us tonight, but still manage to get her to relax. The way she’s acting stiff, I’m afraid it’s going to be more difficult than we anticipated.
Levi steps outside to put the steaks on and I take the opportunity to get a point across to Kali. Stepping up behind her as she drops the last few items in the washer, I surprise her with the pressure of my body against hers. She’s up against the washer, allowing me to grind my hips into her ass. Her breathing halts with a sharp inhale as she glares at me from over her shoulder.
“Noah, I can’t. You can’t.”
“I don’t do well with orders.” I grip that mess in her hair and pull her back against me just like I imagined. It’s so much better than I had in my head. Her scent consumes me and I’m instantly wishing Levi wasn’t about to come through that back door again.
I grip her hip with the other hand, forcing her against me completely. “Fuck, you make me crazy. If you think you can just walk away from this, then you’re obviously stronger than I am.” I release the grip on her hair to slide my hand over her neck. She extends as if she’s inviting me to squeeze tight, so I do while I kiss the shoulder that she’s made so available to me.
“This tiny fucking tank top isn’t going to help your little crusade.” I look down the front of her top, the shape of her tits teasing me perfectly. My dick is hard by now and I want nothing more than to carry her over my shoulder straight into her bedroom, fuck her senseless and make her stop running from me.
“Noah, you have to stop.” Her whisper brushes across my face as she exhales through her own fight. She’s attempting to prove restraint, when I want no part of that shit.
The sound of the back door has her pushing me away. I smile as she works to compose herself and pretends I didn’t just fuck with her mind. I should feel guilty for what I just did, but I don’t. If either of them think that I’m about to just stand back and let the woman I love go again, they’re both out of their fucking minds.
Levi looks at me suspiciously. His squinting glare tells me I’m about to meet my match in this little game he suggested we play. It’s a good thing I’m not afraid to pull at her darkest desires. Something tells me what we have is a little more scandalous than anything they’ve ever had together. Her voyeurism that first night is my proof of that.
Levi
It appears I’m going to have to play dirty, even though we both said we wouldn’t. Noah obviously did something while I was outside,
because I’ve become very familiar with that flustered look on Kali’s face. She was turned on when I walked in. Who knows what he said or did to make her switch her mood so quickly.
I’m going to need some tequila if I’m going to be able to go head to head with that fucker tonight. Deep down, I just want to kick his ass and end all of this, but I know that isn’t going to keep Kali from pushing us both away. She doesn’t want the stress and that would put her over the edge. I know her well enough to make that assumption.
“Noah, why don’t you take these out to the grill and season the steak while you’re at it.” I hand him the foil wrapped vegetables and the seasoning. The smirk on his face is challenging, but I ignore him. Luckily he takes the tray from me and goes out the door.
“You doing all right?” I choose to show her respect and compassion. Something I’m sure he knows nothing about.
“Not really.” Stepping in her path, I stop her from leaving the room. Her eyes bolt to mine and we both stay frozen in place until I slide my hands down her arms.
“You have nothing to be stressed about. Just relax and have some fun with us tonight. Just be you.” She wraps her arms around my waist and I inhale the fresh scent of her hair just under my chin as I pull her in for a hug. My arms are still around her when Noah barges through the door.
She doesn’t move too quickly from my arms and I’m almost positive Noah growled under his breath as he rinsed the tray.
“I’m thinking we should play some poker tonight. Who’s in?” She steps back and shrugs before she responds to Noah.
“I’ve never played. You guys will have to teach me.”
“It’s easy, but if you lose you have to take something off.” She laughs as Noah attempts to draw her in with strip poker.
“I don’t think so. You two can play and I’ll watch.”
“I bet we can convince you to join us.” His smile causes her to look down. He’s coming on strong and I can’t tell if his game is going to work on her or push her further away. I sit next to her and run my hand down her back. She squirms as my touch slides over her ass. A quick smile and a glance from her tells me she didn’t hate that I just did that.
“So your plan is to feed me and get me drunk, then what?” She looks to Noah before turning to me again.
“We’re just here to enjoy some time with you. And to make you see that we’re okay with whatever decision you make. We aren’t here to pressure you into anything.”
“Yes. We aren’t here to make you choose, but if you’re having a hard time letting go of someone you say you’ve loved most of your life, we understand.” I look up at Noah and watch him give her his panty dropping smirk that I’ve seen him use time after time.
“You two are fucking making me crazy. I can’t deal with this crap tonight. Can you both just go?” She shocks me as she stands up and yells at the both of us.
“No can do, sweetheart.”
“I’m suffocating. Do you not see what you’re doing to me?” She starts crying before she completely loses her shit on us. “Noah. You have no boundaries. I wanted you to be like that when I first came to you, but you had to play your fucking games, leading me right into his arms.” She shifts her look to me as she continues to back away from both of us. Her hands flailing as she yells.
“Arms that made me feel safe and loved for the first time in years. Then you couldn’t fucking just let me be, you had to come at me with your mind fuck, telling me now. NOW you’re in love with me and you want to see what we can be together.” She walks toward Noah, stabbing him in the chest as she continues. “I was happy. I was safe. I felt loved. And then you changed all of that by reminding me what I’ve loved about you for all of these years.” She turns away from him, her shoulders falling as if she’s defeated. “You made me leave the security I had with Levi and threw me into this unknown shit. Now I can’t breathe because I can’t hurt Levi. I can’t handle how it feels when he’s not a part of my life now.” She turns toward me, her tears clawing at my heart as I watch her come undone.
“But I can’t stand going a day without talking to you either, Noah. No matter how hard I try to stay away from you, I can’t. Don’t you see what this is doing to me?”
We both stand motionless, taking in everything she says. “This is why I have to let you both go. I can’t choose. I’ll be miserable if I do.” She rushes out of the room, leaving us both speechless, frozen in our stance as we contemplate how the hell to proceed from here.
“I refuse to walk away, Levi. It’s Kali.” He speaks to me as if I’m not aware of who she is or how important she is to him. The problem is, he’s not remotely aware just how much she means to me.
“I’m not going anywhere. For the first time in my life, I’ve found love. I found someone worthy of my love and loyalty. If you think I’m going to walk away and make this easy on you, you have another thing coming.” He isn’t happy to hear my response. “Yet here we are fighting over her like she’s ours to fight over. It really doesn’t matter what we’re willing to do when she’s running from both of us.”
“You do realize we only have one option that will allow us all to get a fraction of what we want. Let me get the steaks and we’ll talk.” Not sure where his mind is going, I move to the bar stool to hear him out.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kali
I need fresh air. Stepping outside seems to help with that, even though this is something I normally don’t do here. I’m walking down the driveway to get my mail, when I see the neighbor’s truck coming down the road. My heart sinks and I’m instantly terrified. I rush as fast as I can back into the house, only to be met at the door by both Noah and Levi.
They’re both on guard and ready to annihilate anything that’s chasing me, only to see there’s nothing running after me. “What the fuck is happening?” Noah steps outside to see the neighbor pulling up in his driveway. “Did he do something to you?”
“No. I just didn’t want to be outside with him.”
“This is what we’re talking about. You can’t fucking be here with this man living next door to you.” Levi spins me around so that his back is to the door and I’m between the two of them.
I look over Levi’s shoulder and I see the sicko standing on my porch. He must have a death wish coming up here with these two guys here. That or he’s fishing for them to do something again. “Look what finally decided to come home.” His disgust for me is obvious the second he opens his mouth. “Do you really think I don’t know you’re having me followed?” I look at him confused while he starts to move toward the steps.
“The next fucking step you take will be your last if it’s in the direction of this house. You need to get your ass out of here before I remind you why you should.” Levi is quicker on his feet than Noah is, but both of them meet the guy before he has a chance to take another step.
“I haven’t had you followed.” I try to reply to him in hopes that he’ll leave.
“I have,” Levi speaks up, his deep voice practically a roar as he dives for the guy. Noah jumps to help as well. They’re punching the guy over and over and I’m instantly worried they won’t stop before it’s too late.
“Please stop,” I begin to cry out, only to have them all ignore me. They both continue to pummel the guy into the ground and during all of the chaos of trying to get them all to stop, I miss a man running from the street to break it up.
There’s blood all over the neighbor and both Levi and Noah are taking turns getting a few more shots in before the guy from the street pulls Levi off of him.
“Greg, get this fucker out of here.” Levi pulls away from being held, his chest heaving from anger as he leans over, lifts then tosses the neighbor into the arms of the man from the street. Levi is bleeding on his cheek and after a quick glance over Noah, I can see that he is too. I just can’t tell how bad their faces are hurt.
“I’ll take care of him. You two get cleaned up. I may need you to come in to the station to file a report in t
he morning. But hopefully I have all the footage I’ll need. There’s already a warrant out for this asshole. I just need to take him in.” This Greg guy is huge and has no problem dragging the neighbor to his car.
I stand in shock as the two men I care about most glare at the man who has scared me for months. My heart beats rapidly as I come down from the panic that had me worried one of them would kill him and I’d lose them forever.
“Jesus. You both scared the shit out of me.” I move closer to them both, not sure who I should hug, so I don’t approach either. “Come inside. We need to get you cleaned up to see how bad your injuries are.” I walk into my bathroom to get the supplies I need to stop the bleeding. Neither one of them says anything as they follow me.
Both of them sit on the edge of my bed, facing me while I rush around the room to open the gauze and ointment so I can clean their wounds.
“You had him followed?”
“Yes. I told you I’d make sure you’re safe.” Levi melts my heart as he admits to ensuring my safety. I take an antiseptic wipe and touch both of them at the same time. Both injuries seem to be a small cut that will be easy to heal once the bleeding stops.
“Here. Hold this.” I get them to put pressure on their own cuts. The way they’re both looking at me isn’t fair, so I step back. Levi stands quickly, pulling me into his arms.
“All I want is for you to be safe and happy.” I smell his cologne even over the sweat and dirt on his t-shirt from the fight. Tucking my hands behind his waist, I give in and let him hold me. It feels amazing to be in his strong arms like this. I’m positive he’s holding me tighter than he has in the past.
Extra hands slide down my arms, surprising me instantly. “That’s all we both want.” I look over my shoulder and see Noah standing right behind me. I turn to face him and he wraps his arms around me too, both of them surrounding me with strength and love while I try to swallow around the lump in my throat.
