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Austin's nostrils flare, his blue eyes flashing with anger. "I don't want to hear about how you're sticking your dick in the temporary nanny, Theo. Some things are better left unsaid."
His words hit me like a physical blow, igniting a fury I didn't know I was capable of. I'm on my feet in an instant, fists clenched at my sides.
"Don't you dare talk about her like that," I snarl, my voice trembling with rage. "She's not some object, Austin. She's not just a warm body or a convenient fuck."
The room goes deathly quiet. I can feel Cohen and Austin's eyes on me, shock evident in their expressions. But I can't bring myself to care. All I can think about is Skylar—her laugh, her smile, the way she makes me feel whole for the first time in years. The same way she did back then. She's my missing piece.
"She's everything," I repeat, softer this time, more to myself than to them. "And she deserves better than to be reduced to a crude joke or a temporary arrangement."
I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging inside me. My gaze shifts between Austin and Cohen. It's time to lay all our cards on the table.
"I'm not blind," I say, my voice low but steady. "I see the way you both look at her. The way she looks at you."
Cohen shifts in his seat, his fingers tightening around his glass. Austin remains still as a statue, but I can see the muscle working in his cheek.
"We all want her," I say softly, the whiskey loosening my tongue. "And I think...I think she wants us, too. In her own way."
Cohen leans forward, his eyes intense. "What are you saying, Theo?"
I drain my glass, the alcohol burning a path of liquid courage through my veins. "I'm saying she hides from this, from me, from anything real. But, maybe…maybe if it’s not just the two of us, maybe if it’s all of us, she’ll be able to relax, to trust this, us.”
"I see what’s brewing. And I'm tired of pretending it isn't happening," I continue. "We've always shared everything, haven't we? Our house, our business, our lives."
I pause, my heart pounding so hard I'm sure they can hear it. This is it. The moment that could change everything.
"Why not share a woman?"
The words hang in the air, heavy with possibility. Austin's eyes widen, a mix of shock and something else flashing across his face. Cohen leans forward, his expression unreadable.
I hold my breath, waiting for their reaction. Part of me can't believe I've actually suggested this. But another part, a deeper part, knows it feels right. Skylar isn't just mine. She never has been. She's a force of nature, too big, too bright to belong to just one person.
"Are you serious?" Cohen finally breaks the silence, his voice rough with emotion.
I nod, meeting his gaze. "Dead serious."
The tension in the room shifts, crackling with new possibilities. As I watch their expressions change from shock to contemplation, I realize we're standing on the edge of something profound—something that could change everything.
I set my empty glass down, the crystal clinking against the mahogany side table. The sound echoes in the loaded silence of the room.
"You can't be serious," Austin finally says, his voice a mix of disbelief and something darker, hungrier.
I shrug, aiming for nonchalance even as my heart races. "Why not? It wouldn't be the first time we've shared."
Cohen shifts in his seat, his eyes distant. I can almost see the memories flickering behind them—hazy nights in college, tangled limbs, and shared laughter. He is the one who brought up sharing Skylar. I know he can see it with her just as clearly as I can.
Even if the tension between them is different, colder. Even if he hasn’t made any kind of move yet.
"This is different," he murmurs. "Skylar's not some random hookup."
"No," I agree, my voice soft but firm. "She's absolutely not."
Austin snorts, but I catch the flash of vulnerability in his eyes. "And you're okay with that? Sharing 'everything'?"
I lean back, considering. "It's not about being okay with it. It's about accepting what is. We all want her. She wants us. Why fight it?"
"Because it's too fucking complicated, that's why," Austin growls.
I nod, acknowledging the truth in his words. "Life's complicated. Doesn't mean we can't make it work."