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Chapter Thirty-Three

" I hope you realize I’m not giving up on us," Sebastian says, his knuckles brushing lightly across my cheek. He was waiting out in the hall when I finished up helping Callan adjust the room a bit. When I stepped through the door, his strong arms pulled me close and I went willingly.

I lean into the warmth of his hand, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Good. Because I don’t want you to."

My chest tightens as I lift my gaze to his, nerves crawling up my throat. "But you should know something…" I pause for a beat. "I don’t think I can give up on Callan either."

Sebastian just shrugs, cool and confident. "Then don’t."

His words take me by surprise. The same words Callan said to me when I told him I can’t walk away from Sebastian. "You don't want me to?"

"That's right," he tells me. "It's obvious to anyone with eyes that you and Callan have something special. I'd never ask you to walk away from that or force you to choose. Maybe it makes me selfish, but I’d rather share you than lose you completely."

My breath hitches, emotion catching in my throat. I thread my fingers through his hair, gently tugging him closer. "Oh, Sebastian. You wouldn’t lose me."

I press my lips to his, holding them there longer than necessary. Every time I kiss Sebastian, it’s electric. Not just sparks, but a full-body experience that settles inside me.

It’s the same feeling I get with Callan…yet different. With Callan, it’s warmth and gravity. With Sebastian, it’s fire and motion. It’s like my heart is split clean down the middle, and each of them owns a piece. What I feel for them is its own kind of wonderful.

A loud growl erupts from my stomach, cutting through the moment. I groan, dropping my forehead to Sebastian’s chest.

He chuckles, his fingers tracing a pattern down my back. "Guess we should feed you before your stomach starts making louder threats."

I glance up at him, sniffing the air. "What's that I smell?"

"Aidric’s famous tacos," he says, already leading me to the kitchen. "He’s on dinner duty before the team heads to practice."

I follow, my stomach grumbling again. "Well, as long as they’re edible, I’m in."

The scent of taco meat fills the kitchen, and Aidric stands at the stove, flipping tortillas like he’s trying to keep himself from flipping someone else. It’s funny watching him cook like it's a revenge mission.

I lean against the island beside Sebastian, and Callan joins on the other side of me a minute later.

"How's the new room?" I ask Callan.

He shrugs, settling his weight on one of the stools. He's still so much taller than me, even half sitting. "Not as good as the original, but it'll do for now. Unless you want me up there with you. Just say the word and I'm there."

"Hey," I say teasingly. "I wouldn't complain."

"I see how it is," Sebastian chimes in. "What am I now, the third wheel?"

"Nah," Callan says. "We can make an Avery sandwich." He jokes as he wraps his arms around me and at the same time, so does Sebastian. I can see them grinning at each other as if there was a secret between them and it makes me feel whole.

I laugh and when they let me go, I reach over to steal a handful of shredded cheese from the bowl on the counter.

Sebastian swats my hand away. "Woah Woah Woah. Tacos aren't ready yet."

Callan grabs the bowl and holds it out for me, grinning. His fingers brush mine and the charge between us sparks like it always does.

Sebastian notices, but instead of looking pissed, he just nudges my hip with his. "If Aidric bites her head off, it’s on you."

Callan shrugs. "Worth it. Besides, I bite back."

"Jesus Christ," Aidric snaps, slamming the spatula onto the counter. "So this is how it’s going to be now? You’re gonna stand there and flirt with both of them and destroy their friendship in the process?"

The room stills and the laughter fades. My teeth clamp together because I don’t know what to say to that.

Sebastian straightens his back, open palms pressed firmly to the counter."Chill the fuck out, man."

"She’s not doing anything wrong," Callan adds.

But I raise a hand, stepping forward. "I don’t need either of you to defend me."

Aidric scoffs. "Oh, I forgot. You’re the queen of chaos now. You think you can hold it all together with your quick wit and sarcasm."

I close the distance between us, staring up at him. "What happens between me and them is none of your damn business. So unless you're planning to join the triangle, back the fuck off."

His eyes narrow, and for a second, I think he might actually listen. Instead, he grabs a measuring cup full of water from the counter and throws it right at my chest.

The cold hits me like a slap. My white shirt clings instantly to my skin, and my nipples press through the fabric. Aidric’s smug smile says it was exactly what he was aiming for.

A slow, venomous smirk curls on his lips. "You might want to cover up," he sneers. "Or is parading around like a slut part of the plan now? Lure one in with your tears and the other with your tits, then watch them destroy each other for the honor of fucking you?"

My blood turns molten. Before I process it, my palm lands across Aidric's face with a deafening smack. The room goes silent as I stare in his eyes, but I refuse to back down. He wants to play; I’ll be a worthy opponent.

Aidric steps forward, fists clenched as a red mark begins to bloom across his face. When his lips purse, he does the last thing I expect. He spits on me.

My hand goes to the saliva on my cheek and neck, shock filling me along with this awful feeling of hurt and betrayal. My body tenses readying for a fight, but Callan’s hand takes mine, distracting me.

At the same time, Sebastian’s already slamming a hand into Aidric’s chest and shoving him back a full step. "You ever do that again, and I’ll make damn sure you don’t have legs to skate on."

Aidric chuckles darkly. "Careful, Banks. Don’t forget who built your throne in the first place."

Callan grabs a towel for me. "You okay?" he asks, his voice calmer than I expected.

I take the towel and press it against my soaked chest, my pulse thumping in my ears. "Yeah," I bite out. "But I’m done playing nice."

I take a step toward Aidric and stab a finger into his chest. "You wanna throw shit at me, spit on me like I’m beneath you, go right ahead.

Just know the next thing coming for you won’t be petty games for little boys.

You might push around a lot of people in this house, Aidric, but I refuse to be one of them. "

"Then fucking go," Aidric snarls, jabbing a finger toward the door. "Pack your shit and get out before you destroy something else. We were all fine until you showed up. So do us all a favor and get the fuck out."

That one hits deeper than I want to admit, but I don’t cave.

My lips press into a hard line as I nod slowly. "Go fuck yourself, Aidric. I’m not going anywhere."

Without another word, he slams the plate of fried tortillas down on the counter so hard the dish cracks.

Glaring at the guys, he sneers, "Eat up, boys. You’ll need the stamina to keep up with this whore."

A sharp gasp tears out of me, stunned silent for a split second. No one has ever spoken to me like that. My body shakes in equal parts rage and hurt as Aidric storms off, muttering about seeing them after practice.

Callan moves in slowly, taking his time with his legs being so weak. His hands close around mine. "Don’t listen to him," he says. "He’s a damn idiot who speaks before he thinks. He didn’t mean any of it."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, he meant every last fucking word." I glance at Sebastian and toss the damp towel onto the counter. "What did he mean, ‘see you guys after practice?’ Aren’t you going?"

"Nah," Sebastian shakes his head. "Taking the night off. There's too much shit going on, and with Callan still recovering, I didn’t wanna leave you two alone."

I want to ask if that’s the only reason, but I don’t because, deep down, I already know it is. He’s not jealous. Neither of them are. And it’s strange how natural that feels.

Now if only everything else in my life would fall into place as easily.

Once the voices outside the kitchen fade and the front door slams shut, I exhale the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I tug at the hem of my shirt, trying to fluff it dry. "After all this, I could really use a distraction," I murmur.

"I’ve got a distraction for you that should do the trick," Callan says, and as he steps closer, seemingly steady on his feet now, my gaze immediately falls to the growing bulge in his joggers and I'm forced to clench my thighs.

I grin as he slinks up to me, his fingers teetering with my waistband and a smirk growing on his lips.

"Is that so," I say, biting the corner of my lip. "Let's see what you've got then."

I shove my hand down the front of his pants. My fingers wrap around his cock, stroking in slow motions.

From across the kitchen, Sebastian watches, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips. "Callan’s really out here getting all the fun, huh?" he muses, striding over until he's standing behind me with his hands on my waist.

Slowly, and deliberately, he grinds against me, showing me just how ready he is. My breath catches as I slide my hand back, fingertips tracing the waistband of his pants. A growl rumbles low in his throat.

His palms slip beneath my shirt, warm against my cold skin. I arch into his touch with a soft moan, my head falling back onto his shoulder.

Sebastian’s mouth brushes my ear. "How about we double up on that distraction.

" His hands roam under my shirt, rough palms teasing the swell of my breasts.

His thumbs circle my pebbled nipples, each stroke sending heat straight to my core.

I melt into him, arching my back further as Callan shifts in front of me, his eyes dark and ravenous.