Page 27 of Filthy Rich Brother’s Best Friends (Filthy Rich Harems #5)

Lola

I wake up alone. I’d expect this from Reid, but Miles?

He said he’d stay, and now he’s gone. Something inside me buckles.

I push the sheets off and sit up, scanning the room even though I know he’s not here. My gaze catches the folded scrap of paper on the nightstand. It’s half-crumpled, written on the back of a receipt.

Had an early call, didn’t want to wake you. XOXO.

I read it three times before setting it back down. He didn’t leave without a word. That definitely counts for something.

Still, the silence is a reminder. No matter how good last night felt, today is still waiting. And I’m still alone in it.

What is Jude going to say? I was having trouble letting go of the confrontation with Reid, so he encouraged me to talk to him. I’m pretty sure he didn’t expect me to end up in bed with Miles instead.

I know Jude’s open to things, but how open exactly?

Why am I self-sabotaging on top of everything else? Can’t I just let myself have something good for once? And even if things are okay with Jude and he’s okay with Miles—and Miles is okay with Jude—that leaves Reid. He’ll never be okay with sharing.

Shit.This couldn’t be more complicated.

I dress quickly, pulling on the first clean leggings I can find and Jude’s sweatshirt. I skip makeup, toss my hair into a messy bun, and call it good. I don’t have any more time to pull myself together..

I brace myself as I enter the kitchen.

Gigi is already perched at the counter. She doesn’t look up when I walk in. “You need to keep your distance from Reid. He’s mine.” She says it in a nonchalant way, like she’s asking me to please stop eating her crackers.

She sips her matcha and walks out without waiting for a response. My chest flares hot. I reach for a mug with numb fingers then just stand there. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.

There's a soft scoff from behind me.

I turn to find Blaire entering the kitchen with a coffee cup in hand. “So,” she gestures toward me, “is this like a rotation thing or what?”

I decide I can survive without coffee. I don’t bother responding to Blaire as I immediately head out and make the drive over to the studio.

Then I throw myself into work.

It’s the only thing that doesn’t talk back or ask questions or flirt with my frenemies in the kitchen. The studio is quiet when I unlock the door. I have about half an hour before clients start arriving, so I go through my morning routine.

Classes pass in a blur. I had to make adjustments to the schedule so that I could do all this by myself. It’s not ideal, but I’m getting through.

I’m on my scheduled midday break grabbing a smoothie for lunch when I get a call from an unknown number. I hesitate, then swipe to answer.

“Hello?”

“Hi, this is Roland from Elite Delivery. We’ve got a drop-off scheduled for you—are you there to receive it?”

“Uh. I didn’t order anything.”

“Well, it’s paid in full for the white glove service. One deluxe reformer, custom accessories included. It’s already assembled. We’ll be in and out in fifteen minutes, tops.”

My mind swirls and I finally manage to respond. “I’ll be there in ten.”

I hang up. I grab my bag and head out. My brain is stuck on the words “deluxe” and “white glove” and the dollar amount attached to a machine like that.

When I walk back into the studio, I freeze.

Jude is there already, grinning. He looks so proud of himself. He’s crouched near the front window, peeling back packing foam from a gleaming silver frame. His eyes lift when he sees me. I’m confused for a second about how he got in here when I remember that I gave him a key.

“Surprise,” he says. “Thought your studio deserved a little upgrade.”

Before I can respond, a grunt echoes from behind me. Reid appears, dragging another box in through the door. He looks sexy as fuck with his sleeves rolled to his elbows. I love when his tattoos are on display.

I just wish I understood what’s going on here.

“This thing weighs a damn ton,” he mutters.

He sets the box down, then wipes his hands on his jeans without meeting my eyes.

The door swings open, and Miles walks in holding two coffees—my usual and something darker for him. His expression softens the moment he sees me, but it turns quickly when he registers the scene. His eyes flick to Jude, then Reid, then the machine between them.

No one says anything.

The reformer is pristine. And incredibly expensive. It’s also surrounded by packing materials that someone should have cleaned up already.

“Wait,” I say slowly, glancing around. “Why are you guys setting this up? The delivery team said white glove. Aren’t they supposed to do this part?”

Jude shrugs like it’s no big deal. “They did the heavy lifting. We told them we’d take it from here.”

I frown. “Why would you do that?”

“It felt weird letting strangers finish it. Thought you might want it done your own way.”

I step closer to the reformer, skimming my fingertips along the edge. The brand label catches my eye.

“Jude…” I glance back at him. “This thing costs more than my car.”

“Yeah, but it’s supposed to be top of the line.”

“No, seriously.” My voice edges up. “I can’t accept this. I don’t even know how you—how can you afford this?”

A beat of silence.

Then Reid snorts.

“Oh my god,” he says, holding a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh. “You really don’t know?”

“Don’t know what?”

Jude is suddenly very interested in one of the straps on the reformer.

Reid’s eyes cut to mine, full of something that might be amusement or irritation—or both. “He’s a trust fund baby, Lo. He could buy this whole building tomorrow and have money left over.”

I turn to Jude. “You’re—what?”

He shrugs. “It’s not a big deal.”

“It kind of is when you’ve been pretending you’re just scraping by on massage clients.”

“I never said that.”

“You never said you weren’t though.”

“I didn’t think it mattered.”

I open my mouth, then shut it again. Miles clears his throat behind me, and I realize he’s still holding the coffee he brought. I accept it with a quiet thank you and take a big sip while I process this new information.

“I didn’t mean to hide anything, Lola. I wasn’t trying to play some kind of game. I just—I didn’t want money to be the thing that changed how you saw me.”

My throat feels tight, and I’m staring at the reformer like it might explode.

“Interesting that you’d leave that piece out,” Reid mutters. “You always said honesty was your thing.”

Jude ignores him and gives me his full attention. “I just wanted to help. I saw you struggling and thought…maybe this would take some of the pressure off.”

“You could’ve asked.”

“I figured you’d say no.”

“I would’ve.”

He smiles. “Exactly.”

I take a deep breath but it doesn’t help. My body is holding too much—frustration, confusion, the embarrassment of standing here with all of them watching me.

“Okay, enough.” I rub a hand down my face. We can’t keep doing this. If I’m sleeping with all of them, then I need to own up to sleeping with all of them. “Sit down. All of you.”

They all look confused. Then they sit on the reformer. Except for Reid. He chooses to be a defiant little prick. Instead of sitting, he leans back against the front wall. He folds his arms across his chest and challenges me with a smug little smirk.Some things will never change…

I stay standing. It makes pacing easier.

“Since you’re all here, I feel like we should talk about this, right? Or do we just ignore it and pretend it’s not happening? That kind of feels like a disaster waiting to happen. But, I’m already a disaster, right, Reid?”

“That’s not?—”

“Lola!”

I stop short, turning to face Jude, who is now standing behind me. He takes my face in his hands.

“Take a deep breath, okay? We’re here and we’re listening. Just say what you need to say.”

“I never meant for this to happen,” I start. “I didn’t plan any of it. It just happened. And I care about all of you—as selfish as that sounds. I don’t want to pretend it’s not real just because it’s messy. It is messy. I know that. But it’s also real. At least it is for me.”

Jude is the first to nod. “Then let’s stop pretending.”

Reid laughs bitterly. “You want real? Okay. Let’s start with this—are you going to keep rotating through us until you’ve had your fill, or should we draw straws?”

I stiffen. “You can go back to sleeping with my roommate if it bothers you that much. No one’s stopping you.”

The fire in his eyes ignites. “That’s rich coming from you—since you’re sleeping with both of mine.”

I open my mouth to respond with something scathing but Miles beats me to it. “Stop being an asshole and say what you really mean, Reid. You care about her. So stop hiding behind your bullshit potshots and admit it.”

Reid doesn’t respond. Miles ignores him and turns to me. “You’re not selfish, Lola. You’re allowed to feel what you feel. And if you’re choosing me…then I’ll share.”

“Really?” I breathe out.

Reid stands abruptly. He mutters something under his breath and storms out of the studio.