Page 32 of Pucking Tangled

THIRTY-ONE

Mia

Mia watched Waylon disappear down the hall and into his bedroom, staring into the darkness like a lost puppy.

Something shifted inside her, again. Not in the sudden, breathtaking, all consuming way it had with the others. But in a much deeper way.

Waylon, the guy who teased, who always seemed to be flirting just to rile someone up, had just looked at her like she mattered.

And he didn’t take a damn thing from her.

No. He gave .

He gave her one of the sweetest nights of her life without expectation.

No snarky banter.

No sexual innuendos.

No pressure.

It was utterly unexpected.

Waylon had shown up with swagger, with confidence, with every intention of making her melt—and he had, but not the way she thought he would. He’d taken her out of the house. Out of her own head. Made her laugh until her stomach hurt and offered no agenda but her joy.

He didn’t touch her. At least not like that.

He didn’t ask for anything.

He just looked at her like she was enough. Like spending time with her was enough.

She couldn’t help but think it was reminiscent of her relationship with Luca.

And somehow, that seemed to wreck her more than any kiss. Any desperate moment tangled in sheets.

She thought about the others.

How Luca was always so tender it made her ache.

Casey. Her best friend, now turned so much more. Always so full of fire and feeling and fear.

And Owen. Steady. Intense. Reliable.

But Waylon?

He felt like a breath of fresh air tonight.

Quiet. Easy. Fun.

Mia ducked into her bathroom and flipped on the light.

Realization hit her as she stared at herself in the mirror.

Waylon Ryan had just laid himself bare for her.

Not with a kiss, not with a touch, but with restraint.

With patience.

Something Mia hadn’t even thought the man possessed.

She remembered how he looked at her at dinner with his milkshake straw between his teeth and a carefree sparkle in his eyes.

Just when she was feeling like she didn’t know how to navigate all of this, how to hold each of them equally, Waylon made it feel possible without even trying.

And more than that ?

He made her feel even more worthy.

Tonight, she let her guard down with him for the very first time.

And he didn’t pounce.

A stark change from everything she knew about the man.

The memory of his voice, low and warm on that overlook, curled around her heart.

In hindsight, Waylon was probably the only one who could look at a woman like she was a hurricane and still choose to sit in the middle of the storm.

The slow, careful surrender he offered threatened to undo every piece she was trying to hold together.

Mia sighed and turned on the shower.

What was she going to do with these men?

There was no way she’d be able to sleep tonight.

Because Waylon Ryan had just rewritten all of the rules.

And when morning came, and she had to face him again? Mia wasn’t sure that she would be able to not give in.

Maybe it was time for her to call a house meeting of her own.

When the sun came up, she had come to a decision.

They need to talk.

All of them—together.

No more putting it off.

No more pretending. Walking on eggshells. Or trying to set off a power keg .

She dressed quickly and snuck out before anyone else woke up.

There was a tiny bakery just down the road that made the best muffins and bagels in town. It would save everyone from having to cook, while acting as a tiny peace offering of sorts. Something comforting to ease into the emotions they needed to discuss.

When she got back to the house, she put on a pot of coffee and pulled up the group chat with her men.

Mia: Dearest Roommates, Your presence is required at the mandatory Roommate Round-Up taking place in the kitchen. ASAP. Pastries and coffee will be provided.

She hit send and waited, helping herself to the first cup of coffee and a still-warm chocolate chip muffin.

Waylon: Is there a dress code for this round-up?

Of course, he would be the one to ask that.

Mia: Clothes are required. Do not antagonize everyone.

Waylon: Damn. I knew I should have done laundry sooner.

Mia smiled to herself. At least he was acting normal this morning.

No one else responded, but the house slowly began to come to life. She could hear them shuffling around upstairs and eventually, the sound of their footsteps coming down the stairs.

After everyone had their coffee and settled in their spots around the kitchen, Mia spoke. “This isn’t easy for me. None of this is. I didn’t plan to move into this house and fall for any of you. Let alone all of you.”

She took a sip of her coffee and swallowed to buy herself time to formulate her thoughts.

“But here we are. It happened, and I’ve tried my best to handle it with tender care.

I’ve tried to respect you. Give you space when you needed it and show up for each of you in the ways I thought you wanted. No, the way you needed me to.”

Luca started to speak, but she held up her hand.

“Please, let me finish. It’s important that you all hear what I have to say.”

He nodded and picked at his poppyseed muffin.

“Luca, from the very beginning, you’ve been my silent ally. I let you in. And in return you made me feel safe. Wanted. Loved, even before I was ready for that word.”

She turned her attention to her best friend.

“Casey. I don’t know how to do life without you.

And I hope I never have to figure it out.

What’s between us now? It’s intense. All consuming.

It’s a burning flame that I can’t ignore.

You’ve always seen me in ways I don’t see myself, and the truth is, I wouldn’t be who I am today without your unwavering support. ”

“Owen.” She looked at the man leaning against the wall, the very picture of Zen. “You’re an anchor. You give me room to breathe, to figure things out, without ever making me feel like I’m running out of time. You never pushed. But I still feel you, always. Solid and steady.”

He smiled at her and nodded, seemingly accepting her words and the sincerity behind them.

“And you.” Mia winked at Waylon who was still standing by the coffee maker, clinging to his mug like his life depended on it.

“You surprised me the most. You treat everything like a game, but last night you showed me that this wasn’t to you.

It was real. And refreshing. You just let me be.

Without expectation. And you made me laugh when I was so far inside my own head that I couldn’t see the way out. ”

She paused and waited. But when no one else spoke, she took a deep breath and continued.

“I care about each of you. Deeply. And I want to keep exploring this. But I can’t do that if we’re always tiptoeing around each other. If you’re all watching every move I make. Or every move someone else makes, like it’s a competition and you’re all fighting to see who wins.”

Mia rung out her hands, trying to ease her nerves. No going back now, she thought .

“I won’t be the reason you hurt each other, and I don’t want to lose any of you.

If we’re going to do this…if we’re really going to try to make it work, we’re going to need some new rules.

First and foremost, we need trust. And we need to agree that no matter what happens between me and each of you individually, the core of this house—this family —stays strong.

Because, like it or not boys, that’s what we are now. Family.”

Waylon crossed his arms over his chest, catching Mia’s gaze. “Uh, I don’t know Mia. I’ve never kissed my cousin like I kissed you.”

“I’d hope not.” She rolled her eyes at him, but then sobered her expression. “I’m not asking you not to feel things. I’m asking you to talk about them. With me. With each other. Because I can’t carry the weight of your fear and guilt and jealousy by myself. I’ve got enough of my own to manage.”

Luca was the first one to move. He walked to her and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his forehead against his. “I love you, Mia. I want this. I want you. Everything you’re willing to give me. I’ll try my damndest to make it work.”

Mia pressed a kiss to his lips. “I love you, too, Luca. Thank you.”

“Same.” Casey spoke up. “I’m all in. But I’m going to need a little time, I think. I’m clearly not very good at this.”

She reached for his hand and pulled him into her embrace. “I don’t think any of us are. But we can be.”

“You got one thing wrong, Blondie,” Waylon joined her. “You are a prize, but not to be won. To be cherished. I’m all in too.”

Finally, Owen stepped close and kissed her temple. “We’ll figure it out,” he promised.

And she believed him.

She believed all of them.

“One more thing. I’m still absolutely counting on all four of you having your wicked ways with me…at the same time. Just so we’re clear. When we’re all ready.”

Waylon growled. “Maybe it would have been better if we just started with that from the beginning.”

Mia laughed. “That would be your way of dealing with things.”

He leaned in and kissed the side of her neck. “You just wait, Mia. Just. Wait.”

“Looking forward to it.”