Page 26 of Shared by my Ex’s Best Friends (Twisted Desires #2)
Chapter twenty-six
MAYA
S unlight filters through the slats of the blinds, warm and golden, brushing over bare skin and tangled sheets. I stretch slowly, toes curling beneath the comforter, my body deliciously sore in the best way—like I’ve been thoroughly unraveled and carefully put back together again.
My heart still thrums with the echoes of last night.
For once, my brain is quiet. No racing thoughts. No guilt gnawing at the edges. No pressure to define what can’t be defined. Just… peace.
I shift onto my side and smile.
Jake’s next to me, one arm draped across his eyes like the light is his mortal enemy. His chest rises and falls in a lazy rhythm, a soft snore escaping every now and then.
Behind me, Liam breathes deep and slow, his hand still curled around my hip as if holding on is instinctual, even in sleep. His body is warm against mine.
Ethan’s already up, and I feel a small pang of disappointment that I don’t get to wake to all of them with me, but then I hear movement coming from downstairs. At least he’s still here.
My heart swells with something fragile and whole all at once.
I get out of bed as gently as I can, not wanting to wake either of them. Jake shifts, murmuring something unintelligible, and Liam’s fingers tighten slightly before going slack.
I pull on one of their T-shirts from the floor, the hem brushing my thighs, and pad barefoot into the hall and down the stairs.
Ethan’s at the stove in the kitchen, shirtless, boxers slung low on his hips, a spatula in one hand and a mug in the other. Scrambled eggs hiss in the pan as he moves with casual ease, like this is something he’s done a thousand times.
Like this is home.
“You’re humming,” I tease, leaning against the doorframe.
He glances over his shoulder, flashing that familiar, crooked grin. “You’re glowing.”
I snort, but my cheeks warm. “Am not.”
He shrugs. “If you say so. But I stand by it.”
I walk over, brushing past him to steal a piece of egg straight from the pan. He makes a half-hearted attempt to slap my hand away. Our shoulders bump.
A few minutes later, I hear the creak of the stairs and Liam wanders in, shirtless, hair an absolute mess, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He heads straight to me, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and pressing a kiss to the crook of my neck.
“Mornin’,” he murmurs, voice rough with sleep.
“Morning,” I whisper back, leaning into him.
Jake arrives not long after, bleary-eyed and clearly still half-asleep.
He mutters something about murder and caffeine, grabs a mug, and pours himself coffee before acknowledging anyone. Ethan pushes him the sugar like he’s done it a dozen times.
We all end up crammed around my tiny kitchen table—knees bumping, legs tangled, plates overlapping, a chaotic collection of coffee mugs and egg crumbs and shared smiles. Liam eats directly from the pan. Jake keeps stealing toast off Ethan’s plate.
I can’t stop watching them, each of them, like I still don’t quite believe this is real. Like it might disappear if I blink too hard.
It’s shockingly easy. Natural, even.
No one says anything about last night. Maybe we’re all trying to pretend this is just a normal morning, just friends sharing breakfast. Maybe we don’t want to break the spell.
But then Liam sets his fork down, his expression softer than usual, more serious. He looks across the table at me.
“You still okay?” he asks.
The question lands gently, but I feel it in my chest, wrapping around my heart and making it ache.
I meet his gaze, then glance at Ethan, then Jake. All of them watching me, waiting for the answer.
I nod, my voice quiet but certain. “More than okay.”
Jake reaches under the table and bumps his knee against mine. “We meant what we said. This isn’t just some wild thing we forget about once the sun comes up.”
Ethan leans forward, forearms resting on the table. “But if it gets to be too much, if something feels wrong, say so. We’re not going to pretend this is simple. We’re figuring it out. Together.”
I nod again, blinking fast as that warmth builds in my chest. The kind of warmth that makes me want to cry and laugh and hold all of them at once.
Jake catches the emotion in my eyes and smiles faintly. “God, you’re such a sap.”
“Shut up,” I shoot back, grinning through the tears threatening to rise.
Liam smiles and steals another forkful of egg. “Pretty sure he’s the sap.”
Ethan raises his mug. “To being saps.”
I open my mouth to reply—to say something about how right this morning feels, how maybe I’m not as scared as I thought I’d be—but the doorbell rings.
We all freeze.
Liam straightens instantly, tension coiling in his frame. “Expecting anyone?”
I shake my head, my pulse skipping. “No.”
Jake is already moving. “I’ll check the window.”
He disappears down the hallway and peeks through the curtain. When he turns back, his voice is low but urgent. “It’s Nick.”
My stomach drops so hard it feels like it hits the floor. “Shit,” I whisper.
Ethan’s already at my side. “We’ll go to the bedroom. Talk to him if you need to. We’ll stay quiet.”
Liam touches my arm, then presses a soft kiss to my cheek. “You’ve got this.”
The three of them vanish down the hallway, quiet as shadows. I’m left standing in the living room, heart pounding so loud I’m sure Nick will hear it when I open the door.
I take a breath. My hand finds my chest like that’ll steady the chaos inside me. Then I unlock the door and pull it open.
Nick’s standing on my porch, hands jammed into the pockets of a faded hoodie, eyes sharp beneath furrowed brows. He looks… off. Edgy.
What the hell is he doing here?
“Maya,” he says, jaw tight.
“Nick.” I force my tone to be neutral, casual, but there’s a tightness in my throat I can’t quite swallow. “This is a surprise.”
“Yeah, well. I was in the neighborhood.” His eyes flick over my shoulder. “So… you’ve got company?”
I step out and pull the door mostly shut behind me. I cross my arms. “What do you want?”
He scoffs like I’ve asked a stupid question. “I want to know what’s going on with you and my friends.”
I go still.
He takes a step closer. “Don’t look at me like that. You think I haven’t noticed? How they’ve been acting around you? How you’ve act around them? They’ve all but disappeared on me. Is it Jake? Ethan? Liam?”
My heart punches the inside of my ribcage. “Nick, it’s none of your business.”
“Oh, come on,” he snaps. “You’re seriously gonna stand there and lie to my face? You’re messing around with one of them. That’s low, Maya. They’re my friends.”
I grit my teeth, lifting my chin. “No,” I say, each word deliberate. “I’m not messing around with one of them.”
He blinks, thrown off. “Wait, so what, it’s two? Jesus, Maya.”
I stare him down. His voice is getting louder. My neighbors don’t need this scene. I don’t need this scene.
“What we had is over,” I say, voice quieter now but no less firm. “You don’t get to interrogate me about my life. You gave up that right to know anything about me when you walked away.”
“That was months ago—”
“Exactly,” I cut in. “And since then? I’ve rebuilt. I’ve moved on. I’m happy. You don’t have to like it, but you don’t get to stomp through my front yard and demand explanations like you’re owed anything.”
He opens his mouth to fire back, but for once, nothing comes out. Maybe because he knows I’m right.
After a second, his mouth presses into a grim line. “Just… be careful, Maya. That’s a hell of a fire you’re playing with.”
My spine straightens. “I’ll take that risk.”
He gives me one last look, something flickering behind his eyes that I can’t quite decipher, then turns and stalks back to his car. I wait until the engine rumbles to life and disappears down the street before I exhale, hands shaking just a little as I reach for the door.
I press my forehead to the wood, letting the cool surface soothe me. My hands are still shaking. My body’s trying to catch up with what just happened.
The second I close it behind me, they appear—Ethan first, then Liam and Jake right behind him. Like they were standing at the ready to defend me if need be.
“You okay?” Ethan asks gently, stepping closer.
“Yeah.” My voice comes out rawer than I intend. “Just… rattled.”
Jake rubs the back of his neck. “We heard most of it.”
Liam’s gaze finds mine, eyes searching. “Do you regret it?”
The question slices through me. Not with pain, but with clarity.
“No.” I don’t even hesitate. “Not for a second.”
Relief softens their faces. Jake lets out a quiet breath and drops onto the arm of the couch with a relieved sigh.
I look at each of them, these men who’ve opened my eyes to a whole new kind of affection. Who make me feel seen and wanted and free all at once.
“I don’t want you guys to have to hide like that again,” I say, voice steady now.
Jake’s lips curl into a grin. “Good. Because I suck at hiding.”
Liam chuckles and pulls me toward him, wrapping me in his arms like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Ethan’s hand finds mine, warm and solid, and Jake crawls in on my other side, bumping my shoulder with his like he’s claiming his place, too.