Page 18 of The Grumpy Vet (Vet Shop Boys Down Under #3)

Ryde

I may have peaked too early.

When I left Dario and marched towards Dad and Linus, I felt bolder with every step I took. Seeing the pain Dario was in, the anguished look on Linus's face all day and being powerless to comfort him, I was done with hiding. Two of the three men I love most in the world were hurting, and I didn't want to keep our love a secret from my father one second longer.

I was polite as I interrupted the conversation and asked if I could speak to my father privately. Even as we walked outside to the empty beer garden, I felt secure in my decision to tell him that I was in a three-way relationship with his best friend and Dario.

But now that we're finally sitting across from each other at a table, my confidence is evaporating faster than lawn dew on a hot summer's morning.

"What is it, son?"

Dad asks, his blue eyes boring into mine, like he can sense something is up. He probably can. He knows me that well.

I flatten my palms against the rough texture of the table and gather up all my courage.

"I have to tell you something."

Dad's brows pull down.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. It's not a bad thing."

I meet his gaze.

"But you might think it is."

"Just come out with it."

Typical Dad. Direct and to the point. That's probably why he and Linus are such good friends.

"I'm seeing someone."

"Oh."

His eyes widen in surprise.

"That's…that's great, son."

"It is."

I nod, trying to swallow around the pressure choking the base of my throat.

"But…it's a little…unconventional because, see… I'm actually dating two people."

"Oh."

He squints, suspicion flickering across his face before he catches it and shakes it away.

"Do I know them?"

"You do."

"Is one of them Dario?"

"It is."

"Right."

He tilts his head, and I can see him trying to place the missing piece.

"And the other person?"

Okay.

This is it.

I'm so nervous I could throw up, so I close my eyes.

An image of Linus relaxed and smiling fills my vision.

There have been so many times over the past six months where he's been like that.

Laughing, talking, chilling out with us.

And Dario and I helped do that. The two of us brought out a side to Linus that was always there but just needed the right guy—or guys—to coax it to the surface.

I have nothing to be ashamed of. I'm proud to love Linus. And Dario. And if Dad has a problem with it, then that's just what it's going to have to be—his problem.

Riding this new surge of confidence, I sit up taller, pinch my shoulder blades together, and look my father square in the face.

"The other person I'm seeing is Linus."

He freezes, his eyes not getting bigger or smaller. After a few seconds, it starts to freak me out because he's not even blinking, just staring straight at me. I can't for the life of me get a read on him. Is he mad? Shocked? Disappointed? Grossed out?

He pushes to his feet, and for a moment, I think he's going to go inside without saying anything to me. But he doesn't. Instead, he walks over to the edge of the tables and stares out into the empty paddock out the back of the pub.

I know Dad, and I know what he needs at this moment—time.

That's fine. I can give him that. I just threw a grenade at the guy. It's understandable he needs to process it.

A few minutes pass, so I decide it's safe to approach.

"So…"

I say, stepping up next to him, staring out into the open dusty field.

"Thoughts?"

"I'm surprised."

"That's not surprising,"

I say with a small smile.

He turns to look at me and offers a small smile in response. That's a good sign. I think?

"How? When?"

"Which part?"

I say, caught a little off guard. I wasn't expecting him to want to get into the details so quickly.

"The Dario part or the Linus part?"

"All of it,"

he says.

"Tell me everything right from the start."

I suggest we sit back down again since it's a long story, and then I fill him in on everything.

My two year crush on Linus, assuring him nothing ever happened between us beforehand since I never looked at Linus that way until I moved out here and started working at the clinic.

How Dario moving out here half a year ago was the turning point where I went from pining for Linus from a distance—

I omit telling him about my pattern of getting drunk and embarrassing myself in front of Linus because he may be my father, but he doesn't need to know that—to something unexpected starting.

How instead of just being a wingman and support system on my quest to see if Linus shared my feelings, Dario somehow became an integral part of the picture.

I tell him about how after his last visit, where he sensed Dario had feelings for me, we talked about that and he admitted that he did, which in turn, gave me the courage to be honest with Linus about my feelings for him, which then led to us ending up together.

All three of us.

He seems to take it well, listening and nodding from time to time as he puts it all together in his head.

When I finish speaking, he's quiet for a few moments then asks, "So, how does it all work? Are you guys in a relationship?"

"We are."

"But you can't get married?"

"Correct. Marriage is only between two people."

"Right. So what's the word for what you guys are?"

"Um, I guess you could use the word throuple."

"Is that what you guys call it?"

I shake my head.

"We don't really call it anything. We just…love each other."

"Love."

Dad repeats the word, lifting his head slowly then bringing it back down again.

"So this is serious?"

"It is."

I blow out a breath.

"I know it's unconventional, and it's still very new to us, too. I never expected this. I always thought I'd find one guy to settle down with. But there's something about the three of us that just works and makes me so happy. That makes all of us so happy. Even though Linus is your best mate. Even though he's older than us. Even though we all work together. It just feels so good when we're together. I love them both, Dad. With all my heart."

"Well…in that case…I…support you, son."

"You do?"

"Of course. I'm sorry if I'm acting a little weird, but I've been in consoling my grieving best mate mode for the past few days. This has come out of the blue."

"I know. And I'm sorry for keeping it from you. You and I have no secrets, and I've hated not being honest about this."

"Wait a minute."

He frowns deeply and wags his finger at me.

"Were you and Dario living with Linus?"

"Pretty much, yeah. He asked us to move in right after his dad passed, but then when you showed up, we went back to mine to not raise any suspicions."

"And all this time I've been here, you and Dario have kept your distance from him. I mean, it didn't even cross my mind that something was going on."

"We didn't want to freak you out."

"Jesus Christ,"

Dad mutters, charging his fingers through his hair.

"Now I feel like a dick for barging into your lives and making you and Dario move back to your place."

"It's not your fault."

I clasp my chest.

"It's mine. This is all on me."

Dad shakes his head.

"I'm sorry you felt like you had to keep it from me."

"I'm sorry for not trusting you. You've always been great about everything."

He reaches across the table and takes my hand in his.

"If I was there for you during your Justin Bieber era, please know that means I'll be there for anything. Nothing could be worse than that."

I chuckle.

"You're the best, Dad."

He lets go of my hand, and for the first time since we've been out here, a mischievous glint shines in his blue eyes.

"Don't suppose I could interest you in a little evil plan, could I?"

I angle my head, curious.

"Depends. What did you have in mind?"

Linus

"Thank fuck that's over,"

I say, kicking off my boots at the entrance and heading straight for the fridge to grab a cold one.

I didn't want to get pissed at the pub with everyone around, but now that we're back at mine, I can kick back, decompress, and enjoy a beer.

I need some alcohol after today.

Actually, what I really need is my guys, but with Oakey here, that's not going to happen. I understand why we have to cover our tracks and act like everything is nice and normal, but, damn, I wish that either I or Ryde could take Oakey aside and just tell him already.

But this isn't the right time, and after getting the timing wrong on my first I love you to my guys, I'm wary of putting my foot in my mouth again.

We'll have to wait, I guess. Maybe I can go visit him in a month or so. Or maybe we can invite him back out and tell him together. Can't really say I've given much thought to the logistics of how my own death could play out.

Once everyone has a drink in their hands, we flop down in the living room. I take one armchair, Oakey the other, and Dario and Ryde sit on the sofa.

They're sitting really close to each other. I blink a few times. So close that when Ryde lowers his hand, it lands on Dario's thigh. Beer lodges in my throat, but I somehow manage not to cough it back up and shoot Ryde a questioning look across the room.

His eyes meet mine, so I know he sees me. I know he can see the question I can't ask written all over my face. And yet, it doesn't stop him from touching Dario. If anything, he shuffles even closer to him.

Dario, for his part, wraps his free arm around Ryde's shoulder and smiles at him. For a brief moment, my cock forgets we have company and stirs in my pants.

But that moment quickly passes when Oakey clears his throat and sends me a questioning look.

Have I stepped into the twilight zone? What is going on?

Oakey takes a long pull of his beer, his blue eyes locked on me the entire time as his head tilts back, and it freaks me the fuck out.

"Well?"

he eventually asks.

"Well what?"

I stammer.

His eyes flick over to my guys. Heat flares in my chest, and what I wouldn't give to march my arse over there and join them.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Oakey asks me.

I think we're seeing vastly different things. He's looking at his son and his son's best friend. I'm taking in my two boyfriends.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

He drops his beer on the coffee table and smiles eerily at me.

"Shouldn't you be with them?"

My chest constricts, like someone has placed me in a corset and is pulling the strings until I can't breathe.

"Why would I do that?"

I manage, focusing solely on Oakey because if there's a shitshow to come, I want him to direct it at me, not at my guys.

Although…if he has somehow figured out there's something going on with us and is about to unleash, why the fuck is he smiling at me?

He quirks a brow.

"I don't know. Maybe because you'd want to sit next to your boyfriends?"

Ho-ly.

Fuck!

He knows. I can't focus on the how because my immediate concern is the what. What is he going to do now that he knows the truth?

I turn to Ryde expecting him to look how I'm feeling—panicked and like I might throw up any second—but he's grinning. He's cool, calm, and grinning.

So is Dario.

I shake my head and release the breath I've been holding for the past few minutes.

"You told him,"

I say, looking at Ryde.

"I did."

I turn to my bestie.

"And of course you came up with the plan to give me an early heart attack."

"Actually, at your age, the risk of a heart attack starts to become more common."

The more he talks, the more he grins, but after clocking my exasperated expression, he decides to put me out of my misery.

"Ryde told me at the pub today."

"Right."

I breathe again.

"And are you…okay with it?"

"I was surprised. Not so much by these two."

He waves his finger between Ryde and Dario.

"But to think not one but two guys could be in love with you. Gotta admit, that threw me for a loop."

"It threw me for a loop, too."

I chuckle then stop.

Wait.

Did he say love?

It's one thing for Ryde to have told him we're together, but wow, he went the whole hog and dropped the L-bomb. A warm, fluttery sensation swoops into my belly, and I beam at Ryde who smiles back at me.

Oakey continues.

"I'm proud of Ryde. He's grown up into a brilliant young man with a good head on his shoulders. So are you, Dario."

Oakey turns to him and smiles warmly. His lips remain stretched as he turns to me.

"And you're one of the best men I know, Linus. I want nothing but the best for you. I've hated seeing you alone, and truth be told, I was worried it would be hard for you to find someone out here. But you have. And as long as the three of you are happy, then that's all I need to know."

"So you don't have any questions about sleeping arrangements?"

Dario, the cheeky shit, quips with a sly grin.

"Most definitely not."

Oakey's eyes go wide, and then the four of us laugh.

It's the tension release I needed after the heaviness of the past few days, especially with how difficult today has been.

But I'm glad I got up and said a few words about my father, and I sure as hell am happy Ryde told Oakey about us. It's all finally out in the open. Our closest friends know, and so does my best mate. If anyone in town has a problem, I couldn't give a stuff. As long as everything is cool with the people I love and care about, then I'm a happy man.

A happy man who's about to embark on a new life with the two men he loves most in the world.

And I can't fucking wait.