Her Best Men

“I didn’t feel it was right to keep it from ya, though my brothers wanted to.”

“Why?” I asked. “Why wouldn’t they want to tell me something like this?”

“Don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “Maybe they’re scared you’ll get pissed or somethin’. Either way, it didn’t sit right with me, keepin’ ya outta the loop. I’ve been in love with you for way longer than any of those guys have.”

I was stunned by his words. Did that mean the rest of them felt that strongly about me? I could feel my eyes widening in shock as Wyatt dipped his gaze to the floor. I could hear him drawing in deep breaths, trying to calm himself after going out on such an emotional limb.

“Can I be honest, Wyatt?” I asked.

“I wish ya would be. We’re all kinda in the dark ‘bout all this. How you feel ‘bout all of it,” he said.

“I’ve wanted all four of you since you guys first came over to play with Hunter.”

“What?” he asked.

“Well, don’t look so shocked,” I said. “I know I was only six years old, but I ‘loved’ you guys in the way a six-year-old girl could. Then as we got older, that matured and changed with age and time. But it’s always been there. It’s never changed.”

“All of us?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “All of you.”

“Seems like that would make it harder to choose who you’re gonna be with.”

“Why do I have to choose?” I asked. “I know you guys have shared women in the past. Why can’t I be one of those women? I want you all—including you, Wyatt. Why can’t I have all of you, too?”

I watched him clench his jaw as he looked over at the wall. I now felt very uncomfortable. Wyatt wasn’t happy. In fact, I could see a small spark of anger mounting behind his eyes. I reached behind me and put my hand on the doorknob, twisting it so I could crack the door. He shot his gaze over to me quickly, like he was trying to figure out how to make me stay.

If Wyatt was this unhappy with me being shared, then it meant that his brothers probably felt the same.

“Are you angry?” I asked.

“I get it,” Wyatt said. “Why ya want all of us.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” I said.

“I gotta get some stuff to Dylan. But I’m glad we had this talk.”

“Wyatt, please don’t do this. Talk to me.”

“Look, Katie, I’m not here to argue with ya. I can’t tell ya how to live your life, only you can do that. I’ll talk to ya later.”

Wyatt pushed himself off his desk. He grabbed some file folders, then headed for the door I was leaning against. He scooted behind me, my eyes finding his beautiful emerald orbs before he slid out the door and into the hallway. I watched him walk away with his shoulders slumped and his feet shuffling. He looked defeated.

I felt my heart shatter into pieces as he disappeared around the corner.

I gathered the rest of my things and left before any of the others got any bright ideas to talk. My soul ached, and tears wouldn’t stop falling. Wyatt had looked so hurt. So upset with me for wanting to be shared. Did he think that I was trashy for wanting it? I couldn’t choose between the four of them. It wasn’t a possibility for me. And the more I slowly got them all to open up about it, the more I was finding that they were unwilling to share me.

I felt my dreams slowly slipping away from me.

“Katie? What’s wrong?”

I sniffled as Whitney’s face appeared on my laptop.

“You’re gonna think I’m stupid, so just save it, okay?” I asked.

“Whatever it is, you can talk to me. What happened?”

“I’ve—uh—”