“Where are you going?” Corrigan called out as I took off.
“Away from you two. It’s like I stepped into an alternate universe or something.” They weren’t faking like I thought they had been. As that realization settled in my gut, I stopped in my tracks. I thought they had been faking it, putting on a good front for my sake, but they weren’t. They actually were getting along. Turning back around to them, I just stared for a moment.
Giggles were coming from them. Giggles. From grown men. Only true friends laughed like that.
I waved a finger between them. “When did this happen?”
They stopped and drew to their fullest height. Bryce frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“I thought you guys were faking before. I thought . . .” I thought I had destroyed their friendship? They were acting like they had in high school. It was—I felt a kick in my gut—nice. Then hope started to grow. Did I dare hope . . . the old trio was back?
“Oh no.” Corrigan clipped his head in a fierce motion.
“What?” My arms jerked, and I spread my fingers out, pressing my palm to my side.
“We’re friends despite you.” He gestured to Bryce. “I still love this guy, and he loves me. No matter who you pick, we’re not losing a damn good friend. This is despite you,” he repeated and stressed that word.
My mouth went dry. “What do you mean?”
“The two of us are going to remain friends, but once you pick, the person you don’t choose steps away from you.”
“Me?”
Bryce nodded.
They were serious, dead serious. I didn’t know how I felt about this.
Bryce’s tone sounded harsh. “We’ve discussed it. Whoever you don’t choose steps back from you, but not each other. We’ll still be friends.”
“But—” My mind was racing. I was going to lose one of them. “You told me this wouldn’t happen. I would still have both of you.” I needed them. They were my family.
“You’ll still have us.”
“But.” I pressed my fingers to my temples. A headache was coming on. “You’re not making sense.”
“We’ll both care about you. That won’t go away, and yes, we’ll both still be here for you, but not in the way you want. Not in the daily way. If you need us, like really truly need us, we’ll be here for you,” Corrigan said.
Bryce finished for him softly, “But it’s not going to be how you want it. We’re still family. We’ll be here for you if you need us, but not every day. It’s like we’re a family member that moved away. Every now and then maybe we can see you, but not every day. It can’t be like that, Sheldon.”
Corrigan added, “It’s the fairest way to do it.”
I was going to lose one of them. No matter how they were saying it, I would lose one of my family members.
Bryce was studying me, and he pressed his lips together. “Stop whatever you’re thinking. Stop it. This is the right way to do it, and you can’t deny this. You fell in love with both of us, and that’s not fair.”
“But—”
“Stop, Sheldon.” Corrigan was scowling now. “We don’t lose both of you this way. It would happen anyway. Once you picked, that other person would have to go away anyway.”
“But—”
“Just stop, Sheldon.” Bryce and Corrigan were right next to each other. They were looking at me with the same determined expressions, and they had decided. I had no decision in the matter. The lump got a shot of testosterone and grew to a goliath size in my throat.
They were right. No matter what, I would lose one of them.
I jerked my head in a nod. “Okay.” I took a shuddering breath in. “Okay.” Then I let it out.
“All right.” Denton’s cheerful voice was like a knife breaking the tension in the room. It was jarring and almost brought me to tears. Feeling them coming, I pressed a hand to my eye and turned away.