“Mad?!” I laughed, the feeling of warmth of having her in my arms again spreading through me like fire. “Fuck no! You’re carrying my baby!” And before she could say another word, I kissed her fiercely. I kissed her with everything I fucking had inside, holding her tight against me and letting her melt into me as she let out a chocked sob and then a laugh as she kissed me back.
“I should… I should go.”
I turned to see Anna standing quietly to the side, her face pale and her eyes looking everywhere but Christina and I.
“No way,” Christina said quickly, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the both of us. She took a deep breath. “I meant it, when I said it. She bit her lip, her eyes darting between Anna and I and looking so confused.
Anna started to cry. “I did too,” She said quietly. “ But you two are so…perfect, and I don’t fit into that.”
Christina pulled away from me and threw her arms around Anna, and again, the rage I would’ve felt before was just gone, because right there, it all made sense. Right there, I got it.
“You better fucking fit into it,” Christina said, hugging her friend fiercely. She turned and looked at me, her eyes wide and scared looking. “Tyler, I love you, so damn much,” She took a deep breath. “But-”
“But you love her too.”
Slowly, she nodded, and I got it. She couldn’t choose who she felt like that about, and I - the guy who’d fallen for the eighteen year old totally off limits girl from down the street - was the last fucking guy in the world to have anything bad to say about that.
I leaned forward and kissed Christina on the cheek, and then brought a hand to rub Anna’s shoulder. I took a deep breath. “Let’s figure this shit out.”
Chapter 31
Christina
I blew on the tea in my hands, looking through the steam curling up from the mug at the roaring fire Tyler had set in fireplace. He’d pushed the coffee table out of the way while Anna and I had changed out of our wet clothes and into the soft, terrycloth robes he’d given us. And now here we were, side-by-side in a bed of blanket on the carpet in front of the couch. Tyler finished tossing another log on the fire before moving to ease down next to me, clad an undershirt and sweatpants.
God he was attractive. What we had now - whatever it was - was much deeper than that, of course. But looking at him like that, his chiseled muscles and inked tattoos rippling in the firelight made me remember that my first attraction to him had been so primally physical. I’d wanted him - I still wanted him. I’d craved his touch - his older, firmer touch showing me what I wanted to know.
Anna sipped her tea on one side of me, while Tyler just slowly nodded on my other side, staring off into the flames. This was perfect - this moment right here. After the drama of outside, things were calm here. Here in this room with two people I loved most in this world on either side of me, that’s all I felt.
Love.
I put my mug down and sighed. “Okay, so…this just needs to be said.” I turn
ed to Tyler, biting my lip as he turned and looked down into my eyes, his gaze so fucking addictive, and so captivating.
“I love you,” I said quietly, running my hand up and down his bare arm. “I love you more than I ever imaged I could love someone, and nothing is every going to change that.” I breathed. “We’re having a baby,” I said quietly, blushing as I saw the big grin spread across his face.
I turned to Anna, slipping my other hand into hers and giving it a squeeze. “And I love you too. I’ve loved you for longer than I even knew what that meant. You’re my other half, and I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I shook my head and turned back to look at the fire in front of us. “That’s all I know. I just know I love you both, and if you ask me to choose, I don’t…” my words caught in my throat. “I couldn’t walk away from either of you. Not ever.”
Anna’s hand squeezed mine. “I love you too,” she said softly.
Tyler’s hand cupped my chin and turned my face towards him. “I love you, Christina Ames,” he said, his voice deep and his eyes flashing. “And no one’s going to ask you to make that choice.” He looked past me at Anna. “And I want to know you better, Anna.” He grinned. “I like you, a lot actually.”
Anna blushed. “I really like you too.”
Tyler grinned. “You’re good for her, you know.”
“Yeah, I know.”
We both laughed as Anna grinned at us.
“But you are too,” she said, raising a brow. “I mean, you know, besides being an incredible lay, allegedly.”
I groaned and turned bright red, but Tyler just laughed. “Well, I hope so,” he said, leaning down, and pulling my head towards him as kissed me deeply.
I melted into that kiss, losing myself in him like I had that first time before he slowly pulled away. I turned my head to Anna, who’s eyes were wide with something fierce as she watched us kiss. “Your turn, dummy,” I said gently, before leaning in and kissing softly on the lips. She sighed quietly as our mouths came together, and I could feel Tyler’s hand rubbing my arm as I kissed my friend.
And when I pulled back, I knew what I wanted. I wanted this - this moment - forever. I wanted things to be like they were right here in this moment.