Cabin Mates

Wyatt’s girl.

But, of course, it was only one weekend for him. We’re too different. He has a whole life—respectable, responsible—that doesn’t have room for a twenty-year-old girlfriend and her himbo boyfriend, who just happens to work for Mr. Respectable Businessman.

“Emily…” His voice cracks, and I shove the searing pain down as deep as I can hide it.

“I know…” I stroke his cheek. “Pancakes.”

“Wait—”

I hop off the bed just as Wyatt returns, pushing past him. I keep going, quickly, to the bathroom first, where I scrub between my legs, then down to the kitchen.

I can hear them talking upstairs, sharp tones, words too quiet to make out. Words I don’t really want to hear anyway.

Clattering some pots and pans together covers that nonsense up nicely.

But it’s hard to escape them when we’re sharing a cabin, and they arrive, pushing past each other, moments later.

Wyatt starts. “Emily, we need to talk.”

I glare at him. “Did you know? That this was just a weekend?”

“It’s not just a weekend.”

“For you? Or for both of you?”

He hesitates long enough that I get my answer. Clatter clatter. Bang bang.

“Emily, stop for a second.”

“It’s my turn to make breakfast,” I say brightly. “Thanks for all the sex lessons, Heath.”

“Whoa.” That’s Heath now, finally finding his voice. “Wyatt said we need to talk. That requires you to actually listen to us.”

I pause, properly chastened. My heart doesn’t want to listen, though. He doesn’t need to spell anything out. I’m a big girl. Everyone’s supposed to get their heart broken, anyway. Rite of passage.

“Put down the wooden spoon.”

I set it on the counter.

“Look at me.”

That is harder to do, but I slowly lift my chin, and I find Heath waiting for me, his face tight. “Wyatt told you that we both caught feelings for you at the same time. We’ve shown you those feelings a lot this weekend. What just happened now…” He scrubs his hand over his face. “Fuck, Emily, you turn me inside out. Before you, all my secret cravings were just that—secrets, and only in my head. And then over the last couple of months, as Wyatt told me how much he felt for you, he somehow got me to fucking confess to being an absolute pervert where you’re concerned. This guy? He’s the fucking best. And all he’s ever wanted is to find his other half. His mate. A pretty little wife. You could be his bride—”

“This is too fast,” Wyatt growls.

But it doesn’t feel fast. That part feels right and perfect. Wild and free.

Heath gives me a pained look. “I thought it would be better if I got out of your way.”

And that part feels like absolute bullshit. I open my mouth to protest, but he holds up his hand.

He’s not done. “I thought that. I don’t think it now. Holding you last night, all night long…I could never let you go. And I tried to show you that with my body because I wasn’t sure how to put it into words, when I also know that Wyatt has forever plans for you. And I cannot stand in the way of that.”

I nod hesitantly, reeling at the unexpected turn of events.

“So—” Heath starts, then stops again. “We’ll figure it out. But we all need to be a little patient.”

“Mmm.”