“No, keep going. You’re doing great.” He launched the dish towel at my face. “Langston and I don’t know what we are,” Isaid, crossing my arms. “Which works for us; neither of us needs a label. I’ve always swung both ways, if you will.”
“And I have not,” Langston said, “until I met West.”
Juno’s eyebrows rose. “Oh.”
“And now,” I hedged, “we hope that you’re okay with knowing that I’m attracted to Langston and I’m attracted to you. I want you, and I want to be with Langston too, but not in the same way,” I said. “If that makes sense.”
“Not really,” she said, looking utterly confused.
“It’s not romantic,” Langston clarified. “Is that a good way to explain it?”
My loud clap rang through the room. “Exactly that. It’s just fucking. When tensions are high and we both need that release, sometimes it just happens.”
Juno rubbed her temples. “This is a little confusing.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” I said. “It just is what it is.”
“And we want you in the middle of that. Hopefully, we have made that very clear and not confusing.” Langston rounded the island and grabbed her hand, drawing her toward the stack of plates. “Come on. Let’s eat. Get some much-needed food in our stomachs, more drinks, and go from there.”
Juno sagged against the counter. “Yes, please. I’m starving, and those few sips before you stole my drink”—she shot an accusing glare at Langston—“were not enough to dull this crazy night. Tonight’s been one I’ll always remember but want to forget, that’s for sure,” she muttered under her breath with an eye roll.
The responding gleam in Langston’s gaze told me he took that as a personal challenge, which had a grin spreading across my face.
Good.
Hopefully, we could turn the night around so it became one she would never want to forget for all the best reasons.
Thankfully,we had enough food and extras for later if we wanted them during our cozy night in. The day started great, went to shit, got better, then went to even more shit, and now it was the best night ever.
Understanding that she was at max capacity and needed to decompress, we had her change here instead of going home. She swam in my sweats, even after rolling them up a few times, and the way Langston’s shirt hung off her was almost comical but completely adorable too. After she was comfortable, we set her on the couch with our softest blanket—thank you, Mattie—and tossed her the remote to choose what we were watching first.
She melted into the couch, as if an actual weight had been lifted off her. It was then that I understood what Baylee and Aspen tried to explain a few days ago—most women were tired of having to ask for what they needed instead of their partner, or partners in this case, seeing their exhaustion and just taking care of it without having to be told.
It wasn’t difficult, but it required energy and time to watch, learn, and act. Maybe that was the hard part for men in today’s culture. They think it’s all about them, their girl needing to adapt to their lives instead of seeing the weight she carried daily and doing whatever they could to ease some of it.
“What are you thinking hard about?” I tracked her finger until it pressed between my brows. “You have a line there you’re focusing so hard.”
“Oh, you know—just gender roles, relationships, and how to establish true partnerships,” I rattled off.
Juno chuckled. “So, just a bit of light thinking. Come up with anything solid that you’d like to share with the rest of us?”
“No, I’m enjoying this. I’ll save the heavy stuff for later.”
She just nodded and leaned her head on my shoulder, attention going back to the Hallmark Christmas movie that Langston chose for us to watch. They were just about to fall victim to miscommunication when Juno shifted to place her head on my lap, aqua eyes gazing up at me.
“West,” she whispered.
“Yes, Juno?” I followed the tip of her tongue as it traced her lower lip.
“I can’t stop thinking about everything.” She paused, and I didn’t move, barely breathing as I waited for what I hoped her next words would be. “Can you help me?” Her gaze slid to Langston. “Both of you? Just for tonight, I want to not feel so heavy.”
The couch groaned beneath Langston’s weight as he shifted, moving closer, having heard every word. “Are you asking for a distraction, shortcake?”
“Yes,” she breathed. “But it doesn’t mean anything.”
“It means you’re attracted to us,” I offered. “And feel safe with us. What do you need, Juno?”
“More of last night?” Her cheeks bloomed red. “But this time, more?”
