Max spun around, leaning against the vanity, lean legs stretched out in front of him. "After months of you swearing you didn't want to be in a relationship with me, suddenly you're all blasé about it as if it's no big deal for you to say we're more than just fuck buddies. And maybe it's just a little fucked up to me you were resistant until Enzo came into the picture. You'll have to forgive me for wondering if I'm the third wheel here, some sort of buffer for the two of you because you can't be together the way you want to be otherwise."
"Oh, that is such a bunch of bullshit," I hissed, trying to keep my voice low so we wouldn't wake Enzo. "Did you miss me groveling for another chance after the first time I fucked up? The whole reason I panicked the way I did was because I thought I was going to lose you, Max. Not Enzo, you. Sure, I worried about him flipping out when he realized what we'd all done the night before, but I have a lifetime of working through issues with him. That tends to happen when you share a bedroom barely big enough for two twin beds and a shared dresser."
I stepped closer, poking my finger into Max's chest. "You know damn well you're more than a beard so he and I can get together."
"Actually, I don't," Max stated calmly. He curled his fingers around my wrist and slowly removed my hand from his chest. "Ever since the first night the three of us fooled around together, you and I have cooled off to the point we’re just regular buddies unless he’s there."
“That’s because I was trying to give the two of you space.” I twisted my fingers through my hair, trying to figure out how we’d gone from fun and playful to this. “I worriedhe’dfeel like the third wheel and wanted to give the two of you time to see if the same chemistry we share was there between you on your own.”
“I suppose I can see that.” Max’s inability to make eye contact with me stung. “But that doesn’t change the fact you've run like a coward every damn time I tried suggesting we make things official. You spent months making it abundantly clear you were only looking for a good fuck, nothing more.”
"And I'm not allowed to change my mind?"
"Not without talking to me first! You don't get to change the rules without telling me then get upset when I didn't know what was going on inside your head. That's now how a healthy relationship works.” His anger and hurt echoed off the tiled walls in the bathroom. Both of us seemed to have given up on staying quiet.
"And now you know why I don't usually do relationships, Max. I'm not good at talking about feelings and all that shit. I prefer to stick to what I know, and that's how to get a guy off. That's comfortable and safe for me." I slumped against the opposite wall of the bathroom. I desperately wanted to escape to the living room but didn't trust myself to stay in the apartment if I left the cramped confines of the bathroom.
My body sagged as I wrapped my arms tightly across my chest, praying for relief from the ache behind my ribs. Once again, I'd managed to fuck everything up. For a moment, I was happy we were already in the bathroom because that'd make it easy to lurch for the toilet if the remains of whatever I'd drank last night threatened to haunt me. I swallowed hard, praying I wasn't about to embarrass myself by puking.
"And maybe that's something I need to remember, too," Max admitted. His tone was no longer filled with bitterness. He closed the gap between us, holding me against his chest as he kissed the top of my head. "This is new territory for all of us, and we're all going to stumble sometimes. I'm sorry I discounted what you said."
"And I'm sorry for assuming instead of talking to you," I replied, my words muffled against his shoulder. "Maybe Enzo and I are alike that way, we both do better when there's a natural progression rather than some sort of checklist."
"That's fine, but it still helps when you let us know where your head is. Neither of us are mind readers." Max turned his head and laughed. "You may want to go get your coffee while the water heats back up."
"Huh?" Oh hell. Consumed by my meltdown, I'd completely forgotten about the running shower. That explained the steam-filled air. "Or we could go back to bed. Maybe wake up Enzo?"
"We're not waking him up so we can all fuck." My dick sprang to life at the stern tone in Max's voice. If I'd known it was this much of a turn-on for him to take control, I'd have handed over the reins long ago. "You throw on some shorts, and we'll make breakfast. If he's still not up, then we'll wake him."
"You're no fun," I grumbled, shaking my bare ass as I sauntered out of the room. When I glanced over my shoulder, I caught Max licking his lips as he adjusted himself. Yeah, it seemed I wasn't the only one who needed to get laid.
My steps faltered when I entered the bedroom and found Enzo glaring at me. Or at least I was pretty sure that's the look he was going for, but he was adorable with the pillow creases across his cheek and narrowed eyes. "Hey, you're up."
"No thanks to you two." Enzo flipped back the sheet Max had covered him with when we got out of bed. "As much as I appreciate Max telling you to help him make me breakfast in bed, I'm going to take care of the cooking and the two of you are going to fuck and make up."
I pressed my lips together and sucked in a deep breath, suddenly as uncomfortable with the idea of being alone with Max as I'd been desperate before. Knowing Enzo was awake, it felt wrong to kick him out of the bed to fuck while he cooked for us.
Enzo stepped up behind me, morning wood pressing into the crease of my ass. My head lolled back, resting on his shoulder as he kissed my neck. I tensed briefly, realizing this was the first time he'd touched me this way when Max wasn't guiding us, but soon relaxed, reaching back to cup Enzo's ass, holding him in place.
"Don't think about me right now," Enzo whispered before nipping my earlobe. His direction would be impossible to follow if he kept that up. "The two of you need this time together. You can't let what you had before me fall apart now that I'm here. It's okay, Tony."
“It’s my fault.” It soured my stomach to admit I was to blame for the distance between Max and me. “I just wanted you to see how amazing he is without ourcomplicationsgetting in the way.”
“Your heart was in the right place,” he reassured me. “But now it’s time you show him how much you want to be with him.”
I gasped when Enzo's hand closed around my dick, stroking me, dragging his thumb over the head. My heart raced as I pushed back, wanting to feel him nestled between my cheeks. Wondering what he'd do if I begged him to fuck me right now. A sliver of shame crept into the back of my mind, but I shoved it away, reveling in the here and now.
"I want this for the two of you," he continued. His fingertips ghosted through the trimmed thatch of hair at the base of my cock, sending a shiver through my body. "We'll have our first time as the three of us soon enough, but this morning, I want the two of you to reconnect. It won't damage what we all share, it'll make us stronger."
"How do you figure?" I asked, my words strained as I tried to keep from spilling all over his fist.
"We're not a single triad, there are four relationships here," he explained. I thought I was following his logic, but it was getting harder by the second, much like my dick. "If any of the couples aren't stable, everything will fall apart. You need to make things better with him."
"And leave you out of it?" I asked, still uneasy with his suggestion.
"For now." He kissed the hollow behind my ear before releasing my erection. With more force than I was used to from my usually timid brother, he spun me around so we were facing each other. Mirror images of two men who shouldn't be falling in love the way I was certain I was falling for him. "I love you, Tony. In wonderful, terrifying, amazing ways. I know you're eager to get to what you see as the good stuff, but first, you need to make sure your side of this triangle is secure. Then, we'll all be able to move forward together."
"Fuck, I hate how much you get me," I admitted, sliding my hand around the back of his neck. I stared into his eyes, searching for any lingering hesitation, remembering Max's warning from earlier. Every barrier Enzo and I broke down between us drew us that much closer to the point of no return. Losing Enzo if I fucked up with him would kill me. He wasn't only a third of my heart, he was also the other half of me. I paused before giving into my need to taste him, deciding as scared as I was to lose him, I was even more afraid of not sharing this love with him.
