“Landon?” she murmurs sleepily, her hand reaching out to grab my shirt.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Abby loves you. Tell Tate that Abby loves him too. And Levi... tell them both.”
I lean down and press a kiss on her forehead. “I will. Now sleep.”
Within minutes, her breathing evens out, and I can tell she’s out completely. I make sure she’s on her side, then head back downstairs to have an important conversation with my brother and my coach about the future we’re all about to navigate together.
When I reach the main floor, I find Levi and Tate in the living room. Levi is sitting on the couch with his legs stretched out in front of him, while Tate is standing near the window, his arms crossed over his chest.
“She’s asleep?” Levi asks as I enter the room.
“Out like a light,” I confirm, moving toward them. “She’ll probably wake up tomorrow with the worst headache of her life and absolutely no memory of this happening.”
Tate winces slightly. “Should we maybe not tell her she threw herself at me while half naked?”
I laugh. “Oh, we’re definitely telling her.”
I settle into the armchair across from Levi, my eyes landing on Tate. “So,” I say, leaning back and studying him. “You came here tonight to say yes?”
Tate nods, his jaw tightening slightly. “I did. I’ve been thinking about this for days.” He pauses, running a hand through his hair. “I realized I really don’t care what other people think.”
“Even though it’s complicated?” Levi asks. “And it could blow up in all our faces?”
“If I’m going to take the risk, then I might as well jump right into the deep end.”
“You understand what you’re signing up for?” I say, and I need to make sure he really gets it. “This isn’t just about sex, though that’s an obvious part of it. This is about being with Abby, and being with me, and Levi and I are also with Abby. Levi and I have a complicated history with her.”
“I know,” Tate says quietly. “I’ve thought about all of it and what it could mean for my job, and for my reputation, and I have decided life is too short not to be happy. At the end of the day, I have a passion for ice hockey, but I want more than that in my life.”
Levi shifts on the couch, his expression thoughtful. “What changed your mind?” he asks. “Abby told me this morning you were still on the fence.”
Tate takes a seat on the edge of the coffee table, his elbows resting on his knees. “I realized that I’ve spent my entire life doing what was expected of me. Playing it safe and playing it straight, literally and figuratively. It led to an injury that ended my career anyway.” He looks up at me. “So what’s the point of playing it safe if it doesn’t guarantee anything?”
“Maybe some risks are worth taking,” I say. “And some people are worth taking them for.”
“Is Abby worth it for you?” Tate asks me directly. “Even with everything else going on?”
I don’t hesitate. “Abby is worth everything to me. She always has been, even when I thought I had lost her forever.”
Levi makes a noise that sounds like agreement. “Same. But we also know it’s not only about her. It’s about all of us figuring out how to make this work together.”
“Which brings us to the practical shit,” I say, moving my attention back to Tate. “Because we can’t just waltz into the world as a poly relationship and not expect some serious fallout.”
“I know,” Tate says. “My family will lose their minds—my father especially.”
“Our sister will be over the moon,” Levi says.
“We’ll have to be careful at work,” I continue. “Besides Thomas... it’ll be tricky with you being a coach and me being a player.”
“We can keep our relationship private,” Tate says. “No one needs to know at the arena. We can be professional there, and everything else happens outside of that space.”
“There’s something else we need to talk about,” I say. “The media attention. When people find out, and they will eventually, it’s going to be intense. Abby got a taste of it when she was involved with us the first time, but this is going to be worse. A coach, a player, and a woman caught in the middle. The tabloids are going to have a field day.”
“We’ll deal with it together. Isn’t that the point?” Tate says. “Though hopefully it’s a long time before that happens.”
Levi leans forward, his elbows on his knees. “So when do we tell Abby that we’re doing this? Because I don’t think she will remember anything from today.”
