“What?” I ask, snapping with attitude.
“Do you have a heart of gold?” she asks.
“I do not,” I practically growl.
“Yes, you do,” Archer adds with a laugh. “You have a fucking heart of gold.”
“Fuck you both,” I say. “You’re paying for lunch now.”
They’re both giggling to themselves as they watch me. And I can’t help but fight the smile creeping across my face.
Rule #23: Win.
Archer
Julian’s hand is intertwined with mine, and Freya is tuckedunder my arm as the three of us stroll along the Seine. Stands filled with books line the street, most of the vendors starting to shut up their businesses for the night. The sun is slowly setting behind Notre Dame, and I honestly couldn’t envision a more perfect day.
Every day with them is perfect. No pressure. No suffocating expectations.
In the back of my mind, I worry about how long this can really go on before I start to feel the weight of their affection for me like an iron blanket, slowly killing me and making me want to run.
“Do you know who you’re fighting tonight?” Freya asks.
“Yeah. Rex sent me the details yesterday. It’s some Italian guy.”
“And people bet on these fights?” Julian asks.
“Yeah. A lot of people do actually. This guy tonight is scrawny, so most of the bets will be on me. It’s when the guys are big that things tend to get ugly afterward.”
“I’m nervous, Archer. I don’t like this.” Freya nuzzles into my side, so I press my lips to her forehead.
“Don’t be nervous, Chef. I do this all the time. It’s harmless.”
Julian is tense too. I sense it in the swing of his hand in mine and the way his laser-focused attention doesn’t leave the horizon. Finally, he turns toward me.
“This isn’t that dangerous guy you told us about in the elevator, is it?”
“I wish,” I bark with a laugh. “Rex can’t seem to find him. I have a suspicion he’s not trying too hard. He really doesn’t want me to fight him.”
“Then maybe you should listen to him,” Freya argues.
“You guys are going to have a blast tonight, and then you’ll see how fun they are. It’s not as scary as you two seem to think it is. The adrenaline is incredible.”
Neither of them seems very convinced. And I wish they’d just give it a chance. I’ve accepted them and their passions without hesitation. Why can’t they give me the same respect?
The fight tonight is in an actual gym, which is a rarity. It’s not a nice or legit gym by any means. It’s the kind that hosts crowds for illegal street fighting, but it does make me feel better than having to take either of them to the docks or some abandoned Métro station.
My only hesitation is that I haven’t had a single moment to prepare for this fight. Being with them for the last seventy-two hours, I haven’t stuck to my diet, prepped in any way, or watched videos of this guy so I know what to expect.
On the bright side, he is a skinny kid based on the link Rex sent me. I’ll let him get one hit in to make it interesting, and then I’ll show Julian and Freya how I always win. It will hopefully settle their nerves.
The three of us are standing together on the Métro ride out of town. Freya’s body is pressed between me and Julian, and I lean down to smell the coconut and floral scent of her hair.
Remembering the look on her face this morning guts me. It was reckless of me to think that seeing me and Julian togetherwouldn’t hurt her. I was so careless with her feelings, and as punishment, I had to see the pain I inflicted.
How the hell do my brother and his family do this all time? Being in a relationship is hard enough, but splitting my heart into two feels impossible. I can’t possibly give 100 percent of myself to both of them. I can’t be everything to both Julian and Freya. At some point, one of us will go bankrupt. There will be nothing left, and the entire thing will implode.
But fuck if I can’t help but indulge in them both for now. I don’t want to walk away. I don’t want to make the wise choice now to save our future hearts.
