“You breathing now?” Rhys asks from behind me.
I clear my throat and duck my head as my cheeks burn, the panic morphing into mortification. “Yeah, sorry about that.” Bloody hell, it’s been a while since I’ve lost it like that and even longer since I’ve done it in front of others.
Rhys pats my arm before letting go of me. “No worries. I’m just glad you didn’t punch us in the face.”
Theo snorts and steps away from me. “Me, too. Your fist hurts.”
“So does yours,” Rhys shoots back wryly as he comes to stand in front of me with Theo. “My jaw still hurts from that right hook of yours.”
“Good. You deserved it,” Theo says, his lips curled upward with satisfaction.
Their banter helps relieve some of my embarrassment, although I still have the urge to bury myself in a hole and never come out.
“Alright, now that you’re not melting down, you want to tell us what that was about, Alex?” Theo says with a cocked eyebrow.
I grimace and avert my gaze to stare at the mud. “I spiralled is all. Nothing to worry about.”
Rhys grunts, but thankfully neither of them push. Not that I’d really know what to tell them.I’m a bloody idiot terrified of having his heart broken? Not exactly a manly thing to admit.
“Well, since it’s just the three of us, we should discuss the elephant in the room: Ollie.” Theo turns to Rhys. “Are you pulling your head out of your ass?”
“You know I am,” Rhys says, sounding frustrated. “I said that the day we arrived back, and just like I told you then, it’s not that easy. I’m still making up for my past mistakes. Besides, neither of us are in the right mindset to start a relationship right now, so it’s best if I just—”
“No, don’t do that. Don’t use what’s happening with Andy stop you from pursuing her, Rhys. She needs us more than ever, and you pulling back will only hurt her.” Theo turns to me. “And you need to keep your shit together. I understand you went through a lot with Willow, but you need to remember that Ollie isn’t Willow.”
I swallow hard. He’s right. Ollie needs us, and I can’t let my fears from my previous relationship taint what we have. Especially if the worst comes and Andy turns.
“You two need to push aside your bullshit and man up. I won’t allow either of you to hurt Ollie while she’s dealing with this. Understand?” Theo levels us both with a hard stare.
Rhys and I stare at him with widened eyes and dropped jaws. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this protective of anyone aside from me and Rhys.
“You’re really gone for her, aren’t you?” Rhys asks having recovered first.
Theo nods curtly. “I’m in love with her. Which is why I’m making sure you assholes don’t break her heart. God knows there’s already a ton of shit waiting to hurt her.”
Well, fuck. “I think I love her, too.” The words are soft, barely audible, but both of my best friends hear.
The smile that stretches across Theo’s lips is brimming with joy, all traces of the protectiveness from earlier gone. “Holy shit. You’re actually admitting it?”
I nod.
“Good for you, man.” He pats my shoulder. “Welcome to the club. We can be brother-husbands or something.”
I wrinkle my nose.
He chuckles at my expression. “No? Co-boyfriends? Ollie’s Boy Toys? We don’t have enough to make a boy band…”
“And there won’t be,” Rhys says, his voice sharp.
Theo’s eyebrows shoot upward even as his smile turns mischievous. “Possessive, much?” he teases, poking Rhys’s bicep.
The other man growls. “When it comes to our girl? Yes. I’ll only tolerate the three of us. No one else.”
I grunt in agreement. There’s no way I could share Ollie with anyone else. The only reason I’m even agreeing to do this with these two is because I trust them with my life. Even if they do annoy the hell out of me sometimes.
Theo huffs out a laugh as he glances between us. “Alright, you cavemen. You can be the ones to explain that to Ollie.”
Before either me or Rhys can reply, someone clears their throat beside us. The three of us turn and I barely stifle a sigh when I see one of thekitchen staff standing there, looking a little out of place as they shift their weight from one foot to the other.
