“We’re fine.” Lennox brushes my hair behind my shoulder.
Pressure wells up behind my eyes. I hate crying unless it’s from laughing. I’d rather pee my pants from cracking up—in public—than get vulnerable.
They sandwich me. The snuggle gives me strength.
“What about next time, and the time after that?”
“You won’t have to worry, Cecilia.” Lennox’s lips are in my hair. “There won’t be a next time.”
Fear sends a shock through my entire body. “Are you…”
I can’t bring myself to ask if they’re breaking up with me.
“No, no, no,” Blake says. “We’re putting in our notice.”
Before I can respond, Lennox adds, “None of us have to work ever again. I have an inheritance we can live off of.”
“Really?” I can’t comprehend a reality of not working, but his sincerity and the tenderness of his hand trailing up and down my arm help me believe he’s not joking.
“There’s only one dangerous thing we have left to do.” He clears his throat.
I can be strong. I can respect that they have commitments. I can face my fears for one last assignment.
As if planned out in advance, they both pull back a tiny bit and simultaneously say, “I love you.”
The world stops. No one’s ever said that to me outside of my family and Trena. “I love you too, both of you.”
I glance up to read their expressions. Happiness, relief, it’s all good. My breaths come rapidly. “Okay, tell me what the one last thing is. I’ll do my best to be prepared.”
They bust out laughing.
“What?” Why are they laughing at me? “This isn’t funny. I don’t do well with stuff like this.”
“That was it,” Lennox says. “We wanted to tell you we love you.”
“That was the dangerous thing?” I process out loud.
“Yeah.” Blake wipes the tears rolling down my cheeks. “Neither of us have fallen so hard or so fast. We weren’t sure if you did too, or if we were just… fun.”
“You are. But you’re so much more.”
They shift positions so they can both face me.
Lennox says, “When I said I was marking you as mine, I meant it.”
“And I would have said it too, but my mouth was busy.”
“Stop.” I might be blushing. That would be a first. But remembering that moment brings up the other touchy subject. “So you’re okay with Henry finding out?” I glance over my shoulder, looking into the diner. “Someone probably texted him already.”
Lennox says, “I would like to get to know him, if you’re okay with that, but he’ll have to acceptusbecause we’re serious. So when you say we’re so much more, would that include being exclusive?”
“Exclusive?” I boop both of them. It’s a silly cover for how much my sex aches. “That’s such an old g—”
Blake puts a finger to my lips. “Don’t call us that.” He slaps my ass. “Get in the truck. You still have a lesson to learn, young lady.”
I’m giddy as I slide in and for the whole minute it takes to get to their house.
They grumble over who gets to carry me over the threshold, and Blake wins because Lennox has the keys and has to unlock the door.
