Page 114 of My Brother’s Best Friends Entanglement

“I'm fine,” she sobs into her sleeve, before either of us can ask. “I don't know why I'm crying about it, it's stupid.”

“It's not stupid.” Aria reaches over and squeezes her shoulder.

Betty scrubs at her face and lets out a shaky laugh. “We only saw each other for like a month. It wasn't even a real thing, just totally casual. And then I ended it because he was suddenly getting way too intense, way too fast. But I just thought—” She shakes her head. “I thought he was harmless. Annoying, sure. Persistent. But harmless. He'd never done anything violent before Friday night. I would've reported him if I thought he was a threat. I would never have put anyone in danger like that.”

“You didn't do anything wrong,” I tell her, and I mean it. “None of this is on you.”

She looks up at me, eyes red-rimmed, and something in her expression softens into gratitude. She's quiet for a second, then visibly rallies, dragging herself up onto her elbows to look between me and Aria with the beginnings of her usual spark returning.

“Okay, anyway, enough about my stalker ex. What's actually going on with you and those hunkahunks?” Her eyes narrow on me. “And don't say nothing, Alexia, I have known you for all of three hours and even I can tell there's a whole situation happening in this house.”

I glance at Aria, who's watching me with an all-knowing look, waiting to see if I'll actually say it out loud.

“You know what? Fuck it. I've been with Zachary,” I say. “And Marcus. At the same time.”

The sound Betty makes is not human, in tone nor volume. Aria has her hand clapped over Betty's mouth within about half a second, hissing, “Alexia has a head injury, shush, shush⁠—”

“Sorry, sorry,” Betty says, muffled, from behind Aria's palm, eyes still enormous.

Aria releases her, and she continues at the same volume. “Both of them? At the same time? Like — together together?”

I laugh despite myself, pressing a hand to my temple. “Shh. Look, I told you guys because I knew you wouldn't judge me.”

“Judge you?” Betty presses both hands to her chest like she's been mortally wounded. “I hero worship you. Both of them, at once!” She turns to her friend. “I hero worship the both of you. And have severe FOMO.”

“Also, Rhys doesn't know,” I add quickly, before this can spiral any further. “About any of it. Things are complicated.”

“What's going on with Rhys?” Aria asks.

I tell them about our conversation in the bath, which means telling them what happened six years ago. Betty makes another noise, muffled successfully behind her own hand before Aria even has to intervene, and I love her a little for the effort.

“And then there's my brother,” I say, and both of them go quiet. “That's honestly been the root of most of this, from the start. All three of them tiptoeing around him, around what he'd think, around whether wanting me is some kind of betrayal.”

Aria's expression turns serious, all the teasing gone out of it. “You need to talk to him,” she says. “To Leon. And to all three of them, together, not separately. I mean it, Alexia — trust me on this one.” Something crosses her face, something that tells me she really does understand. “If you're not all on the same page, it can get really messy.”

“Yeah, and she should know,” Betty says from the spot on the floor where she's flopped from exhaustion. “You should see their bed.”

There's a beat of silence, and then all three of us are laughing, and it makes me feel like maybe things might just be okay.

THIRTY

Alexia

The locum doctor the guys insist on calling in clears me for work on Tuesday afternoon, after I've spent two days on the couch trying to think of ways to escape my jailers. Professor Pollack, apparently, had told Rhys I could take as long as I needed. Rhys took the permission seriously.

But I'm up bright and early and in the bathroom on Wednesday morning, trying to cover my bruise with a third layer of foundation when my phone buzzes.

Rhys:

Good morning. What time will you be ready?

My stomach flip-flops at his name on my screen. I've barely spoken to him since Sunday afternoon, since Aria and Betty left trailing glitter and gossip. He's been around. But quieter than usual. Present at meals we've all had together, but just sitting in the background as we listen to Marcus and Zachary debate the merits of any number of topics that neither has any expertise on.

I grab the phone and reply.

Alexia:

About fifteen minutes. Why?