Page 162 of My Brother’s Best Friends Entanglement

I'm crying properly now, the kind that comes too fast to wipe away. "Why are you telling me all this? It's not like we can actually be together anyway."

I look at Leon on reflex, and he puts both hands up. "Hey, don't look at me. I'm not a factor in whatever this is. I'm strictly here for the party pies we're having later."

Puzzled, I keep looking at him. "Really?"

“Yes, sis. You would've known that if you'd let me finish a damn sentence." Leon shrugs and sighs. "Look, I'm sorry for how I reacted when I found out. I... may have overreacted. A little tiny bit. I’m sorry I wouldn’t let you explain. Oh, and I'm sorry I kidnapped them and threatened to bury their bodies.”

"Wait — what?"

"Later." He waves it off entirely too fast. "Point is — I love you. All of you, if this is what makes you happy, then you have my..." he gestures vaguely, like the word's gotten stuck somewhere. "You know. The whatever. The thingo."

"Wow," Rhys says. "So eloquent."

Leon growls. "My blessing, okay! Jesus. Have some respect for the big brother of the woman you supposedly love, I nearly died. At least my speech didn't mention being naked, for fuck's sake."

I roll my eyes so hard it nearly hurts, and turn back to the three of them.

"So," Zachary says, shoving his hands into his pockets in a poor attempt at acting casual. "Now that that's sorted. What else is there?"

"We can't do this. I'm moving back to Sydney," I say, before I can talk myself back out of it. "I've got a week and a half left on my contract in Adelaide, and then I'm coming back here. For the job. With the busi..." my voice tails off as I catch them giving each other a look. "What was that look?"

There’s another short pause and shared look before Rhys gives Zachary a nod.

"Would you object," Zachary says, "to having three housemates?"

"What? What are you even..." I look at Leon.

He just shakes his head and takes a limpy step back. “I told you, don't look at me. You told me to butt out. Something about not being all up in your business."

"Simply put, if you're living here, in Sydney,” Marcus explains, “then so are we."

My ears must be failing me. “What? No. You can't... you have your construction business, the bars, you have..."

"You," Rhys finished. "We'll have you. If you'll have us."

Marcus walks me through the logistics. "I've already sorted the permits here. I'll run sites in both cities, fly to wherever a site needs me. Hunter and I have been wanting to expand the business anyway. There is a lot of work that Elliot’s company can throw us in the meantime while we get established." He smiles, sweet, and it fills me with nothing but joy. "Apparently we've all got someone we want to make proud."

"And hey, Sydney needs bars too," Zachary says, and winks. A little giggle slips out of me. "But you know I'm also wanting to change my role a bit. I can't be pulling beers for the rest of my life. I've even been thinking about running a bar management course. What do you think?"

"I think there'll be no one better at that," I tell him honestly, with a smile, and then turn to Rhys. "What about you? I really think you should go back to the university. They need you⁠—"

"I need you," Rhys says. "“I've spent my whole life becoming a man who doesn't need anything or anyone. Until you. I need you so much, I don't know who or what I am when you're not in the room. Please, don't make me leave you again. I won't survive it a second time.

“So I already found a new job. I'm working with EM Industries now. Employee counsellor, basically — doing the same thing, but trying to keep people at the company. Helping them with career advancement, with whatever they need to achieve their goals. I'll be travelling to all of EM Industries' locations. It won't matter to Elliot where I'm based. But it will matter to me."

I just stare at them. They have it all worked out. "But... why? You don't have to do all this⁠—"

"We do. It's about time we showed you that you're worth fighting for. You're worth it all, Alexia."

"So. Is there anything else?" Zachary looks between the other two, then back to me. "Any other reason you can think of why this shouldn't work?"

I take my time answering, mostly because I'm enjoying watching all three of them wait for it. "Only one."

They wait, without saying another word. "Am I seriously going to have to share a bathroom with all three of you again?"

I laugh, and it's unrestrained and loud and chaotic, and I just roll into it because I thought I'd never feel this happy again.

Marcus pulls me into his arms and whispers into my ear. "I missed that laugh. Missed it so much. The best fucking sound I've ever heard. Well, except... you know what."