by Ann Grech
Once they’d finally managed to get out of there, they’d had to fight the news vans and intrusive reporters camping outside Levi’s childhood home to get to the car. It was crazy—it’d only taken a few hours after the photos were leaked to go viral. Social media had exploded and the network’s press release didn’t help, subtly making out that Levi had been fired because of his indiscretions, rather than having quit. The worst of it was that the whole show had been put on an indefinite hiatus. Every one of the crew was effectively out of work, a situation that the network’s administrators were probably ecstatic about. What better way to save money and stop the company getting into deeper financial difficulty, than have the star’s relationship exposed and the whole show canned? The weight of the knowledge that his friends were soon going to be lining up for the dole crushed Levi.
The mainstream media had quickly jumped on the “blame Levi” bandwagon, making him look like an angel fallen from grace, screwing up in the worst possible way. Katy was the innocent victim—Connor was kind of glad she’d been portrayed as that, rather than as a whore. It was the one saving grace of the whole damn debacle. They’d laid the worst of it on Connor—he was the drifter, the homeless ex-soldier who’d done the dirty on his best mate and screwed up his relationship, not by sleeping with his Mrs, but by leading him astray. It would have been comedic had it not been playing out on a worldwide stage. Especially because none of the news outlets had voiced the obvious question—why were the three of them still being seen together?
By the time they’d made it home and Levi flicked on the tele, Katy’s brother was being interviewed by some late night current affairs “alternative fact” type program. Watching him accuse Connor of bringing sin into Levi and Katy’s happy home and ruining their relationship had been a lesson in self-restraint. Connor had wanted to beat the shit out of him, but he’d held it together.
Barely.
Jonathan wasn’t religious at all, but was clearly happy to pull out the God-card when it suited him. But the Church had lapped it up, the hypocritical bastards getting their say in too. It made sense, Connor supposed. Their misfortune gave the Church an excuse to focus on something other than the fact that their highest-ranking official was facing child sex charges. They’d turned their relationship into a political issue too, the Church using the platform as another reason why marriage equality shouldn’t be allowed in Australia—you let “the gays” marry, and they’ll corrupt everyone, tempting them into sin and ruining the sanctity of marriage. Hell, some dumbarse was saying that you allow marriage equality, people would be able to marry the Harbour Bridge, so nothing really surprised him. How there was a link between the three of them and the marriage debate, Connor had no idea, but the church were good at fire and brimstone—they’d had centuries of practice.
Like masochists, the three of them had stayed up most of the night watching TV and seeing the updates scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Their phones had gone into meltdown, notifications completely out of control. All three of them had been analyzed and commentated on like they were in a damn goldfish bowl, every Tom, Dick, and Harry having an opinion on them. But they’d had an incredible amount of support too. As soon as they’d heard, Ford and Reef had headed over, Katy’s friend Sarah too. Nick and Emma were on the phone for half the night, and Mike had visited at four in the morning, when Katy was ready to head to work, to help them navigate through the circus gathered just off the front lawn.
They were on strict instructions from Nick and Emma not to say a word, and being lawyers, Connor figured they knew best. He and Emma had penned a press release, and Levi—with Reef’s help—had written a statement. His boyfriend was still tossing up whether to read it out, but whatever he decided, Connor and Katy would be there beside him. Even though they were quiet, the rest of their friends and family weren’t. Neither were the complete strangers—thousands of people on the web and every LGBT+ organization around—who’d all stood by them, commenting and tweeting their support and trying hard to turn the hate around.
But all that was too heavy for Connor to think about on a quiet Tuesday morning. After they’d followed Katy to work, he and Levi had made sure she was safely ensconced in the shop with Dylan and Ashton. Given that none of them wanted Connor and Levi to stick around—the news crews following them were a little distracting—they’d headed home, to get some much-needed sleep.
Connor slipped out of bed and smiled at the Post-it note Katy had left: Don’t let him be too hard on himself. I’ll be home early—think up something fun we can do for him. Connor pondered the idea as he padded out to the kitchen to make a coffee.
Steaming mug in hand, he turned to look out the window, resting his elbows on the kitchen bench. The sky was a brilliant blue already with no clouds in the sky. And still too—there wasn’t a breath of wind. It’d be the perfect day for the beach. Still a little chilly, but beautiful.
He startled when Levi’s warm hands touched his skin, the other man pressed against his back as he nuzzled Connor. “Mornin’,” Connor murmured, twisting in Levi’s hold so he could hug him. Levi hummed and snuggled in closer while Connor ran his hands up and down his boyfriend’s broad shirtless back.
“I need coffee,” Levi mumbled. “Gotta make some decisions.”
Connor slipped his hands into Levi’s boxers and gripped his arse, pulling him closer. “Not today. Today I’m gonna find some way to outrun the cameras and the three of us are goin’ to the beach, even if we have to go to Straddie to do it. Katy’ll be home any minute now. We can pack a picnic and then go.” Levi smiled and leaned in to kiss him, nodding after they eventually pulled apart. “Actually, there was another beach I found down south a while back too—no one there, super quiet. We could go there—swim, lie in the sun, rub sunscreen on each other, run around naked for a while—you know, the usual.”
“As long as it’s just the three of us, I’m in,” Katy spoke from the doorway, startling both of them. He hadn’t heard her come in. “I like the naked bit too.”
“Yeah, sugar? You’d be up for that?” Levi asked. Connor smiled. His man wouldn’t deny Katy—neither would he if he were honest—so if she wanted it, that’s what they’d be doing.
It didn’t take long for them to get organized and on the road. The lack of news vans sitting outside the house gave Connor hope that they’d already found something more interesting to report on. It was almost too good to be true, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Twenty minutes later, as Connor was turning onto a dirt track which led to the tiny bay, he looked in the rear-view mirror, checking again that no one was following them. Relief washed over him. It looked like their luck was holding out. Maybe the three of them could have a few moments of peace.
The trees opened up and the sight before him instantly calmed Connor’s frayed nerves. A strip of perfect white sand framed by gentle waves and tall palm trees greeted them. He’d found it by chance, looking for an entirely different road, but he was glad he’d stumbled on it, visiting the quiet spot a few times over his months living back on the Coast.
The weight lifted off Connor’s shoulders the minute their bare feet hit the sand, letting him take a breath for the first time since the shit had hit the fan. Levi looked calmer too, staring out at the water with a small smile lifting his lips. Katy laid out their towels, and Connor ripped off his tee, tossing it onto the soft sand. The salt in the air and warm sun had Connor stretching his arms above his head, looking up at the bright blue sky. They really did live in paradise. But even though it was perfect there, he could have been in Siberia or the Sahara and he still would have felt the same. As long as Levi and Katy were with him, his life would be perfection.
“Last one in!” Katy yelled out as she dropped her jean shorts on the towel and sprinted towards the water. He smiled, watching Levi chase after her, whooping when Katy pulled on the string of her bikini, sending it sailing from her body. There was no way he was going to sit this one out. Connor dropped his s
horts, running naked into the ocean after them.
The water was like ice on his skin when he first hit it, taking his breath away and making Connor squeak embarrassingly. The cold didn’t last long though, especially when he was tackled by both Levi and Katy, being dragged underwater and coming up laughing.
The sun rose higher in the sky, the time passing quickly as they laughed and kissed, splashing and swimming together. Connor’s stomach rumbled while they floated and body surfed in the small waves. “Come on, mate. Let’s get some food in ya.” Levi kissed his throat, and Connor moaned softly, it coming out as a pained gasp when Katy closed her hand around his hard-as-fuck shaft. The teasing bastards left him there though, cackling as they walked out of the water to their towels.
Levi sat between them and rested his elbows on bent knees, watching the water and taking a swig from the bottle of water he’d uncapped. Katy plucked the sunscreen out of her bag and rubbed down his arms, crawling in front of Levi to get his chest. Connor looked after his back, and when he’d finished, he held Levi tightly, kissing a line down his throat and along his shoulder. The three of them sat there like that—Connor hugging Levi, Levi holding Katy until she shifted, getting out her phone and snapping a selfie of them. He looked at the shot. They were wet, Katy’s hair still slicked back. Her bright bikini top—which she’d slipped back on once they were out of the water—was a contrast against Katy’s darker skin. He was smiling, a serene, goofy grin on his face. If he didn’t already know it in his heart, it’d be obvious from the shot that Connor was head over heels in love. Levi too. The other man was looking at him in the photo with such adoration it took Connor’s breath away. Levi’s lips whispered over Connor’s bearded cheek, while he held Katy close, her back against his chest, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. Connor had held one of her hands, but he couldn’t see it in the photo.
“This one’s a keeper.” Katy smiled at Connor before leaning up to kiss him.
“He is,” Levi murmured. “Same with the pic. We can keep that too.” Connor couldn’t help his happy laugh as he held them tighter. Whatever happened from there on out, it was the three of them. They were the perfect match, an unbreakable trio, and despite all the craziness going down, life was fucking good.
EPILOGUE
Katy
Two months later
L evi had just about finished setting up the screen and projector on the back deck, fiddling with the speakers that would project the sounds of the final Origin game. Katy dropped the last of the beanbags down and surveyed the area, smiling. Levi and Con had worked tirelessly, building the deck and a railing around it and she now had her view back. The lights of the Surfers Paradise skyline in the distance had always captivated her. She’d fallen in love with the view when they’d first seen the house, but since then the trees had grown and blocked most of it. Trimming back a few strategic branches had solved the problem and Katy spent many an arvo out there, doing paperwork or reading, curled up in her men’s arms. She breathed in the perfume of the evening jasmine just starting to bloom in the planter boxes Con and Levi had also built.
Since he’d quit, Levi had done a lot. She was damn proud of him. Getting behind some of the local LGBT organizations who’d spoken out in his favour, he was now actively supporting them, speaking out to promote acceptance and understanding. He’d attended every one of the pride events during June and raised tens of thousands of dollars for their youth initiatives. Somewhere in between Levi had managed to start a killer tattoo as well; the Japanese-style phoenix rising from the ashes covered most of his arm, his shoulder blade and his pec. The outline had healed enough that he was starting on the first of the sessions to have it coloured in a few days. And on top of all that, he was getting his career back on track, looking at going into business with Mike.
Con had struggled when they’d been under the media spotlight. He’d had an episode in front of the paps, their flashing lights and shouts sending him back to the battles he’d fought. He hadn’t left the house for days after that, only venturing out when the temptation of playing at the pub was too strong to resist. The trauma would always be with him, but he was mostly managing it. His music, and the regular gigs he got were good for him. It was his safe space; getting paid for it was a bonus.
Her own business hadn’t seen much of a change, except for the drop in sales of over the counter cakes—it was hard to move them when customers were avoiding the store because of the interviews they’d have to give. But since the speculation had died off, things had bounced back. Dylan had been her lifesaver throughout, pulling some long hours for her and giving her some much-needed time away from the prying eyes of the camera crews. They’d left them alone for all of a day, and that was only because the paparazzo who’d leaked the pics spilled the beans on who’d tipped him off—her brother. Once the other news agencies had made the familial connection between them, they’d hounded the three of them for weeks. The only good thing to come out of the whole damn debacle was the confirmation of just how slimy Jonathan actually was. Finding out it was him had been the catalyst for Katy to start speaking with her mum and dad again. She was earning their trust back, and they were making the effort to get to know Con. For that small mercy, she would be forever grateful.
Katy smiled as Con dropped the fluffy blanket from their bed on top of the beanbag and took her into his arms. He grumbled as the doorbell rang and Katy laughed, playfully squeezing his arse. Their visitors had arrived—Mike and his kids, Nick and a very pregnant Emma, Dylan and Ash from the shop, and a few of their other friends who’d stuck with them through the last few months.
They watched the game—as frustrating as it was to see the ref’s shitty decisions cost Queensland more than one try—and mowed through the masses of popcorn and beer, hot dogs, and pies that Katy had made. Yelling and cheering rent the night air from their own yard as well as their neighbours’. State of Origin was always a big deal, but it was the first time they’d hosted it. It wouldn’t be the last.
“Oh, come on,” Levi shouted when Queensland was penalized on the half-time buzzer, slamming his beer bottle down, while Emma cheered. As the only Cockroach supporter, she was happy for New South Wales’ chance to get points on the board to narrow Queensland’s lead. Katy was still mumbling insults at the referees as she stepped over the bodies sprawled out on their deck. Dessert was ready to be dished up and she could do with a hot drink. Even being sandwiched between Con and Levi and covered with a blanket wasn’t enough to ward off the chill in the winter air.
She’d just poured steaming milk into the mugs spread out on the bench, dropping marshmallows into the hot chocolates when Con joined her, stepping behind her and wrapping her in his arms. He nuzzled into her, pushing away the collar of her Maroons jersey and kissed her throat with cool lips. Shivering, she laughed, batting him away, but he held tighter and sighed happily. Katy turned her face and kissed his temple, noticing that he was staring at the photographs on the wall. “I love those pics of us at the beach. Nearly seven years between them, but you’re both still my best friends,” he murmured to her.
“A lot’s happened between them, hasn’t it? Would you change anything?” Katy asked, turning her attention back to him.
“To get here? Right now?” When Katy nodded her answer to his questions, Con shook his head and pushed her hair off her neck, brushing his lips over the sensitive skin there. “No, I wouldn’t change a thing. That pic—the one from when we were too young and stupid to see what we could have? That was our beginning. My deployment, your lives together before me—that was our middle, how we found our way back to each other. And now? Now we have our happy ending.”
“Never mind the ending,” Levi murmured, coming to stand with them, his big hand resting on her hip as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Con. “Endings and goodbyes are too fucking sad. Just gimme a happily ever after and I’m sweet.”
Katy laughed and snuggled into her men. He was right. She hated goodbyes. Nope, she was happy living
her ever after right in that moment.
The end
Song list
“Everlong” Foo Fighters
“Wonderwall” Oasis
“Skin” Rag’n’bone Man
“Back to December” Taylor Swift
“Lay Me Down” Sam Smith and John Legend
“Slow Hands” Niall Horan
“Malibu” Miley Cyrus
“All Day and All of the Night” The Kinks
“Never tear us apart” INXS
“Thinking Out Loud” Ed Sheeran
“In The End” Linkin Park
About Ann Grech
By day Ann Grech lives in the corporate world and can be found sitting behind a desk typing away at reports and papers or lecturing to a room full of students. She graduated with a PhD in 2016 and is now an over-qualified nerd. Glasses, briefcase, high heels and a pencil skirt, she’s got the librarian look nailed too. If only they knew! She swears like a sailor, so that’s got to be a hint. The other one was “the look” from her tattoo artist when she told him that she wanted her kids initials “B” and “J” tattooed on her foot. It took a second to register that it might be a bad idea.