Game On (Entwined Hearts)

by Sheryl Nantus

  Hunter gripped her hair with his free hand and pulled her lips to his again, devouring her mouth with a growing hunger.

  “Angie.” Jake let out a low keening cry as he slid into her one last time, shaking uncontrollably as he came.

  Hunter didn’t let her break away from the kiss but squeezed his fingers together, the pressure overloading her senses again.

  She screamed into his mouth and slumped against him as Jake pulled out from behind, her muscles now officially turned to rubber.

  Jake slid to sit on the floor, out of sight.

  “Time to raid the mini-fridge,” he choked out.

  Angela curled up in Hunter’s arms, all thoughts fleeing her mind.

  The next morning was bittersweet, the trio returning to the home they’d shared for only a few months. Angela tried not to cry as she pulled out of the hotel parking lot; the men followed behind her in Jake’s car.

  The next few days spun into weeks of whirlwind packing and paperwork, deciding what would go with her to Baltimore and what would stay behind.

  It won’t be forever, she told herself. Only a few months, and we’ll be together again.

  She’d already laid out her plan. Go to Baltimore and settle in the hotel, come back for Christmas and begin her search for a decent apartment upon her return to the city. The office wouldn’t be doing much over the holidays anyway, and it’d be more showing up to work through the entrance paperwork than doing any actual casework.

  But as she started to pack up the essentials, what she needed to set up her new life in Baltimore, a sense of dread settled over her.

  What if Hunter can’t find a new college to teach in, to coach basketball? Will Jake be able to find a decent job as a policeman, or will he end up working as a security guard in a major step down from his position as police chief?

  Do I have the right to ask them to give up so much for me?

  The questions nagged at her as she dug through her caseload, closing each one out with intense scrutiny, not wanting to leave any loose ends behind.

  Jenny was a godsend, helping with the little details and making sure everyone knew the score. She’d decided to stick with a legal career and kept congratulating Angela on her success in getting picked up by such a notable firm.

  Problem was, Angela didn’t feel so lucky.

  Her mother noticed her discomfort during one visit to go through some of the boxes left in the spare room and pick out what she’d need in Baltimore.

  “You look more miserable than when you had your wisdom teeth out. And that was damned miserable.” Mary-Ann took the sweater from Angela and refolded it before placing it in a suitcase. “I thought you wanted something like this, a chance to work for a big firm in a big city. It’s all you talked about for years.”

  “I do.” She ran her hands through her long loose hair, channeling her nervous energy someplace, anyplace other than letting it out in a scream.

  “Is it Hunter and Jake? Because if they’re giving you a hard time—”

  “No. No.” Angela shook her head as she picked up another sweater. “Both men want me to go. They understand how important this is to me. It’s not like we’re splitting up. We’ll be together eventually, as soon as things come together.”

  “So where’s the problem?” Mary-Ann took another sweater from her. “If you’re all in agreement with this—”

  Angela sighed. “I don’t know. What I do know is I’m leaving in a week.” She tossed the empty box into a corner of the room. “Everyone tells me I’m doing the right thing. So why does it feel like I’m not?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The day came before she knew it.

  Angela woke before dawn, both men curled around her, and couldn’t stop touching them, stroking each in turn, as if to memorize each inch of skin. They showered together and dressed together, unable to break away for any length of time.

  She forced herself to eat the big breakfast Hunter made for them, the scrambled eggs and bacon tasteless and heavy in her stomach.

  Finally, it was time.

  Angela stood in the driveway and kissed each man in turn, trying to keep from breaking down. “I’ll be back in an hour or two for a proper good-bye.” She gestured at the car behind her. “I have to pick up a few more things from Mom, and I can’t leave without the mandatory ‘be careful’ speech.”

  “Of course,” Jake said as he scrubbed his face with both hands. He looked up into the light snow falling around them. “Just don’t take too long. You shouldn’t be on the road when it gets dark.”

  “Which is about six hours from now.” Hunter jabbed his elbow into Jake’s side. “Nice try.”

  Angela forced herself to smile. “Promise me you won’t kill each other.”

  Hunter eyed Jake. “I know where to hide the body.” He looked at Angela. “This seems silly to me. You go there for a week, come back for a week until after New Year’s Day, and go back. A whole lot of driving for very little return, in my opinion.”

  “I know,” she said, “but it’s the best way to start off the new job properly. I go there, set up the hotel room, and go through all the forms to complete my hiring. Maybe even get out, checking some apartments so when I go back in January, I’m ready to go.”

  “Still doesn’t make sense to me,” he muttered.

  Angela gave a shake of her head. “I know. It’s not the most efficient way of doing things, but it’ll all work out in the end.” She swallowed hard. “Let me go see Mary-Ann, and I’ll be back.”

  “Okay.” Jake punched Hunter on the shoulder, none too lightly. “So tell me about all these places where you’ve got bodies hidden.”

  She got into her car and left before she got pulled into refereeing the argument and staying longer than she should.

  “Well, that’s all.” Angela looked at the Ford Taurus, stuffed to overflowing with moving boxes. “I locked up the office and made sure everything was taken care of. I’ve got the lease for another month or two, so I didn’t have to empty it, but I stored the cabinets in our basement to keep things safe.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to rent a truck?” Mary-Ann stood on the sidewalk, rubbing her arms. She’d worn only a light sweater to come out of the house and see her daughter off.

  “No. I’ll be fine with this. The hotel room’s fully furnished, and when I find an apartment, I’ll be able to figure out what I need and don’t need from here.” Angela brushed snowflakes from her face.

  “Hunter won’t be able to sell the house until the spring.” Mary-Ann squinted as she looked into the overcast sky. “But I guess there’s no rush. Going to take a bit of time for the two of them to find new jobs.”

  The sinking feeling in Angela’s heart grew.

  They’re not going to leave Glen Barrow.

  I can’t ask them to throw their careers away.

  Not for me.

  Mary-Ann shook herself free before moving in for a hug. “Call me when you get to Baltimore.” She pulled back and eyed her daughter. “You sure about this? Town’s going to miss you.”

  “I’m still surprised no one picketed the house, demanded we move out, or threatened our jobs.” Angela had been honestly impressed at the lack of vitriol over her unorthodox living arrangement.

  “People know you, they know Hunter and Jake. They knew you all before you got together, and none of you has changed just ’cause you got together.” Mary-Ann scuffed her feet in the snow. “They know what and who you are. And no one’s dared say anything to me.” She stuck her chin out. “Mostly because they know what I’d say back.”

  Angela couldn’t help giggling. “I believe the phrase is ‘Wrath of God.’”

  “Yep,” her mother replied, a note of pride in the single word.

  Angela looked at the sky. “It’s not going to get any easier to drive. I better get going.” She hugged her mother one last time. “I’ll call as soon as I get settled.”

  “Good.” Mary-Ann trotted up the sidewalk to stand on the por
ch, out of the lightly falling snow. She waved as Angela got into the car and drove off.

  “She’s really going to go.” Jake looked out the front window. “And we’re going to let her.”

  “Yep.” Hunter walked by, pacing the ground floor as he’d been doing for the past half hour. “It’s the best thing for her. This is what she wants.”

  “But it’s not what I want. What you want.” Jake shook his head. “You know it’s going to take the better part of a year for us to all get together again, if not longer.” He gestured at the living room. “We can catch a night here and there, maybe meet at a hotel between here and Baltimore. But it’s not the same as being together, living together.”

  “Don’t you think I know?” Hunter grunted, his shoes scuffing the hardwood floor. “But we can’t ask her to stay.”

  “Why not?” Jake snapped. “Tell her we love her and she’s got to stay because she’s the best thing that’s happened to the two of us. What’s wrong with that?”

  Hunter stopped pacing and glared at him. “You can’t figure it out on your own?” He lifted his hand and ticked off the points. “One, she’s going to feel trapped here, believe we’ve handicapped her career. Two, she’s going to feel guilty, and it’s going to seep through everything, including our relationship. Three . . .” He paused. “I can’t think of a three. But it’s enough of a reason to let her go.” He shook his head. “It’s why I let her go in the first place, let her go to Penn State. I didn’t know where I was going to end up, and she deserved to find her own path without me dragging her down.” He tapped his chest. “It was my decision to come back. It was yours to come here. Neither of us got kicked in the nuts and came home, ashamed and shattered.”

  “Angie’s never looked worse than when she came in that first day.” Jake closed his eyes, remembering the haunted look in her eyes when he’d pulled her over.

  “I worried the bastard had broken her.” Hunter rubbed his jaw. “I was ready to go to Philly and hunt him down, cut off his cock and balls. But she survived, pulled it all together, and took charge of her life again.” He gave a low laugh. “Figured I’d be able to win her back with that damned competition. She showed us both.”

  “Yeah,” Jake agreed. “Never would have thought it could work out.” He laughed. “Figured she’d pick me and push you out into the night. After all, I was the one she’d been with last, the one she had before Eric.” He lowered his head and again let out a sharp laugh. “But she flipped it back on us. And it worked.” He couldn’t hold back a deep grumble. “At least until she got the job offer.”

  Hunter rolled his shoulders. “We’ll make it work. We’ve come this far, and I’m not giving up on us because there’s a speed bump on the road.”

  Jake looked out the curtains onto the street. “Damned snowstorm. I don’t like the idea of her driving in this.”

  “She’ll be fine.” Hunter continued his orbit around the coffee table.

  “She’s here.” Jake pulled back. “Car’s filled to the top. Won’t be able to see out the back window.”

  “Can you give her a ticket?”

  Jake paused, weighing the consequences. “Maybe. But it’d only delay her for an hour or two. And she’d flay me alive.”

  Hunter walked to the door and flung it open. “Just an idea.”

  Jake flinched as cold air swept in, chilling the room. “Let’s get this over with.”

  He followed Hunter outside into the light snow.

  Angela exited the car, bundled up in a dark blue peacoat. She walked up to the two men, her face flushed. “I guess this is it. For now.” Angela looked from one man to the other. “Don’t worry. It’s not forever.”

  “Of course not,” Jake said. “We’ve got a plan, and it’s all going to work out. Don’t forget to call when you get to Baltimore.”

  “I will.” She licked her lips. “Thanks for letting me do this. I know it’s not what we wanted, but—”

  Hunter stepped up and pulled her into his arms, the tight hug stifling any further conversation.

  Jake joined them, burying his face in the coarse material.

  Angela sniffled. “We’re good.”

  Hunter kissed her and stepped back. “We’ll always be good, Angie.”

  Jake forced himself to smile. “Be careful on the turnpike. If it gets too bad, pull over into a rest stop.”

  She wiped her face. “I will. You two take care of each other.”

  “We will,” Hunter replied.

  Jake nodded, unable to think of anything else to say.

  I want you to stay.

  He wants you to stay.

  But we’ve got to let you go.

  Angela walked back to the car and got in. She put the car in reverse and headed down the driveway before maneuvering onto the road.

  She waved at the two men before pulling forward into the whiteness, disappearing from sight as she turned the corner.

  “Well, that’s that.” Hunter spun around and headed for the open door. “I need a drink. You?”

  Jake lingered a bit longer, studying the blowing snow. “Definitely.”

  The road was clean and clear, the light snowfall barely enough to warrant using her windshield wipers.

  Angela headed out of Glen Barrow, following the signs to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. From there, she’d twist south to Baltimore and her new life.

  She gripped the steering wheel, more out of frustration than because of any issue with the car.

  This is what I want.

  Less than a year ago, she had slunk back into Glen Barrow, depressed and alone, her career in shambles and her personal life in even worse condition.

  Now she was heading off to a new life with a glowing future and, eventually, a reunion with her lovers.

  So why do I feel like crap?

  Jake had told her to leave. Hunter, the same. They’d discussed it to death and agreed this was the best thing for her career.

  It wasn’t like she was being selfish.

  If either of them had asked her to stay, she would have considered it. It wasn’t like she hadn’t bandied various scenarios around in her mind, shuffling each man to the front and worrying about what he was going to give up by following her to Baltimore.

  She would have stayed.

  All they had to do was ask.

  The snow picked up, and Angela let out a series of curses, hitting the switch to speed up her windshield wipers.

  The sense that she was heading in the wrong direction nagged at her.

  What am I supposed to do?

  Angela flicked on the radio, filling the car with music.

  I’ve got a new life to begin. So why do I feel like it’s a step backward?

  A road sign came up, advertising a rest stop fifty miles ahead.

  Drive now. Think later.

  She focused on the highway, trying to put her racing mind at ease.

  “When do you go into work tomorrow?” Hunter tossed the sports magazine back on the coffee table.

  “Noon,” Jake said from the kitchen. “I’m warming up the pizza from last night. You in for a slice?”

  He wasn’t hungry, but he had to do something, anything to keep his mind off Angela. It’d been only two hours since her departure, and he already physically ached for her, his insides twisted into knots at the thought of being parted for a week, never mind for months at a time.

  “Sure.” Hunter propped his feet up on the table and reached for the television remote. “Will the storm be a problem?”

  “Shouldn’t be.” Jake wrestled the pizza pan out from the bottom of the cupboard, swearing as he banged the pans together. “The plows are out and the forecast is saying only an inch or two. Maybe some bang-ups when people forget how to drive, but I’m hoping for a quiet shift where everyone’s staying inside and the only vehicles on the road are snowplows.”

  “Yeah. People are stupid.” Hunter kept his finger on the channel changer, spinning through options. “How about some video games?” />
  “Sure. I’m in. Grab the controllers and that new shoot-’em-up.”

  Jake’s cell phone rang.

  He snatched it up and turned it to show the caller identification to Hunter before tapping the button to activate the speakerphone.

  “Hi, there. Wanted to let you two know I’m home.”

  Jake frowned and glanced at Hunter before returning his attention to the phone. “What’s wrong?”

  Angela’s voice filled the room. “What makes you think there’s something wrong?”

  “Because you’ve been gone two hours. Not long enough to get to Baltimore, not with this snow falling.”

  “It’s okay. I’m home.” There was a giddy tone to her voice, the happiness bursting out of every syllable.

  Hunter shook his head. “You’re not making sense, Angie.”

  “I said, I’m home.”

  A car horn bleated outside.

  Jake saw Hunter’s eyes grow wide as they both dashed for the door.

  Angela stood by her car, hands jammed in her pockets, as she watched her lovers race out of the house, neither of them bothering to put a coat on.

  Her heart skipped a beat as she looked at them. Hunter, in his T-shirt and jeans, his blue eyes raking her as if seeing her for the first time. Jake in much the same attire with his green eyes locking with hers, intense and curious. “What’s going on, Angie?”

  “I’m—” She paused, her mind gone blank.

  She’d composed her speech while driving back, but now it’d all gone out the window, leaving her with only the emotions, the overwhelming, heart-bursting emotions impossible to put into words.

  Angela looked at Hunter. “When we split up before graduation, it was because you wanted me to better myself. That’s what you told me.”

  “I did,” he replied. “I was still figuring myself out. Didn’t see the reason in holding you back by whining up a storm to keep you in Glen Barrow.”

  Angela nodded, the emotions threatening to clog her throat. “And Jake”—she looked at him as he stood by Hunter—“at Penn State. At the end.” She paused, unable to speak.