“We are,” they both answer in unison.
“To answer your question, Adele and I were involved.” Ethan finally ’fesses up. Shit.
My heart falls, landing in a pool of icy water sitting at the base of my stomach. Any hope I had that this Adele person was just another random guest who happened to know Ethan vanishes. It’s one thing to bump into your boyfriend’s ex, it’s a whole other ball game to be trapped with her for the next couple of hours on a yacht. This is the kind of shit luck I’ve had in past relationships. I can’t believe that kind of bad juju had followed me across the Atlantic.
I swallow the lump forming at the back of my throat and ask, “Is there still something going on between the two of you?”
“No. Not at all.” His answer is unwavering. Okay, that’s good news. I let out a sigh of relief. I know it’s not over yet, but had he said anything different, it would’ve killed me.
This is the question I really don’t want to ask, but since he seems determined not to offer more, I feel the need to push him further. “Was she just someone you were seeing or was it more serious?” Ethan lets out another long exhale. His eyes shift upwards again and he’s having another silent tête-à-tête with Xander. “Just tell me,” I plead. “I can handle it.” That’s a blatant lie. I doubt my heart can withstand what’s about to transpire, but I need to know.
“Both Xander and I were involved with Adele for a while,” Ethan says. I clench my jaw tight. He puts me out of my misery, even if the truth hurts like a bitch. “We shared her and she was our live-in girlfriend. Yeah, it was pretty serious.”
Oh, fuck. I swear to God I stop breathing. Ethan cuts me off at the knees with that reply, and I struggle to find something intelligent to say. “I see,” is all I manage. My thoughts are way too jumbled to come up with anything better. Maggie was right. They’ve done this before. I was just too dumb to figure it out on my own.
Xander rubs a comforting hand over my back. “Why don’t we start from the beginning,” he suggests. I nod, heartened by his words but still freaked out by the unknown.
“I agree,” Ethan acquiesces. “It doesn’t make sense to play Twenty Questions.”
“Not for something as sensitive as this.” Xander says.
“Exactly. Ripping off the bandage in one clean sweep would be far easier for me,” Ethan adds.
When Xander notices that my shock continues to rob me of my ability to speak, he says, “I don’t think either Ethan or I ever expected to see Adele again—surely not tonight. That’s why we never broached the subject with you.” Please God, don’t let this woman become a ghost in my relationship.
Over the next hour, they tell me everything and answer each and every one of my questions without me even having to ask them.
Throughout their story, my heart twists painfully in my chest, like a whirlwind of emotions colliding inside me. I nod here and there to let them know they have my undivided attention even though words fail me. Through it all, I shift my attention from one of my boyfriends to the other as I soak in all the details. When Ethan starts revealing more about how things went down between him and Adele a few minutes ago, Xander can hardly contain his exasperation. On a few occasions, he lashes out, doing little to hide his vexation. Ethan has to reel him in to avoid drawing too much attention to us. It’s unsettling at times. That said, his displeasure paints a clear picture of how they feel about their ex.
By the miracle of God the smokers and passersby roaming the deck don’t seem to pick up on our conversation. We do have to pause from time to time when a few of them venture too close, but for the most part we’re able to talk freely. Thankfully my colleagues are too busy below to even notice my absence. Maybe everyone thinks I’m hobnobbing carelessly, hanging from my boyfriend’s arm. In any case, I’m grateful for this time alone with my guys. At least now I don’t have to keep walking around clueless. I know the truth.
“Wow. That’s quite the story,” I marvel. There’s so much to take in, I’m not sure what more to say. I’m just glad they’re willing to be honest about everything, even if at times I felt incredibly uncomfortable with some of the more intimate details.
“Yeah, it was a pretty messy breakup,” Xander says. “You have to believe us when we say that it’s over, because it is.”
“Xander is right,” Ethan says.
The prospect of losing them to another woman was a gut-wrenching and frightening experience. I’ll never find someone like them again. “Seeing how you reacted to her and sent me away without so much of an introduction felt a little perilous. Like I could lose you.” After addressing Ethan, I turn my body so I’m facing Xander. “Of course, at the time I didn’t know you were also involved. I was racking my brains to figure out where you fit in the story. Now I know.” I pause. “I wasn’t ready to lose you.”
“As if we’d ever even let that happen.” Xander grins wide.
My chest tightens and tears sting my eyes. “I can’t explain…”—I swallow over a wave of emotions rising to the surface, breathing in and out to calm myself down—“how much it means to hear you say that.”
“Look at me,” Ethan says. I obey him. Ethan licks his lips, his demeanor serious. He holds my gaze for a moment without saying a word. For a quick second I fear there’s more, but then he sets me straight. He brings his hands to my face and forces our eyes to lock. “It won’t happen.” He grabs my hand and brings my fingertips to his lips, gently kissing them. “You’re stuck with us.” He laughs. “We can’t go back in time and change things. It just doesn’t work that way. I guess the only thing you need to take away from this conversation is that what Xander and I share with you is all that matters.”
Xander leans towards me. His chest isn’t touching my back, but we’re awfully close. He brushes my hair over my shoulders and brings his lips close to my ear. His furtive touch sends a jolt of electricity through me. The overpowering magnetic force between the three of us is undeniable. “Yeah, you’re ours, sweetheart,” he murmurs softly.
My heart somersaults with relief at his emotional confession. Thank you, God.
Ethan runs his long fingers through my hair, angling me to meet his incendiary gaze. Xander pulls away and I wince at the loss of his warmth. Ethan leans in close and kisses me softly. Instinctively, I open my mouth, wanting more. He brushes his lips over mine in a languorous and amorous motion, filling my lungs with the strong taste of cognac. He tastes like a man. My man. “This is the here and now. Fuck the past,” he whispers in my mouth.
“I like the sound of that.” For the first time since that brunette made her appearance, I laugh.
“Hear, hear. I second that,” Xander cheers. “Fuck the past.”
* * *
After our eventful heart-to-heart, I decide I need a breather. Not because my heart is heavy, just because it was so intense. After excusing myself and telling my boys I’ll be right back, I make a beeline for the ladies’ room. To avoid being accosted by one of my coworkers, I make my way to a quieter part of the boat. Since everybody is too busy having fun, very few people are hanging out in the area where we boarded. After dropping my overnight bag when I arrived, I distinctly remember seeing the sign for a restroom. I push open the door, praying it isn’t a zoo in there. There’s usually so much activity in the restrooms during events such as these. I mean after all, we’re women. Between using the toilet, checking out our outfit, doing the teeth test to make sure there are no remnants of leafy salad caught there, fluffing up our hair, ensuring our eye makeup is still intact and reapplying lipstick, there’s a lot going on. Luck would have it that as I walk in, a group of four dolled-up women are cheerfully making their way out.
“It’s all yours,” the short one with the red dress announces with a wink. I return her wide smile.
I walk to the counter and drop my clutch on the marble surface. I do a quick inventory of my makeup before opening my bag and rummaging for my lipstick. I carefully reapply it, since it faded after Ethan kissed me. Involunta
rily, I flashback to my candid conversation with my boyfriend. I still can’t believe the irony of the situation. “Maggie is never going to believe this story,” I mumble to myself.
Heck, I’m still struggling to wrap my head around it. Hearing all the details was like drinking water from a fire hose. Even though I begged for it, that was a lot to handle. Despite still being plagued with doubts about what Adele meant to my boyfriends, when I’m close to them like I was a few minutes ago, I’m willing to wholeheartedly believe every word they tell me. I feel confident that they were completely honest with me. They’re two gorgeous and very desirable men, of course they’d have a past. I just would’ve preferred not to meet her in person. “Of all the odds…” I say aloud before letting out a little laugh. “Oh, well.” I shrug. “At the end of the day, I’m going home with them, not her.”
The words barely have time to leave my mouth before the door swings open. I do a double-take with my mouth gaping open and my lipstick frozen in mid-air when I recognize my nemesis standing there. Really? What are you trying to do to me tonight, God? I thought you and I were friends.
The woman I now know as Adele hesitates, but finally steps inside the ladies’ room. She flashes me a plastic grin. “Well, this is awkward,” she says as the door closes behind her.
“Slightly,” I respond.
She glances around the room, bringing her eyes to the ground, checking under the stalls. Just like me, I guess she wishes it wasn’t just the two of us. I follow her roaming gaze in the mirror. When she returns her attention to me, her expression is stone cold. With a little tilt of the head, she strides towards the sink area with a confident step. She drops her small clutch on the counter, opens it and pulls out a luxurious gold compact and matching lipstick. I immediately recognize the brand. I’ve always wanted to indulge in Yves Saint Laurent makeup, but my salary as a junior curator just doesn’t allow for that type of splurge when you live in cities like London or New York. Obviously she makes more money than I do. Not that I need an extra reason to hate her, but right now the animosity I feel towards this woman just went up a couple dozen notches. I pretend to continue touching up my makeup, but my eyes are riveted to her. As much as I hate to admit it, her bright blue fitted dress does her curves justice. She’s definitely a big girl and she’s not afraid to flaunt it. As my eyes brush back up, I realize she’s also checking me out.
We hold each other’s gaze for a few uncomfortable seconds until she speaks. “Delilah, right?”
“As if you didn’t already know,” I shoot back. My answer comes out harsher than I expected.
She folds her lips up in a half-smile. “I gather Ethan and you had a little chat.”
“Actually, all three of us talked,” I emphasize.
“Of course.” She busies herself tapping her nose and her forehand with the pressed powder. She closes the compact and drops it back in her clutch. What she says next catches me totally off guard. “You’re definitely their type. They love full-figured women like us—big boobs, soft tummy, wide hips and all.” I already know what I look like. I don’t need you to remind me. I search my foe’s eyes for meaning until she blinks away and continues to talk to her reflection. “It’s so refreshing to be desired just the way you are, don’t you think? I’m sure your curves more than satisfy them.”
“Okay.” I tread carefully, not sure where she’s going with this.
“I meant that as a compliment,” she explains.
My eyebrows lift. “We’re hardly friends,” I offer my own explanation.
“Perhaps, but we do have a lot in common.” I’d give anything to punch that sly smile off of her face. “I know how it is to be with the two of them—it’s intense.” The muscles in my jaw flex. “After all, I was in your shoes not long ago.”
Cursing under my breath, I shoot daggers at her with my icy stare. “Long enough for them to have moved on.” My answer comes out of my mouth so quickly, I’m not sure who it shocks more, her or me. “Big time,” I add once I noticed how flustered she becomes. I lower my eyes and snicker internally as I put the lid back on my lipstick and fling it inside my bag. I wasn’t looking for a fight, but she had to go there.
Adele is quiet a moment, sizing me up with a menacing look in her eyes. That’s one for me. You strike out, bitch.
“Right. I can see that.” She looks at me from the side with an unimpressed eye-sweep. “Well, I’ll always be their first.” She stretches her lips in a condescending smile.
The bile in my stomach shoots up to the back of my throat. I’m that upset. “They’ve shared other women before you,” I throw in her face. Although it’s not something they’ve ever harped on about, it’s clear as day.
“Perhaps, but I’m the first one they fell in love with—both of them,” she says, lifting her chin up. What I wouldn’t give to be able to slap that smugness off your face. “That creates a special bond between people—one others who come after me will never be able to match up to.” No, she didn’t.
“Hmmm.” I turn my body so I’m facing her. No more of this talking in the mirror crap. I want her to look me square in the eyes. I take a threatening step forward. “I don’t know what kind of horseshit you’re trying to pull, but I’m not having it,” I snap. I clench my teeth for a brief second. Everything about this exchange is very upsetting. “The fake claim you’re desperately trying to hold onto is just that—hogwash.” She frowns, confused. “Let me translate that in a language you’ll understand, ‘pure rubbish’. I’m sure your intention is to scare me, instill doubt in me, hurt me and crush my spirit, but you’re wasting your fucking time. I know exactly what I share with them. So you can huff, puff and blow the house down, but none of it will erase the fact that I’m their girlfriend now.” She opens her mouth to say something, but I lift my hand up, stopping her. “As far as you being their first, who the fuck cares? You were stupid enough not to realize what you had and let a good thing slip between your fingers! I guess I shouldn’t bitch too much, because your off-the-cuff decision has made it possible for all three of us to be together. And make no mistake about it, Ethan, Xander and I were meant for each other. So I guess in many ways, I should say thank you.”
“It’ll never last,” she fires off at me. “You’re not here for that long. Once you’re back in America, all bets are off,” she spits in my face. Dread tightens my gut. How the hell does she know that? She smirks at me like a cat that ate the canary. “You didn’t know I was in the loop on your little secret?” She lets out a small, demoniac laugh. “Your boss is a friendly and chatty one. It’s amazing what you can learn just by listening to her.”
I won’t pretend her words don’t feel like someone has just plunged a knife into my heart, because right now I’m devastated. Here’s the thing, she doesn’t have to know that. I crack a small smile, dripping with contempt. “That’s rich.” I shrug, rolling my eyes.
“It’s just the truth. Tick-tock.” She taps a manicured finger against her watch. “By the time autumn rolls over, you’ll be a thing of the past. Bye-bye London, hello Big Apple.”
I refuse to let her win, even though she’s hit a nerve. My fury is rising to boiling point. “Keep running your mouth, bitch, because that’s the only ammunition you have left. Desperation doesn’t look that good on you. You might want to try a different shade next time.” My words are laced with the confidence of a woman who has a backup plan to guarantee she stays in this country. Nothing could be further from the truth. I need to get away from this situation before this gets any uglier. “If you’ll excuse me, my boyfriends are waiting.” Without giving Adele a chance to respond, I grab my clutch, slip it under my arm and walk decisively towards the door. It’s only when I make my way down the hall that I can breathe again. Fuck her. I’m not going to allow her to rob me of what’s rightfully mine… even if it might come to an end soon.
CHAPTER 66
Ethan
Hearing what Adele spewed in Delilah’s face in the ladies’ room made me see red. I jus
t wanted to track that woman down like a slayer tracks a marked target and shake her silly. I don’t know where Adele gets off thinking she can waltz back into our lives and create such havoc, but I thank God our little Texan had the audacity to set her straight.
As excruciatingly difficult as it was, I chose to put the whole mess behind me, because making a scene on a yacht surrounded by your peers is more drama than I need in my life. Xander was a tougher sell. His anger was so overpowering, he was fit to be tied. I had to physically restrain him to prevent him from going after our ex. Needless to say, we spent the rest of the voyage reassuring Delilah that she had absolutely nothing to worry about.
Since all three of us were fueled by the desire to avoid seeing Adele as we all exited the boat, we rushed to the coat check to fetch our girlfriend’s bag, then rushed down the corridor to stand vigil by the door to be the first ones to get off. By the time the Silver Sturgeon docked, we were itching to jump off the damn thing. All three of us hopped into the back of the chauffeured car the second our feet hit the ground. It was only when the yacht was no longer in view that I could breathe easy again. From the way the conversation suddenly picked up when the driver turned left to get on the main road, I’d say it was the same thing for Delilah and Xander.
“Let’s have a drink?” I suggest when I walk through the doors of my house with my girlfriend and my best friend tailing right behind me. I turn on a few lights here and there on my way to the kitchen.
“That’s a great idea,” Xander throws over my shoulder.
“What will it be, bro? Gin and tonic, cognac or whiskey? I’m even happy to open that bottle of champagne I have in my fridge.” Even though I’m talking to Xander, I keep walking.
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