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The Thing About Us: A MMF Bisexual Romance

Page 32

by Jennifer Domenico


  “Just came from there. Sophie’s helping Georgie.”

  “Great.”

  “Um, what’s Sophie deal? Do you know much about her?”

  “Not too much. She’s been really supportive of Georgie after initially struggling to understand it all. She seems cool enough. Broke up with a long term boyfriend a few months ago.” I tilt my head. “Why?”

  Ryan smiles. “We were chatting at the rehearsal dinner last night. When I told her my history deciding I was bi, then gay, then bi again, she just shut down.”

  I laugh softly. “My guess is she was interested in you, but then decided it was too risky. Not every woman can handle a man who swings both ways.”

  “True.” He shrugs. “Doesn’t matter anyway. I’ve got a date for today.”

  “Not a surprise.”

  He smiles. “You look unbelievably handsome, Ben. I’m so happy for you guys. I don’t know a better man than you.”

  Smiling, I cup his cheek. “I’m so happy everything happened the way it did, because you’re important to me. You always will be.”

  “Same.” He steps back, blinking away tears. “I always fucking cry at weddings.” I chuckle. “There’s a gorgeous British god and a stunning angel waiting for you. Let’s get you married.”

  I nod. “Let’s do it.”

  We walk to the door. “Are you nervous, Ben?”

  I meet his eyes. “Not at all. I was meant for this life with them.”

  He pats my shoulder. “Yes, you were.”

  We open the door to see Luc waiting for us. Dressed in a dark gray tuxedo that matches mine, he looks like he stepped out of a magazine.

  I meet Luc’s eyes. “You look amazing.”

  “So do you. Not long from now, you’ll be my husband.” He smiles. “And Georgie will be our wife.”

  “Amazing.”

  “Yes. Shall we get started?”

  “Yes.”

  We walk down the hall and wait as Sophie joins Ryan. As we approach the ballroom, I see Georgie’s parents talking quietly, the first time they’ve been on speaking terms in years. They both look at us.

  Her dad offers a stiff smile. “Are you ready?”

  I nod, glancing at Luc. “We are, sir.”

  Luc nods. “Very ready, sir.”

  “I don’t understand it, honestly,” he says, “but if you make Georgie happy then I’m good.”

  “We’ll always do our best,” I say.

  Her mom hugs us both. “Take care of our girl.”

  “We will.”

  We walk together down the aisle, smiling at the people who support our unusual arrangement. My parents, who stunned me by accepting this situation. Luc’s entire family from England, his father hesitant but accepting, his mother telling us love is love. Many coworkers, from Kate to Jake, happily attending this event. It’s all just ceremony really, since it’s not possible to legally marry, but it was important for us to do this publicly.

  When we reach the front, Luc and I join hands. Ryan and Sophie move to the side as the door opens and Georgie appears.

  My breath catches, and Luc squeezes my hand. “She’s beautiful.”

  I nod. “So beautiful.”

  Her parents walk her toward us. She smiles at people as she passes in a stunning white creation that somehow manages to be demure and sexy at the same time. When she reaches us, her father gives us her hand, and we hold it together.

  “You’re stunning,” I whisper.

  She smiles. “Both of you look incredible.”

  Sophie straightens the bottom of her dress as the officiant begins.

  “Luc, Ben, and Georgie have requested a nontraditional ceremony to celebrate their unexpected union. Gentlemen, would you like to begin?”

  Luc clears his throat. “Ben, my love, I struggled with the words to say today. Not because I don’t have any, but because words pale in comparison to the emotion flooding my heart since I first admitted my love for you. It was a winding road, full of mistakes and misunderstandings and fear, but it was our road.” He glances out at the audience briefly before gazing at Georgie. “And Georgie. You are the bravest, most beautiful soul we know, and without you, none of this would be happening. Most of what I wanted to say, I said in private.” She nods. “But to both of you, I give you this promise. Until I die, you have my heart. Until I die, I will protect yours with my life. I give every part of myself to you, and I thank all the powers that brought us to this moment. I cannot wait to introduce you, Ben, as my husband, and you, Georgie as my stunning wife. I am proud of who we are, but mostly, I am staggered by who the both of you are. You are beautiful people, every inch, every layer, every nuance. I love you both madly, and I am a blessed man to have your love in return.”

  Georgie dabs a tear with a tissue. My eyes shift to his parents and mine, both mothers dabbing their eyes.

  “Ben?” the officiant says. “Your turn.”

  I nod. “Luc. From the moment we met, I knew you would be important to me, but I never could have anticipated it would be in this way. I fought it, afraid you would reject me, afraid our families would, afraid of society. It took first your bravery, and then Georgie’s, to help me see how I was holding back on the most magnificent love I ever could’ve hoped for. You helped me step into the light and own who I am. You are a phenomenal human. For the rest of my life, I will never let you forget what you mean to me and how deeply my love runs. I love you, with every part of me. Thank you for being the man I always needed.”

  Luc smiles, wiping away a tear. “Georgie, my beautiful soulmate. What can I even say to you? From that very first night, you whispered to my soul, embracing me before I could embrace myself. You loved me so hard I couldn’t not love you. No matter what obstacles were there, you helped us navigate around them, and now, life is better than I ever could have dreamed. You are the perfect woman for me and Luc. You were made for us, and together, we are magic. For the rest of my life, I will do everything I can to light up your life the way you light up mine. For you, gorgeous girl, every day we’ll have cake.” She laughs softly. “I love you, with every part of me. Thank you for being the woman I never knew I needed.”

  She exhales slowly as all eyes focus on her. “I thought long and hard about what I would say. So much of what happened to get us to this point is private, but I wanted the world to know what the two of you have done for me. When I came to you, I was cracked and broken, held together by confidence and tenacity. I fell apart more than once, but each time, you both patiently gathered up the pieces and carefully put them back in place, filling each crack with your love. One day, I looked in the mirror and realized I wasn’t broken anymore. The cracks were gone and all that was left was love and joy. You changed my life, but even better, you changed me. I am the woman I always should have been. The woman my mother raised me to be. The woman deserving of your love.” She takes a deep breath, smiling through glassy eyes. “We’ll have challenges. Some people won’t understand, but it doesn’t matter. We have each other and that’s enough. Until I die, you have my undying love. Thank you for loving me like you do.”

  We turn to the officiant. “Luc, Ben, and Georgie have chosen to exchange wedding bands. Luc, place the ring on Georgie’s finger and repeat after me.

  “I, Luc Allegro, take you Georgie Matheson as my wife and partner for life. I promise to give my whole heart to you, to tell you when I’m hurting, to love you when you are. I promise to give you cake whenever you want it.” Georgie smiles, shaking her head. “And I promise to love you until my last breath.”

  Next, Luc slides the ring on my finger, repeating the words. “I, Luc Allegro, take you Ben Atkinson as my husband and partner for life. I promise to give my whole heart to you, to tell you when I’m hurting, to love you when you are. I promise to always be honest and to never have a headache.” The crowd chuckles softly. “Mostly, I promise to love you until my last breath.”

  Now it’s my turn. I choke back tears as I slide the ring on his finger. “I, Ben Atk
inson, take you Luc Allegro as my husband and partner for life. I promise to always live my truth, to proudly and fully show my love, and to cherish every moment of this life with you. Loving you has made me a better man, and I promise to love you until my last breath.” I turn to Georgie, sliding the ring on her finger. “I, Ben Atkinson, take you Georgie Matheson as my wife and partner for life. I promise to love you as hard as you love me and to spend every day showering you in the love you so deserve. You are my soul, you have my heart, and I will love you until my last breath.”

  Georgie glances at the crowd, grinning. “I, Georgie, take the both of you as husbands and partners. I don’t have any more fancy words to say, except that I love you both, and I can’t wait to start this next part of our lives.”

  The officiant puts his hand on each of our shoulders. “By the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and husband and wife.” He smiles. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to introduce to you, Misters Luc and Ben Allegro and their beautiful bride, Georgie Allegro.”

  Luc turns to me with a huge smile. “We did it, mate. We married our dream girl.”

  I lean in and kiss him. “We did.”

  Pulling Georgie close, we each lean in for a shared kiss.

  Luc winks, flashing his stunningly charming smile that first hooked me. “Let’s go celebrate. I think champagne and shenanigans are once again in order.”

  Georgie grins. “And cake?”

  The three of us laugh. “From now on, gorgeous,” I say, “It’s cake every day.”

  Epilogue

  “I’m so nervous.” I pace the bedroom, wringing my hands, glancing at Ben and Luc sitting on the edge of the bed. “Can I handle this?”

  Luc smiles. “Georgie, love, relax. Of course you can. You’re not alone, remember? You have us.”

  “But what if it happens? I wasn’t expecting it. I’m not sure I’m ready.”

  “You’re ready,” Ben says. “You’ve been ready for a long time.”

  I nod, rubbing my forehead. The phone rings, startling me. “Oh god. This is it. Our entire lives could change with this phone call.”

  “Answer it,” Luc says. “We’ll handle it. It won’t be the first challenge we’ve tackled.”

  I grab the phone, clear my throat, and answer. “Georgie Allegro speaking.”

  I listen carefully as tears fill my eyes. Oh god. It’s happening. After six long years, it’s happening. “Yes, thank you so much. I can be there Monday.” I hang up and turn slowly to face the boys, wiping the tears from my eyes.

  “Well?” Luc says. “What did they say?”

  “I got the job. They offered me the job.”

  Ben and Luc jump from the bed, rushing me and grabbing me, swinging me around until I’m giggling with joy. “Shhh,” I whisper, while still laughing.

  “This is amazing!” Luc says. “I knew you would get it. You so deserve this. You’ve worked so hard.”

  “Thank you for supporting me and pushing me to reach higher. It means so much.”

  “That’s what husbands do,” Ben says, kissing my cheek. “Should we celebrate with our new President of Training and Development, Luc?”

  “We should.”

  I laugh as they set me down. “Remember the days of champagne and shenanigans?”

  Luc nods. “Vividly, although to be clear, I wouldn’t trade it for the life we have now.”

  “No.” I glance down at my feet for a moment, before gazing back at these amazing men. “Remember how I tried to run three different times before you boys finally convinced me I was capable of loving at your level?”

  Ben nods. “Remember when I ran off to San Francisco because I thought I was the side dick?”

  We all laugh for a moment. “It seems so long ago,” Luc says. “Almost seven years now.”

  “Yeah.”

  “You’re not thinking of running again, are you, love?” Luc smiles as he asks me, but I can hear the worry in his voice. I blindsided them once again a year after marriage, then two years after that when the stakes increased dramatically. I don’t blame him for being scared.

  “Never. The last time I ran, I realized that I could never go far. You two pulled me back even without words like a compass guiding me to love.” I smile. “I would never leave you now.”

  “We would never let you,” Ben says, kissing my neck. “Those days are over. Now we talk through shit like adults.”

  I nod. “Yes, we talk. I didn’t tell you, but last week I had a tense conversation with a coworker. She said that any children we had would be ridiculed when parents found out our situation.”

  Luc nods. “What did you say?”

  “I told her to mind her fucking business.” We all laugh. “But it bothered me, you know?”

  “We always knew that would be an issue,” Ben says, rubbing my back. “Some people will get it, some won’t. All that matters is what we know and how we teach our children to navigate the world. Kids with traditional families get picked on too. It’s just life.”

  “I know, but I’m so proud of us. Speaking to her ignited this protectiveness in me. I’m completely committed to what we have, it’s just weird to me sometimes that what seems so normal to us, isn’t to the rest of the world.”

  “Yes,” Ben says, “but our kids have three sets of grandparents, four if we count your dad and stepmother. They have cousins and aunts and uncles and they will know love. They have us. That’s really all they need.”

  “You’re right.” I smile. “Can you believe this life we’ve made? All this and still no move to the suburbs. Now we get to start looking for a new home in San Diego. I’m so excited.”

  “So are we, darling,” Luc says, rubbing my back.

  The three of us walk down the hall and into the nursery to see our sleeping babies. Our three year old, Sampson, is sleeping in his toddler bed, clutching his blankie. The baby, fifteen months now, sleeps in her crib, sucking her bottom lip. “Aviana is beautiful. She looks just like you, Ben. More and more each day.”

  Ben nods, leaning on the crib. “She really does. I truly believe it worked out perfectly. One for me, one for Luc, and both from our beautiful girl.”

  “I believe that too,” Luc says.

  “Sometimes I still can’t believe I’m a mom. Who would have thought when you boys came up with your crazy date idea, that we’d be married with kids and living this incredible life?”

  “None of us,” Ben says. “But it was you who got us here.”

  “Nope,” I shake my head. “It was me who kicked it off, but it was both of you who kept us together.”

  “It was…” Luc says, “as it always has been, the three of us combined who made it happen. It takes all three of us to live this life.”

  I smile, wrapping my arm around Ben’s waist. “Well I for one think we’re perfect.”

  “So do I, gorgeous.”

  We both look at Luc, who graces us with his incredible smile. “The thing about us? We were meant for this. We always were.”

  I smile, gazing at my men and my beautiful children. I never thought I was capable of feeling and giving love on this level, but every day it only seems to grow. Luc is absolutely correct. We were meant for each other, and me, I was made for them.

  “Boys?” They both look at me. “I’d say we have another thirty minutes of nap time. What do you say we go roll around in bed together?”

  Luc and Ben exchange glances before each of them take my hand as Luc grins. “Well, mate, let’s give the woman what she wants.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  About the Author

  Jennifer Domenico writes contemporary and erotic romances. She loves alpha males with a soft spot, flawed characters, and strong, sassy women. Her characters usually have a side of kink and aren't afraid to demand what they want. The author doesn't apologize for that. She's a sucker for a happy ending as long as it comes with a lot of heat.

  She lives in Phoenix, Arizona but is a Bostonian at heart. The way to her heart c
an be reached with a foreign accent, a shot of Fireball, and an unlimited supply of cups.

  She is also known under her alter ego, Jaelyn LaStoria, author of time traveling romances, because why not. The first title is Lost Within. https://amzn.to/2BH1bk6

  Find me at:

  facebook.com/authorjendomenico

  https://twitter.com/jendomenico

  jendomenico@gmail.com

  https://www.instagram.com/jendomenicowords/

  Website: https://bit.ly/2sBBNon

  Bookbub:https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-domenico

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  Other Books by Jennifer Domenico

  Check out all my titles here: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Domenico/e/B009TX6C5Q

  Turn Towards the Sun

  After the Rain

  Forever in Bloom

  Have my Heart- A Novella

  Beautifully Twisted

  Chasing Desire

  Londyn Falls

  Exposed

  Break Me Down

  If I Told You

  At First Glance

  When I Found You

  Unexpectedly Royal

  Brendan: A Scrooged Christmas

  Reckless Devotion 1

  Reckless Devotion 2

  Lost Within- Time Travel Romance

  Worship

  Revealing Him

 

 

 


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