Chapter 25

Danielle

I stand under the hot water in the shower, the steam rolling around me, pillowing against the glass panes of the door and walls and pressing upward, forcing up and over toward the ceiling.

I’m shattered.

Emotionally, mentally, physically.

I’m barely able to stand, right now, but the night is far from over. We’ve still got too much to discuss. Too much to get through.

I pick up the sponge and the soap and rub them together under the water, lather up as Joey did yesterday.

New York is a forever ago. This weekend is my only reality. But it won’t stay this way, and that’s why we’re here. We have to talk.

I make quick work of washing up—the twins are out there, waiting for me.

They haven’t torn my living room apart yet or strangled each other, judging by the relative silence, and that bodes well for our discussion.

I finish up, then step out of the shower, towel off, and grab a robe off one of the hooks on the wall next to the sink. I slip it on, tie it up and eye myself in the mirror.

I’m tanner than when I arrived. And there’s another quality about me that’s different. I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe fucking two men at once has changed me. It must have. It’s hardly a forgettable experience.

I run fingers through my damp hair, which straggles past my shoulders, and sigh.

“It’s got to work out,” I whisper. “It won’t always be this way. We’ll figure it out?” The last part is a question because I’m not sure we will.

It’s time to talk about it, regardless.

I open the bathroom door and move through to the living room, my heart beating a tattoo against my chest. I don’t want to lose either of them.

“I agree,” Holden says, from the other side of the open doorway.

He agrees? That’s a first. What have they been talking about while I was gone?

I enter the living room, and it’s a shock to the system, seeing them there together on the sofa. They’re not exactly side by side, but they’re still close, and not wrestling or strangling each other, thank god.

Two massive men. They’re different in subtle ways, but those true personality differences run deep and I love that. My hot and cold. My Joey and my Holden.

They both smile at me, Joey’s smile a little skew, Holden’s full on, stretching his lips wide.

“There you are,” Holden says.

“We thought you drowned.” Joey laughs.

I titter one, too, but more out of nerves than real amusement. I take a seat opposite them, because sitting between them now will only lead in another direction. I’m already tender from a weekend of sex, sex, and more sex.

I cross my ankles and place my hands on my thighs. “So,” I say.

“So,” Joey echoes.

“Obviously, we need to work this out.”

“Coffee first,” Holden says and gestures to the tray on the coffee table, holding three cups, two of them already half-empty. “You look like you’re about to fall over.”

Joey scooches to the edge of his seat, gets one for me, and hands it over. Our fingertips brush as I accept it.

“Thanks.” I slurp back the coffee, and it lends me a little strength. “I’ve been thinking,” I say, in the silence that follows. “I really want to be with both of you, and you know that now, but I can’t fathom how it’s possible. I—It just seems selfish of me to want that.”

“It’s not selfish,” Joey replies. “I want you.”

“And I do, too.” There’s a tiny hint of challenge in Holden’s tone. “But it’s not plausible for us to all be in a relationship. It’s weird, too.”

“Beyond weird,” Joey agrees.

I chew my bottom lip. “So, it’s over, then.”

“No.” Holden shakes his head. “We talked a little while you were in the shower, about what we want and about what you want. I’m sorry, Danielle, but I don’t think you’ll be able to continue working with me in New York. You’ll be able to visit and see Jessie sometimes, say hi, but other than that…”

“I understand,” I say, but my stomach sinks regardless. I’ll miss working for him, I’ll miss his little ray of sunshine, packing her lunches and hearing her kiddie stories, but he’s right, of course.

We’re adults, and we have to be responsible about this. I’ll have to come up with another form of income, and that’s fine. There are loads of waitressing opportunities in New York. My dreams of becoming a commercial pilot, however, are toast.

“But that’s not all.” Joey flicks back his hair, his expression alive with excitement. “We talked about what you deserve.”

“We want to help you achieve your dreams, Danielle.”

“What do you mean?” I look from one brother to the other, nerves building again.

“I do a lot of traveling for the business,” Joey says. “And while I like the frequent flyer miles, I’ve gotta say that first class is getting tired.”

“OK?” Please, let this be going where I think it’s going. Please, please.

“We’d like to help you out,” Holden says. “We’ll pay for you to get your private pilot’s license, all the hours required, and then your commercial pilot’s license. And then we’ll hire you.”

“I—what? That’s—but—we slept together. That’s hardly ethical,” I whisper.

“We’re beyond the point of ethics, I’d say.” Joey glances at his brother askance, then laughs. “That ship sailed yesterday afternoon. Listen, Dani, because of me, you’ve lost your job. A good job. It would’ve taken you forever to save up to do what you want to do with your life. This is a gift from two friends. Think of it that way.”

Holden tugs up the legs of his pants and rests his forearms on his thighs, clasps his hands together. “Let’s be very clear here. In no way is this considered payment for anything other than a job, which you’ll undertake once I’ve purchased a private plane. If, in the future, you decide you want to stop working for us, then you’ll be free to do that within the bounds of your contract.”

“Are you serious?” This is too good to be true. This is just—I shake my head. This is more than I could ever have expected or wanted. This is my dream. My life’s dream. To see the world.

The nerves are replaced by sheer excitement. I let out a little muted screech of excitement. “You’re serious!”

“We’re serious,” Holden says, in that businesslike tone I’ve heard him use on the phone.

The ramifications of this streak through my mind. A steady stream of thoughts that render me speechless. Until… wait. My stomach sinks. “What does that mean for us, though? I’m in love with you both. I—does that mean I won’t get to see one of you?”

“You’ll see more of Joey than you will of me,” Holden says. “But we’ll still see each other, too. We’ll have weekends like these together, you and me alone. And you’ll be flying Joey around the globe, so I imagine that you’ll spend some evenings with him, too.” He grits his teeth.

I process that.

“And on special occasions, we’ll all get together to make sure you have the time of your life.” Joey nods to me. “Your pleasure is what matters, Dani. Your happiness.”

“And yours, too,” I counter. “And Holden’s. I don’t want to do anything that’ll jeopardize—”

Holden lifts his hand and quiets me. “Everything’s going to work out in its own unique way. I’ll admit it grates me a little that you’ll have more time with Joey, but I do have my obligations in New York, and my daughter to look out for. I’ll have to start searching for a new nanny. At least, while you’re studying for your license, you’ll be in New York. We’ll put you up in your own little apartment.”

So, this is our final decision. I’m not disappointed. I’m the luckiest woman alive, it seems. After all, this could’ve turned out completely different. I could’ve lost them both, my job, too, and returned to my hometown with my tail between my legs and nothing but memories that’d probably have become bitter as time passed.

“Thank you,” I say, welling up a little. “Thank you for everything. This is seriously more than I could have wished for.”

Joey gets up and walks to my side. He takes the coffee cup from me, sets it on the tray, then holds my hand and I rise. He tucks me against his chest, kisses my forehead. “Come on, you need to sleep. You’ve got to head back to the city tomorrow and start a new life.”

Holden stands, too, and strides around the table in the living room, slipping my hands into his.

The two strong men, my Gemini twins, walk me across the living room and through to the bedroom. They strip off my robe, kiss me once on either cheek, then lower me into the bed and pull the sheets back.

Their figures hover over me, and I know this is it. This is the night I’ll never forget.

The start of my life.

The start of our forever.