Everything in the room seemed to come to a stop at once. Amelia stared at the tableau in front of her, her eyes wide, brain refusing to process. Adam was kneeling on the floor, long hair falling around his face, the powerful muscles of his shoulders tensed and solid. Underneath him was Callum.

Amelia stared, then said Adam’s name. The only thing in her entire universe at that moment were the two men locked together on the floor, sweating and gasping. For a second she was utterly mesmerized, a hot flush of lust rushing over her skin. It dissolved the shock, and a moment later she said Adam’s name again.

Both men froze. Then Callum moved as if to sit up, and Amelia backed up, shaking her head. “No, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have barged in like that!”

“Amelia,” Adam started to say, but she held a hand out to stop him. “No, it’s okay. I’ll go. I’m really sorry,” she stammered, her words coming out in a rush, and then she turned and raced out of the house, her heart hammering in her chest. She stopped just outside the door, the cold air cooling her hot face. She was shocked, angry, and sad, all at once, and she had no idea which emotion to unpack first. Hurriedly, she started down the path to her house, afraid one or both of them would come out to try and talk to her. She didn’t feel up to facing either of them.

Neither man belonged to her, she knew that. Rationally, she knew that what she had with Adam was tenuous at best, a relationship with a termination date. And as for Callum—well, she’d run out on him twice. And yet, despite these cold hard facts, she felt a tight, angry knot in her stomach. The thought of them tangled together on the floor was just too much to bear.

She remembered the jealousy when Adam had seen Callum with her in the pub, and that event suddenly took on a whole new meaning. Who exactly was Adam jealous of? She shook her head with confusion, the knot in her stomach tightening. And underneath all of it, she kept thinking back to the image of them tangled on the carpet. She felt a sharp dart of curiosity mixed with desire every time she thought of it. Maybe that was her real issue?

She reached her cottage and hurried inside out of the cold, busying herself with starting the fire. Everything had suddenly gotten so much more complicated, and she found herself suddenly wishing that she could just be done with it all, and just go home. Amelia had meant for the fling with Adam to be a distraction, a way for her to know that she was still desirable post David. And Callum—he’d been familiar to her, the sort of casually flirtatious, urbane man that she was accustomed to. She hadn’t meant to develop feelings for Adam, or to let things get as far as they had with Callum, and now it was all a mess.

She’d just have to stay away from both of them. No dinners at the pub, no more casually dropping by Adam’s farm. She’d be going home in a few weeks, and the whole mess would be behind her. It would be what it was meant to be, an adventurous fling in a different country, albeit one with a very odd punchline.

* * *

She was standing at the sink washing her breakfast dishes the next day when she spotted Adam walking down the path to the cottage. She felt her breath catch and her heart give a quick jump, sensations that she’d grown more and more used to lately. She pushed the thought firmly down. Whatever he had to say, this had to be the end of it. He knocked at the door and she went to open it, pasting a smile onto her face.

He had a sheepish, apologetic look on his face. She didn’t acknowledge it, only walked back to the sink to continue working on the dishes. He took a few steps towards her, and then paused, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I imagine you have some questions about what you saw yesterday,” he said finally. “I wanted to clear things up for you a little, if I could.”

“I think what I saw was pretty clear.” The words came out icier than she had intended, her voice flat. “I didn’t know that was…I didn’t know you…” she trailed off, not sure how to say it.

“That I have sex with men?” He raised an eyebrow. “I can see how you would come to that conclusion, based on what we’ve done together.”

“Well, yes,” Amelia said. “And I didn’t know you and Callum had…that kind of relationship.” She paused, trying to think of what to say. “I know that you and I…we did this with no expectations of each other. I know I have no right to be upset.” She bit her lip. “It was just…unexpected. I wish you would have told me, that’s all. That there was someone else. Especially since…”

“Since you’ve been fooling around with Callum, as well?”

“That’s unfair,” she said. “We’re not dating. I had just as much of a right to meet someone else.”

“You’re right,” he admitted. “I just didn’t think it would be him.”

“It’s kind of an unfortunate coincidence,” Amelia said. “I mean, if I had known that you and he were…you know…I wouldn’t have gotten involved.”

“With him, or me?”

“Him.”

“We weren’t,” Adam admitted. “Not until yesterday, anyway. Not for a long time.”

It was Amelia’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Go on.”

Adam sighed and sank into one of the kitchen chairs. “I grew up with Callum. His parents lived close by. When we were in our late teens, things changed between us. We had both dated girls, and had sex with them, and liked it.” He shrugged. “But we also were attracted to each other. We were more than friends. We did everything together, and talked about everything…there was no person that I was closer to. And eventually it turned into something else.”

He took a deep breath. “One day, hanging out behind the gym, hiding from the PE teacher—he just lunged in out of nowhere and kissed me. He said he’d been wanting to do it for months, years, even. It startled me as I’d never kissed a guy before, but I liked it. Not more or less than kissing girls. It was different though and I wanted to kiss him again and, as they say, the rest is history.”

“So what was it, back then? Friends who hooked up? Love?”

“We never said as much to each other—never said anything about being in love. But there were strong feelings there, stronger than anything I’d felt for anyone else.” Adam shrugged. “He didn’t want to stay here, though. He was like you I guess. He didn’t feel that he belonged here so he went off to university, and I stayed here. I suppose it was the closest thing I’ve ever had to a broken heart.” Adam’s voice seemed distant.

Amelia collected her thoughts. “So he came back and what…things rekindled between you?”

“I guess you could say that.” Adam let out a heavy sigh. “I was so jealous, when I saw him flirting with you. I was also really confused because I was jealous of both of you. I didn’t expect Callum to come back into my life, as he and I didn’t part on the best of terms when he left for college. When you and I…” he paused, “There wasn’t anyone else, then. I wasn’t trying to lead you on.”

“There were never supposed to be any expectations, anyway,” Amelia pointed out. “I had no right to be upset when I saw you with Callum. Our thing was always going to be temporary, fleeting.”

“I didn’t think what you saw…I didn’t expect that to happen when he said he wanted to come to the house.” Adam continued as if he hadn’t heard what she said. “One minute we were talking, and then suddenly he kissed me—very nearly like how it was behind the gym years ago, and things just went from there.”

“I don’t think I need the details,” Amelia said. “So, what happens now? For the two of you, I mean? Callum lives in Edinburgh, after all,” she pointed out. “There’s no happily ever after on your farm for the two of you, at least not that I see. He doesn’t seem like the type to come here and settle down.”

“Well…” Adam paused, as if unsure of how to continue. “That’s the thing you see. I’m selling the farm.”

“Wait, what?” Amelia set down the dish she’d been drying and turned to face him. “You never said anything about that.”

“I was waiting on an acceptance letter.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve wanted to be an actor my whole life. It was what I wanted as a teenager, and I didn’t stop wanting it. Unfortunately the farm became my responsibility, and everything else was pushed aside. I’m tired, Amelia.” He looked squarely at her. “I’m tired of living someone else’s life, and I’m tired of pretending that I’m happy here. So I applied to the University of Edinburgh’s theater program, not thinking that anything would come of it. That’s why I didn’t say anything, because I wasn’t even sure that it would happen.”

“Callum lives in Edinburgh,” Amelia said. “Interesting coincidence.”

“It had nothing to do with that,” he said firmly. “They have an excellent program, and it isn’t a huge move. When I applied I was barely even speaking to him.”

“But now you are ummm...” Amelia said. “Clearly you’ve reconnected, and this sets things up nicely for the two of you. Living in the same city and all that.”

“And so what if it does?” Adam sounded exasperated. “You never gave me any inclination that this, whatever this is between us, could go anywhere. You’ve been very clear all along that you’re going back to Chicago. What did you expect me to do, sit here and pine over you, even though there would be no chance of you coming back?”

“No,” Amelia said quietly. “That’s not what I expected. I just…” she trailed off for a moment. “I’ve never had any idea of how this could work. I had no idea you were thinking of leaving the farm, and anyway, I wasn’t sure I could see making such a huge change for the sake of a relationship. After all, if I was willing to do that, shouldn’t I have done that for David?”

“He didn’t bother to ask if you wanted to,” Adam pointed out.

“The more time I’ve spent with you, the harder it has been for me to see myself going back. I don’t know what I should do anymore. Staying makes no sense. We barely know each other. It’s foolish to make a decision based on…this.” She waved a hand at the space between the two of them. “But then, when I think of going back to Chicago, and never seeing you again…” She shook her head. “That doesn’t make any sense either.” Her jaw tightened, and Adam stood up immediately, walking to her.

She knew it was a bad idea, but she went into his arms anyway. He wrapped them around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest, and she pressed her face against his shirt, breathing in the scent of sweat and hay and the sweet undertone of grain. She felt all of the worry melt away, as she leaned into him, letting herself relax into his embrace. She felt him press his mouth against her hair, his arms squeezing her a little more tightly. How could she possibly just walk away from this? On the other hand, how could she stay? Especially now that, with Callum in the mix, things had become even more convoluted.

“You don’t have to say anything now,” Adam said quietly against her hair. “Come over for dinner tomorrow night. We can sit and talk and you can ask me anything you want.”

She’d planned on saying no if he’d asked anything like that. She’d planned on letting him say his piece and telling him to leave after. But with his arms wrapped around her, the only possible answer was yes.