I arrived at my sister’s place, which was closer than my mom’s.

Her eyes widened when she saw me, my mascara running, backpack slung over my shoulder.

“Em,” she said. “Are you okay?”

I shook my head, and she quickly pulled me into a tight hug. “Here, come,” she said, leading me inside and taking my backpack. “Settle down. You can tell me all about it when you’re ready.”

I collapsed on her sofa, shuddering in rage.

How could I have fallen for it? As I thought about it now, Tristan had slipped up multiple times with his pet names, his un-Cory-like caresses, his interest in what I had to say, never looking at his phone once…. The fire that lit behind his eyes.

I was a fucking idiot.

The thing that hurt the most? I had actually believed Cory had changed his ways for me. I thought his desire for me had been rekindled, and it was like when we first dated all over again.

But that hadn’t been Cory.

Amy sat next to me on the couch, rubbing my shoulder and handing me a cup of chamomile tea, something our mother always gave us to calm us down after a bout of heavy crying.

“Was it Cory?” she asked softly. “Did he hurt you?”

I pressed a pillow against my face and groaned into it, not wanting to think about it. I didn’t want to admit to my sister how fooled I had been.

She continued to rub my back. “I’ll make up the guest bed,” she finally said softly, and she left me.

I hadn’t removed my face from the pillow. I didn’t want to show my face ever again.

I was shocked and mortified…. And honestly, angrier at Cory than Tristan. The idea that he’d let his brother parade around to try and get me back… what kind of person did that?

I slowly removed my face from the pillow and tried to wipe away the mascara stains I had left behind. Then, I stood to get a glass of water in Amy’s kitchen.

“So, like… are you officially done…?” Amy called from the bedroom.

“I can’t see a way back from this,” I grumbled with a small hiccup.

I swallowed the rest of the water. Amy emerged from the second bedroom. She gave me a tight hug. “He didn’t… cheat on you, did he? I know you were sometimes worried about that.”

I shook my head. “No…” I sighed. “I just need to clear my head. I’ll tell you about it later, okay?”

Amy nodded in understanding. “Sure. There are clean towels and soap in the bathroom if you’d like to wash up. Let me know if you need anything.”

I thanked her before locking myself in the room.

After an hour of intermittent crying and staring up at the ceiling in disbelief, I realized I needed to talk to someone. And even though I knew Amy was there for me, it was also well past midnight and she needed her sleep.

In California, however… it was only eight or nine pm there.

I quickly pulled up Mia Birch’s number and sent her a text. You awake? Can I call?

I waited only two minutes before she replied back. Yes. And yes.

Taking a deep breath, I hit the call button.

She answered on the second ring.

“Emalee,” she nearly squealed. “How are you? I’m so bummed you couldn’t make it over here last month.”

“Yeah, me too,” I said. My voice was thick from sticky tears.

She heard it right away. “Are you okay? You don’t sound okay.”

“It’s Cory,” I said. “I… he really hurt me tonight. I don’t know what to do.”

Mia’s voice was laced with concern. “What did he do?” she asked.

I pressed my lips together, still embarrassed to admit the incident out loud. “So he has a twin brother, right?” I asked.

“Right, you’ve mentioned that before. But you’ve never met him.”

“Exactly. Well, yesterday he dropped in to stay for a few weeks.”

“Unannounced?” Mia asked skeptically.

“Well, apparently he told Cory, but Cory forgot to mention it to me.”

“And men say we’re the forgetful ones,” Mia groaned.

I latched onto her comment, not wanting to continue the story. “How are you and Liam?” I asked.

“We’re dandy,” she replied. “Just been busy with getting new clients here at the Californian branch of Covill. It’s more work than I thought it’d be.”

“At least you’re not constantly on your phone like Cory is,” I muttered.

Mia paused. “Em, I know it’s hard when he doesn’t give you the attention you deserve… but we do appreciate Cory’s partnership in this project. We wish we had four more of him,” she laughed.

“But it’s like he hides behind his work,” I argued. “I don’t think he knows how to do long-term relationships.” I closed my eyes, my head pounding in pain. I’d need to take some aspirin before going to bed. “Apparently, he hasn’t been with a girl as long as me. We’ve only been together eight months… that’s not long at all.”

“Eight months is nothing,” Mia said. “Liam and I are going nearly two years already, and there’s still stuff we need to work out sometimes. It’s just what happens in a long-term relationship.” She paused. “Seriously, though… what did Cory do to make you so upset?”

I bit my lip. Might as well get it over with. “He agreed to let his brother pose as him to get to me. And he almost did.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. “Wait… Cory told his brother… to have a go at you? As Cory?”

I nodded, even though I knew she couldn’t see. “He even borrowed Cory’s clothes.”

“Oh, my gosh,” Mia breathed. “But you saw through it right away, right?”

I winced. “Not exactly.”

Mia’s next question was hushed. “Did you…. Do it?”

“No!” I said. “But it was close.”

“Wow,” Mia breathed. She let out a small laugh. “Forgive me for saying it… but that’s kind of hot.”

I frowned, placing a hand against my forehead. “Hot?”

Mia sighed. “Since being with Liam…. I’ve definitely discovered I’m into the kinky stuff. And that is fucking kinky.”

I almost didn’t recognize my friend on the other end. “Mia…is that you over there or some sweet innocent turned porn star?”

Mia laughed. “I’m being serious, though. It sounds like your relationship with Cory… I don’t know, your sex life doesn’t seem that thrilling, to be honest.”

I didn’t want to admit it out loud. But it was true.

“And because of that… you’re still pretty innocent. Sorry.”

I rolled my eyes. “That doesn’t have anything to do with it. I’m not into being tricked to sleep with Cory’s brother in an attempt to win me back.”

“But maybe Cory thought it sounded hot,” Mia pressed. “Maybe the idea that his brother is making a go for you gets him worked up. Girl, you could be having some kinky sex coming your way…” She paused. “How far did you and his brother get?”

I felt a blush heat my face. “I mean… everything but penetration,” I said.

Mia laughed. “And how did it feel?”

Amazing. Exhilarating. Unlike anything I’d experienced before.

And we didn’t even actually have sex.

“He was… pretty good,” I said with a small laugh.

I could practically hear Mia’s grin on the other side. “Girl… maybe you’re with the wrong brother.”

The thought had been dancing around in my subconscious, but when Mia said it out loud, it sprang to the front of my mind. I pushed it hastily back.

“No,” I said firmly. “No, if I’m going to work this out, it’d be with Cory. I barely know his brother.”

“If you say so,” Mia said. “But this other guy… Tristan was his name?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s got the Cory looks. The Cory bod. But sounds like he’s more of a hot lover.”

“Exactly,” I said, leaning back on the pillows on the bed and staring at the ceiling. “He’s one-night fling material. I can’t see him wanting to settle down with a girl. Cory wants that, though.”

Mia cleared her throat. “I know you’re not like this, Em, but is Cory’s money maybe making you hesitant to leave him?”

I didn’t want to believe that was the case. I took a moment to think about it. No matter how many times Cory offered, I didn’t accept his money. I hated it when he bought me expensive gifts that could buy another family a small house. The only thing I had asked for was a trip to Paris and that seemed like the one thing he was too busy to pull off.

“No,” I said slowly. “All that wealth makes me uncomfortable. But… I know my mother is thrilled that we’re dating. I think she worries too much about money sometimes. She feels like the family would be taken care of if I married Cory.”

Mia snorted. “Come on, Em, she wouldn’t want you to marry a douche, though. If it ever came to that.”

Mia was right. “I just don’t want to let my family down,” I said. “It’s been tough since Dad died.”

“I understand,” Mia said gently.

We settled into a pensive silence for a minute before she continued.

“Look… I know you’re hurt. That probably sucked realizing the man you were fucking around with wasn’t your boyfriend. But look at you. You have a pair of sexy twins after you. I’d use that to my advantage.”

I bit my lip again, chewing on it. “I don’t want to cheat on Cory.”

“You guys are on a break. Possibly forever. It isn’t cheating.”

She had a point there.

“What if it was some kind of test?” I asked. “And I nearly failed it?”

“Then Cory is an even bigger douche than I thought,” Mia replied. “Cause that’s not fair. They look exactly alike.”

My mind wandered back to Tristan, the way he overtook me on the couch, removing my dress, kissing me with a passion I hadn’t felt in a long time… the feel of his fingers between my legs, coaxing a plethora of tantalizing emotions.

It was pretty sexy and Cory had been okay with it…

“But doesn’t that decrease my value to Cory?” I asked quietly. “Does he really respect me so little that he doesn’t blink an eye when he throws his brother after me?”

“I don’t think that’s it at all,” Mia said slowly. “You said he hasn’t really had a lot of time with you. Maybe he’s burned himself out. Maybe he feels bad about it. Maybe he wanted you to have a good night tonight. I don’t know. I would confront them both, demand an apology, and then have a steamy three-way.”

I made a disgusted face. “No way.” I said. “I’m not having a three-way with Cory and his twin brother.”

“But it would be sooooooo hot!” Mia insisted.

It would, I admitted to myself.

Fuck, it would be the most exciting sex I’d ever had.

But that was too extreme for me. I’d been raised with the idea that when you were with someone, you were intimate only with them. It was hardwired into my brain. I wasn’t about to go back on that.

I thought of her suggestion that Cory was trying to make me happy by setting Tristan up with me. He had promised me he would go to Phantom. But work must have come up. It proved he didn’t want to lose me by trying to get Tristan to go as him to win me back… It sure as hell wasn’t right, but I could see Cory’s motive.

“Hey, random question,” Mia said. “Liam and I are going to be in New York in two weeks for a big meeting at Covill Security. Want to hang out?”

“Duh,” I said with a smile. “I miss you!”

“Seriously. I miss my New York lady!”

“I bet Cali’s nice, though.”

“It is,” Mia sighed. “The beaches, the surfing, the food, the weather… it’s all a dream.”

My thoughts snapped to Tristan when she mentioned surfing. He would look so hot on a board, catching the big waves, his muscles taut, his hair dripping salt water…

I pulled myself back into the present. “Okay, next time, I’m definitely coming to visit, whether Cory agrees with it or not.”

“Deal,” Mia said.

I glanced at the digital clock by the bed. One in the morning.

“I’d better let you go,” I said. “Thanks for talking.”

“Anytime, girl,” Mia said. “And seriously… think about that three-way, okay?”

She laughed and I rolled my eyes. “Goodnight,” I said.

I stared at my phone for a few moments after we hung up. I was feeling a lot better. My world wasn’t shattered the way it had felt before. Maybe I had been overdramatic.

I pulled Google up on my phone, hesitated, then looked up Sydney, Australia.

I browsed their pristine beaches, the modern architecture, the high bridges, the friendly smiles. My chest constricted as I remembered how Tristan had described it.

Sydney was quickly climbing to the top of my list of places to visit. But Paris first. I would not rest until I made it to Paris.

I closed out of the Sydney tabs and clicked in the search bar, hesitating. Mia had put the idea in my head. And the warmth between my legs let me know I still wanted to come tonight.

I typed in “three-way sex” and hit the search button.

Thousands of results popped up, and I selected a video.

I watched a couple, fascinated with the different positions and possibilities that came with an extra member joining in the intercourse.

I slipped my fingers between my legs. I was already wet.

I watched a couple more videos, imagining Cory and Tristan roughing me up and dominating me, pleasing themselves and me simultaneously.

My fantasies wandered to just Tristan, pulling from the experience I had with him tonight. If we had gone further….

I thought about the way he had lightly cupped my throat, applying just enough pressure to spike my heart rate but not enough to cut off air circulation.

I had told Cory repeatedly for weeks that he could pull any move he wanted on me. We could roleplay, he could be rough, scream filthy names at me. But he made a huge deal out of it, and in the end, I felt humiliated and undesirable.

But Tristan….

My fingers worked faster, and I arched back, imagining his hand covering my mouth and coaxing me to come as he pounded his thick cock into my drenched pussy.

I gasped as the orgasm exploded, sending wave upon wave of pleasure through my veins.