DEAN

“What the fuck was that about?” Tyler says after the door closes. “Bring me into your relationship? You really went there?”

“Me? You’re the one that started this when you kissed my girlfriend.”

“And you started dating her even though you knew she was my ex,” he says, crossing his arms defensively.

Oh, no. He’s not blaming this on me.

“You gave me your blessing,” I say. “I didn’t steal her from you. You practically gave her to me all wrapped up with a nice little bow. So don’t act like I’m the one in the wrong here.”

I rake a hand through my hair, feeling a little better now that I’ve gotten that off my chest. I love Tyler, but he can be a selfish prick at times. I grab a bottle and two glasses from the bar and pour us both a drink. This isn’t how I intended the night to end.

“Why didn’t you just tell me Brenna was comic book girl?” I demand.

Tyler doesn’t do relationships. He’d had his heart broken a long time ago by a woman I only knew as comic book girl. Along with a fear of commitment, she left him with a comic book obsession. We can’t pass a newspaper stand or bookstore without stopping to pick something up for his collection.

I never got the full story out of him, but I do know she’s the one that left him. When Brenna mentioned the comic book, I put the pieces together.

“I didn’t tell you because it didn’t matter,” Tyler says and takes a long swig of his bourbon.

“But it does now?” I ask, but wave off the question. “Don’t answer that. Are you still in love with her?”

“Yes,” he says without hesitation. “I didn’t want to be. I thought I had closure and I could finally move on.” He leans back against the sofa and closes his eyes, blowing out a long breath. “But then today we started talking, and all those old feelings came rushing back. We never had a fair chance, and I couldn’t let her go—not without trying one more time. I thought if she knew I was still interested, I’d have a fighting chance. The last thing I expect was for you to propose a three-way.”

“That’s not exactly what I’m proposing,” I say, carefully. “Brenna is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t want to compete for her affections. Competition only ends one of two ways. We either both lose her or one of us is miserable. But if we’re together, all three of us, then no one loses.”

I can’t believe I even suggested it, but from where I’m standing, it feels right. Despite our friendly rivalries, Tyler and I learned a long time ago that we work best as a team. Why couldn’t it work that way in a relationship, too?

“I know you’ve spent the last month negotiating with those crazy polyamorous fuckers up north, but that’s not normal.”

“Who’s to say what’s normal? She said she’s in love with both of us. Why make her choose?” I say. “Besides, it’s not like this would be our first time doing something like this.”

“You can’t be serious. A night with a hot chick after a party isn’t the same as both of us dating the same woman.”

“People are more accepting. Ash and Leo aren’t the only people in these kinds of relationships. There’s that movie star and her bodyguards. There’s that reality show on TV. Don’t you think we should consider it?”

“This is crazy,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Do you think we could make it work?

“I think it’s worth a try,” I say. “It’s not the way I thought our relationship would evolve, but…” I blow out a breath and look over to Tyler. “I can live with this. If having you join our relationship—instead of being on the outside— makes her happy, I’ll do it. In fact, the more I think about it, the more the idea is growing on me. It’s going to take a lot of work, but I think it will be worth it in the end. What do you think? Are you in?”

Tyler stares his glass, contemplating the question. The moment stretches out into an eternity. And just when I think he is going to tell me I’m crazy, he says, “I don’t hate the idea. But Brenna has to be on board one hundred percent.” He shrugs. “I don’t know. She seemed pretty freaked out about the suggestion. Maybe we should go and talk to her. Explain things.”

“She asked for time.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” Tyler slams the rest of his drink then pours another.