We sent Charlie to grab some food, on the promise we would do his laundry. Men are so easy.

“I’ve been thinking,” I distract myself while fidgeting with the laundry. I’m not too sure how she’s going to react.

Avery looks at me for a minute. “This should be good.”

“What if we dated Charlie?” I say to the washer as I close the lid.

“You want to do the whole relationship thing? Dates, labels, the whole shebang?”

She raises her eyebrow at me, waiting for an answer. I can’t say I’m surprised by her question. Neither one of us are one for labels, but this feels like something that needs to be done, for both of us.

I nod my head, yes, hoping she plans to leave it at that, but this is Avery, so of course not.

“That means telling our friends that we’re having sex, actually doing more than just having sex. All three of us.”

I roll my eyes in response. “You’re saying that like we’ve got a long list of friends. Okay, friends that actually matter.”

She continues to stare at me, hands on her hips. I want to kiss her right now. She gets an attitude over the dumbest shit, and when she gets like this, her kisses are the best.

“Yes, Avery, I want the whole thing. Stupid first date questions, pjs with popcorn and Netflix. Shit like that.” I can’t help the small smile that graces my lips.

“What about what we have? Is that not enough anymore?”

“Of course it is, but don’t you feel it? When the three of us are together, it’s like our final puzzle piece has been put into place. He completes us.”

When I look up, I see a look in Avery’s eyes I’m not used to, she looks vulnerable. I’d almost go as far as to say she’s afraid, but of what? She’s my everything, but Charlie deserves to know he matters to both of us. She loves Charlie, she said so herself. So we have to make sure he doesn’t leave us.

Grabbing Avery’s hand, I lead her to the couch so we can talk this out. I sit down, pulling her to my side, resting her head in the crook of my neck. I can’t not touch her when she looks like this, lost and unsure. I just sit, holding her as I stroke her hair, waiting for her to say something.

Avery looks up into my eyes, chewing on her lip.

“We don’t date for a reason, no one can handle us. What if he only wants to date one of us?”

Reaching down, I cup her cheek with my palm.

“It's either both of us or neither of us. We’re a packaged deal, right?”

Leaning forward, I brush my lips softly against hers. I don’t know how to comfort her.

“If he doesn’t want to date both of us, then we can just have sex with him until we get bored and cut him loose. You and I are what is most important.”

I’m already in too deep to walk away without getting hurt, and after our drunken night, Avery couldn’t either. One thing I’m sure of, we can get past anything as long as we’re together.

“Are you in love with him?” Avery asks, looking me directly in the eye.

I take a deep breath and let it out.

“Maybe. I know I could be,” I tell her honestly.

My heart is going to be broken if this falls apart. I need them both, they bring peace to my soul, make me want to be a better person.

“Me too,” I tell Amber.

I’m scared, fuck, I admitted it. I don’t do this ‘love’ thing, period. The only person I have ever loved is Amber, but trying to explain or label what we have is impossible. Now, Charlie comes out of nowhere, wrecking everything.

All of these emotions are more than I can deal with, I can’t sleep, and my body has just been fucked three ways from Sunday, not that I am complaining. I need to think, but Amber wants an answer now, I can see it in her eyes. I delay my response by heading over to the fridge to grab us both something to drink. Without turning to look at her, I say, “There is no avoiding him after this, you know that right? We will still have to see him, he’s Logan’s best friend.”

I have to make sure she understands the repercussions of this decision. It’s not just the two of us that will be affected.

“And no touching each other when he isn’t around. If this is going to work, we have to know that what we all feel for each other is real, not just a passing fling.”

Amber comes up behind me, hugging me around my waist.

“I know, Boo Bear, I know.” I can feel her smile against my neck.

“Don’t call me that,” I chuckle.

She’s always making light of intense conversations, I hate them, and she knows it.