Page 75 of The Rest is History

“You wanna share?”

I laugh, but my throat jerks. Before Sawyer, before them, all there was, was an everlasting ache. And now, that ache feels easier to bear. “You know, Julie and I chose yellow for everything.”

“Yellow is a nice color.”

“Right? She might have liked it, right?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“And on the wall, we had these yellow and black bees painted.”

And then, everything breaks, and my forehead drops to Sawyer’s shoulder and my body shakes.

He takes the glass from my hand and sets it on the mantle.

His arms come around me and I bury myself into his chest. He holds me like I’m something precious he must protect, and suddenly, all I want is a home with them. A life with them. I want to never leave them, and I want this complicated that Sawyer spoke about. I don’t know much, and I don’t claim to understand much about life, but of this – this complicated us – I’m certain. There is a sureness in my bones that this is right. And I can choose it because I’m allowed to make my own choices about my life.

“I – I’m sorry,” I choke, surrendering to the warmth of his embrace, knowing that here, with him, I’m not too much, but still sorry that maybe I am.

“What is there to be sorry about, beautiful?”

I remain in his arms for a long time, and he keeps me there long after my sobs have died down.

“You’re okay,” he says over and over.

“You’re okay.”

“You’re okay.”

Chapter 34

Asher

Beside her support, my mother also gives me a few pieces of advice. “You’ll get flack from the townspeople, be prepared for that”, was the first thing she said after she assured me that she supported me and Sawyer wholeheartedly. She also asked me to consider what this would mean for my career. The stigma associated with a polyamorous lifestyle is going to be a mountain we may not be able to scale, especially with the current political climate where anything that deviates from the norm is likely to be dealt with.

But the advice she needed me to adhere to was to keep things quiet for as long as possible.

It helps that we live on the outskirts of town and hardly have neighbors who would be able to monitor our comings and goings.

The fact that Reece works with Sawyer is also a convenient front.

As I make my way home now, I think about how we would maintain such a relationship publicly. Reece’s father would just fucking obliterate him. And what about me? How would it fly with the school? Already, I’m an anomaly being in a marriage with a man.

But I can’t give Reece up a second time. And certainly not over public opinion.

I pull up to the house, my heart leaping at the sight of Sawyer’s truck already parked outside. Reece must be with him.

Inside, a soft murmur of voices carries from the kitchen. When I enter, a smile makes its way to my face. Setting down the food that my mother packed, I approach the two men I love endlessly, wrapped in each other’s arms. They turn at the same time.

Sawyer’s eyes light up. “I thought I heard you pull in,” he says.

Reece looks up at me. His shyness touches me. “Hi,” he says.

I press my lips to Sawyer’s. “Mom sent the whole kitchen.” His eyes dance even more, “Pecan pie?”

“Yep.” While Sawyer busies himself with unpacking the food, I turn to Reece. “Hi,” I say.

He smiles, but his eyes are red. “Hi.”

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