Page 121 of Hard to Judge

“Why?” he puzzles.

She brings the back of his hand to her lips and graces each knuckle with a kiss. “From the first time Arlo mentioned your name, I knew you were special to him.”

I slide my fingers back between Hota’s and squeeze. He flits a smile—a tentative smile—at me and looks back at Hailey.

“The first time I met you, I knew you were special.” She hugs his arm to her chest. “When I first saw you two interact, I saw the love between you. I saw the connection. Instead of feeling any hint of jealousy, I only felt sadness.”

“Hailey, I never wanted to take him away from you. I know you two are—” Hota starts, but she stops him with a kiss.

“Let me finish?” She pulls away and pleads.

He nods while squeezing my hand and not daring to look away from our siren, our sunshine.

“I was sad because you weren’t together as you’re meant to be,” she continues.

“Arlo loves you, Hailey.” Hota interrupts again.

“I know that.” She laughs. “He loves you too.” Her fingers smack over his mouth before he can continue. “One more outburst and I’m buying you a ball gag.”

The corner of his lips tips up under her touch.

“I’m the one who instigated this relationship between the three of us. I’ve seen us, all of us, as the complete picture for a while now. It didn’t take long for Arlo to see it too. Though his past always hangs over his shoulders, he has wanted you, us, he just needed to fight for it.” She looks at me once more with that adoration, and I’m knocked back in my seat.

Her fingers cup Hota’s jaw. “Today I hoped he would fight for you, for us, despite his fears. I cleared my schedule because I believed in him. I believe in us.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t fight harder, sooner,” I admit.

They both look at me. The loves of my fucking life.

“If you had, you might have never met Hailey,” Hota says, bringing her hand to his mouth.

I lean forward, bury my head between their necks, and wrap my arms around them. They hold me tight, and I breathe themin. Sweet and spicy. Feminine and masculine. “I love you both so fucking much.”

“We love you,” they say in tandem.

Too soon the car stops in front of our home.

A truck loaded with construction materials blocks our view of the century-old structure.

Despite all the declarations andI love yous,uncertainty washes over Hota’s features when he realizes we’re not at his condo. It ends now.

“Do you remember when I changed ownership on the paperwork for this house?” I demand from Hota.

“Yes.” His gaze immediately shifts to Hailey and then swings back to me. “As you were right to.”

“Well, her name and mine aren’t the only ones on the deed,” I admit.

“My name?” Hailey gasps. Looking dumbfounded as to why I would put the house in her name.

“Your name,” I tell Hota.

“Mine?” His reaction is sweetly similar to Hailey’s.

“Yes.” I take both their hands. “This is ours. I want it to be our home ineverysense of the word from today until our last days. I want us to raise our children here, if that’s something we all agree upon.”

Both their hands grip tighter to mine, bordering on painful at the mention of children. Their eyes look like they’re about to burst from their sockets and the smiles on their faces are unequal to any I’ve seen before.

“Mostly, I want us to live our lives together, here or wherever you want.”

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