Page 65 of Phoenix Academy: Madness

"Hey. You're late." Xavier greets me at the door with a tender smile and kisses me on the forehead—then spots his brother and best friend in the hallway behind me, waiting awkwardly in the wings. "Hey Reg. David. I thought you were both gonna be out?"

"Yeah, about that..." David awkwardly trails off, and I can hear in his voice the fear that he might break his best friend's heart. After everything Xavier has done for him, and risked for him, clearly he can't do it—so I will, since I'm the one responsible for this.

Pushing into the room, I tell Xavier in my most steady, serious voice, "We need to talk."

"Okay." He looks out into the hallway at the two guys and asks them, "Could you give us a minute?"

Clearly I'm not doing this perfectly. "Actually, all of us need to talk. The three of you and me. The four of us." If I keep going I'll start babbling even worse than this. "That's it, we just need to talk. In here. With the door closed."

My mouth finally done running, I take a seat at the edge of what must be Reggie's bed, perching on it like some kind of little bird on a branch. I can tell it's Reggie's because it's ferociously messy to the point that it must be on purpose: covers strewn everywhere, enough blankets piled onto the corners to make a whole quilt, empty chip bags kicked to the end of the bed, and a pair of headphones in the middle of it all, quietly connecting to nothing. The other bed, with a neat turned down comforter and a glasses case on the nightstand, can only be Xavier's bed.

Maybe I made a mistake sitting over here, I realize the instant the boys come into the room and Xavier takes a seat on his own bed. Maybe it'll look like three against one with me on this side of the room.

If I get up and switch beds now it'll look conspicuous, though, and David is already grabbing the rolling desk chair on this side of the room, while Reggie has opted for sitting on the footboard and looking completely unconcerned with what's about to happen.

Meanwhile, I feel like I might burst inside out like a popcorn kernel, that's how tense I am. There are erect dicks with lower blood pressure than me right now.

"What's this all about?" Xavier asks, looking at each of us in turn. "Ari, is something wrong?"

I take a deep breath. Push down my desire to get up and run out of this room, maybe run all the way off campus and to the other side of the country. Doing something like this can't possibly be as hard as dying and coming back to life was—and I lived a life of hardship before all that.

"The truth is..."

I find myself looking to David to make sure he's still okay, ignoring Reggie's eyes on me, and trying desperately to concentrate on Xavier. This might be the last thing I get to say to him before he hates me forever, and phrasing it right is the only thing that can save me.

"The truth is that I like you."

I take another deep breath. Xavier gives me a quizzical look. "Yes, I figured that out rather easily."

"That's not all." I hate to do this to him. But if I don't, I'll have to have the same tough conversation with David, then Reggie, and it'll be just as hard as this. Might as well get the whole thing over with. "It's notjustyou I like."

He doesn't get it at first, but I'll give him credit: Xavier is smart. It doesn't take him long. Looking to his brother, then his best friend, he simply says, "Oh."

This must be what it feels like to kill a baby bird and watch the light go out of its eyes. At least, that's what I imagine is happening on Xavier's face right now. I find that I can't quite look directly at him, because my toes are too fascinating.

A long, awkward silence follows. Even Reggie seems to feel it, because he doesn't crack a joke.

"Okay." Xavier takes a deep breath. "If that's how it is, then that's how it is. We'll just have to share."

Chapter 31

"Are you... okay?"Staring at Xavier, I double check to make sure it's him I'm really looking at, and not Reggie in his clothes and glasses. This seems like yet another prank. "Because I'm pretty sure you suggested that the three of youshareme."

Xavier shrugs, as if he's just suggested that we split an appetizer or walk to class together. "It seems to be the most logical conclusion. There's a mutual attraction between you and the three of us. Any sort of fighting over it would cause immense tension and end friendships. And we can't exactly stop having classes together or helping you with your powers. What choice is there but to share?"

I have to say, this was the last thing I expected. I thought Xavier—sweet, wonderful, kind Xavier—would either be so torn up at my betrayal that he'd break down completely, or grow angry for the first time ever and declare me excommunicated from his life. A seemingly calm and level-headed decision toshareme like I'm some kind of vacation home in Florida is the last thing I expected.

"I call Tuesdays and Saturdays," Reggie quips, "and Monday mornings. Don't ask why—it'll be a surprise." He winks at me. "Quick, Xavier, call Fridays. The weekend is the best time to claim. There are no classes."

I sputter at him. "I'm not a timeshare!"

David growls, crossing his arms and glaring at Reggie. "I want Saturdays."

"Oh my god." I givehima glare of my own, and he actually has the decency to look embarrassed. "No one is calling days! This is ridiculous. You three can'tshareme. How in the world would that even work?"

"Well," Xavier says calmly, "Dani Carpenter has four boyfriends, and that seems to work quite well."

"Those are demons," David points out. "I'm pretty sure things are different with them."

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