Page 108 of Cross Check Daddies
They collapse around me, chests heaving, mouths kissing any skin they can find.
Later, wrapped in their arms, limbs tangled, I whisper it again, softer this time.
“I’m in love with you.”
Cam kisses my temple. Tanner presses his lips to my shoulder. Ace murmurs against my spine.
Three hands curl tighter around me.
Three hearts beat close.
And for the first time in weeks, I don’t feel divided.
I just feel athome.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Tanner
The sun filtersin through the sheer curtain Brooke left tied back. I’m on my side, arm draped over her waist, her back warm against my chest, and her breathing soft and even. Cam is passed out on the other side of her, hand curled near her shoulder. Ace is already gone. Figures. The guy probably couldn’t sleep through the sound of his own watch ticking.
The beach is quiet, just the sound of waves brushing the shore and the occasional cry of gulls. I blink against the light for a few more minutes before I ease out from under the blanket, slipping into jeans and grabbing a hoodie.
I find Ace by the fire pit, barefoot and coffee in hand, poking at the ashes like he’s willing them to spark back up. Cam joins a few minutes later, yawning and scratching his jaw.
No one says anything at first.
But then I clear my throat, slide onto the cooler-turned-seat, and just put it out there. “We need to talk. Real talk. No games.”
Cam nods. “Yeah.”
Ace doesn’t even blink. “Agreed.”
It’s quiet again. But it’s not tense. Not like it used to be.
“We all love her,” I say, simple and true. “And none of us are backing down from that.”
Cam folds his arms, elbows on his knees. “No one’s asking anyone to back down.”
“She loves us, too,” I add. “So, it’s not about who wins or loses.”
“She’s not a competition,” Ace says, voice level.
Cam blows out a breath. “We’re not doing the test, right?”
I shake my head. “No. We cancel it.”
“If the doctor says it’s safe down the line, we talk again,” Ace says. “But this early? No chance.”
Cam looks at me then. Really looks. “Are we all in agreement?”
“Yeah,” I answer without hesitation.
Ace nods once. “All in.”
We bump fists lightly, just three men making the kind of promise most people won’t understand.
A little later, we find Jackson out by the water, throwing rocks and talking to himself, probably mid-conversation with a dinosaur or a superhero. Brooke’s still asleep, wrapped up like a starfish in the bed. I told her we’d handle this part.
