Page 83 of Pucking Tangled
Luca really didn’t want to fight with him. That wasn’t what this was about anyway.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Kissing Mia in front of all of us. Demanding her time. Damn near pissing on her like you’re a dog.”
“Woof. Woof.” Waylon smirked.
“Trying to be serious here, Way.”
“Mia didn’t seem to mind.”
“That’s not the point,” Luca argued.
“Isn’t it?” Waylon asked, voice calm but edged with warning. “Because from where I’m standing, you all are acting like your feelings matter more thanhers.”
“You do see the irony in your statement, right? Whatyou did was no better than what you’re claiming we did.” Luca blew out a frustrated breath. “You said we needed to be on the same page,” he continued, dropping his voice. “You told us not to make her feel bad. Youwarned usnot to let jealousy ruin this.”
Waylon’s jaw ticked. “I meant it.”
“Then why did that whole thing feel like a warning shot?”
Waylon looked at him. Really and truly looked at him.
That was when Luca saw it—the flicker of something in his eyes.
Guilt?
Regret?
Maybe.
But it didn’t change the fact that the damage was already done.
“You were right this morning,” Luca went on, softer now. “I’m struggling. Iamscared of losing her. I never had something like this before. And I’m trying, okay? I’m trying to believe we can make this work. That she really wantsallof us.”
Waylon stayed quiet, for the first time ever seeming to give Luca the opportunity to fully express what was on his mind.
“But then you walk in like it’s a game. Like staking your claim makes it easier for her. Like we’re not all already fighting our own battles just to keep from drowning in these uncharted waters.”
Waylon put both of his hands on the counter and hung his head. “It wasn’t about marking my territory. It was about making sure she knew that I wanted her just as much as everyone else in this house does.”
Luca clapped a hand on Waylon’s shoulder.
If anyone understood where the other man was coming from, Luca did.
“Way, I’m not asking you to back off,” he said quietly. “But I am asking you to really think this through. The pressure of being wanted by all of us? It’s weighing on her. And you just made it heavier. Please don’t play games with her. Make sure you’re not just in love with the fantasy of her…of this arrangement. Take care of her.”
Before Waylon could reply, Luca tossed the dishcloth in the sink and walked away.
Not out of anger or defeat.
But from exhaustion.
Because this wasn’t a game they were trying to win.
It was their futures. And everyone’s hearts were at stake.
THIRTY
Waylon
