Clay shakes his head, looking between us. “We tried slow and it didn’t work.”
I wouldn’t call two dates in two days slow, and I want to counter his argument, but I don’t know how to do it without sounding confrontational. If I tell Clay to shut his mouth like I want to, then this will just dissolve into a fight, which isn’t going to be helpful in the slightest and will only make things more difficult for Holly. Out of the three of us, I’ve always been more tolerant to Clay’s nuances than Elliot, and I am protective of him, but he’s walking a very fine line right now.
Breathe, Bear. Focus on the here and now, I instruct myself silently and take several deep breaths until my mind is clearer. For Clay, this probably is slow for him, as he’s the type to be all in once he’s made a decision. However, other people don’t move at the same speed as him and he forgets that. All of this is new for Holly. She’s getting to know two very different guys and get over the damage her ex did to her when he left. Demanding that she makes a decision between us is not helping things.
Damn me, though, I can’t stop myself from wanting to know the answer. Who will she pick?
Holly watches us with a pained expression, hands clasped in front of her and lower lip gripped between her teeth. She seems resigned, the heavy weight of dejection sitting on her shoulders. A jolt goes through me. She’s made a decision, and it’s one that none of us want to hear. She is choosing neither of us.
“Dating one of you will only hurt the one who isn’t chosen, and it won’t stop the feelings I have for them either. I will still have that connection with the other person.” She rushes through her explanation, holding her hand up to stop our protests. “Clay, if I dated you but you knew I was thinking about Bear and mourning the connection we could have had, do you really think you could cope with that?”
Just thinking of that scenario with me in that position gives me an uncomfortable tightness across my chest. Knowing she wants to be with someone else could destroy a relationship.
Clay says nothing in response, but I watch as he starts to shut down before my eyes. I hadn’t realised how much he had started to open up since we moved here. Bit by bit, that progress is crumbling away. If I was a better man, I would say something and put an end to this now. I say nothing.
Clay finally clears his throat, crossing his arms over his chest, and I see his walls slamming down. “What are you saying?”
Holly’s eyes are wide and she looks between the two of us. I was trying to make this less stressful for her by bringing her into the gym, but if anything the intimate space seems to be making things worse. “I can’t ask you to wait for me to choose.” Her voice breaks, cutting her off. She takes a moment to inhale deeply, steeling herself for what she has to say next. “I think it’s best for everyone that I don’t choose at all. I’m clearly not ready for dating.”
Clay goes pale, horrified realisation in his eyes. “Holly–”
She puts both hands up again in a ‘stop’ motion and starts to back away from us. Tears glisten in the corner of her eyes and I want to scoop her up in my arms and tell her we’ll figure this out, but I have to respect the fact she wants space.
“I’m sorry, to both of you. I hope you don’t think I led you on. I really do care for you both.” Her breath shudders and she quickly leaves the building.
Well, that didn’t go to plan. Fuck.
Without realising I’m doing it, I walk over to the window, peeling back the covering so I can look outside and make sure she gets back to the bakery okay. I know she’s only next door, but she’s never felt further away. My body craves her, and just knowing that she’s hurting is causing me physical pain. I’ve never felt this way before.
A growl sounds from behind me. Frowning, I turn and watch as Clay smashes his fist into the wall, denting the plaster.
Running footsteps announce Elliot’s arrival as he hurries into the room. Looking at me by the window and Clay with his hand in wall, his brows shoot up incredulously. “What the hell is going on here?”
TWENTY-THREE
ELLIOT
Asmashing noise breaks through the gentle piano music I’m listening to, and I yank off my headphones. Frowning towards the main gym space out the front, I strain my ears, trying to identify the sound. Someone is in the gym, and from the sound of it, they’re not happy.
Putting down my paintbrush, I race from the back room I’ve been decorating and into the main space. Clay has his fist in the wall, and Bear looks as though he’s attempting to stop him from doing it again.
“What the hell is going on here?” For fuck’s sake, the last thing we need is a Clay meltdown while we’re trying to build up a new business. Literally building it, and now I have a hole to patch. Groaning, I gesture to the new hole in the plaster. “I just painted that fucking wall.”
Clay steps back, shaking the loose plaster from his fist, littering the clean floor with dust. He won’t be the one to clean it up, and I want to smack him over the head for making the place dirty when I’ve been cleaning like a lunatic all morning. However, I can see that there’s clearly something going on.
“We had an argument,” Bear sighs, scrubbing his hands over his face, his shoulders tight with tension.
“Yeah, I can see that,” I reply dryly, looking pointedly towards the wall with a hole in it. Thankfully it’s just plasterboard and not a loadbearing wall, so fixing it won’t be too much of an issue. Nevertheless, I’m pissed off. We have so much at stake here and we can’t risk it all over petty fights. Crossing my arms over my chest, I look between them with an expectant expression. If I must be a councillor to make them sort this out, then that’s what I’ll be. “What were you fighting about?”
Their postures immediately shift, going from keyed up and ready for action, to shoulders falling in and guilty glances at each other and then back at me. Whatever they’re about to say is going to piss me off, I can just sense it.
“Holly,” they reply in unison, proving me right with one word.
That fucking woman. I don’t know what it is about her, but ever since that first day she’s wound me up. Sure, she’s gorgeous, but it goes far deeper than looks, a soul-deep irritation when she’s nearby. Now she’s coming between my brothers and putting our partnership at risk.
“She’s caused nothing but problems.” Shaking my head with disgust, I hold up my hand before either of them can try to defend her. Honestly, I don’t want to hear it. “What has she done now?”
Bear lets out a rumbling sigh that sounds more like a growl, only adding to his nickname. “Clay made her pick between us.”