Cole dropped the spatula. “And you don’t get to talk to Reed like that. Understand?” He positioned himself between Oscar and me. “He didn’t mean it. He’s upset and just trying to figure out what’s going on. Reed cares about all three of you.”
“I didn’t...I’m sorry, Zach. I didn’t mean any of that.” I burst into tears. “I’m sorry,” I said again.
Zach wrapped his arms around me. “I know you didn’t mean it, babe. And I love how protective you are of your friends.”
“But you’re my best friend, and I shouldn’t say things like that to you. It’s none of my business.” I could feel the shoulder of his shirt growing damp. “I’m sorry.” What else could I say?
Zach squeezed me tighter. “I can never stay mad at you.” He tipped my head up. “Come into the living room so we can talk?”
I nodded and followed him into the other room, where he sat down on the couch. I joined him and grabbed his hands to clutch them with my own.
“I love you, Zach. You’re my best friend. What I said back there is unforgivable. I had no right.”
“It’s done, and I’ve moved on. I already forgave you,” he assured me. “But I have a secret.”
I leaned closer. “Do you?”
“Yeah, I do.” Zach nodded. “I could see myself falling in love with them. Oscar and Tate. They’re sweet, caring, and funny. I feel like a different person when we’re all together. Like maybe I’ve been waiting for them.” He ducked his chin. “Oscar is so caring, like this big, protective teddy bear. He’s kind, Reed. I’ve never had a lover like him before. He’s so nice. I’m not used to that.”
I brushed the bleached hair from his forehead. “You deserve that, babe. Someone to love you the way you deserve.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t know about that.” Zach sniffed. “And Tate. He’s like this gooey ray of sunshine who just pushed his way into my life. You know...” He glanced behind me, then dropped his voice into a whisper. “He’s the one who asked me to join them.”
My brows flew up. “I don’t...Don’t give me details.” I giggled when Zach nudged my side. “But maybe you could give them a chance.”
“I want to.” He swallowed nervously. “But my parents...You know they’re not going to accept either of them. They won’t let me be with someone they didn’t handpick for me.”
I did know that. I had only met Zach’s parents once, and it wasn’t pleasant. They had been cool and quiet when they came to our apartment, whisking Zach off on some secret getaway that he still won’t tell me about.
“You don’t need them. You have me. And now you have Oscar and Tate.”
We both looked up as Tate slipped into the room and crawled onto Zach’s lap. He whispered something in his ear that I couldn’t hear and then pressed a kiss to his cheek.
“Maybe, maybe.” Zach’s smile was forced, but his eyes told me what he couldn’t. That he was already falling hard.
“Everything is going to work out just the way it should.” I reached over to squeeze Tate’s arm. “Take good care of him for me.”
Tate nodded. “You know I will.”
“And you.” I climbed to my feet as Oscar loomed in the doorway. “About earlier, I’m sorry. I had no right to say those things.”
Oscar popped a brow as he continued to stare at me. He was a massive man at six foot seven, and the longer he watched me, the more I wanted to disappear. He was intimidating as hell. “Don’t do it again, Kelly,” he grunted.
“I know, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have...Oh!” I gasped when Oscar moved to wrap me in a hug that was tight enough to crack a rib as he lifted me off my feet.
“I’m going to make sure Zach is cared for. He’ll never have to worry about anything again,” he told me.
I gave him a big smile when he released me. “Good. Because I’d hate to have to kick your ass,” I teased.
“As if you could.” Oscar had already moved to the couch. He wrapped one thick arm around Zach and used the other one to smooth the hair back from Tate’s face.
They made a cute throuple. That would make two now that I knew of, including Wyatt, Noel, and Seth. “I’ll let you do whatever it is you’re doing.”
“See you at the race tonight,” Tate called out as I went back into the kitchen to find Cole.
He beamed when I walked over, wrapped my arms around his waist, and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Everything good?”
“Yeah, it’s great,” I whispered.