hurt more. Watching his friend walk away or the panic in Kailey’s eyes. She loved Bullet. After one day, she’d fallen for his charm, his charisma, and his good looks.
“Yes, I love him. I love him with all my heart, but I don’t prefer him to you. Trig, I love you too with that same heart. Please don’t make me choose between you. I can’t. It’s both of you or neither of you, that’s what I want, Trigger. All or none.”
Bullet stood at the window overlooking the Gulf. Black storm clouds gathered on the horizon, the same color reflected in his ever-changeable eyes. Trig felt his heart clench. He hadn’t meant to hurt either of them. He’d loved them both from afar for so long.
Bullet, his best friend, the brother he never had. Boisterous, bouncy Bullet, faster than lightning, softer than cotton. He’d been with him since forever. He’d been there for him when he’d busted his leg. Bullet had been right there the whole time, holding his hand while he screamed in pain, talking him through the depression that nearly killed him when he found out he couldn’t play ball anymore. Not his mom or his dad—it was Bullet. Always Bullet. Bullet had suggested medical school. Bullet had encouraged him to keep going when it got too hard. He’d wanted to quit so many times, but Bullet would call him up as if he knew, and everything would be all right. Everything would always be all right as long as he had Bullet at his back. Bullet and Trigger, two parts of one powerful weapon.
“Bobby.” His voice broke. He couldn’t find the words.
“Don’t say it, Trig. Kailey, he loves you. He loves you more than life itself. Stay with him. Let him heal you. You need a man who loves you. He won’t press you to do things you don’t want to. He will treat you like a queen, if you let him. I’m just a jock. I’ll break your heart. Women line up around the block to get in my bed. You’ll never know where I’ll be, who I’m with.”
“You’ll be with us, Bobby. I love you. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave us. We need you.” He could hear the panic in her voice, he knew Bullet was right. Trig would treat her like a queen. He loved her, would never do anything to hurt her. He was stable, grounded, and most importantly, dependable. Traits he’d never liked about himself until that moment.
Bobby was none of those things. Bobby was a party in motion, constantly watching, moving. He spoke loudly, played hard, never predictable and as much as Trig hated the idea he had to admit that he and Bobby had always been two sides of the same coin. They’d always been a team.
“Stay here, Bobby. Stay with us. We need you. Trig and I need you, Bobby. Stay for a week.” The plea in her voice twisted in his gut. The truth in her words tore him apart.
“I’d rather have forever. I need forever.” A tear trickled down Bullet’s cheek. He swiped it away hastily.
“Stay forever, Bullet.” Trigger didn’t know what ached more, their loving eyes on him or the thought of losing either of them. “Stay with Kailey and me forever. Bullet, Trigger, and Kailey forever—that’s how it should be.”
“I can do forever.” Bullet smiled then, Trig could tell his world was suddenly spinning out of control—which was just the way Bullet liked it. “What was it we were about to do?”
“You are going to bake cinnamon rolls; Trig is going to clean up this mess; and I’m going to get a shower. After I’m clean and fed, I will think of new ways to get dirty, and we can start all over again.”
“Christ, I think I love this woman, Trig. What do you think, should we keep her?” Bullet laughed. Trig simply stared at her, a silly look on his face.
“I think that is the best idea you’ve ever had, Bullet.”
Epilogue
“Go long, Bullet,” Trigger shouted over the sound of the waves. He took the ball and dropped his weight onto one leg, drawing the ball back, slowly moving forward and back again while Bullet took off down the beach,
“Yes, I love him. I love him with all my heart, but I don’t prefer him to you. Trig, I love you too with that same heart. Please don’t make me choose between you. I can’t. It’s both of you or neither of you, that’s what I want, Trigger. All or none.”
Bullet stood at the window overlooking the Gulf. Black storm clouds gathered on the horizon, the same color reflected in his ever-changeable eyes. Trig felt his heart clench. He hadn’t meant to hurt either of them. He’d loved them both from afar for so long.
Bullet, his best friend, the brother he never had. Boisterous, bouncy Bullet, faster than lightning, softer than cotton. He’d been with him since forever. He’d been there for him when he’d busted his leg. Bullet had been right there the whole time, holding his hand while he screamed in pain, talking him through the depression that nearly killed him when he found out he couldn’t play ball anymore. Not his mom or his dad—it was Bullet. Always Bullet. Bullet had suggested medical school. Bullet had encouraged him to keep going when it got too hard. He’d wanted to quit so many times, but Bullet would call him up as if he knew, and everything would be all right. Everything would always be all right as long as he had Bullet at his back. Bullet and Trigger, two parts of one powerful weapon.
“Bobby.” His voice broke. He couldn’t find the words.
“Don’t say it, Trig. Kailey, he loves you. He loves you more than life itself. Stay with him. Let him heal you. You need a man who loves you. He won’t press you to do things you don’t want to. He will treat you like a queen, if you let him. I’m just a jock. I’ll break your heart. Women line up around the block to get in my bed. You’ll never know where I’ll be, who I’m with.”
“You’ll be with us, Bobby. I love you. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave us. We need you.” He could hear the panic in her voice, he knew Bullet was right. Trig would treat her like a queen. He loved her, would never do anything to hurt her. He was stable, grounded, and most importantly, dependable. Traits he’d never liked about himself until that moment.
Bobby was none of those things. Bobby was a party in motion, constantly watching, moving. He spoke loudly, played hard, never predictable and as much as Trig hated the idea he had to admit that he and Bobby had always been two sides of the same coin. They’d always been a team.
“Stay here, Bobby. Stay with us. We need you. Trig and I need you, Bobby. Stay for a week.” The plea in her voice twisted in his gut. The truth in her words tore him apart.
“I’d rather have forever. I need forever.” A tear trickled down Bullet’s cheek. He swiped it away hastily.
“Stay forever, Bullet.” Trigger didn’t know what ached more, their loving eyes on him or the thought of losing either of them. “Stay with Kailey and me forever. Bullet, Trigger, and Kailey forever—that’s how it should be.”
“I can do forever.” Bullet smiled then, Trig could tell his world was suddenly spinning out of control—which was just the way Bullet liked it. “What was it we were about to do?”
“You are going to bake cinnamon rolls; Trig is going to clean up this mess; and I’m going to get a shower. After I’m clean and fed, I will think of new ways to get dirty, and we can start all over again.”
“Christ, I think I love this woman, Trig. What do you think, should we keep her?” Bullet laughed. Trig simply stared at her, a silly look on his face.
“I think that is the best idea you’ve ever had, Bullet.”
Epilogue
“Go long, Bullet,” Trigger shouted over the sound of the waves. He took the ball and dropped his weight onto one leg, drawing the ball back, slowly moving forward and back again while Bullet took off down the beach,
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