Lucky had his pick of groupies, Leo too for that matter since she’s been with almost as many women as she has men, and I’m pretty fucking sure Norm has a thing forallof us and has for a long time. He’s never said as much, and I’m not sure he ever will, but I can see it written all over his face at times.
Mark, on the other hand? I have my theories and if anything, he’s probably in the same boat I was.
I didnotembrace my sexuality or my one hundred percent authentic self until we were in our fucking thirties.
I was raised in a pretty conservative, religious, single parent household, and while my mama had an unwavering faith in God, she never would have judged me or loved me any less if I told her what was going on. So, I can’t blame my perception of being attracted to whoever made me happy regardless of gender on my upbringing, nor can I blame it for how hard I fought the fact that’s who I was.
What it came down to was, I was the man of our house after my dad split when my mom was pregnant with my baby sister and living paycheck to paycheck meant I had to grow the fuck up and act like it.
That’s what I thought and tried to do for a long fucking time.
It didn’t matter that I didn’t see someone’s gender when I looked at them, I only saw what I found attractive inside and out, and it sure as fuck didn’t matter that I’d been in love with my best friend since I understood the feeling.
Until one day, I had enough.
Lucky was flirting with everyone as usual—he was a huge flirt before the attack, and a lot more confident in himself—and the minute I had him alone, I flirted back.
I was done fucking around, done waiting for my feelings to go away or change, and I took a chance, a huge risk in my eyes, by doing something ridiculously out of character by actually making a pass at Lucky. One that surprised him for sure, but it made him happy as hell.
Honestly, he seemed relieved.
Because my best friend was in love with me too.
But then there was Leo.
We knew she’d accept us, knew it wasn’t even going to move her meter, but Luck had been just as hung up on her as he was me apparently, and he was pretty worried about how that was going to play into a relationship he and I started.
Fortunately for him, I’ve been hooked on that fiery little redhead almost as long as he has.
So, we decided together that we were going to tell her about us, and how we felt about her after our ten-year anniversary show. It’s why Lucky was going to meet her backstage the night that bastard tried to take her away from all of us. The way Leo felt about him was clear, we’d all seen it for a long time, and knowing she had feelings for Luck meant it would be easier for him to talk to her about everything.
But we were never given the chance.
We’ve waited for three fucking years, and we both knew if the opportunity ever presented itself again, Lucky would tell Leo how he felt, tell her about our relationship, then ask her to be with both of us because that’s how things should fucking be.
Almost.
So, no.
It doesn’t bother me.
I’m impatient as hell and worried the other shoe is going to drop before we have that talk, but I’m not upset Luck hasn’t mentioned our relationship to Leo yet. It’s barely been forty-eight hours since her world imploded, and dropping all these bombs has to be done with finesse.
If not, wewilllose Leonor again.
“It botheryou?” I arch a brow and cross my arms against my chest, my beer bottle dangling between my fingers as I present Mark with a small challenge.
The conversation Idon’twant to have with him?
It’s the one where he’s almost overly supportive of Lucky and I, soapboxes about how people who love us—like my sisters—shouldknow and be on board, people who don’t like it—like Franc—should fuck off, and then argues with me over why none of that actually matters. He isn’t wrong but I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks about my relationships with anyone, and Ithink it’s all Mark’s way of deflecting and overcompensating at the same time for his own conflicting feelings. Which he hates getting called out on, and ultimately shuts down and disappears for a couple of days when I do it.
That’sthe one, and until he wants to own up to his shit, I’m done having it.
“No,” Mark says as he visibly gears up to get into it. “I just think?—"
“There’s someone outside Leo’s door.”
We both turn toward Norm, who’s crouching by her front door, his ear pressed against it while he lifts a finger for us to be quiet.
