“Is it getting serious?” The conversationwas so painful I knew Mom had put him up to it. Dad would have given up earlyin the awkward conversation and switched to talk about football teams or hisnew grill.
“Yes.” I wasn’t going to lie or evendownplay that.
“Relationships are hard.” He finallyglanced over toward the kitchen door where my mother was hiding. “Your motherand I had our share of ups and downs the first year.”
“Yeah, we’re figuring things out.” Figuringout how to submit and how to work a relationship between three people andfiguring out how to move from friends to lovers.
Lots to figure out.
“Good.” His gaze jumped back to thepictures. “You just let us know if you ever need to talk or if you want tobring…him over for dinner.”
“Thanks.”
I heard Dare in the back of my headreminding me how important communication was. Scott was there too, but he wasjust shrugging, so that was no help. When I remembered how funny Dare’s storiesabout his family had been, I wanted to sigh. His parents already knew about us.His mom was excited to meet us and, from the way he’d described it, was planningon keeping us.
It’d sounded so different from the tortureI was living through at that moment.
When Dad settled back on the couch andseemed to be finally relaxing, I thought the crazy questions were over. Nope.“What does he do for a living?”
Shit.
Moment of truth. Any answer besidesexplaining there were two would be a lie. I’d be leaving someone outdeliberately.
“It’s complicated.” Please, God, let him dropthis.
Dad didn’t seem to understand what I wastrying to say. He kept going with the job conversation like it was comfortable.“Changing careers or unemployed? I know the job market is pretty good right now,so it shouldn’t take them long to figure out something else.”
“No.” Oh, fuck it. I wasn’t a kid anymore,and what was the worst they could do? Pull some shit like Scott’s parents had?
“I’m actually seeingtwoguys—andthey’re both employed.”
My mother’s head popped out of the kitchen,giving away the fact that she’d clearly been eavesdropping. “Two? At the sametime?”
I wasn’t sure if she was scandalized orconfused. “Yes.”
My dad seemed grateful to leave the crazyquestions up to her because he stayed quiet and so still it looked like he was hopingwe’d forgotten him.
I got another odd look from her. “And theyknow you’re seeing both of them?”
Oops. I guess that hadn’t been clearenough.
“Um, we’re all dating each other…like allthree of us as a couple.” My mind went blank. There was a word that was fairlyinnocent…three people…couple…shit…throuple maybe? My brain wasn’t working.
“Are you involved in a cult?” Her eyeswidened and her hand came up to her chest. “I’ve seen some of those religionson cable. Ryan—”
Dear god, this was getting ridiculous.
“I’m not in a cult, Mom. We just all likeeach other.”
That had her cocking her head curiously.“So it’s not religious?”
Fuck.
“Nope.” How embarrassed did someone have toget before the furniture actually swallowed them whole? There had to be a thresholdand once you went over it, some kind of alternate dimension opened up.
Dad cleared his throat. “I think he meansthey’re dating each other, Susan, but just three people in the…dating.”
For the love of god, was he going to saysomething sexual?
