“Don’t feel too bad,” Miles says, chuckling. “Zoe wasn’t even born yet when we made the bet.”
Liam lets out a long, frustrated breath. “I suppose I walked into that one, didn’t I?”
As much as I want to be annoyed, I can’t help but laugh at Miles making fun of Liam’s age gap with his wife.
“So when you say Julian and Sophie… do you meanbothof them?” Liam asks, his voice curious, but not judgmental. If there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s not judging us.
I nod. “Both of them.” Taking a deep breath, I shrug. “I’m bisexual. And I think I always have been without realizing it. Or, without wanting to say it out loud.”
My brothers are quiet as they take in the information, and for a fraction of a second, I panic. After all, as far as I know, they’re all straight. I’ve always felt a bit like an outsider, thanks to my unusual job, and this information could possibly only drive that wedge between us deeper. The table is quiet for a beat, and then Miles is the first to speak, a slow grin spreading across his face.
“So, you’re into them as a couple? How, exactly, does that work?”
I roll my eyes. “Exactly how it would work with a single person. We hang out. We do… other things,” I add, thinking of Sophie on the pool deck last week.
“How did it happen?” Chase asks, leaning forward. “Like… did they approach you?”
I look between all of my brothers. “No comment about me being bi?”
They all give me blank stares, all of them shaking their head, and I huff a laugh as my nerves dissolve into nothing. Of course they wouldn’t care. I might as well have told them my hair was brown.
“Sort of,” I say slowly. “But for the most part, it just happened. None of us expected nor sought it out. Who knows where it’ll go, but…” I take a sip of my whiskey, swallowing my second drink clear down before continuing. “I’m excited about the possibilities.”
Liam holds his beer up. “I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re all dying to know how this plays out.”
We all laugh, and I relax back into my seat. “No pressure or anything,” I say dryly.
The conversation shifts after that, and the heavy weight of my confession dissipates as my brothers revert back to their usual joking and storytelling.
I know my brothers, though—they’ll circle back to this.
Probably sooner than I’d like.
Miles, especially. He loves to meddle.
Truthfully, though, I don’t mind. We lost our father earlier this year, and our mother passed away almost a decade ago. We’re all we have left of family, and I’m grateful we’ve only gotten closer over the last few years in the midst of them all settling down with their significant others.
Just after ten, I’m on my fourth drink and feeling a bit more willing to be open. Liam and Miles leave, and shortly after, Julietcomes into the bar to pick Chase up, nuzzling into his chest as they walk out together. I miss having them close, but I also know they’re happy up north.
Orion swirls the sparkling water in his glass, watching me with interest before drinking the rest of it. It’s just the two of us now, and though I know I should get home soon, I’m also looking forward to being completely open with him since he knows the situation.
“So,” he says, setting his empty glass down. “Feel better after your confession?”
I shrug, leaning back in the booth. “Yeah. But I didn’t expect you guys to give me a hard time about it.”
Orion is quiet for a few seconds. “Is Sophie still a hotwife? You know, now that you’re involved?”
It takes a second for his words to sink in. “I suppose not. I mean… we’re not exclusive, but I don’t think they’d do anything like that without asking me how I felt about it.”
Nodding, Orion gives me a pointed look. “And how do you feel about it? About her sleeping with other men?”
My jaw rolls, and I look down at my clasped hands as I imagine Sophie and Julian with another man involved. Even though I know Julian never got physical with them, it still irks me for some reason.
It makes me feel jealous.
She’s mine, and so is he.
“Have you done any research? Julian and Sophie are what we call a stag and vixen in the lifestyle. It’s worth looking into. They have a reputation.”
