Over the Edge (Bridge #3)(50)

I could have stayed at Will and Ian’s, but that felt oddly like running away.

“Liv, open up!” Maya’s voice was muffled behind the door.

I cringed at the thought of facing her. She’d been silent in the wake of my shocking confession. She hadn’t been afraid to voice her support of my relationship with Will before. I doubted she’d be an advocate for me now.

A few seconds passed before the door handle jiggled and turned. Then she and Vanessa were standing in my living room. Maya held the extra set of keys in one hand. The other rested on her hip.

“You can’t just barge in here,” I said.

She lifted an eyebrow. “Watch me. You’re not going to shut me out, Liv.”

I sank farther into the couch and covered my swollen eyes with the heels of my hands. “Maya, please go away. I really don’t want to see anyone right now.”

“We’re taking you to breakfast, and we’re going to talk through all this crap, okay?”

I groaned out a sigh. “What is this? An intervention?”

Vanessa laughed and took my hand, hauling me up to a standing position. “More like girl therapy. I had to listen to Darren go off half the night. I need a mimosa. Come on. I beg you.”

The thought of orange juice and cheap champagne roiled my stomach. But nothing about their demeanor made me believe I was in for more anger and accusations.

Twenty minutes later, I was waiting for my brunch order at one of our favorite diners. Without warning, Eli dropped into the seat between Maya and Vanessa.

“Shit, what did I miss?”

Their ex-roommate and good friend had become a regular fixture since Maya had come back into my brother’s life a year ago. He was a sounding board for my sisters-in-law, but I’d never quite brought my guard down around him.

Maya sat back in her seat and rubbed her belly. “Nothing. We haven’t started the interrogation yet.”

“Thank God. Maya said something about you having a threesome, and I couldn’t haul my ass out of bed fast enough.” He winked at me, brushing his jet-black hair from his forehead. “So who are the lucky guys?”

My cheeks heated as I imagined myself turning twelve shades of red at his comment.

“Our investor,” Maya said in a light voice that didn’t at all match the gravity of my current situation.

“And a guy who Darren works with,” Vanessa added.

Eli whistled and shook his head. “I’m guessing that isn’t going over so great with the Bridge brothers.”

Vanessa let out a soft laugh and twisted her natural auburn hair into a messy bun. “I’m pretty sure Darren is going to have to be medicated if he doesn’t calm down soon.”

“Cam wouldn’t talk about it. That usually means he’s too pissed to speak.”

Dread tightened my gut. I immediately regretted letting them drag me here when I could be safely cocooned in my apartment, away from everyone…at least everyone who didn’t have a spare key to my place.

Cursing under my breath, I started looking for the nearest exit. I wasn’t nearly ready for this conversation.

Then Maya reached for my hand and gave it a small squeeze. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. They’ll get over it. They just need some time to wrap their heads around everything. I’m more worried about how you’re dealing with all of this.”

I closed my eyes, wishing I could erase the last twenty-four hours and do things differently. “I don’t know.”

“What happened?” she asked.

I exhaled a sigh. “Things with Will started out pretty simple, but it’s gotten really complicated and really intense, for all of us. We’ve been living in our own little world, I guess. I won’t say navigating this relationship has been without complications, but everything seemed manageable until last night. I wasn’t expecting everything to be thrown into the spotlight so suddenly.”

Vanessa leaned in on her elbows. “I can’t imagine circumstances where Cameron and Darren would have taken the news any better. Probably better to rip the Band-Aid off and get it over with.”

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

“What do Will and Ian have to say?” Maya asked softly.

My thoughts drifted to the previous night. Ian had called me after I left the ribbon-cutting. He wanted to make sure I was all right but thankfully didn’t press me when I asked for space. I needed to process everything that was happening. My crazy, intense relationship with Will and Ian. My brothers too, and what I was risking with this unconventional relationship.

“I told them I needed some time to deal with all of this on my own. I think they understand they can’t just sweep in and try to fix everything, much as they may want to. Darren was fit to be tied last night. Obviously Cameron’s brewing inside too, so having Will and Ian anywhere near my apartment is probably an extremely bad idea.”

Eli rested his chin in his hand. “So this isn’t just a kinky fling. This sounds serious. It must be if you were willing to come out to Darren and Cameron the way you did. I know you weren’t necessarily ready for it, but I’m no stranger to coming out. It feels like you’re risking everything.”

I nodded silently. “I think we all fell into feelings that we weren’t entirely ready for. And you’re absolutely right. It feels like I’m letting everyone down, even though it’s my life we’re talking about.”