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Brick tucked some hair behind her ear. “I know you’re not Linda. I know you would never cheat on me. You’ve got more loyalty in your little toe than she did in her entire body. I don’t think everyone is like her. And the fact is, while I never cheated, I did neglect her. I put other things first. I never opened myself up to being vulnerable with her. To giving her everything. Not like with you. If you left me, I’d struggle to find my way, to keep going.”
“I’d never leave you,” she said fiercely.
“I know, baby girl. You’re my whole world. I’m putting your needs before everything else. Fact is, you need Xavier.”
What the fuck did she say to that? If she said no, then she hurt Xavier. If she said yes, then Brick wasn’t enough.
Xavier let out a low chuckle that wasn’t exactly amused. “Way to put her in it, man.”
“What?” Brick asked, sounding confused. He was so straightforward, he obviously didn’t see the traps in what he’d said.
“My needs aren’t more important than anyone else’s,” she managed to get out. That was safe enough, right?
Both men gave her incredulous looks.
“Yeah, Twink, they are. They’re the most important.”
She shook her head. “I’m not special.” Fact was, she had no idea why either of them would want her. How Brick could love her. And Xavier . . . well, he hadn’t come out and said exactly how he felt about her.
Brick made a low growling noise.
“I hate that you don’t see how special you are,” Xavier said. He looked to Brick. “Her feelings of self-worth need a lot of work.”
“Yeah, so does self-preservation. She puts herself in dangerous situations without a thought to her safety.”
Xavier nodded.
“Why the hell did you let her use a bike to get around?” Brick blurted out.
Xavier sighed. “It wasn’t my place to do anything about that.”
“It is now.”
Xavier looked up at Brick then at her. “If Juliet agrees. It’s a lot, Twink. You can take time to think about it. Having two men, it might not be easy.”
“But we’ll make it as easy as possible,” Brick interjected. “If there’s any jealousy or issues between the two of us, then that’s where they’ll stay. We’ll talk it out with each other, but we’ll try not to let it affect you.”
She gave him a surprised look.
“Told you I’ve been thinking about it.”
“Because of Elias,” she stated.
“Because I saw the way you stared at Xavier when you thought I wasn’t looking. Because I definitely saw the way he watched you. I know I didn’t have to let him in. Because I know you’d never do anything to betray me. You mean everything to me, and I want to give you everything you desire and need. This sort of relationship means there will always be someone else to watch out for you, take care of you, when I’m not around. There might be times I have to work away, and I don’t want you on your own. If I’m not here, Xavier will be. He’ll watch over you nearly as well as I will. Because he loves you.”
“Thanks for telling her I love her, man,” Xavier said dryly.
“I’m trying to help you both out.”
“You really love me, Xavier?” she whispered.
Xavier ran a finger over the back of her hand, and she noticed his hand shook. “Yeah, Twink. I do. I tried not to, but I couldn’t stop.”
She winced.
Brick sighed. “And people say I stick my foot in my mouth.”
“You didn’t want to love me?”
