22. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

RILEY

A few days later, the other shoe still hadn't dropped. A giddy smile lingered on my face though as I sat outside of Brewed Awakenings at one of their small tables checking email. The heat of late August was upon us but there was a cool breeze today that kept it from being too hot. Jessica was stopping by and we were going to drive to Somerset for lunch.

I pulled up my email and clicked through the first few newsletters, deleting each one after I scanned them. There was an email from Ryan catching me up on office operations. The next email was from Alyssa, my PI contact. She couldn't find any records of Justin's mother leaving town. If she had ran, she hid her tracks well. But very few people could hide from Alyssa. I sent her back an email asking her to look deeper and to track down Justin's dad, Raymond Hargrove. Everything I had heard about the man indicated he wanted control. If Laura left him, he wouldn't have taken that lightly and might have gone chasing after her. Even if that wasn't the case, maybe at least I could give Justin peace of mind that his dad was far away from here.

"Hey, girlie!" Jessica slid into the seat across from me, pushing her sunglasses up on her nose.

"Jessica!" I got up and we shared a warm hug. "How are you?"

"How am I? How are you ?" Jessica had been visiting her sister when I first got back with Justin and Colton and we hadn't had a chance to see each other in person. Although we had texted a little bit.

I wished I could blame the sun for the pink in my cheeks but I looked down at my laptop, tucking an errant curl behind my ear. "I'm good. Like really good."

"Tell me everything! I've been dying for the details. It's going well?"

I laughed. "It's going well. We've been getting to know each other, going on individual dates and group dates. I know it's been fast but…" I paused, biting my lip. "I've never felt anything like this before."

Jessica squealed. "God that's so cute I could scream. Have you been doing other group activities?" She wiggled her eyebrows for emphasis.

I hummed, a wide smile on my face. "It's very good," I said coyly. "They've been taking good care of me."

Jessica squealed again. "I'm so freakin' happy for you! And them but mainly you! This is better than I could have imagined. We'll have to hang out all together soon. I can't believe you're with both of them!"

The chair behind me pushed back and a woman with blond hair walked by us without looking. Her body posture was stiff and I frowned but turned my attention back to Jessica.

"I know," I said shyly. "I can still barely believe it myself. But we're taking it slow and trying to just keep talking it out. But honestly it's been so easy. Like I'm not sure if it's supposed to be this easy? Is it? "

"When it's the right person, or in your case, people, it just works." Jessica shrugged. "Jake and I knew the night we met at my friend's party. He moved to Oakville the next month and we've been together for eight years now."

I relaxed some of the tension I didn't realize I had been carrying slipped away. Things between Colton and Justin and I felt so right but the speed at which it was moving still unnerved me. But we were all adults and like Jessica said, when it works, it works.

"Anyways," Jessica said. "Are you ready to explore Somerset?"

"Let's go!" I slid my laptop into my bag and stood up.

"Perfect. I'm parked over here."

We hopped into Jessica's bright red SUV and made the forty-five minute drive to Somerset. We ate lunch at one of the marina restaurants and then headed downtown for some shopping. We just exited our second boutique when Jessica's phone pinged.

Whatever was on the screen caused her to go white as a sheet and then flush red with anger. "What the fuck?" She snarled at her phone.

"What? What is it?" A sinking feeling hit my gut when she looked up at me. Fuck, the other shoe was about to drop wasn't it?

"Don't freak out." Jessica eyed me carefully.

"Telling me not to freak out doesn't help the not freaking out." I said, my stomach dropping. "Just tell me."

"So you know the Oakville Times, our local paper?" I nodded. "Well, we've got this stupid gossip column in the town's newspaper and someone just wrote an anonymous article about how the town's morals are going down the drain."

I had a bad feeling about where this was going but that wasn't bad just yet. "What else does it say?"

Jessica winced and my stomach dropped further. "The person writes how outside influences are promoting immoral relationships that are corrupting the town and its businesses and business owners." She hesitated.

"And? Just tell me, Jessica." I said sharply, a sour taste in my mouth. I pulled out my phone, typing in the Oakville Times into the search bar.

"There's a picture of you leaving the guys' office."

The article loads on my phone and I see what picture she's talking about. It must have been taken the other day after I left the office after my ‘reward'."

Fuck .

Fuck was right. It was clear from the picture that I had been just fucked. My hair was a mess and I didn't realize how disheveled I actually looked. Apparently Oakville isn't as progressive as they thought. What did this mean for Colton, Justin and I's relationship? Would this jeopardize my ability to build a life here with them?

There were comments on the article but before I scrolled down to read them, my phone rang. Colton. My thumb hesitated for a moment then swiped to answer it.

"Hey," he said when I answered. "How's your day with Jessica going? Are you almost done in Somerset? We were thinking of taking the afternoon office." He forced his tone to be upbeat but I could hear the strain in it. I bet he had seen the article and was calling to try and keep me from panicking but it was too late.

"I saw the article." I said blandly.

Colton cursed. "I was hoping you hadn't and we could tell you before you saw it. I'm so sorry, baby girl."

"It's fine," I replied automatically although nothing about this felt fine. It was too much and my mind raced as all of the worst case scenarios flashed through it. Fuck, what about my author career too? I wasn't a romance author so steamy relationships weren't the best press for me especially not when I was trying to be taken seriously as a business owner. Fuck, what if my parents found out? My brain spun and I could feel my breaths getting shallow.

"It's not," Justin's voice came through the phone and he must have taken it from Colton. "It's not but we're going to figure this out." What was there to figure out? The article wasn't unnecessarily false. I was the outsider in their eyes and I was corrupting their sons. I couldn't stay. There was no way. I knew I was panicking but I couldn't see another way out.

"Come home, sweetheart," Justin soothed. "Come home and we're going to figure this out together."

Jessica had stepped a few feet away and was on the phone ranting that she was going to "kill the little bitch. Her and her fucking cousin."

"Who runs the gossip column?" I asked.

Justin swore. "Fuck, Vicky's cousin. God-fucking-damnit I didn't realize." I could hear Colton's raised voice in the background and I shut my eyes as the ground swayed. I knew she didn't like me but to do this? What had I ever done to her?

There was a soft touch at my elbow and I opened my eyes. Jessica looked at me with concern. "Is that them?"

I nodded and she took the phone from me. "It's Jessica. Yeah, we're headed home now. I'll drop her off at yours." She hung up the phone and handed it back to me. "Come on," she looped her elbow through mine. "I've got a couple of bitches to throat punch."

I let out a watery laugh and let her guide me to her car down the street. "Justin said Vicky's cousin ran the gossip column."

Jessica nodded, her green eyes flashing angrily. "Yeah, Veronica's always been a little bitch and has had a massive crush on Justin in high school but I bet Vicky put her up to it. But don't worry about it. The only reason we even have a gossip column is Veronica's dad owns the paper. No one actually reads or believes it."

I thought of all the comments on the article I hadn't been able to read yet. I wasn't sure that was actually true.

Jessica drove me straight to Colton's house and both men were waiting on the porch as we pulled in. She offered to drive me to my car but I declined. I didn't want to see anyone in town until I talked to Colton and Justin. I couldn't handle it if someone were to say something or look at me with judgment in their eyes.

Colton straightened from where he was leaning up against the railing and Justin rose to his feet when Jessica pulled into the driveway.

I got out of the passenger seat and then Colton was there pulling me into his arms. "I'm so sorry, baby girl. I already called Todd over at the Times and gave him an earful."

"It's fine," I said automatically again and Justin's eyes flashed at me from over Colton's shoulder.

"It's not fine and we're going to take care of it."

Maybe it was their words or the feeling of being in their arms but I could feel my body relaxing and my mind cleared. When I pulled away, Jessica stood next to her open car door. She handed my bag to Justin. "You two take care of her. I have some bitches to put in their place."

"You don't have to do that," I argued.

"Oh no, yes I do. No one fucks with my best friend and gets away with it. Those girls forget that I went to high school with them. I have plenty of embarrassing pictures if they want to talk about morals."

I should protest and tell her it wasn't worth it but Justin squeezed my hand and I just nodded. "Thank you," I whispered.

"Don't thank me. You're my best friend. Besides, you can just dedicate a book to me." She winked at me and I laughed.

"Deal."

"Come on, baby girl," Colton kissed the side of my head. "Let's get you into the house."

Maggie and Rex crowded me as I stepped inside, both dogs clearly sensing my fragile mood. I gave them all the love as the guys guided me into the living room.

"I'm so sorry, baby girl." Colton said, pulling me down onto the couch next to him.

"It's not your fault. We weren't going to hide forever. "

"No, of course not." There was that flash of hurt again in his eyes. Colton hadn't wanted to hide our relationship in the first place but he had been outvoted by Justin and I. He gave in because it made Justin and I more comfortable but he would have rather shouted it from the rooftops.

"It's just…" I trailed off. Why was I so upset? We hadn't planned on hiding it forever and yes the article made me look like a slut with no morals but that wasn't it.

"It's that our choice to tell people got taken away from us." Justin said solemnly. "That's why it hurts so much more."

Colton and I stared at him with wide eyes but he hit the nail on the head. I nodded. Justin found the words when I couldn't. Our choice had been taken from us.

"But it did happen," he continued, ever the pragmatist. "So where do we want to go from here?"

"Wherever we go, I'm not denying it," Colton said strongly. "I love you," his hazel eyes burning with intensity as he looked at me. "And I love you," he looked at Justin. "I'll shout it from the rooftop of every business in this town before I let this tear us apart."

My eyebrows flew upward. He loved me? I mean, I knew my feelings were unnaturally strong for them but I didn't realize they had gotten to love that quickly. But actually I should have known. These were good men, nothing like my exes or even like my family. Even though we hadn't known each other long, it felt like we had known each other for a lifetime. I must have been thinking too long as he smiled softly at me. "I love you," he repeats softly. "You don't have to say it back–"

I interrupted him. "I love you," I looked at Justin. "Both of you. More than I ever thought possible actually," I admitted. "The actions of some jealous petty person doesn't change that."

"You're right," Justin said. "And for the record, I love you both too. Colton, I've been in love with you for forever and Riley, I think I fell in love with you from the moment you sassed me when we met at the office. "

"I knew it," I crowed dramatically. "I knew you liked my sass!"

Justin and Colton laughed and Justin tugged me into his arms. "I love your sass," he corrected. "And we're going to get through this together. We don't owe anyone any part of our story, trashy article or not."

His words sobered me again as I remembered the nasty remarks of the article. But also so what? Did this suck? Yes. Was I pissed? Also yes. But I wasn't going to let Vicky ruin what we were building here. But this was a small town and reputations did matter. I hadn't even read the comments yet. What would happen to their business? As nice as it would be to ignore those possible ramifications, it wouldn't be possible.

"They'll create one anyways," I said somberly. "And we do need to talk about that. What if it affects your business?"

Colton shrugged. "I don't care if it does. We can always move to Minneapolis and start over there."

I stared at him, eyes wide. Move? Their entire lives were here. They couldn't just move.

Justin laughed softly at my face. "That's how serious we are about you." He kissed me.

"But– you can't just move," I sputtered, my brain still processing. ""This is your home."

"You're our home," Justin corrected.

"He's right," Colton said. "Wherever you two are, that's where my home is. Whether that be here or in Minneapolis or even if we move to the island. You're my home, both of you." Who knew what started as a week long vacation fling would turn into this?

I never had anyone tell me that before. I couldn't even remember the last time someone would have even offered that kind of sacrifice to me. My brain struggled to process what they were says but my heart practically sang with happiness. Tears unexpectedly burned the back of my eyes.

Justin watched my face closely. "Why don't we shut everything off until tomorrow. A little avoidance never hurt anyone. We can put on a movie and make dinner and just enjoy the three of us. We can handle everything else tomorrow."

I took a shaky breath and nodded. Colton studied both of us for a moment and nodded as well. "Sounds good. Tomorrow then. I'll pop a frozen pizza in the oven. Riley, you pick the movie."

Justin made no move to get up so I snuggled into his chest when he handed me the remote. I landed on a random action movie we had seen before but was a comfortable favorite. Soon we were eating pizza and the guys were drinking beer while I had a glass of wine. Anytime I got lost in my thoughts, they were right there with a brush of their hand on my arm, or a gentle squeeze of my leg. Small reminders that they were there and weren't going anywhere. No matter what tomorrow brought, I knew we could face it together.