31. Taylor

CHAPTER 31

TAYLOR

Taylor was allergic to the gym, but for Colby, he could brave anything. Colby had texted him and practically begged him to come to the gym to meet him. It was Colby's safe space. Taylor might have refused, but Colby had been MIA since he'd stepped in it with both feet.

At first, Taylor had been too full of anger to notice how weird it was to simply not talk to one of his brothers. But once the initial anger faded, Taylor was left with this odd-shaped hole in his life and he knew that he'd forgive his brother. He also knew that Colby was sorry because Colby wasn't a mean person. He wasn't the type to jump at someone and make accusations, but his papa bear instincts had been a little off and, well…everyone makes mistakes.

Taylor thought of tracking Colby down at home or asking him to come by the restaurant, but Taylor had talked himself out of seeking Colby out until Colby made the first move.

It had been a long time since Taylor had stepped foot in there, the last time being during Colby's first ever CrossFit class, because he'd been worried that no one would show up. But his fears had been unfounded. Taylor had half-assed that class but still been brutally murdered by it.

The gym looked no different now. Nothing had changed except for the people who frequented the place. It was still intimidating, even though Taylor wasn't there to work out. The tightness in his chest eased when he spotted Colby across the gym. He was talking to someone, probably a client, so Taylor leaned against the wall and waited for him to finish.

It took a few minutes for Colby to wrap things up before approaching Taylor. He looked sheepish and apologetic and a little bit happy to see Taylor.

"Hey, little brother." Colby glanced at his watch. "Did you want to come to my office?"

Taylor nodded and set out after Colby, who hadn't waited for Taylor's answer before striding away. When Taylor entered Colby's office, he stopped dead in his tracks. All the plants that he'd secretly sneaked in here, and into the main area of the gym, had been shuffled into the office. The entire space had been rearranged to allow the plants to have the natural light that came in the window.

Taylor dropped onto the couch and let himself stare at the plants. "You kept them."

"I wasn't going to just throw them out. That's murder."

Taylor laughed. "They're only plants. It's not actual murder."

"It's plant murder. Besides, they're important to you."

Taylor shrugged. They had been important to him. They still were. "It's silly."

"It's not. Even if I'll never understand the obsession."

Taylor swallowed around a thick lump in his throat. "I don't even know if it's real, because we lost her when I was so young. But I remember being in a garden with her. Dig a hole. Plant a seed. Cover it up," Taylor whispered. "I don't even know if it's a real memory, or just…wishful thinking."

Colby moved next to Taylor and slung an arm around him, pulling him close. "We don't talk about her enough, do we? I don't remember a whole lot either, but Jonah and Dad do. We should've done better by you, and her, and talked about her more."

"I didn't want anyone to feel bad. Besides, I don't really remember her, so it's not like I miss her. Just…I guess I miss the idea of having those memories. I didn't want to tell anyone why I started growing things in case you or Jonah or Dad told me that it never happened."

"And now?"

"Now I don't care. Well, I care a lot less. I want you to know that I'm not mad at you anymore and that I understand why you're such an ass sometimes."

Colby burst out laughing and his grip on Taylor tightened. "You're an asshole, but I love you. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry I'm a meddling shithead and I'll try to do better to stay out of your business. Because you're a grown man and I need to come to terms with that."

Taylor turned and looked at Colby, eyes narrowed. "Milo?"

Colby nodded. "He had a few choice words for me."

Instead of chastised, Colby looked absolutely syrupy. It was clear to see that he was head over heels for Milo. Which made Taylor think of his own men.

"Nash and Damon asked me to move in with them."

Colby stiffened and Taylor felt him take a deep breath. "Okay, that's great." He didn't sound exactly sincere, but it was a good effort so Taylor didn't call him on it.

"I said no."

"When do you move—you said no?" Colby was flabbergasted.

"I'm still moving out of the basement, but I'm going to rent my own space for a while. I'd like some time on my own. Living in the basement wasn't supposed to be permanent, but I got comfortable."

"When you say you want time on your own…are you still with Damon and Nash?"

"Yeah." Taylor couldn't hold back his smile. "We're all crazy about each other."

"And they're okay with you not living with them?"

"Yeah. They're really great about it. I want room to grow up a bit, you know? I want to come home late or not at all. I want to go on dates and shit without people looking over my shoulder all the time. Or feeling like they are."

Colby winced. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. You were the best big brother a kid could've had. But I don't need a protector anymore. I need a friend."

Colby gave Taylor a squeeze. "I can do that. Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"How long have Damon and Nash been a thing?"

Taylor laughed and gave Colby a shove. "No fair asking for secrets. Maybe if you go make nice with your bestie, he'll tell you himself. I have it on good authority that his boyfriends are busy tonight, so if you showed up at the apartment at, say, six-thirty, he'll be alone and you can go and smooth things over with him."

"My bestie and I made nice already, but he still won't tell me shit. I'm glad you're not mad at me anymore."

"None of us were ever mad, Colby. Just…hurt, I guess. That you'd think the worst of us. That you'd dive off the deep end and not let anyone explain."

Colby dropped his face into his hands and let out a bone-deep sigh. "I'm an asshole and I'm sorry. I promise to do my absolute best to keep my nose out of your business."

Taylor leaned his weight into Colby's side. "It's appreciated."

"I can't believe my baby brother is all grown up with two boyfriends," Colby said after a short silence.

"You'd better get used to it, because Saturday we're all going to Dad's for fire night and then Sunday they're coming to the diner for family breakfast."

Colby playfully shoved Taylor off him and got up. "You're a bossy little shit."

Unfazed, Taylor looked up at him and blinked. "Yes, but you love me."

"I tolerate you," Colby lied, but Taylor didn't protest it. They'd shared enough feelings for one day.

Taylor shoved himself to his feet and clapped Colby on the shoulder. "I'll get out of your hair and let you get back to work. See you Saturday."

"Taylor," Colby called to him just as he left the room, so he paused to duck his head back in.

"Yeah?"

"See you Saturday."

Taylor nodded and left the gym feeling fifteen pounds lighter than when he'd gone in. The conversation about their mom had taken a bit of an emotional toll on him and all he wanted to do was climb into bed, but he also wanted to go and spend some time with Nash while Damon was at work. Nash usually wrote during the day, but he'd taken this week off to finalize the paperwork for the apartment he bought so Taylor was going to take full advantage.

He let himself in, because while he said no to cohabitating, he said yes to having a set of keys. He found Nash on the couch in the living room with his laptop open.

"I thought you were taking this week off?" Taylor asked as he dropped onto the couch next to him. Nash shut his laptop and set it aside, then reached for him. Taylor lay down on Nash's lap and closed his eyes, absorbing the delicious way it made him feel whenever Nash ran his fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp.

"I was just taking some notes for an idea I had," Nash told him. "How did it go with Colby?"

"He was suitably remorseful."

"As he should be. He missed you like crazy."

"Good." Taylor burrowed into Nash and closed his eyes. "I should shower the diner off me."

He'd already worked his shift that day, and he tended to come home smelling like food. Nash and Damon swore up and down they didn't mind.

"You're tired." Nash smoothed his fingers through Taylor's hair again, tickling over his scalp. The motion was like magic, lulling Taylor to sleep.

"It's been a long week," Taylor complained. He tried to get up, but Nash held him down.

"Rest, princess. Get your beauty sleep."

Taylor huffed out a laugh, but didn't argue with Nash.

Sometime later, he woke to hear the sound of Damon's voice as he said goodbye to someone. Feeling like his eyelids had ten-pound weights attached to them, it took some work to get himself fully awake, but he sat up and rubbed his face.

"How long did I sleep?" Taylor asked.

Long enough that Nash had packed up his computer and put it away. Damon had come home from work and the dampness of his hair indicated that he'd already had a shower.

"You were dead to the world. Nash didn't want to disturb you, so he left to meet Colby for drinks and I ordered dinner for the two of us."

Taylor stretched, then collapsed into a boneless heap back on the couch. "I can't believe I slept that long. You even showered without me."

"We can shower after dinner."

"But you just had one."

"So get me dirty." Damon crossed the room and lowered himself down on top of Taylor.

"You're insatiable."

Damon let out a roar of laughter. "I better be. I have two hot boyfriends to keep up with."

Taylor spent the rest of the evening snuggled up with Damon. They watched a movie and ate Chinese food, and by the time Nash came back, Taylor was freshly showered. No thanks to Damon, who'd been less about getting clean and more about being dirty.

Damon and Taylor had just crawled into bed when Nash came in and stripped out of his clothes to join them.

"How'd it go?" Taylor asked.

"It was good. We set some ground rules. He's promised not to be an interfering ass, and I've promised not to bury him under his dad's fire pit." Nash climbed in on the other side of Taylor.

"Now I know how the middle of an Oreo feels," Taylor said, wriggling around to get comfortable.

Nash rolled over and captured his chin with his fingers. He tilted Taylor's head up and brushed a kiss against his lips.

"What was that for?" Taylor asked, resisting the urge to touch his bottom lip.

"It was for being here when I got home. I know you have your own space, but I like having you here."

Taylor felt his cheeks heat, and he tucked himself into Nash's chest.

He still wasn't ready to move in, and maybe he never would be, but it was still nice to be wanted. Damon and Nash made him feel like he was necessary to their happiness. They never failed to make him feel like an equal, integral part of their relationship, even though it was still a fledgling.

"You're both so perfect," Taylor told them.

"We're not perfect in general, but I do think the three of us are pretty perfect together," Damon agreed, mostly.

"I'll take it."

The last thing Taylor remembered that night was pulling Damon's arm around him, tangling his feet with Nash's, and thinking that he might have suggested buying a bigger bed if he didn't enjoy being so close to them.

That was perfect.