and grasp Charlie’s other hand as it lay carelessly next to his.
Allie’s soft breathing alerted him to the fact that she’d fallen asleep again.
“We’re going to have to do something about this habit she has of passing out every time she has an orgasm,” Alex whispered.
Charlie chuckled and spoke in a hushed undertone. “I thought men were supposed to conk out after sex. I’m sorry, man,” he added. “I guess you’re suffering a serious case of blue balls right about now.” Apparently Charlie hadn’t noticed Alex’s pubescent response to his climax.
“I’m okay. We’ve got all the time in the world.” As soon as the words passed his lips, he saw Charlie’s relaxed position stiffen and a cloud of confusion cover his friend’s face.
“Do we?” Charlie asked.
Alex sighed, well aware that this conversation was inevitable. Allie shifted slightly on his chest but didn’t wake up. He gently lowered her to his opposite side, wondering how Charlie would feel about the two of them lying side by side without Allie as a buffer in the middle. When he didn’t move, Alex released a small breath of relief.
“I’m not playing a game, Charlie.”
“I didn’t think you were. I’m just not sure what it is we’re doing here, Alex. I’m in love with Allie. I always have been.”
“So have I,” Alex challenged. For years he’d suffered in silence over Allie’s departure. He was tired of hiding his feelings for the woman. Hell, he was tired of hiding his feelings period.
“Fuck,” Charlie said, looking up at the ceiling. “I was afraid of that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Damn, Alex. You’re my best friend. I don’t want to fight with you over a woman, but Allie…”
“Allie isn’t just any woman.”
“No, she’s not,” Charlie said sadly.
“I don’t see us fighting over her,” Alex added. “I see us sharing her.”
Charlie glanced back at him, surprise in the lines of his face. “We can’t do this forever.”
“Why not?”
His question seemed to stop Charlie in his tracks. “What do you mean, why not? Because this is sex, not a lifestyle, Alex. Shit, I was an ass to have even let this start.”
Charlie rose from the bed and reached down to retrieve his pants. As he pulled them up, he walked to the window, never looking back. Alex felt his absence from the bed immediately.
“We can’t both keep her,” Charlie said after several minutes.
“I’ll ask again, why not?”
“Because it’s not natural, not normal. Not that I would expect you to understand that. You, who just grabs whatever the hell he wants without considering the consequences,” Charlie said.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he asked.
“ Dammit , Alex! You don’t see the lines, the limits that most normal people see. We can’t share Allie forever!” Charlie hissed, obviously struggling not to raise his voice and wake Allie.
“Who says? I can’t think of anything more natural than being with you and Allie. We’ll move her out of that stupid townhouse and in here with us. We can knock down that damn wall between our houses and renovate the inside. Make it a real home for the three of us.”
Charlie reeled back in shock and Alex cursed his wayward tongue. He hadn’t meant to throw all his hopes and dreams for the future in his friend’s face so soon. Fact was , he’d made sure when they’d built the house that it could easily be remodeled into one. At the time, he’d told Charlie it was just in case they ever had trouble trying to sell it, but in the back of his mind he’d been planning, praying for the day when they’d all move in together.
“Allie’s only been home a few weeks. We’ve spent one night together. It’s too soon to make plans like that. Fuck, I think it’ll always be too soon for that crazy plan.” Charlie’s voice was rambling, bewildered.
“I wasn’t suggesting we head out to the shed and get the sledgehammers now.” Alex was trying
Allie’s soft breathing alerted him to the fact that she’d fallen asleep again.
“We’re going to have to do something about this habit she has of passing out every time she has an orgasm,” Alex whispered.
Charlie chuckled and spoke in a hushed undertone. “I thought men were supposed to conk out after sex. I’m sorry, man,” he added. “I guess you’re suffering a serious case of blue balls right about now.” Apparently Charlie hadn’t noticed Alex’s pubescent response to his climax.
“I’m okay. We’ve got all the time in the world.” As soon as the words passed his lips, he saw Charlie’s relaxed position stiffen and a cloud of confusion cover his friend’s face.
“Do we?” Charlie asked.
Alex sighed, well aware that this conversation was inevitable. Allie shifted slightly on his chest but didn’t wake up. He gently lowered her to his opposite side, wondering how Charlie would feel about the two of them lying side by side without Allie as a buffer in the middle. When he didn’t move, Alex released a small breath of relief.
“I’m not playing a game, Charlie.”
“I didn’t think you were. I’m just not sure what it is we’re doing here, Alex. I’m in love with Allie. I always have been.”
“So have I,” Alex challenged. For years he’d suffered in silence over Allie’s departure. He was tired of hiding his feelings for the woman. Hell, he was tired of hiding his feelings period.
“Fuck,” Charlie said, looking up at the ceiling. “I was afraid of that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Damn, Alex. You’re my best friend. I don’t want to fight with you over a woman, but Allie…”
“Allie isn’t just any woman.”
“No, she’s not,” Charlie said sadly.
“I don’t see us fighting over her,” Alex added. “I see us sharing her.”
Charlie glanced back at him, surprise in the lines of his face. “We can’t do this forever.”
“Why not?”
His question seemed to stop Charlie in his tracks. “What do you mean, why not? Because this is sex, not a lifestyle, Alex. Shit, I was an ass to have even let this start.”
Charlie rose from the bed and reached down to retrieve his pants. As he pulled them up, he walked to the window, never looking back. Alex felt his absence from the bed immediately.
“We can’t both keep her,” Charlie said after several minutes.
“I’ll ask again, why not?”
“Because it’s not natural, not normal. Not that I would expect you to understand that. You, who just grabs whatever the hell he wants without considering the consequences,” Charlie said.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he asked.
“ Dammit , Alex! You don’t see the lines, the limits that most normal people see. We can’t share Allie forever!” Charlie hissed, obviously struggling not to raise his voice and wake Allie.
“Who says? I can’t think of anything more natural than being with you and Allie. We’ll move her out of that stupid townhouse and in here with us. We can knock down that damn wall between our houses and renovate the inside. Make it a real home for the three of us.”
Charlie reeled back in shock and Alex cursed his wayward tongue. He hadn’t meant to throw all his hopes and dreams for the future in his friend’s face so soon. Fact was , he’d made sure when they’d built the house that it could easily be remodeled into one. At the time, he’d told Charlie it was just in case they ever had trouble trying to sell it, but in the back of his mind he’d been planning, praying for the day when they’d all move in together.
“Allie’s only been home a few weeks. We’ve spent one night together. It’s too soon to make plans like that. Fuck, I think it’ll always be too soon for that crazy plan.” Charlie’s voice was rambling, bewildered.
“I wasn’t suggesting we head out to the shed and get the sledgehammers now.” Alex was trying
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