Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51166 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51166 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
“Did you make this too?”
He offers a small, regretful smile. “No, Matteo got it, actually.”
“I found a good bakery on the other side of town,” Matteo says.
I’m so touched by all of the effort they put into celebrating my day. I’ve never felt so special and so cared for.
They’re both looking at me, their identical dark eyes expectant as I watch the flame dance on the candle and prepare to blow it out. The only birthday wish I have is that somehow all of this ends with none of us getting hurt.
Please Don’t Cry
Things do change after my birthday.
Matteo and I still get together during the day when we can, and I’m still with Fiero most afternoons, but instead of spending the evenings with both of them, sometimes Fiero takes me out. Other nights he works late at his studio, giving Matteo and I time alone together at their home.
How we spend our time changes, too. Now that we’ve had each other, all we want is more.
More forbidden quickies in Matteo’s office at the university, and the wicked thrill of potential discovery never goes away. Sex up against the wall of Fiero’s studio, him beautifully shirtless like when I first met him, and me with my skirt pushed up in passionate desperation.
Also, nice long couplings in their bedrooms at home, unhurried, with plenty of time to explore each other’s bodies and savor every sensation.
It’s like my birthday never ended, and I’m the luckiest girl in the whole world, except … I know they’re expecting me to make a decision soon.
When I’m not with them, if I’m not studying, I spend my time trying to figure out how to choose between them. I consider making a pros and cons list, like I might with another difficult decision, but these are people and the decision is about my emotions. No amount of logical thinking is going to tell me what my heart wants, and the truth is, my heart wants both of them.
Whenever I think of one of the Bestia brothers, the other one inevitably enters my thoughts. They’re always together in my mind.
If I were bolder, I’d propose that the three of us be together in reality, but despite Katie having that sort of relationship, I know that most men don’t want that. If the Bestias were into it, they would have already suggested it.
The other dilemma I struggle with is how attached I’m getting to both of them, and how it’s becoming more and more difficult to picture my life without them, even though I know I only have a few more months to enjoy them. It’s not as if we’re going to carry on a long-distance relationship with an ocean between us.
One afternoon, Fiero informs me that he’ll be cooking dinner for both me and Matteo that evening. At first, I’m excited about the prospect of spending time with both men together, but then my heart sinks as I wonder if I’ll be pressed to choose between them.
I help Fiero prepare the meal of roasted chicken and vegetables, and when Matteo gets home, we sit down to eat.
I notice immediately that the vibe is different yet again, much lighter than it has been, both men smiling more than usual as we discuss local news, work, and school.
Conversation continues after Matteo and I clean up and the three of us are relaxing in the living room. When the topic turns to spring break, it reminds me of something I’d been meaning to tell them. “I’m going to be away for most of that week. I’m going home to see my family.”
Not wanting to lose a moment with the Bestias, I tried to backtrack on my plans to go home, but my mom pressured me to come, wanting me to reconnect with old friends who still live in town. Reading between the lines, I suspect she wants to set me up with someone from my high school as part of her plan to ensure that I’ll move back home for good.
The room goes quiet after my announcement, and the brothers exchange glances. Matteo clears his throat and says, “Actually, we were thinking you could come to Italy during spring break. With us.”
My eyes go wide as I immediately imagine a vivid scene of the three of us together in the country I’ve wanted to visit ever since I was little. My grandparents told such romantic stories about their trip there, and I’ve always hoped to go, but saw it as something far off in the future, when I was married and settled and had the means to travel.
But to experience it with the Bestias? They’d know all the local secrets, and of course they speak the language so they’d make the trip so much better. Not to mention the fact that I thoroughly enjoy their company.