“The suit thinks he knows everything, huh?” Mateo smiled at him, thankfulness in his eyes. It was incredible the way Tristan could read him. Josiah, too, but Tristan and Josiah had been years in the making. They hadn’t had Mateo in their lives long, but Tristan understood the man on a level he’d never had with anyone else.

“I do know everything.” Tristan nodded at him and then took a sip of his wine. Sometimes, when they sat around the table like this, he still wondered how they got here. How he’d let them here when he’d never been able to let anyone inside before. But then...how could he not? He had this ache inside him, this throb that never went away. He’d never been able to soothe it until he had them. Josiah, and then Mateo. It wasn’t that the ache was gone, but they calmed it, they eased the pain he’d never let himself acknowledge was there before them. And if he let them, Tristan knew they would cure him, too.

Josiah was all heart. Mateo could be lethal, but he didn’t shy away from opening himself up to Josiah, or Tristan himself. And Tristan was trying, trying to be okay with needing them the way he did. Most of the time it was still a struggle to make the words come, but he won some of the battles now. Not nearly enough, but some. “Tell me something else.” I want more of you both...

Immediately, Josiah opened his mouth to save Tristan, but Mateo began speaking first, challenging him. “No. Me first. Give me one of you and Josiah’s stories. Let me be part of your memories.”

And that’s what they were doing, wasn’t it? Josiah and Mateo were sharing their past with Tristan, and now Tristan and Josiah could do the same with Mateo.

So that’s exactly what they did. They sat around the table, ate and talked—making memories part of their whole as well. There were laughs, laughs Tristan only ever shared with them. Happiness he’d only ever shared with them. It wasn’t perfect, but it was theirs, and Tristan would do whatever it took to make sure they were able to hold on to it.

CHAPTER THREE

Mateo

“Are you happy?” Josiah questioned.

Mateo’s hand paused from where he’d been running his fingers through Jay’s wet hair. They were both in their boxers and nothing else as they lay on the bed they shared with Tristan. They’d spent hours talking in the kitchen before cleaning up the mess together and heading upstairs. Mateo and Jay had showered together while Tristan made a few phone calls in his office.

Mateo looked down at the top of Josiah’s head, which rested on his chest.

Was he happy? What kind of bullshit question was that? Mateo was happier than he’d ever been. Happier than he ever thought he would be. Probably happier than he deserved. Maybe those things weren’t saying a lot considering he’d never really had shit except for the time he had with Jay, but it was everything to Mateo.

“Never mind.” Josiah rolled to his stomach, his chin resting on Teo’s left pectoral.

“You don’t wanna know about me, mi precioso? I see how you are.” Mateo considered turning his head and pretending to be angry, but he didn’t want to take his eyes off Josiah. He still couldn’t believe he was able to be here with them.

Mateo pushed a hand through Josiah’s hair, looking down at him as Jay said, “I always want to know about you. I just remembered I already knew the answer to my question. It’s funny how similar you and Tristan are in some ways. Neither of you will show it the same way I will, but I know you’re both happier than you’ve ever been.”

True. They were, but that didn’t mean Mateo wasn’t ready for it to all get fucked up. Things usually did get fucked up. Being happy didn’t mean he still didn’t fight with himself on whether or not he had the right to lie with them at night or to kiss them when he wanted. Or that the night Tristan had let Jay have him, would magically cure Tristan. The two of them still struggled with their shit. Not Jay, though.

“Com’ere.” Mateo nodded his head and Jay leaned toward him. “Te amo,” he whispered before covering Josiah’s mouth with his own, before pushing his tongue past Josiah’s lips and pulling Jay on top of himself.

Josiah moaned into Mateo’s mouth, the sound vibrating down to his dick and making him go hard. Mateo rolled, fitting himself on Jay, between his legs as he kissed him deeper. Their erections rubbed against each other, making a shot of pleasure pierce Mateo.

His whole fuckin’ body blazed, it felt so good, but something was missing, too. Someone was missing. He wanted Tristan in their bed with them.

Jay dropped his head back, giving Mateo access to his neck. “Call for Tris...” Josiah spoke like he didn’t have enough air, taking the words straight from Mateo’s head. Mateo’d made love with Josiah twice without Tristan since this whole thing started, and he knew Tristan and Jay had been together without him as well, but never Tristan and Mateo alone yet, and most of the time, they all wanted it the three of them.