Chapter 20

"So who wants to talk first?" Rhys asked.

Rhyn and Myles looked at each other. They'd somehow composed themselves and had covered their groins with the comforter. Myles wrapped his arm around Rhyn's waist, leaning down to kiss his shoulder lovingly.

Rhys watched the two, how Myles really took care of Rhyn. He saw it now. Rhyn was head over heels for Myles, and it seemed the feelings were mutual. But Rhys knew more about Myles then he had told Rhyn, and he couldn't sit back without him knowing. Now that he knew they were sleeping together, he felt no qualms about bringing it up.

"Myles," he continued. His friend looked at him. "How long has this been going on? Since the party?"

"No!" Rhyn denied. Both looked at him. He shrank back a bit when his brother's eyes narrowed on him. "It's only been a couple of months."

"And you didn't think to tell me?"

"Rhys, this isn't about you," Myles replied. He diverted his friend's attention and stared him down. "I pursued Rhyn first. After I apologized that day in the library, I decided I wanted to be his friend."

"After I told you not to bother him?" He saw Rhyn look at him, shock written on his face. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Myles, did it not occur to you that I asked you not to pursue him because he wasn't confident in himself?"

Myles frowned at his friend. He pulled Rhyn closer into him. The guy leaned into him, his shoulder dipping under Myles's. "What are you talking about?"

Rhys looked over at his brother. Rhyn's eyes were big and bright. He let Myles comfort him as he waited for Rhys to answer the question. It gave him time to watch them as they were at their rawedt. They were able to be themselves even though Rhys was pressing them.

He reached forward and took Rhyn's hand. His brother looked at him. They watched each other for a few moments. Rhyn blinked slowly at Rhys as the elder searched his face. He didn't know what Rhys was looking for but he couldn't look away from him.

Rhyn flinched slightly when Rhys touched his face. It was an automatic response. He wasn't sure where he'd gotten it from, but he saw Rhys's response.

"Rhyn, are you gay?" he asked. It was simple and to the point, and it was a question he had always wondered.

Rhyn blinked then shook his head slowly. "No, I'm not. I like women too."

"Then you're bisexual?"

"Rhys!" Rhyn whined his name, clearly very uncomfortable.

"What if he doesn't want to label himself?" Myles asked.

"Unfortunately, the world we live in labels everything. If they don't understand it, they will try to shove him into a box. I can better defend him if I know what he thinks of himself. Do not tell me he doesn't need defending because I have been doing it since middle school."

Rhyn shifted forward. His hand landed on Myles's thigh, and the other man covered it with his own. Rhys's gaze flicked down to that hand, but he let it slide.

"Rhys, what are you talking about?" He tilted his head to the left, and the movement made him look like a puppy. Rhys's eyes softened at the look. "Why have you had to defend me?"

"Kids in school are cruel, Rhyn," Rhys whispered. "Everyone has speculated you were gay since eighth grade. You had a lot of girl friends and no one really saw you date anyone. So the rumors were rampant. And Ryan always said how quiet you were and how you would never defend yourself if someone said anything."

Myles licked his lips, bringing his free hand up to scratch his head. When his arm went back around Rhyn's waist, he pulled him as close as he could. There was a possibility that he may have marks from his fingernails digging in his flesh.

"Hold on," he said. "You knew about Ryan's feelings?"

Rhyn looked between the two. Rhys held the same expression, but Myles was borderline irate. His face was lightly pink. Rhyn didn't understand what he was feeling.

"There's not much I don't know," Rhys admitted. He looked at Rhyn, and his heart broke at the look on his face. "Rhyn?"

His brother looked miserable. His face was drawn, and his nose was starting to turn rosy. Rhys watched his eyes glisten as they filled with tears. He never wanted to make his brother cry. Seeing Rhyn cry always hurt him physically. He'd spent years trying to prevent it so behing the reason made him physically ill. He felt the bile rise in his throat and had to squash it down so he didn't get sick all over the bed.

"You've known how your friend has felt about me, and not once did it occur to you to tell me so I could make the decision for myself?"

Rhys shuffled forward and took his brother's face in his hands. He rubbed his thumbs under Rhyn's eyes as he watched him closer than he ever had.

He never realized how vulnerable he was. Rhyn had always been the pillar of strength between the three boys. When he broke up with a girl or any other emotional issue plagued him, he talked to Rhyn. He didn't react negatively and always gave the best advice. But Rhys never realized how emotionally insecure he was.

Looking at him now, he saw how small he was emotionally. He never told anyone how he felt. Rhys and Rhyd could only speculate and try to find out by the cues he gave them. In the last two months, they'd seen him cry more over a person than they had in twenty-one years.

"Is it hard?" he asked. Rhyn's nose flared as a tear slid down his cheek. He reached up and rubbed at it angrily. "It has to be."

"I'm not gay," Rhyn whispered. "But I'm not completely straight either. Currently, I like Myles, but it's still new. We don't know where it's going right now."

Myles rubbed his back. "I haven't been with anyone else since we started this."

Rhys dropped his hands and looked at his friend. "You've never overlapped relationships for as long as I have known you. But you have a bigger issue." Myles's eyes flashed dangerously. "You have to tell your dad."

"Are you trying to be murdered?"

"So you're going to hide him? You're going to make him feel worse about himself?"

Myles leaned forward. "Don't you think that's a little much? You're projecting your fears onto him."

Rhys could hear his blood starting to roar in his ears as his anger rose. "My fears? I never hide who I'm dating. I can understand if you're simply fucking around. That's a different issue, but you literally left a party for our team to make sure he didn't misunderstand. I walked in on your post-sex cuddle, and now you're telling me you want your relationship to remain a secret? Can you be any more of an asshole?"

Rhyn put a hand to his brother's arm. "That's enough, Rhys. Drop it."

The brothers were watching each other. Rhys saw the fresh tear tracks on his brother's pale face, but he blinked somberly.

"Are you serious?" he asked. He pointed at Myles. "He won't tell his dad he's with you, and you're okay with it?"

Rhyn looked at Myles. They watched each other for a long moment. Myles's lips pursed and he looked down at his covered lap. Rhys felt the hurt roll through him, but he understood in a weird way. Myles was happy living in the shadows. Rhyn had barely even begun to live this way. He couldn't sleep around, and Myles had agreed to it personally as well. Until he said so, Rhyn had never known he had only one partner at a time.

"To be fair," he said, "I haven't told our parents."

"That's different," Rhys denied.

Rhyn frowned. "What do you mean now?"

"You have only discovered your sexuality. He," he pointed at Myles, " has been fully aware of his since he was in high school. He knows better."

"Rhys!"

"Wait a minute," Myles interjected. He put a hand to Rhyn's head and ruffled his hair. "He's right. You are fairly new to this. I have taken advantage of it in the way that I've pushed you to find what you most enjoy. I have loved helping you find yourself, but if you want to tell your parents, I can't stop you. I just can't tell mine right now."

Rhyn pressed his forehead to Myles's cheek and exhaled shakily. Myles rubbed his back soothingly, kissing his forehead. He whispered in his ear, and Rhyn nodded. Rhys was left watching the intimate scene with a heavy heart.

"I'm okay with it right now," Rhyn said. He looked back at Rhys, but he nestled against Myles for comfort. "It stings, but I can't force him. It would mean I don't trust him."

"Do you trust him?" Rhys asked. Rhyn nodded and buried his face in Myles's neck. Rhys looked at his friend. "You make him happy, and I can't deny it. But I don't like it. I don't like this big secret."

"It's not your secret, Rhys," Myles reminded. "It's not your relationship so it's not your repercussions to bear."

"But he's my brother."

"And you're not his keeper. He doesn't have to answer to you for his choices. All he wants is for you to support him and be there for him when shit inevitably hits the fan."

Rhys's face hardened. "Let me put it this way, Myles. If you can't be honest, you can't be with Rhyn."

Before Rhyn could start a fight, the bedroom door opened. Rhyd strode through and stopped at the end of the bed. He rubbed his eyes then looked at Rhys.

"You need to quit being bossy and leave them alone," he scolded. "This is not any of your business. As long as they're in agreement, you have nothing to say."

"They've been sleeping together secretly," Rhys said.

"And I've been fucking Dixon and Carmine d'Artegne for three years." Rhys's mouth fell open. Rhyd rubbed his face, clearly annoyed at his brother's stupidity. "He's not the only one who has secrets, Rhys. You're just more protective over him than me because he doesn't fight back. But if he's chosen Myles, you don't have a say."

"But…"

"You can either leave with me voluntarily, or I will drag you out. This is their issue to solve, not yours."

The youngest triplet waited several heartbeats. Rhys looked between them quietly. He was trying to decide if he should continue his tirade or leave with Rhyd. The youngest made the decision for him. He wrapped an arm around his neck and dragged him from the bed. They could be heard bickering as they whispered harshly in the hallway. Rhyd returned to close the door.

Myles watched Rhyn get up and got to the bathroom. He heard water running as the other man was undoubtedly washing his face. He didn't blame him. He had gone through an emotional roller coaster tonight.

Rhyn returned and pushed him to the pillows. Then he climbed in the bed and laid on Myles. The other man wrapped him up, pulling the comforter over both of them. It took a second, but Rhyn got comfortable and relaxed.

"I'm sorry about that," he apologized.

Myles rubbed his back. "I was expecting it. Rhys is really protective so I wondered how long it'd be before he pounced." He tucked his head into Rhyn's ear. "You should probably sleep."

Rhyn looked up and sealed their mouths together. Myles enjoyed his initiative, running his tongue along the inside of his lips. Rhyn rose up on his knees, straddling his waist as he deepened the kiss.

Myles could taste the tears Rhyn had held back. He knew how hurt he was based on it, but he couldn't help how he felt about telling his dad. When he was ready for it, Rhyn would be the first to know. He just hoped he could wait that long.

He was surprised when Rhyn hovered over his burgeoning erection. He looked up at him, smiling at Rhyn's smile. It was open but slightly shy.

"What do you want?" he asked. His eyes widened as he watched him reach for the side table. His throat dried out when he ripped the packet open with his teeth. "Are you sure?"

His answer was Rhyn rolling the condom over his shaft. He stroked him several times then sat up straight.

"They already know," he said. "We might as well do what we want."

Myles smiled then kissed him again. Rhyn rubbed against him as he took what he wanted. But in true Myles fashion, he blew Rhyn's mind when he surged up into him. He slid home as Rhyn let out a breathy moan.