Chapter 23

Rhys and Rhyd stood in Rhyn's door and watched the pitiful lump in the big bed. They hadn't seen him all weekend, not since he'd left the house late Thursday night.

They'd heard him come back in the wee hours of Friday morning. Rhyd had seen him disappear into his room and had thought about checking on him. He'd been poised to knock on the door when he'd heard sniffling. He'd told Rhys, and they'd decided to leave him alone. Whatever had happened Rhyn needed time to process it before they even considered getting involved.

The bedroom door never opened during the day. The older and younger brothers looked at it every time they passed, hoping to see their brother. He didn't have to smile, didn't have to talk. All they wanted was to see his face. But he never emerged. He didn't eat for two days and they never saw hide nor hair.

When Sunday rolled around, they began to plot. It was Valentine's Day, and no one should be alone, especially when someone was dating someone. They knew Rhyn hated store bought cookies and cakes so they asked their mom to make extra ones when she made their dad's annual snacks. She didn't ask, but the knew she wasn't dumb. Luckily, their parents never really got involved unless it was absolutely necessary.

The boys gathered their snacks and went to the third brother's room. Rhyn was asleep when they opened the door. They quietly set up the snack table. Rhys put on "Star Wars" as Rhys turned on the baseboard lights. Then they climbed into bed with their brother.

Rhyn felt the change immediately. He'd felt cold, almost numb for the last two days. Now, his body felt at ease. He felt comforted. He snuggled into the warmth pressed against his face and held the hand wrapped around his waist.

The tears started flowing without his knowledge. A hand stroked his head soothingly. The pressure at his back doubled as if someone was trying to meld into him. So he buried his face in the shoulder under his cheek and cried.

Even though they'd hurt him, his brothers were the strongest people he knew. No matter how angry they got with each other, they always had each other's backs. If one was hurt, the others were there to comfort him. They were so in tune with each other, it didn't take long for them to find the source of the problem. Sharing a womb for seven months and always being together had formed that bond.

When he settled down, he turned to see what Rhyd was watching. Han Solo smiled cheekily on the screen. "Star Wars" was their favorite movie series collectively. When someone turned it on, they always watched together.

Rhyn untangled himself and went to the bathroom. He washed up as best as he could without showering. He noticed the table beside his bed laden with snacks and drinks. He grabbed some cookies then settled back in his spot.

Soon all three of them were eating and watching the movie like nothing happened. It wasn't that they didn't want to talk, but the two wanted Rhyn to bring it up. They didn't want to pressure him for fear he may shut down.

Rhys ended up with his head on Rhyn's lap and an arm over his legs. They were comfortable and content, but there was an air of trepidation around them.

The credits started rolling, but no one moved. They stared blankly at the screen as the theme drilled in the room.

"Why are you two alone on Valentine's Day?" Rhyn asked.

"Well, I'm not dating anyone," Rhys said.

"I just didn't make any plans," Rhyd replied.

The eldest brother sat up and wrinkled his nose. "How do you keep up with that? Do you have an open relationship or something?"

Rhyd nodded as he sipped his wine. "I've dated Dixon since high school, but I've been sleeping with Carmine since we started college. We have boundaries and sometimes all three of us are together. Dixon is on equal terms with Carmine and vice versa. It's taken a while to figure it all out."

"So how does it work?" Rhyn asked. Rhyd raised an amused eyebrow. "Do you primarily top Dixon or do you switch?"

"If it's me with Dixon, I top. If all three of us are together, we focus on Carmine's pleasure. Every so often we take care of Dixon."

"Meaning Dixon penetrates Carmine and you do him?" Rhys questioned. Rhyd nodded, and the eldest brother frowned. "How do you keep that straight in your mind? Doesn't it get a little tedious?"

"No, not really. We're consenting adults who like each other. If I want to spend time with Dixon, I tell Carmine. If I want to spend time with her, I tell Dixon. The same goes if they want to spend time together. We have an open line of communication and respect each other's boundaries. Tonight, Dixon wanted to treat Carmine alone."

"Are you jealous?" Rhyn asked.

"Not in the least bit. I trust them." He tapped Rhyn's knee. "Since you brought it up, why are you alone today?"

"Myles was given an ultimatum. He can either break up with me or lose his inheritance. I'm sure it wouldn't have come to that if his dad had not walked in on us," Rhyn said.

Rhys swallowed as anger coursed through him. Leave it to Myles to do a fucked up thing like this. Rhyn never said he pulled out or stopped when his dad walked in. That meant Rhyn had been humiliated. No one should see another person in that situation without their consent. Myles knew better. He knew better because Rhyn was sensitive.

"Did you break up with him?" he asked.

Rhyn shook his head. "No, but I told him it was up to him. If he did. He didn't say anything so I left. I haven't heard from him since."

Rhyd, who was very slow to anger, cussed loudly. He ran his hand through his hair, messing up the nice curls. "Is he stupid?"

"No, he doesn't know what to do," Rhys defended. Rhyd glared at him, his eyes flashing dangerously. Rhys held his hand up. He needed to hear him out. "Hang on. Hear me out. Any other time he's broken up with someone, it has been clean cut. He's broken up with the person and never looked back. This is different. Rhyn left the option up to him, and Myles is conflicted on what to do."

"Have you talked to him?" Rhyn asked. "Has he said anything to you?"

"I texted him about practice, but I only got a one word reply. We're getting ready for the tournament, and Ive only seen him practice the last two days." He watched Rhyn pick at his fingers. A look of torture flashed across his face. "Rhyn, are you mad at him?"

It took several seconds, but he finally shook his head. "No, I don't think I am. However, I am hurt. I understand he didn't want to tell his dad because he knew what would happen, but I don't think he should have continued while his dad was in the room."

"Getting caught with a man, that's rough," Rhyd said. "Mom caught us in the pool our senior year. And I thought Dixon was going to die of embarrassment. He had a full-blown panic attack in front of Mom."

Rhys couldn't help his laughter that bubbled out. "I can imagine the after effect. Fucking in the backyard, caught by your partner's mother, then panicking while naked. That must have gone over well."

"Not at all," Rhyd laughed. "He's asked to make sure we're at his apartment when we do anything. So if your relationship survives, compromise on where to be intimate. It will make your life easier."

"If we survive." The way Rhyn said it was so heartbreaking Rhys wanted to cry. But he wanted to beat the shit out of Myles first.

Rhys cleaned the garbage while Rhyd changed the movie. He heard the other two chatting as he went to the bathroom. It was a good thing Rhyd had opened up to them. He could help Rhyn sort through his emotions more than Rhys ever could. He had more knowledge for moments like this.

With regionals starting next week, Myles's head had to be messed up. If he was having second thoughts about Rhyn, he needed to be honest. To do that, he needed to know what was going on with Rhyn. if he was serious about his brother, he should know how messed up Rhyn really was. Rhys had no qualms throwing it in his face. He had warned him.

He heard the opening credits as he texted Myles. He was cautious in the way he worded it, but he made sure he understood what was going on. He'd said he'd butt out, but this was different. He wanted Rhyn to be happy no matter what, and he was willing to piss him off to make sure that happened.

Rhyd called him to come back just as he sent the message. He would deal with consequences later. Now, he was going to enjoy a quiet Valentine's Day with his brother.