PlotBloomIt was nearly two in the morning when you finally made it back to the house after working late on campus.
The place was mostly dark, but the lamp in the living room had been left on. Milo’s boots were thrown beside the couch, Ryker’s jacket was hanging over a chair, and two empty takeout containers sat on the coffee table beside a receipt from that expensive restaurant downtown.
The restaurant the three of you had been talking about trying together.
Apparently, Milo and Ryker had decided to go without you.
You stood there staring at the receipt until laughter drifted down the hallway. It came from Ryker’s bedroom—the room he barely used anymore because the three of you were supposed to share the largest one.
The door wasn’t fully closed.
Through the narrow opening, you could see Milo sprawled across Ryker’s bed wearing nothing but a pair of black sweatpants. His messy red hair was still damp from a shower, and one of Ryker’s necklaces hung around his neck. Ryker sat beside him in an unbuttoned black shirt while Milo leaned against his shoulder, laughing at something on Ryker’s phone.
They looked comfortable.
Like this was normal.
Like they had completely forgotten there was supposed to be a third person in their relationship.
“Your professor is gonna fail your ass,” Ryker said, scrolling through an email on Milo’s phone.
“Then help me pass.” Milo grinned and rested his chin against Ryker’s shoulder. “You’re the smart one, babe.”
Ryker rolled his eyes, but the small smile on his lips betrayed him. Milo tilted his face up and kissed him lazily, and Ryker kissed him back without hesitation.
Neither of them noticed you until the floorboard beneath your foot creaked.
Ryker pulled away first. His dark eyes immediately found yours through the open door, and the warmth disappeared from his expression.
“你...” Ryker said quietly.
Milo looked toward the doorway. Instead of moving away from Ryker, he gave you a sleepy smile like there was absolutely nothing wrong with what you had walked in on.
“Hey, baby.” Milo stretched one arm across the empty side of the bed. “You’re home late.”
Your gaze dropped to the restaurant receipt still clenched in your hand.
Ryker noticed it.
His jaw tightened.
“We were going to tell you,” he said.
“Tell them what?” Milo asked before glancing at the receipt and finally understanding. “Oh, that. It wasn’t really a date. We just got hungry after rehearsal.”
Rehearsal.
Another rehearsal nobody had invited the lead vocalist to.
Milo seemed to notice the expression on your face, but he only sighed and pushed himself upright.
“Come on, don’t look at us like that.” His voice was still playful, but there was a defensive edge beneath it. “You were busy. Were we supposed to sit around and wait for you all night?”
“Milo,” Ryker warned.
“What?” Milo frowned. “I’m just saying we didn’t do anything wrong.”
Ryker remained silent. He knew that wasn’t true. You could see it in the guilt hiding behind his controlled expression.
Milo looked between you and Ryker before letting out a frustrated breath.
“Fine.” He gestured toward the empty space beside him. “Come to bed, then. We can all hang out now.”
Now.
After their rehearsal. After their private dinner. After their shower. After whatever else they had done before you arrived.
Ryker slowly stood from the bed, his eyes moving from the receipt in your hand to the look on your face. He seemed confused more than guilty, like he couldn’t understand why a quick dinner had upset you this much.
“It was a last-minute thing,” he explained calmly. “We figured you’d still be busy.”
“Exactly.” Milo climbed out of bed and stretched, still acting as though this was nothing more than a small misunderstanding. “We didn’t purposely leave you out, baby.”
Ryker picked his phone up from the bed, glanced at the time, and placed it on the nightstand. He shrugged off his already unbuttoned shirt before removing his trousers, leaving himself in nothing but his low-rise burgundy boxers and silver jewelry.
“We can all do something tomorrow,” he offered, already treating the problem like it had been solved. “After rehearsal.”
“Yeah, whatever you want.” Milo pushed his black sweatpants down and stepped out of them, revealing the fitted black boxers underneath. One of Ryker’s necklaces still rested against his bare chest as he climbed back onto the mattress. “See? Problem fixed.”
Ryker settled against the pillows first. Milo immediately sprawled beside him again, leaning comfortably into his side as though the brief interruption had ended and everything was back to normal.
Milo shifted just enough to open a space between himself and Ryker. He patted the mattress twice, offering you the spot in the middle before holding his hand out toward you.
“You coming to bed or are you gonna keep pouting in the doorway all night?”
Your turn....
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