𝐕𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐃 ❷

𝟑. ✭ 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 ✭

I turn on the ignition and revel in the way the car beneath me comes to life. I'm in love with this fucking car. I didn't deserve this gift. I still don't. But Luke had insisted and so had Malyssa, while Denver just rolled his eyes and told me I'd get used to it. I would never. No one in my entire life has ever given me something on my birthday that was anything of much consequence. Albeit aside from the baseball bat my mother had given me one birthday. That was it. We were just too broke.

When Dani and I were together I had insisted she not buy me anything, told her I didn't celebrate birthdays. I never have. My birth wasn't anything of much consequence to anyone really, let alone celebrating the day.

I shift gears and reverse backward and then shift again before turning out onto the road. With another shift I accelerate.

"We have something for you." I arched a brow at that but Luke just jerked his head to the door. "Come see." I followed as the other two came up beside me as we made our way to the door. He cocked his head back before opening the door with, "happy birthday, Brooks."

Then there she was. This beautiful beast of a car. And when I had said no, it's too much. When I had said that I couldn't accept, that I wouldn't, there Malyssa had been telling me that I was... family. I didn't need to ask how they knew my birthday, considering I hadn't verbally told them. They just knew because they know things. They  probably know everything about me— including my family history. That makes me cringe internally.

"Jesus... Zone out much?" Adriana's voice pulls me out of my head. "You were completely lost in thought."

"Sorry. Don't really know what to say." That wasn't a lie. I don't know this woman. She may be Torey's sister but that doesn't change the fact that she hadn't been brought up once. I know basically nothing about her other than the fact that she's a feisty little thing.

"For starters, are you fucking my brother?" I choke on a laugh at that and then look over to her. "What? What kind of friends are you?"

"No. I have not fucked your brother nor has he fucked me. We are not fucking friends." I mean, technically we fucked the same woman at the same time. So I guess we kind of are fucking friends... but I digress. I let out a long sigh before answering her truthfully. "We are the kind of friends that are in love with the same woman. That kind."

"That doesn't really sound like friends."

"Because we weren't... at first. But then... you know." I give her a half-assed shrug.

"Oh sounds juicy. Tell me more." I shift again as I slow down and take a turn. "Has anyone ever told you that you make driving look sexy?"

"It's the car that's sexy."

"No. The car is sexy, yes, but the way you drive is just hot. Plus, you yourself. You are sexy." I swallow uncomfortably at her bluntness. I don't know what to say to that. "I have a tendency to say what's on my mind."

"I am gathering that. Seems to run in the family."

"As do throuples."

"Excuse me? Throuples?" I look over to her and she arches a brow. "What's that?"

"You know, not a couple but a throuple. Like three people in a relationship instead of two. I'm assuming that's what's going on with you, my brother, and whoever the mystery woman is."

"Dani. Her name is Dani." And saying her name physically hurt. "She is Wolfie's mom."

"Is she... is she alive?"

I swallow uncomfortably again. "I don't know. I believe so, yes. But I don't really know." That part killed me. One person I'm in love with is on a fucking hospital bed, knocking on death's door, and the other is—