Page 134 of Cactus Heart
Countless sketches of the three of us too.
None of them were sexual, luckily, but that did nothing to lessen the fact that we’d been found out.
“Austin,” Mateo breathed out. “We can explain?—”
“I . . .” His eyes drifted from me to Mateo and then back again.
“Austin,” I growled, panic clawing at me. “Get out of my studio. This is my space. Get out!”
He wasn’t hearing me. He wasn’t listening. His gaze moved to the tops of my thighs.
I was wearing shorts, and the bruises from my spankings were visible.
I saw the click happen.
Austin’s eyes lit with rage as he marched towards us. “What the fuck?”
“Austin, it’s not what you think,” I said quickly.
I tried to intercept him, but he pushed past me and straight to Mateo. I grabbed at my brother’s shirt as he grabbed onto Mateo, anger pouring off him in waves.
“Austin,” I pleaded. “Stopthis. It’s not what you think?—”
Mateo’s voice was steady despite the fact Austin was in his face. “I need you to calm down and let me go, Austin.”
“What do you mean, calm down?” Austin yelled.
“It’s not what you think,” I insisted, trying to stay calm. Ice crept through my veins as he shoved Mateo back, the tension in the room making my heart race. I didn’t like this. “The bruises were consensual. It’s not what you think.”
“Did he hit you?” Austin asked, turning back to look at me. “Did either of them hit you?”
“Austin, it’s not?—”
“What’s going on?”
Levi emerged in the doorway, filling up the frame. He immediately barrelled toward us, straight to Austin.
My brother spun around, his grip still on Mateo as he glowered at Levi. “You fucking lied to me, Levi. Did you sleep with her?”
Levi’s expression blanked, his eyes darting to me and then Mateo.
“I slept with both of them,” I blurted out. “We’re dating. We’ve all been together the last few weeks.”
“What?”
“I’d really like you to take your hands off both of them,” I whispered. “Please. You’re making me nervous. I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.”
Tears blurred my vision as the panic crept up. Icy, freezing, making everything spin. I didn’t want him to find out like this. I didn’t want any of this. I?—
“Did they dothatto you then?” He growled, gesturing at my thighs.
“It’s none of your business. They’re not Kevin. They’re nothing like him. I need you to calm down because you’re making me?—”
“Really? Because I just walked in on you kissing my best friend and you have fuckingbruiseson your legs, Avery. And then you’re also sleeping with my other friend too?”
“Hey,” Mateo interjected. “We need to take this outside. Not in Avery’s studio.”
“Fuck you,” Austin growled, tightening his grip on Mateo. “Why the fuck have you been hiding this from me? Why the fuckhave either of you been hiding this from me? You know Avery is off-limits. I’ve said that for weeks. For fucking years!”
