𝐕𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐃 ❷

𝟓𝟎. ✭ 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍 ✭

"You don't know anything anymore," I reiterate, staring back into her sullen greys.

"No." The back of her hand goes up to wipe the tear streaks off her face. "I don't know  about my feelings for you, for them, or anyone at this point." There's a very large part of me that wants to tell her that she knows she wants me, she's told me as much herself, but I won't. We've already complicated things between us enough and the last thing I want is to be intermingled in some love four-way that involves Torey.

Instead of berating her anymore, and trying not to let my frustration get the better of me, I wrap my arms around Daniela. She doesn't try to shove me away, nor does she reprimand me for the action. In an all-too-familiar manner her shoulders slump, body falling into mine like it usually does when she's upset. There's a part of me that hates how I've learned all her mannerisms, can tell when she's feeling any which way in particular. But in moments like these, where I can tell she feels utterly defeated, it cools all the fire and frustration that'd been simmering beneath my skin.

With a deep breath blown out of my nostrils I place my chin atop her freshly washed hair. It's been elegantly braid and slung over her shoulder, her go-to look. It's casual and relaxed. It's a version I much prefer over the done-up doll-like image I'd been met with earlier this afternoon. Yes, she looked beautiful, but she didn't look like herself. That wasn't the woman I'd fallen for. Because I have undoubtedly done just that— fallen. For her, her son, and a life that I have envisioned that will never be. A dream that I should've never fucking allowed myself to dream.

I'm the biggest idiot in this entire God forsaken situation.

"I don't know how I'm going to walk away from you after all of this," I admit in an honest manner and in a tone a lot less angry than my previous. "I know that's been the plan. I know there's Torey and Brooks, but I would be lying if I didn't say that I selfishly want you all to myself."

Her response is nothing more than a slight quiver in my arms, not that I'd expected much more due to our circumstance. Circumstance. Cir-cum-fucking-stance. I could try and scream to the hills that that is all this is, but in truth, it doesn't change the fact that I know, that I know, that I have genuine feelings for the woman in my arms.

At one point in my life I had found everything about Torey admirable. His cold demeanor, arrogant persona, that ruthlessness that seemed to know no bounds and how he could just shut himself off in the snap of the fingers was something I had once desired to be capable of doing. Not anymore. Any admiration I had once had for the wrathful man has done nothing more than turn into bitter resentment. Because Torey had chosen all of that over her. He let her go, gave her up, fucked around with whoever after Daniela left, and there had been plenty of whoevers and whenevers. For Dani, there had only been Brooks.

"How does it work?" I find myself blurting out. After a deep inhale and exhale she pulls out of my arms with a questioning look that has me elaborating, "the three of you. How does that work?" She's pensive for a moment, tilting her head from side to side in deliberation. Then it dawns on me. "You don't really know, do you?"

A small huff of a noise leaves her, "no, no I really don't. We didn't, uhm, didn't have enough time to really flesh out the details." Her gazes wanders over to the couch where we'd just been having our conversation with them. "But it seems as an anything goes kind of situation now, I suppose." The look on her face would suffice to say she's not really sure how she feels about that.

"Sounds like a bit of a situationship."

"You could say that." She fiddles with her braid, looking lost in thought. "It's more confusing than anything at this point."