CHAPTER 159- GIDEON

After the park, I couldn't get Emily out of my mind. Not that I'd ever been able to before, but now… it was different. She wasn't just a possibility anymore. She was real, tangible, and every moment we spent together made me want to hold on tighter.

But I also knew I couldn't do this alone. If this was going to work-if we were going to work-I had to make sure Chris and Matt were on the same page. We all cared for her, in different ways, but what mattered was showing her that together, we could give her the stability she deserved.

That evening, we met at Chris's penthouse. It was our usual spot for serious conversations-neutral ground, away from the distractions of the club or our individual lives.

Matt was sprawled across the couch as usual, his legs dangling off the edge, while Chris stood by the window, his arms crossed as he looked out over the city.

"You look like a man with something on his mind," Matt said, sitting up as I entered.

"I do," I admitted, taking a seat across from him.

Chris turned, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. "Emily?"

I nodded, running a hand through my hair. "It's time we talked about what we're doing here. With her."

Matt raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "We've been taking it slow, giving her time. Isn't that what we agreed on?"

"Yes," I said, my voice steady. "But it's more than that now. She's letting us in, piece by piece. We can't just drift through this. We need to show her we're serious. That this isn't just some fleeting thing for any of us."

Chris's expression softened, and he walked over to join us, taking a seat in the armchair beside me. "What are you suggesting?"

"That we talk to her-together," I said. "No more tiptoeing around what we want. She deserves to know where we stand."

"And where do you stand?" Matt asked, his blue eyes narrowing.

I met his gaze without hesitation. "I want her in my life. Our lives. I'm all in."

Matt leaned back, a grin spreading across his face. "Well, damn. Didn't think I'd see the day when you'd actually say it out loud."

Chris nodded thoughtfully. "He's right. Emily needs to hear this from all of us. If we want her to trust us, we have to be honest about what we want."

"Then we do it," I said, standing. "Tomorrow. No more waiting."

The next evening, the three of us waited in Chris's living room. I paced the length of the space, the familiar tension in my chest intensifying with each passing minute.

Matt was uncharacteristically quiet, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, while Chris sat calmly, his hands clasped in front of him.

When the elevator dinged, all three of us turned toward the door. Emily stepped out, looking between us with a mix of curiosity and nervousness.

"Hey," she said, her voice soft.

"Hey," Matt said, quickly standing and walking over to greet her. "Come on in."

She followed him to the seating area, her gaze flickering between us. "What's going on?"

Chris leaned forward, his expression serious but warm. "Emily, we wanted to talk to you. About us."

Her eyes widened slightly, but she nodded, sitting down on the couch.

"We've all been taking things slow," Chris continued. "But we don't want there to be any confusion about where we stand. About how we feel about you."

Matt took over, his voice lighter but just as sincere. "We care about you, Em. A lot. And we're all in this for the long haul. No games, no half-measures."

She turned to me then, her gaze searching mine.

"I'm not good with words," I began, my voice low. "But I need you to know that you're not just someone we care about-you're someone we need in our lives. You're important to all of us, and we're not going anywhere. Not unless you want us to."

Her lips parted, but no words came out. I could see the emotion in her eyes, the way she was processing everything we'd just said.

Finally, she spoke, her voice trembling. "This… this isn't exactly conventional."

Matt chuckled. "That's putting it lightly."

"But I think," she continued, her gaze sweeping over all of us, "that I want this too. All of you. If we can make it work."

Chris smiled, his usual composure softening. "We will. Together."

The conversation shifted after that, the tension melting into something warmer, more hopeful. We talked about what this relationship would look like, about the boundaries we needed to respect and the trust we needed to build.

At one point, Matt pulled Emily onto the couch beside him, draping an arm around her shoulder as he made some ridiculous joke that had her laughing so hard she was nearly in tears.

Chris watched them with a small smile, his hand resting lightly on her knee.

I stayed quiet, content to simply be near her, but when her gaze met mine across the room, she smiled softly, and I felt the weight in my chest ease.

We were figuring this out, step by step.

And for the first time, I truly believed we could make it work.