"I know. I'm not gonna. I woke up in this bed alone and realized what a complete ass I've been." Jack winced as he moved his hands; one reached out to Joey and the other to me. Joey took it without hesitation, but I waited a moment. "I know I've fucked up, Lip. I know I am fucked up."
"You fuckin scared me, man; this was the first time you've actually scared me."
Joey walked over to me, wrapping her arm around my waist and resting her head on my chest. "You're not alone."
Jack closed his eyes, and I focused on the bruises on his face, the black eye, the busted lip, the scrapes on his face, his broken leg, and the bandage wrapped around his head. "You're seeing a shrink."
"I don't need to see a shrink," Jack said.
"You do. You needed a shrink at four. This is a long time coming. You need help, and we obviously aren't able to be the ones to give it to you. We can love you, support you, and be there for you in every way, but we obviously aren't enough to help you. You need a professional."
JACK
Lip wanted me to see a fucking shrink. He actually wanted me to sit in some office on a brown leather couch and tell a complete stranger what a horrible childhood I'd had. I fucking had enough issues talking to Joey, a woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Still, as I lay there, bruised and broken, looking at the two people I loved more than my own life, I knew he was right. The fucker was always right.
"Okay," I said. "I'll go."
"Thank you," Joey whispered before kissing me. Her lips felt soft, so tender, just like her heart. Joey always saw the best of us, the parts of us that no one else saw. She was pure goodness, and I wasn't sure how she'd stayed with us, with me for so long. "I love you."
"I love you too, sweetheart. So much."
Joey turned to Lip, a mischievous smirk on her face. "You just gonna stand there? Kiss the man."
Lip and I stared at each other. The only time we'd kissed was that one time, and we'd done it 'cause we'd thought it was a desire of Joey's. We discovered a while ago that when she was turned on, we were turned on. There wasn't much we wouldn't do for her sexually. But that kiss had been more than that; it had been something more. When we'd kissed, I'd realized that I loved Lip not just as a man but as a lover.
I looked at Lip, not sure if he felt the same way. But then he pressed his lips to mine. An aggressive kiss, one full of need, desperation, and acceptance.
"We fuckin' love you, you idiot. Don't fuck up again," Lip ordered.
"I won't. I love you." I turned to Joey, holding my hand out to her. "Both of you. You're my family, my home."
"When did they say we can bust you out of here?" Lip asked.
"The doctor told me they need to run a few more tests, and if those all check out, I can get out of here. So hopefully a few days tops."
"When can you have sex?" Joey asked.
Lip and I burst out in laughter. "You feeling horny, sweetheart?" I teased.
Joey turned a deep shade of red. She was so damn cute. "No, it's not that. I just feel like this is a new beginning, the three of us together for real. I want to feel close to both of you and have you close to each other. I'm sure I'm not explaining it well. It's just you and Lip finally realized what I knew all along. What works isn't just me in the center but the three of us all together."
"Let's just take it one day at a time," Lip said. "We need to get a bigger bed, though."
Chapter 9
JOEY
"I've got news," Jack said, barreling into the kitchen and lifting me off my feet just as I was about to take the casserole out of the oven.
"Put me down, you lunatic. Did you even see what I was about to do? We could have both ended up in the hospital again."
Jack smirked. "You're fine, and better yet, so am I."
Lip smiled at me through the doorway before coming in and moving behind me, lacing his arms with Jack's as they both held me in place.
"Why are you two so happy? Can you both let go? I'm not getting all hot and bothered when I know I can't get any. We decided to wait until we could all participate, remember?"
"Good news baby, You don't need to wait anymore," Jack said, a sly grin plastered all over his smug face, a face I loved.