"Jesus, Jack, what the fuck," Trick, the bartender, said as he went over to check on the man. "You're fuckin' lucky he's still breathing. Who do you want me to call? Lip or Joey?"
"No one."
"You can't drive yourself home."
"I'll take a cab. You cool with me picking up the bike in the morning?"
"Yeah, man, just get home safe. I'll take care of our friend here, but you'll owe me."
"Thanks, Trick."
"Don't mention it."
I grabbed my coat and stormed outside the bar, but instead of calling a cab, I started walking, not sure where I was going, but I knew the only place I wanted to be was in Joey's arms.
JOEY
The moonlight streamed through the crack in the curtains and shown directly on Lip's face. The man was gorgeous, something designed by Michelangelo. I pushed a curl off his forehead, careful not to wake him. I looked at the clock and wondered where Jack was. Two years, I'd been with Jack and Lip. The men couldn't be more polar opposites to each other, but I loved both of them fully and completely. I couldn't imagine my life without either of them. I never thought I would be in an unconventional relationship, but with Lip and Jack, it just felt like we were meant to be.
From that first day when I sat beside Lip in class, there was a bolt of electricity flowing around us. Jack didn't say anything in the beginning. He would just sit there silently, tapping at a table or focused on anything other than my conversation with Lip. I didn't even understand why he was hanging out with us. Lip, on the other hand, was charming. He knew the right things to say, was always easy with the compliments. Lip held doors open, twirled me around on dance floors like he was Fred Astaire and I was Ginger Rogers. I felt like a princess—delicate, beautiful, and unique—when I was with Lip, but I never thought he wanted me. It was never Lip and me alone. It was always the three of us, and between that and Jack's death glares, I just assumed I was in the friend zone by the both of them. I didn't even dream that they felt like I did for them until one night at the university pub. All of a sudden, I was swamped with the memory of that night when things changed between the three of us.
I left the guys at our table after bumping into my best friend, Sonia. The two of us were on the dance floor having fun and laughing when some frat kid started groping me. I said no and pushed away, but he wasn't getting it; before I could turn around and do anything about it, Jack was there, and the guy was on the floor taking punches like a boxing bag. I'd never seen a fight in person, but at that moment, I wasn't scared. I was turned on. Jack beating the shit out of that guy was the manliest thing I'd ever seen in my entire life. Jack didn't hold back; even three football team members couldn't lift him off the fucker.
"You'd better reel him in," Lip said, coming out of nowhere and standing beside me.
"What?" I stammered.
"No one is gonna be able to make him stop but you, sweetheart. I would have joined in kicking the fucker's ass, but Jack really needs to do something with his feelings. He's not really good at processing them."
I wasn't sure what Lip was saying. Lip's words were confusing, and so were all the emotions I was feeling, but when I turned and saw Jack going wild, I knew that if he didn't stop, he might end up killing that frat kid.
"Jack," I shouted, but the music was far too loud for him to possibly hear me. I wasn't sure if I should touch him, but I sure as fuck couldn't risk him killing someone for me, so I got ahold of my fear and placed my hand on his shoulder. Something about my touch made him freeze, giving me the courage to bend down and whisper in his ear. "Please stop."
Jack got up, took my hand, and dragged me out of the bar, with Lip following behind. He didn't say anything, just opened the car door and buckled me in the back seat before getting in the passenger seat. When Lip got in the car, Jack finally spoke. "No one touches what's ours."
"Fuckin' right," Lip said, revving up the car.
"Excuse me?" I said, trying to process everything that had happened.
Lip barked out a laugh. "You heard him. No one fucks with what belongs to us."
I probably should have been scared or rolled out of the moving car, but the truth was, I did belong to them, and they belonged to me. That was a truth that I couldn't deny, even if I wanted to. I liked being theirs; the fact was, I was relieved that I didn't have to choose, because there was no way I ever could.