“Six. I fell in love with you guys from that very first moment.”
“Katie. Ya can’t be in love when you’re six,” I said.
“I loved you the way a six-year-old knew how to. I wanted to be around you guys. Follow you around and be like you guys. Then, as I got older, it morphed. It went from admiration to wanting your attention. Then it morphed into something sexual. Then it morphed again into a mixture of all those things. Every year I changed, how I felt for you guys changed. But, it never went away. My want to be around you guys and my want to be with you guys never changed.”
I brushed a curl back behind Katie’s ear as her teary eyes met mine.
“Don’t cry, pretty lady. I can’t handle that shit with you,” I said.
“I can’t choose just one of you,” she said. “It has to be all of you or none of you. Having one will only hurt.”
“I love you, Katie. And I don’t want ya hurtin’. So, if that’s what you want, then I’m behind ya one hundred percent.”
“What?” she asked, looking genuinely surprised.
“Yep. I mean, I’m not gonna lie and tell ya that I don’t want ya all to myself because I do. But if this is the only way I get to keep on lovin’ you, then I’m in.”
Katie threw her arms around my neck like I’d just bought her a fuckin’ mansion or something. She squeezed me tightly as one of her tears dripped onto my neck. I could feel her shaking. All this shit swirling in the air between all of us was weighing down on her something heavy, and I was determined to get this shit off her shoulders.
“What’s all this?” Caleb asked.
Katie shot up from my shoulder as she sniffled.
“Doll, are you cryin’?” Dylan asked from behind Caleb.
“Could you guys come here?” Katie asked.
“Yeah. Come on, guys,” I said.
Caleb and Dylan looked at one another before they came into the breakroom. They sat on either side of me as Katie stayed in my lap. My hands fell to her hips as she turned herself so she could easily see all of us.
“I know about the meeting,” Katie said.
Caleb and Dylan looked at one another as nervousness crossed their features.
“I’m not upset with it or anything, but I do need you guys to understand something. I know what I want. And what I want is all of you. I love you, Dylan. And I love you, Caleb. But I also love Andrew and Wyatt. Dearly. I can’t choose. Choosing would only hurt more than this does now.”
“We never meant to hurt ya, Katie,” Caleb said.
“All we wanted to do was make
sure all of us were on the same page before we talked to you,” Dylan said.
“I know, I know. Andrew’s explained it to me. And I’m not mad. But I need you guys to know that I can’t choose. I’ve been in love with you guys for so long.”
“And she ain’t jokin’ on that,” I said.
“It’s always been all of you in my mind. Ever since I was a little girl angry that Hunter wouldn't let me play with you guys. All of you have been in my mind and in my thoughts and in my heart for so long. It feels natural for me to be around all of you. So, if you guys are asking me to choose between you, the answer is I can’t. It’s either all of you or none of you.”
“Andrew, how do you feel ‘bout this?” Caleb asked.
“I told her ‘long as she’s happy, I ain’t got a right to tell her otherwise. I support her in her decision. If that’s what she wants, that’s what I’ll give her,” I said.
“And this is what you want, doll?” Dylan asked.
“Yes, more than anything. I’m just worried,” Katie said.
“‘Bout what?” Caleb asked.