“But that’s just it, Dax. I can’t leave my life behind.”
“Let us be your life,” I said to her. I still had her hand in mine, and I brought it close to my chest as I looked deeply into her eyes. “Let us take care of you and our baby.”
She shook her head, letting out a doubtful smirk. “Our baby. We don’t even know who the father is.”
The father? I hadn’t even allowed myself time to think about that. I looked at my brothers each for a pause, then we all faced Parvati. It was like she could read our minds.
“You see?” Her little shrug came with a shiver. “You’re still competing with each other, and you don’t even realize it. This is just going to be a mess.”
“It’s only a mess because we all want to help.” Daniel let out a breath before continuing. “We all want to do the right thing. This baby is part of us.”
Dax cleared his throat, then said, “All of us.”
“Besides, does it matter which one of us is the father?” I asked Parvati.
She thought it over for a second, then she shook her head. “Of course not. I could never choose one of you over the others. That’s what got us into this mess to begin with.”
“Who cares anymore?” Daniel quelled the discussion. “We love you and we want you to be happy.”
“It isn’t that simple. And you can’t just tell me stuff and think it’ll work or be fine. You can’t control this, Daniel.”
His voice deepened. “I don’t want to control you. I want to be with you.”
Parvati twisted her fingers together at her waist, then her eyes lifted into Daniel’s awaiting gaze. “I don’t even know what this will mean for my own life. How can I ask you three to just start a family with me so abruptly?”
I ran a hand through my hair with a sigh. “I mean, I think we all know a baby is a possibility when sleeping with someone.”
“Says the man with the experience,” Dax whispered. “Not with having babies…” he stammered. “Just with sex.”
“Yeah.” Parvati hushed him with a hand to the air. “I get it.”
“What is it that you want?” Daniel asked her.
Letting out a heavy breath, Parvati shook her head. “I have no idea. I keep wrestling with all the different ways we can handle this, and the only thing that makes the most sense is to just… to just be friends.” Her tender voice had barely made it through the final words as those tears that had almost dried were spilling over yet again. Despite her sorrow, I wasn’t just going to step away.
“I’m not going to be your friend.” I shook my head. “I won’t.”
“Damien!” Dax called my name, but it was only an echo in my mind.
“You’re not calling this off.” I felt Dax wrap his hand over my arm to pull me back, but I brushed him off. “Choose all of us if you have to, but don’t walk away. Who cares what’s normal or not anyway?”
She practically rolled her eyes. “I care. The world cares. You can’t have everything you want, Damien. If you weren’t so spoiled, you’d see that.”
“Spoiled?”
“Damien, let’s just give her space.”
“Stop that,” I shouted at Dax and pushed him back. “Stop being so nice about everything and fight for her.”
“Why?” her voice stunned me where I stood facing my brother. I turned, finding her more agitated than a few seconds ago. “Why fight?”
“Because I love you, Parvati. I want you in my life, and not just as a friend.” I went to her slowly and ran my hand down her face. I swept her bangs aside and brought her chin high so we could look into each other’s eyes. “I know we can be competitive.”
“That’s an understatement,” she muttered, followed by a grin.
I had no choice but to copy her smile. “But we can share.”
Dax chuckled. “Yeah, we’ll just have to see who can change the most diapers.”
She tucked back a fingerful of her hair, asking, “And what kind of life will the baby live in this relationship of ours?”
“A thrilling one,” I answered.
Dax added, “Complete with a loving home and friends as it grows up.”
Daniel drew in a breath, a heavy and lengthy one that drew our attention. After the exhale, he uncrossed his arms and lowered his shoulders. “A life full of knowledge and wonder.”
We shifted our attention back to Parvati. She looked like she was thinking about things, pondering over what would be best for her and the baby. It couldn’t have been easy to make a choice like she was facing.
“If you need time to think—”
“No.” She waved me off. “No, I don’t need time to know what’s best, or even right, for me and the baby.”
“So, you mean…” Dax’s face lit up with a smile.