We don’t know if we can make this work, and putting ourselves in the public eye with this relationship right away will only make it tougher. Maybe it makes sense to take the three months to make sure. Then, if any of you change your mind, it won’t be as big of a deal.”
I practically choked on those last few words. It would always be a big deal, because any of them leaving me would always break my heart.
“Besides,” I continued, “once Vincent releases the trust funds, he truly won’t have any influence left over any of us. And I think we all need that freedom.”
It still hadn’t fully sunk in that I was included in the trust fund crowd now. I had no idea how much money we were talking about, and I wasn’t sure I even wanted anything from Vincent. But I wanted the guys to get their payouts. They deserved them after putting up with their father for all of these years.
“Fine,” Leo said. “But I’m not happy about it.”
I couldn’t resist a smile at his surly tone. “Noted.” Looking to Tristin and Hayle, I asked, “Are we all in agreement?”
Tristin nodded. “Though I’m not entirely sure I can keep my hands off of you on campus. We might start some nasty rumors.”
I shrugged. “Pretty sure we already managed that at the football game.”
“I’m in agreement,” Hayle said. “Assuming you actually agree to date me in the first place.”
I shrugged yet again, though I was hiding a grin. “Guess we’ll see.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Thea
“Which of your boyfriends wears lady undies?” Petra asked as she followed me into a boutique that specialized in intimate apparel. It was the first stop on our Christmas shopping excursion. “Please tell me it’s Leo. I could imagine him being into some freaky things.”
I gave her “the” look. “We’re here for me, not for them.”
She held a red lace teddy up to her body. “Oh, trust me. Anything you buy in here is definitely for them.”
“Okay, true. But I’m not exactly going to wrap up lingerie and put it under the tree.”
Petra snickered. “No, but I have a feeling those men of yours would be happy if all they found under the tree was you wrapped in lingerie.”
I tried to picture that and figured I’d end up looking more like a demented elf than a Victoria’s Secret model. “We don’t even have a tree, so it’s a moot point.”
“That’s a damn shame.” Beelining for a rack of corsets, she grinned back at me. “How about this?”
I eyed the sheer white corset with distaste. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the garment. It just so wasn’t me.
I’d never cared about what I wore to bed before. There hadn’t been any reason to. But, now that I had two-and-a-half boyfriends, I figured it was time to take a second look at my nighttime wardrobe.
Hayle was still in the “half a boyfriend” category, since we hadn’t settled anything between us in the last week and a half. That didn’t mean I hadn’t seen him, though. Despite being busy with finals, he’d managed to drop by the townhouse daily and had even slept there a couple of nights.
We were acting like friends—good friends—and nothing more. Most people would probably think that was strange after we’d practically mauled each other at the gazebo. But it was nice to just hang out again without so much tension between us.
Not that it was a tension-free zone. Our visit with Lily was tomorrow morning, and I was still doubtful that it would resolve anything. I expected her to fawn all over her son, like usual, and pretend like she had no idea why I would accuse her of poisoning my mother.
But I could appreciate that Hayle was making an effort. I understood why he still wanted to believe the best of his mother, and part of me thought he would be better off never hearing the truth. He seemed to finally be seeing his father for who he was. I didn’t know if he could handle the same when it came to Lily.
Spotting a rack with satin and lace camisole sets, I found one in my size in a deep raspberry color. “I was thinking something more like this.”
Petra tilted her head. “Not so obvious, but still sexy. You should get that, but you also have to get something more daring.”
“Fine.” Suddenly remembering something Hayle had said about preferring lacy black thongs, I changed directions and headed toward the more risqué