“Holy crap! I think you’re bonded with them!”
“What? No!” A wave of anxiety swept over her. She knew Julie was right, but she didn’t really want her friend pressing her about it.
“You’re seeing both of them, right?” Julie asked, and Emma nodded. “And from what I’ve heard on the news, when people get those tattoos, they feel each other, can tell what they’re feeling or whatever.”
“That’s crazy,” Emma said, sheer stubbornness making her deny what she already knew was happening.
Julie reached out and grabbed her hands. “Look, so far we’ve heard about couples bonding. But what if you don’t have to be a couple? What if this thing bonds people who are compatible together, whether or not they already know each other?”
“You can’t tell anyone!” Emma’s heart raced. She clutched Julie’s fingers tight. “I don’t understand what’s going on, and I don’t want anyone else to know.”
Julie squeezed back. “Of course I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to. We’re friends, right? Hey, you helped me when I broke up with Matt, and that was definitely going above and beyond the rules of friendship considering what a blubbering mess I was. I won’t tell. Promise.”
Emma nodded, relieved. “Thanks.” She smiled softly. Julie smiled back. “It’s just—” She broke off, trying to figure out a way to explain how unsettled she was without sounding like she was insane.
Julie nodded. “I know. This all feels weird, like a dream, right?”
“How did you know?”
Julie laughed. “I can’t even imagine what it would be like to dream about Duncan and Jake then wake up and have those marks appear on your arm. I’d be ecstatic! But also a little freaked out. I mean, I like to choose who I’m going to fall in love with, you know? Does this mean that you don’t have a choice now?”
Emma frowned. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about. And, well, I still think I’m going crazy.”
“You’re not going crazy,” Julie retorted, shaking her a bit. Emma sighed, not telling her friend that she could still feel Jake and Duncan in the back of her head. Both men were there, and if she concentrated, she could tell what they were thinking. That freaked her out more than anything, because it was totally impossible.
“Hey, wait,” Julie said as Emma tossed her limp salad in the trash. “If you’re actually connected to Jake and Duncan, does that mean they’re connected to you too?”
“That’s how it works, I think,” Emma replied, her stomach growling.
“Whoa. Can they hear us talking?”
Emma stood up and looked down at Julie, her brow wrinkling as she concentrated. She felt both men stop their conversation and look inward. “Yeah,” she whispered, feeling Duncan and Jake’s attention inside like a physical caress. She shivered as the men smiled.
“Um, wow.” Julie’s eyes widened.
Emma grinned. “Jake thinks you’re cute,” she said, not knowing how she knew that but sure of her certainty nonetheless.
Jake lounged on the beat-up sofa backstage, closing his eyes and relaxing. He’d turned off all the lights except those that ringed the dressing table mirror, basking in the dim light though he knew he really didn’t have the time for it. If he concentrated, he could feel Emma puttering around her kitchen. He mused over how quickly he’d grown used to her in his head. What was not so easy to get used to was Duncan’s constant presence. They’d been friends for a long time, spent every day together, but even so, they’d never lived in each other’s brains before. There was no disguising the attraction Duncan felt for Jake, nor his iron self-control. Jake knew intimately how much their friendship meant to the other man, and finding out just how badly Duncan desired him was a shock. On the other hand, Jake’s growing attraction to his friend was even more disturbing. It was one thing to know that your friend was bisexual and quite another to realize that some strange biological event was changing your own sexuality to match. That was the real reason why he was sitting in Duncan’s dressing room. He kept trying to wrap his brain around it all. A lifetime of being straight and now he was hot for his best friend. He sighed then rolled his eyes, disgusted with himself. Get over it, dude. So you have the hots for Duncan. It’s not a big deal.
“Hey, everything okay?” Duncan called out, sauntering over to the couch where Jake slumped.
Jake blinked his eyes open, startled. Shit. He looked down at the clipboard in his hands, hoping that the venue’s PAs weren’t incompetent. Because he clearly was. “Yeah,” he started to say then cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m okay. I think I’m just tired.”
Duncan frowned and sat down next to Jake, his right thigh pressing close. “Hey, I know things have been really weird lately.” Jake snorted. Duncan smirked, then they both laughed.
“Yeah, you could say that again. The unrequited lust was quite the shocker, man.” Jake reasoned that he’d never been one to keep his mouth shut, why start now? The elephant in the room was driving them both insane.
Duncan stared at Jake for a moment, clearly surprised. Then he relaxed and chuckled, a hint of relief in the sound. “You wish, loser. And anyway, I’m not so sure it’s all that ‘unrequited’ anymore, eh?”
Jake felt the smile fall from his face, and he looked away.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” Duncan began then shut up when Jake slashed his hand through the air, feeling like an ass. He didn’t know why he was having such a hard time with this.
“Jake—” Duncan tried again, sounding genuinely regretful. Jake felt his insides twist at the pain on his friend’s face. He wanted to kick himself. He loved Duncan. He knew that. He didn’t ever want Duncan to feel sorry for Jake’s lack of ability to deal with reality.
“Duncan, it’s not your fault. And you’re right. It’s just, it takes some getting used to. This bond thing is fucking with me, you know?” Jake looked up to see Duncan nodding. Then he grimaced as they both felt Emma suddenly wake up in the back of their heads and start paying attention to their conversation. “I went through my whole life not really thinking about my sexuality. I liked girls and boobs, and I hung out with you, my best friend. Everything made sense and then wham!” Jake clenched his hand into a fist and smacked it onto his thigh. Duncan looked away, hunching his shoulders, and Jake tried to explain better. Anything to wipe that look of disappointment from his friend’s face. “Everything changes. I mean, I love you. I always did, but to know that you felt this way all along—” Jake broke off.
“Jake, it’s not like I’m going to do anything,” Duncan began then stopped as Jake shook his head.
“No, no, man, I know.” Jake sighed and took a deep breath. “It’s that I’m suddenly no longer sure I want you not to do anything.”
Duncan blinked. Jake could feel his skin warming as his friend looked at him first with confusion, then with slowly dawning open affection, the frown that had been on his face melting away. Jake searched Duncan’s brown eyes, reassured by their warmth. He tried to send good feelings back to him, along with a plea for patience, and felt his heart trip when Duncan smiled. Fuck, he’s gorgeous. It was the sexiest thing Jake had ever seen, and he struggled to own up to that thought instead of denying it. He must have succeeded, because Duncan’s smile grew wider, more mischievous, and in the back of his mind, he sensed Emma’s surprise, then embarrassment. Jake grinned, suddenly amused.
“So, basically, what you’re saying is that you’re suddenly feeling an attraction to me, am I getting that right?” Duncan said, his voice light. Jake swallowed and nodded. Duncan leaned closer, and Jake held his breath, thinking, He’s going to kiss me. And I’m going to let him, just as a PA dashed into the dressing room without knocking. The two men jumped apart as the door slammed open against the wall. Jake looked up, noting the damage to the wall from the doorknob. Dammit. They’d have to pay for that.