Savior Complex: A Small Town Love Triangle Romance

“What’s going on, man?” he asks. The look on his face lets me know he won’t expect anything that resembles bullshit, and yet I shrug, because I can’t bring myself to talk about it. Not after they all made themselves clear about how they felt about Nina and me.

“You know,” Levi says. “It’s time for this to stop.”

“How?” I force out. “How, when my whole entire life feels like it’s falling apart without her. I get that you all hated her, but—”

“Nina? We never hated her.”

“But you said—”

“We said we didn’t want drama,” Forrest pipes in. “Didn’t need two women tearing you down. You’ve already had enough issues with the first one, and lord knows you weren’t happy. But to stick it out with her while being with someone new? Man, Bray, you know better than that. You were stoking a wildfire and didn’t even know you were burning alive.”

“Not to mention Nina was still working with us at that point,” River adds. “We liked her a lot, still like her. But you two getting involved was bad news for the ranch. If anything went wrong, we would all go down.”

“All right guys, back off,” Nate says, before turning to me. “The guys and I are just concerned. You’ve spent half your time stuck in a dark cloud, and the rest of it working your ass off to avoid Jordy, and that stupid charade she has you playing. You’re miserable, man. It’s obvious you’re going through it alone. But we’re family, Bray. We got your back. If there’s something we can help you with, we want to hear it.”

“I don’t know how you can help.” I slide my hands through my hair. “I thought I’d feel better once I told Jordy the truth, but it’s like she has blinders on. I can’t believe I even agreed to this, or that she’s even still there at the ranch. Fuck!”

The horses nicker behind us, and I refrain from yelling more so I don’t spook them. But the rage is always simmering, just waiting for me to explode.

“You don’t have to do any of this,” Jake says. I look at him, and he nods. “You could tell her to leave today. Do you not get that you’re still doing it?”

“Doing what?”

“Saving her. Saving everybody.”

“I cheated on her,” I point out.

“Yeah, and it was fucked up. You also ended the relationship, and she’s still got you on the short leash.”

“Still?”

“Dude, that woman called all the shots. It’s like you were boss in every area but with her. It all started when she got pregnant, and then lost the baby. She’d come here, and you became a different person, always making sure she was comfortable and taken care of. Jordy was a nice girl, but man, she was an awful girlfriend. She couldn’t even see all the things you were doing for her. It’s like nothing was ever good enough, and you just kept working to make her happy. You never even relaxed until she left for home.”

“But with Nina,” Levi laughs. “Hoo boy, we saw it right from the start. The way you smiled when you were around her. How she looked at you. The way you relaxed whenever she was near.”

“Do you love her?” River asks. The question knocks me off guard. I know I do, but I’ve never told anyone else. It feels like Nina should hear it from me first, but I can’t even reach her.

But these guys are family, and they know me better than anyone in this world. So there’s only one answer to give them.

I take a deep breath, then nod. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone,” I admit. “I didn’t even know you could feel this way about someone, and I still feel like I barely know her. It’s just so easy with her, you know? It’s like, all the puzzle pieces fit. I can’t stop thinking about her when I’m not with her. When I am… Well, it’s been a while. But it’s like I can see my past, present, and future with her. It’s like no other woman exists. All I see is her, and without her, everything is so fucking stale. Today, when Jordy and I had coffee with her, she barely even looked at me. All I wanted to do was grab her hand and get out of there, to just escape somewhere where there’s no barriers to us being together. I just wanted to tell her everything I felt, even with Jordy sitting right there. But like a coward, I just sat there and pretended nothing had changed. But everything has changed.”

“We know,” Nate says. “If it wasn’t apparent then, it definitely is now. Bray, we’re so sick of seeing you walk around with your tail between your legs. It’s time for this to stop, which is why we’re calling this meeting.” He looks at the other guys, and I furrow my brows trying to understand what they’re saying.

“Get your girl, Bray,” Jake says.

I stare at him for a moment, then look at all of them.

“Dude, get your girl,” Levi says, nudging me.

“Dude, she blocked my calls,” I counter. Levi groans, rolling back in the sand.

“Brayden, get your fucking ass up off the sand, get on that horse, and don’t stop until you’re back at the ranch,” Jake says. “Then drive your ass over to that house and tell her how you feel about her.”

My heart lurches at this. What if I did? What if I threw caution to the wind and just said fuck it?

“What if Jordy finds out,” I say. “She doesn’t know it’s Nina. If this gets back to her…”

“What if it did,” Levi says quietly. “What’s the worst that will happen?”