Triple the Love

Get Out!

Hank

Within minutes we had settled in the living room, but I just couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Corey looked nervous as his gaze flickered between me and Jack. However, Jack looked composed and relaxed. It only made me feel even more suspicious that something was going on. But what? I sat on the edge of the couch, my arms crossed over my chest as I waited for either of them to start talking. The tension in the room was thick, and I was starting to feel a bit impatient. Finally, Jack cleared his throat and broke the silence.

“So…ah…Hank,” he began, and I frowned as I glanced over at him. “I know that things are complicated…especially with everything that has happened and…you know…with Corey…but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking…we both have,” Jack said, and I glanced over at Corey, who suddenly looked like he wanted to make a run for it. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I kept quiet. “I mean, we both know that Corey hurt both of us,” Jack continued. “And we both feel pretty betrayed…but after talking things through…we came up with this idea…now, it is a bit unconventional, but I really think it could work for all of us,” unconventional? What on earth was he talking about? Jack then took a deep breath as he leaned forward slightly. “We are proposing that the three of us try being in a poly relationship,” he then stated softly, and I blinked, unsure if I had heard him correctly.

“A what now?” I asked, confused.

“A poly relationship,” Jack repeated as his eyes met mine. “All three of us. Together. No more secrets. No more lies. Just…an open, honest poly relationship,” I stared at Jack for a moment as his words fully sunk in. Poly relationship. The three of us. Together. It was then that I understood that Jack and Corey had clearly discussed this and come up with this plan. And now, here they were, in my living room, suggesting that I just join in. That I should be a part of this bizarre arrangement. My mind was a complete and total mess as I tried to process this. The idea of being in a relationship with both of them was so far outside of anything I ever could have imagined. The word horrified was an understatement. This was crazy.

“What do you think?” Corey questioned softly, his voice was cautious, almost as if he knew this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. Before I could even find the words to respond, Corey hurriedly continued as his voice began to shake. “Hank, I am so sorry about everything…I know I hurt you and I hate myself for it…but this could be a way to fix things. A way for us to be together without anyone feeling left out,” Corey’s eyes were practically pleading with me, and I could see the desperation. Corey truly wanted me to consider this. He wanted me to think about it and possibly give the idea a chance. However, all I felt was disgust.

“You are both insane,” I muttered as I shook my head. “This idea is insane, and you just want me to go along with it? Like it’s normal?”

“Hank, please, just think about it,” Corey pleaded. “We care about you. Both of us. We don’t want to lose you, and we don’t want to lose each other either…this way, no one has to choose,”

“No one has to choose?” I snapped as my anger started to bubble to the surface. “Are you even listening to yourselves? This is ridiculous. People don’t just decide to have a three-way relationship because they are too scared to make a damn choice,”

“Now, now, Hank…we know that it is a lot,” Jack quickly interjected as he tried to calm the situation. “This could work if we all-”

“Nope!” I growled out as I stood up abruptly. I couldn’t sit here and listen to any more of this nonsense. “No, nope, it cannot work. It will not work, and I cannot believe you two would even think that this was a good idea,” my heart was pounding in my chest as I felt the betrayal hitting me all over again. First, Corey lied to me. Stringing me along while dating Jack behind my back and now this? The whole thing was bullshit. No wonder Jack had admitted to having a crush on me way back when. Because now they wanted to throw me into some messed-up love triangle and pretend like it was all going to be fine?

“Hank, please, just…consider it,” Corey begged as he stood up and faced me. He looked shaky and unsteady on his feet, but I shook my head.

“No, enough,” I stated firmly. “It’s time for you to leave. Both of you,”

“Please, Hank, I don’t want to lose you,” Corey continued to plead, but I shook my head again.

“Corey, the moment you lied to me. The moment you cheated on me by dating Jack behind my back…I hate to break it to you, but you have already lost me,” I said as I tried to keep my anger in check. Jack hurriedly stood up, but before he could say anything, I turned to leave the living room. “Get out of my house,” I growled out as I hurriedly pulled open the front door. I was done with this conversation. And as I stood there, staring outside, I realized that there was only one car parked next to my truck. That meant that the two of them had come here together. That Corey had waited in the car for Jack to have his say first. It disgusted me. I didn’t look back as the two of them quietly left my house. I shut the door behind them and groaned loudly. I couldn’t believe that they had thought this was a good idea. That they thought I would be accepting of it. The mere idea of it was horrifying and disgusting. I just wasn’t built for that. I wanted something real. Something with trust and commitment. What they were suggesting was a nightmare. A nightmare that I didn’t want to be a part of. The fact of the matter was, there was no fixing this. It’s over.