Outsider by Olivia Cunning Read Free Book Online

use some advice, and there was only one
person he trusted to shoot completely straight with him.
    “What
do you want?” Dare answered, trying to sound annoyed, but Trey could hear the
smile in his big brother’s voice.
    “I’m
babysitting.”
    “Congratulations.”
    “Everyone’s
deserted me. Come keep me company.”
    Dare
chuckled softly. “You never could stand to be alone.”
    “I’m
not alone,” Trey said, still patting Malcolm’s bottom with his free hand. He
just felt alone. “Malcolm doesn’t talk much, though. Not yet anyway.”
    “Quit
your moping. I’m on my way.”
    The
call ended in his ear.
    Trey
scooted off the bed so he could let Dare into the room when he arrived. Malcolm
didn’t appreciate the shift in position. Startled, his tiny hands flew open,
and again he wailed a protest. Trey lifted him so his head was nestled against
his neck and bounced slightly. The weird thing was, Trey didn’t like babies
with the exception of this baby. This baby was precious to him. He still
thought Brian and Myrna were dumb for picking him as Malcolm’s godfather and
trusting him to care for their little one, but it warmed his heart to have a
tiny perfect person completely dependent on him. That didn’t mean he wanted a
kid of his own.
    The
moment Dare arrived, he claimed Malcolm for himself, scooping the baby out of
Trey’s arms and holding him in the crook of one arm. “Is he hungry? Wet? Does
he need to burp?”
    “I
didn’t call you to take over babysitting duties,” Trey said. “The two of us are
doing just fine.”
    Dare’s
green-eyed gaze settled on Trey’s eyes. “Well, something is bothering you. You
only call me when something’s not right.”
    “That’s
not true.”
    Dare
snorted on a laugh. “Yeah it is. So what is it this time?”
    Trey
considered arguing—maybe he just wanted to chill with his brother for a little
while—but it was no use. Dare was right. Something was bothering him,
and he had called his big brother to help him sort through his troubles.
    “Ethan.”
    “Ah,
Mr. Tall Dark and Broody. Is he acting all jealous of Brian again?”
    “I
don’t know. We were talking about having babies.”
    Dare
chuckled and stroked Malcolm’s ruddy cheek. “Well, that should defy all laws of
biology.”
    “We
were actually talking about not having babies. With Reagan, obviously. I
don’t have the right equipment to carry one. And then he got pissed for no
reason and left.”
    “You
had to have said or done something to set him off.”
    “All
I said was Malcolm looks like his father, and then he said Reagan doesn’t want
kids and that he’s not stepping aside so we can play house—whatever that
means—then he said he had somewhere to be and left.”
    “He
seems to be feeling left out.”
    “I
don’t know why. We all try to stay on equal footing.”
    “Maybe
that’s where your trouble lies. Maybe he doesn’t feel special to you. Maybe he
feels like an accessory to Reagan, like the only reason you care about him is
because Reagan allows him—and only him—to be included in your relationship.
Maybe he feels you’re just using him for sex.”
    “It’s
not like that at all,” Trey insisted.
    “I’m
no expert on polyamorous relationships.”
    “Me
neither.” Trey raked his hands through his hair and flopped down on the sofa
while Dare paced from sofa to windows humming softly to Malcolm.
    “Honestly,”
Dare said after a moment. “I think he’s simply jealous of Brian. He probably
thinks you want what Brian has—wife and son. Or maybe he thinks that you want
to be Brian’s wife.”
    Trey
lifted a pillow from the sofa, prepared to launch it at his brother, but thought
better of it when he remembered Dare was holding Malcolm. He clutched the
pillow between his hands and pulled it against his belly. “I don’t want a
regular wife-and-kids lifestyle. Not ever. I’ve told him and Reagan I don’t
want that. I’m so content and happy in this relationship. I