“I also owe apologies to Belle and Neevie," Sam continued. "I'd convinced myself that both of you were working to take him away from me, but hearing you both confirm how much the BTC means to you makes me realize it was all in my head. If I ever did anything to undermine his relationships with either of you, please forgive me.”

Naimh smiled and squeezed Sam's hand. "There's nothing to forgive."

“And thank you, Belle, for yesterday," Sam added.

“Now I realize you were trying to help make me happy by letting me go off skiing alone with him. You were being a good friend."

“You're welcome." Belle hugged her again.

And all seemed right in the world.

Then as one, the five girls turned to me.

“Your turn, Matty," Belle said.

Um. Shit.

Despite the overall holistic vibe of the girls baring their souls and admitting their fears, I was rather hesitant to actually confess anything. Too many years had been spent subsuming my base desires to roll the girls over and violate their nubile bodies beneath a veneer of

“safe, dependable, unthreatening Matty" for me to easily Let go. The girls sort of stared at me for a minute, waiting for me to volunteer my deepest secrets, but I just sort of stared at them unsure of what to say.

Then Belle dropped into my lap and started making out with me. At first, I resisted, thrown off by the abruptness of her maneuver. I wasn't exactly in the mood, but she pulled back, batted her eyelashes at me, gave me coy look, and said, “Matty, please will you kiss me?"

Well, I couldn't say NO. And once her tongue came out to play, I found myself kissing her back with every ounce of passion she was showing me.

And then she stopped, mid-kiss, and gave me a stern Look.

“Did you or did you not say you would leave the BTC to be with me if I asked?"

Five girls stared straight at me, daring me to not tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God.

“Um, yes I did."

Sam folded her arms across her chest, not to plump them up for my viewing pleasure, but rather to block them from view.

“Have you or have you not repeatedly told me you loved me?"

I saw where this was going.

“I have."

Naimh stood right alongside Sam and folded her arms across her chest as well.

“Have you or have you not repeatedly told me you loved me?"

“I have."

Naimh turned to face Sam.