Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Dr. Navarro nods, drawing correct assumptions. “I was in a triad once. In college.”
That surprises me enough that I let out a nervous laugh. “Really?”
“A girlfriend and a boyfriend,” she says. “It was good for a while, until it wasn’t.”
“What happened?”
“Things fell apart. Being young, we didn’t realize the importance of communication until it was too late.”
The men I’m involved with have maturity on their side, but the emotional wounds that come along with their life experiences—and my own—add complexity to our situation.
Not to mention the fact that it’s hard to practice good communication when one of the people involved refuses to participate in a conversation.
It’s still on my mind fifteen minutes later, when I return to the lobby, and there must be a concerning expression on my face, because Andrew and Boyd rush to my side. “What’s wrong?” Andrew demands.
“Nothing’s wrong.” I give them an honest smile. “We’re both healthy. Blood pressure, weight gain, baby’s heartbeat. Everything checks out.”
Both men exhale as if they were holding their breath the entire time I was in the exam room.
“The doctor’s running a test for protein and sugar. She said she’ll call with the results, and she’d like me to come back next month for routine bloodwork.”
“I’ll get that scheduled right now.”
Andrew heads to the desk, and once the next appointment’s in the books, the two men escort me out to the truck, and we head for home.
For a few miles, no one says anything. The road winds through snow-dusted pines, sunlight flashing between branches. It should feel peaceful. Instead, everything inside me is taut, like a wire pulled too tight.
In some ways, it’s like I’m back inside the same snowglobe that shattered my old life. The one Preston shook so violently that it sent me running into the storm. The scenery is different now. It’s beautiful, actually. A cozy house in the mountains, quiet days, and strong men who protect me and make me feel wanted.
But the glass is shaking again.
There’s an uneasy energy stirring inside me and in the air around the compound. It seems like everything is in motion, even when it appears calm.
And I don’t know what shape things will take if, and when, it all settles down.
Boyd touches my hand. “You okay? You’ve been quiet since we left.”
I nod automatically, then stop myself. While it’s not exactly a lie, it’s not the full truth, either. “I’m … thinking.”
I press a palm to my belly, feeling the gentle weight of it. “I don’t want to make decisions from a place of pressure,” I say carefully. “Or fear.”
Andrew exhales a sigh. “That’s fair.”
“Yeah,” Boyd says.
Another mile passes. Then another.
“If this is about Silas,” Andrew says finally, voice even, “we can give him space.”
Boyd’s tone is gentle when he says, “We can focus on what’s working right now. Let things settle for a while.”
I close my eyes for a second, thinking of the safety and simplicity of what they’re offering. It’s a life that’s already warmer than anything I’ve known. But it doesn’t feel right.
“I know you’re suggesting that because you want to protect me,” I say when I open my eyes. “Protect all of us. But this—” I gesture vaguely all around us to the truck, the mountain, the life we’ve been building. “—this doesn’t work if it means acting like one of you doesn’t matter. I know that doesn’t work for the two of you, either.”
Andrew’s jaw tightens. “Kira—”
“I’m not going to force something on him that he doesn’t want. I understand that he’s choosing distance.” My voice wobbles. “But I don’t accept that as the end of the story.”
The truck crests a small rise, the compound still miles away.
“The truth is, I’ve fallen in love with all three of you.” The words feel terrifying and freeing at the same time. Maybe it’s the cover of my disguise that gives me the courage.
Both of them reach out to touch me. Boyd says my name, his voice husky.
“Fear shouldn’t decide who belongs and who doesn’t, and I’m not willing to leave someone I care about behind. Not him. Not any of you.”
They’re both quiet as the scenery slides past us. Then Andrew nods, his lips tight with thought. “All right,” he says.
Boyd’s hand finds mine. “We’ll figure it out.”
The mountain road stretches ahead of us, uncertain and bright all at once.
CHAPTER 38
GRIZZ
“Grizz. You need to see this.”
When the radio buzzes, I’m up to my shoulders in the engine bay of the plow truck. My hands are greasy, and I’m nowhere near a good stopping point, but the tone of Atlas’s voice sets off alarms.
I set my tools down immediately, wipe my hands, and head out.
The others are already in the ops center when I arrive. Kira’s perched on the edge of a chair closest to the monitors. Her hands are folded over her stomach, and her posture is disturbingly still. On the screen in front of her, aerial footage shows a jagged mountainside scarred by a landslide.