Chapter 23
Rachel
Imake it to my room before the tears start.
Face-down on my bed, pillow pressed over my face so that Tommy won’t hear me through the wall. Crying until my throat hurts and my chest aches and I can’t breathe properly.
Jake’s giving up Alaska because of me.
Six years of waiting for this opportunity. And he’s throwing it away because I keep being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I didn’t ask for this. Didn’t ask to be at three fires.
But here we are.
And my brother’s sacrificing his dream because I’m a walking disaster.
I cry until I’m empty. Until there’s nothing left except exhaustion and the dull ache of knowing I’ve ruined everything.
Eventually, I fall asleep fully clothed, face still wet, pillow soaked through.
When I wake up, it’s dark outside and my phone says it’s past midnight.
I should get up. Should change into actual pajamas. Should check on Tommy.
Instead, I roll over and stare at the ceiling, wondering how many more things I can destroy before there’s nothing left.
**
Morning light filters through my curtains, but I don’t want to face it.
I stayed in bed until I heard Jake leave for work. Heard Tommy get up and turn on cartoons downstairs. Listened to the house settle into its normal morning rhythm without me.
Only when I’m sure the coast is clear do I drag myself out of bed.
My face is puffy from crying. Eyes red. Hair a disaster. I look exactly like someone who spent half the night sobbing into her pillow.
Downstairs, Tommy’s eating cereal at the kitchen table.
“Morning, Mama.”
“Morning, baby.” My voice sounds rough. “You get yourself breakfast?”
“Uncle Jake made it before he left.”
Of course he did.
I pour myself coffee and sit across from Tommy. He’s watching me with those perceptive five-year-old eyes that miss nothing.
“Are you sad?” he asks.
“Just tired.”
“You look sad.”
“I’m okay, Tommy. Promise.”
He doesn’t look convinced, but he goes back to his cereal.
***
Jake comes home around noon. I’m in the kitchen washing dishes when I hear his truck in the driveway.
He walks in looking determined. “We need to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk.”
“Too bad. We’re talking anyway.” He leans against the counter. “I called Alaska this morning. Told them I needed a few more days to make my final decision.”
“Jake—”
“Let me finish.” His voice is firm. “I know you’re upset. I know you think I’m sacrificing my career for you. But that’s not what this is.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s me being realistic. Someone is setting fires. You keep being at those fires. Until we figure out who’s doing it and why, you’re not safe.” He crosses his arms. “I can’t leave knowing that. I won’t.”
“So, I’m supposed to just let you throw away your dream?”
“It’s not thrown away. It’s delayed. There will be other research opportunities.”
“Not like this one. You said so yourself—this is career-defining.” I set down the dish I’m washing. “You’ve been waiting six years for something like this.”
“And I’ll wait longer if I have to.” He doesn’t budge. “Rachel, this isn’t up for debate. Either you’re safe, or I’m staying. Those are the options.”
“Those aren’t options. That’s manipulation.”
“Call it whatever you want. My decision is made.”
“I won’t agree to this,” I say quietly. “I won’t let you do this.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Yes, I do. And I’m telling you right now. Go to Alaska. I’ll be fine here. I’ll be careful. I’ll—”
Doorbell rings.
We both stop, staring at each other.
“Expecting someone?” Jake asks.
“No.”
He heads to the front door. I follow, drying my hands on a towel.
Jake opens it.
Cole, Theo, and Marco stand on the porch. All three of them. Together.
“Hey,” Cole says. “Can we come in? We need to talk to both of you.”
Jake steps back. “Yeah. Sure.”
They file into the living room. Tommy looks up from his blocks, waves at them, then goes back to building.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“We have a proposal,” Marco says. “Something that might solve your Alaska problem.”
Jake and I exchange a glance. “We’re listening.”
Cole speaks first. “Jake, you need to go to Alaska. This is your career. You can’t pass this up.”
“I’m not leaving Rachel alone while someone’s setting fires.”
“You’re not.” Theo steps forward. “Because she won’t be alone. She’ll be with us.”
I blink. “What?”
“You and Tommy move in with us,” Marco explains. “Temporarily. Until we catch whoever’s doing this.”
“Move in with you?” My voice comes out higher than intended. “All three of you?”
“Our house has enough bedrooms,” Cole continues. “Yours and Tommy’s whenever you need them. We work rotating shifts, so someone’s always home. Round-the-clock protection.”
“Plus, we’re trained in emergency response,” Theo adds. “If anything happens, we can react immediately. Our place is in town, with better visibility, and neighbors on both sides. Safer than here.”
My brain stalls. Live with them. All three of them.
The men I’ve been sleeping with. The men I have feelings for. Under the same roof. Every day.
“That’s—” I start, but words fail me.
“It makes sense,” Marco says, his tone practical. “You need protection. We can provide it. Jake can go to Alaska knowing you’re safe. Everyone wins.”
“It solves everything,” Jake says slowly. He’s considering it. Actually, considering it.
“No. Absolutely not.” I find my voice. “I’m not moving in with you guys.”
“Why not?” Cole asks.
Because I can barely handle seeing you separately. Because living with all three of you while pretending nothing’s happening between us would be torture.
“It’s too much,” I say instead. “Too complicated.”
“It’s practical,” Marco corrects. “Simple solution to a complex problem.”
“Nothing about this is simple.”
“Then make it simple.” Cole’s voice is firm. “Stop overthinking and accept help.”
“I’ve been accepting help for months—”
“This is different,” Jake interrupts. “This isn’t charity. This is security. Real protection from people I trust.” He looks at the three men. “People who’ve already saved your life three times.”
“Jake—”
“Rachel, listen to me.” He moves closer. “I trust them. With my life. With your life. With Tommy’s life. If you’re with them, I know you’re safe. I can go to Alaska without worrying.”
“You want me to do this so you can leave guilt-free.”
“I want you to do this so I can leave knowing my sister isn’t going to die in a fire.” His voice cracks. “Please. Just consider it.”
I look at Cole, Theo, and Marco. They’re watching me with varying expressions—Cole’s protective intensity, Theo’s earnest hope, Marco’s practical efficiency.
“Our security system is top-grade,” Marco says. “Motion sensors, cameras, direct line to the station. If anyone approaches the house, we know about it.”
“And we’re connected with the fire department and police,” Theo adds. “Response time would be under two minutes for anything.”
“You’d have your own space,” Cole continues. “Your own room, Tommy’s room. We’re not trying to intrude on your life. Just keep you safe.”
They’ve planned this and actually thought it through.
The part I’m desperately trying to ignore flutters at the idea of living with them, seeing them every day, and being close to all three of them.
“I need to think about it,” I say finally.
“How long?” Jake asks.
“I don’t know. This is a huge decision. I need to talk to Tommy. I need to—”
“We need an answer soon,” Marco says. “The longer you’re unprotected, the more danger you’re in.”
“I know.” My hands are shaking. “I just need time.”
“Take tonight,” Cole offers. “But Rachel? This is the smart move. You know it is.”
Jake looks at me. “This is the compromise. You move in with them, and I go to Alaska. It’s the only way this works.”
“So, you’re saying if I don’t do this, you’re staying.”
“I’m saying if you don’t do this, I can’t leave in good conscience.” He softens his voice. “Please. Let them help you.”
I look at Tommy, still building with his blocks. Oblivious to this entire conversation. Oblivious to the danger we’re in.
“I’ll think about it,” I say. “That’s all I can promise right now.”
“Fair enough.” Jake turns to the three men. “Thank you. For offering this. It means a lot.”
My chest tightens.
“I should check on Dorothy,” I say, needing to escape this conversation. “Make sure she’s okay at her niece’s place.”
“She’d want you to say yes,” Marco says. “She’d insist on it.”
“I know.” I grab my keys. “I still need to think.”
I head out before anyone can stop me, leaving the four of them standing in my living room.
In my car, I grip the steering wheel and try to steady my breathing.
Move in with them. All three of them. Under one roof.
It’s the smart choice. The logical choice. The option that keeps Tommy safe and lets Jake pursue his dream.
It’s also terrifying.
Because living with them means being close. Means seeing them every day. Means this complicated mess of feelings I have for all three of them becomes impossible to ignore.
But what choice do I have?
Stay here and risk another fire? Stay here and watch Jake throw away his career? Stay here and keep being the walking disaster who destroys everything she touches?
Or move in with three men who make me feel things I shouldn’t feel, in a situation that’s already complicated beyond belief, while someone’s trying to kill the sweetest old woman in Millbrook Falls?