Chapter 30
Jake
Alaska is incredible.
The lakes are pristine, untouched, teeming with precisely the kind of biodiversity I’ve been studying for six years. The research team is brilliant. The data we’re collecting is groundbreaking. This is everything I’ve worked toward.
And I can’t stop worrying about Rachel.
I’m on the plane back to Millbrook Falls, staring out the window at clouds, running through everything that could’ve gone wrong in the seven weeks I’ve been gone. Derek could’ve shown up. Another fire could’ve started. Tommy could’ve gotten sick. Rachel could’ve—
My phone buzzes with a text from Cole.
We’re picking you up from the airport, all three of us. Need to talk.
That’s not ominous at all.
I text back: Everything okay?
Rachel and Tommy are fine. But there’s a situation. We’ll explain when you land.
A situation. Great.
I spend the rest of the flight imagining worst-case scenarios. By the time I land and see Cole, Theo, and Marco waiting at baggage claim, I’ve convinced myself someone’s dead.
“What happened?” I drop my bag and look between them. “Where’s Rachel? Is Tommy okay?”
“They’re both fine,” Cole says immediately. “But Derek filed for emergency custody. Papers came through yesterday.”
My blood pressure spikes. “What?”
“Using everything he could find,” Marco adds. “The fires. Her unemployment. The living situation.”
“We’ve already hired her a lawyer,” Theo continues. “Best family law attorney in the state. She’s meeting with Rachel this afternoon.”
I process this while we walk to Cole’s truck. “How bad is Derek’s case?”
“On paper? Bad enough to get a hearing,” Marco says. “But we’ve got character witnesses, documentation of Derek’s abandonment, proof that Rachel’s provided stable care. The lawyer thinks we can win.”
We. Not she. We.
I notice it but don’t comment. Not yet.
The drive to their house is tense. They fill me in on Ryan’s arrest, the investigation, and how Rachel’s been completely vindicated. How she’s been applying for jobs, how Tommy’s thriving, how things have been good.
But there’s something they’re not saying. I can feel it.
We pull up to the house. Rachel’s car is in the driveway. Through the window, I can see Tommy playing with blocks in the living room.
“Before we go in,” Cole says, killing the engine. “We need to talk to you about something else.”
“What else could there possibly be?”
The three of them exchange glances. Some silent communication I’m not part of.
“Just come inside,” Marco says. “We’ll explain everything.”
Rachel’s at the kitchen table when we walk in. She looks exhausted. Stressed. She stands up when she sees me.
“Jake!” She hugs me tight. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Cole told me about Derek. We’re going to fight this. He’s not taking Tommy.”
“I know. The lawyer seems confident.” She pulls back. “But there’s something else we need to tell you.”
“I’ve heard that more times today than I have in my entire life. Can someone tell me what’s happening?”
“Sit down,” Cole says.
We all move to the living room.
Rachel sits on the couch. Cole, Theo, and Marco stand near the fireplace like they’re facing a firing squad.
“What’s going on?” I look between all of them.
“There’s no easy way to say this,” Rachel starts. “So, I’m just going to say it. I’m involved with all three of them. Romantically. And they’re involved with me. All of us together.”
The words don’t process at first. “What?”
“We’re in a relationship,” Theo clarifies. “The four of us. It’s been developing since she moved in. Since before that, actually.”
My brain short-circuits. “You’re—what?”
“I have feelings for all of them,” Rachel says quietly. “And they have feelings for me. We’re making it work.”
I stand up. “You’re telling me that my three best friends have been sleeping with my sister? All of you? At the same time?”
“It’s not like that,” Cole says.
“Then what is it like? Because it looks like you took advantage of her when she was vulnerable. When she needed protection and you used that to—”
“They didn’t take advantage of me.” Rachel’s voice is sharp. “I chose this. Nobody coerced me. Nobody manipulated me.”
“Rachel, you were traumatized. You’d just survived three fires. You were terrified. And they—” I point at the three of them. “They moved you in here and started—what? Taking turns?”
“It’s not like that,” Rachel insists.
“Then explain it to me. Because right now, it looks like my best friends treated my sister like a shared conquest while I was thousands of miles away, trusting them to protect her.”
“We did protect her,” Marco says coldly. “We kept her safe. We caught the arsonist. We gave her and Tommy a home.”
“And helped yourselves to her in the process?”
“Jake, stop.” Rachel stands up. “You’re making this sound dirty when it’s not. You’re making it sound like I’m some victim when I’m not.”
“You were vulnerable—”
“I was vulnerable, yes. But I’m not stupid. I’m not weak. I’m not incapable of making my own choices.” She moves closer to me. “Cole makes me feel safe. Theo makes me feel happy. Marco makes me feel understood. They each helped me heal from different wounds. Different parts of me that Derek broke.”
“So, you’re saying you love all three of them?”
“Yes.” She doesn’t hesitate. “I do. And they love me. And I know it’s unconventional, and I know people will judge, but it works for us. It feels natural. It feels right.”
I look at her. She’s not scared. Not uncertain. She’s defending this and defending them. It makes me sick to my stomach.
“How long has it been?” I ask.
“Feelings started developing before she moved in,” Cole admits. “Physical relationships started after. It’s been evolving naturally.”
“Naturally.” I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “There’s nothing natural about three men sharing one woman.”
“We’re not sharing her like property,” Theo says. “We’re all in a relationship together. It’s different.”
“You’ve done this before,” I remember. “What was her name again…? Ah, Samantha. You shared her, too.”
“That was different,” Marco says. “That was casual. This is—”
“What? True love?” I can’t keep the bitterness out of my voice. “How convenient that all three of you fell in love with the same woman who happened to need protection. What are the odds?”
“Jake, please.” Rachel’s voice breaks. “Don’t do this. Don’t make this ugly when it’s not.”
“It is ugly. You’re my sister. They’re my best friends. And you all lied to me for weeks.”
“We didn’t lie,” Cole says. “We just didn’t tell you yet.”
“Because you knew I’d react exactly like this.”
“We knew you’d need time to process,” Theo corrects. “We were going to tell you when you got back for good. But Derek’s custody filing moved up the timeline.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s going to come up in court,” Marco explains. “Derek’s lawyers will use the living arrangement. They’ll twist it. Make it look bad. We needed you to hear the truth from us first.”
I press my hands over my face. “This is insane, all of this. You—” I look at Rachel. “You realize what people are going to say about you? What Derek’s going to say in court?”
“I know.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“I’m scared of it. But I’m not giving them up because people might judge me.” She moves closer. “Jake, I love them. And they love me. And Tommy’s happy here. He’s thriving. This works for us.”
“It doesn’t work for me.”
“I’m not asking for your permission. I’m asking for your understanding.”
“I can’t—” I back toward the door. “I can’t do this right now. I can’t be here.”
“Jake, wait—”
“No. You want to be with all three of them? Fine. That’s your choice. But don’t expect me to be okay with it. Don’t expect me to sit here and pretend my best friends didn’t betray me by going after my sister behind my back.”
I grab my bag. “I need space. I need time to process this. Please don’t call me. Please don’t text me.—Leave me alone.”
I walk out before anyone can stop me.