Chapter Twenty-Three #2
“I am. I’ll graduate in the spring. I already have a job lined up at one of the hospitals where Beck practices.”
“That’s wonderful.” Laura smiled before glancing at the good doctor. “Seth said you’re a surgeon?”
Beck nodded. “Vascular, yes.”
Laura grimaced self-consciously. “I…um, Googled you when Hudson said he was living in your house. I wasn’t trying to invade your privacy, but…”
Beck smirked. “You wanted to make sure I wasn’t a pervert.”
Seth bit back a knowing grin. Beck was a pervert, though strictly with consenting adults. But Laura didn’t need to know those details.
“Something like that…” She blushed. “I have to say, your accomplishments are really impressive.”
Beck sent her a polite smile. “I love what I do.”
“I’m sure you’re very busy and it’s hard for you to get away.”
Laura was fishing subtly to determine why Beck was here.
“It is, but I spoke at a medical conference in the city on Thursday, so I just extended my stay to attend Grace’s wedding.”
“What a happy coincidence.” Laura smiled, clearly still unsure why Seth had brought him along.
She’d understand soon enough.
The thought made his stomach knot.
The server returned then, notepad in hand. They all ordered quickly—bacon, eggs, pancakes, and juice. After she left, a brief lull fell over the table. Emma babbled into the sudden lull as she reached for her toes, not caring about the adult drama around her.
Seth blew out a nervous breath. Time was ticking. Before they left this table, he had to tell Laura the truth—and hope she didn’t insist on taking Hudson back to Connecticut with her.
But how the hell did he broach this topic? Blurting out that he shared his fiancée with the doctor who had become his best friend would be fucking awkward. Possibilities had been circling his brain for hours, but everything just sounded…wrong.
Laura cut into the silence by clearing her throat and addressing Heavenly with a hesitant smile. “So, have you and Seth set a wedding date yet?”
His angel’s smile froze. She lifted her gaze to him. Seth knew that look. She was handing him the opening Laura had inadvertently created for him to drop this flaming truth bomb.
“We’re working on a date. It’s, um…complicated,” he finally said.
Laura’s brow furrowed. “In what way?”
Here goes nothing...
“The truth is, Heavenly isn’t just my fiancée. She’s also Beck’s. We both are going to marry her. Together. At the same time.”
The table went silent. Laura blinked, her expression frozen somewhere between confusion and disbelief. Ted’s hand stilled on Emma’s high chair tray.
God, he was already fucking this up.
Seth groped for a better explanation, but Laura was already responding.
“I-I don’t…I’m not sure I understand what you’re telling me.” Laura looked at Beck, then Heavenly, then back at Seth. “You’re…both with her? At the same time?”
“Yes.” Seth exhaled through his nerves. “We came today to be completely honest and transparent. So here’s the truth: Beck and I are both in love with Heavenly. He and I aren’t together…romantically. We, um—”
“At all,” Beck cut in firmly.
Seth nodded. “We’re just in love with the same woman, and we’re planning to spend the rest of our lives with her.”
Laura stared at him, her face cycling through shock and confusion.
“And you all live together.” It wasn’t a question. “Hudson said you did, but I thought… I assumed it was because LA is so expensive—”
“It’s not about finances,” Seth admitted. “It never was.”
“How long has this been going on?” Laura’s voice had an edge now, protective instinct kicking in.
“Since March,” Seth answered. “Hudson has known since day one.”
Laura reared back, her face full of shock. Then her stare skipped to their son, taking in his total lack of surprise. Her expression changed to something that said she wasn’t taking this well.
Seth feared this revelation was going down like the Titanic.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“You told a sixteen-year-old boy that you three are sleeping together?”
“We didn’t have to,” Seth said wryly. “He figured it out on his own. But yes, we’ve been completely open with him from the start.” He held her gaze. “I didn’t want to keep secrets, Laura. Not from him, and not from you.”
She looked stricken, her gaze dropping to the table. Seth could see her mind racing—her teenage son living with three adults in an arrangement she’d never imagined and probably didn’t condone.
He waited, heart pounding, giving her space to think or ask more questions. He just hoped she wasn’t already judging him—and deciding that his love life made him an unfit parent.
Hudson surprised him by jumping in. “Mom, it’s no big deal. Think of it this way: most kids have two parents. In LA, I’ve got three. It’s not weird—at least not to me. So, please…don’t freak out.”
Seth held his breath as he watched Laura’s face, gauging her reaction.
“Not weird?” she challenged, sounding slightly incredulous.
“Yeah.” Hudson nodded. “It’s not like they’re fucking in front of me.”
Seth exploded—at the same time Laura did. “Hudson!”
Their stares met. He sent her a look that was something between a grimace and grin. After a tense moment, she grinned back.
That broke some of the tension.
“Clearly, we’re both parents,” Seth drawled.
“It would seem.”
Laura’s expression shifted. The rigid tension in her shoulders eased. Hudson hadn’t conveyed his point the way Seth would have chosen…but maybe his son had known how to reach Laura in a way he couldn’t.
Finally, Laura turned back to Hudson. “If it’s not weird, what is it like?”
“Honestly? Balanced. Heavenly is kind of…the beauty to their beasts, you know? She keeps the place homey. Plus, she’s a really good cook. Dad is supportive but firm. And if I screw up, Beck is a straight-up hard-ass.”
Seth bit back a grin. Clearly, Hudson had been paying attention.
Laura blinked, her thoughts obviously racing. Finally, she glanced at her husband, as if seeking his input.
Ted shrugged.
The silence stretched on. Uncomfortable. Heavy. Seth’s pulse kicked up again. Despite his son’s assurances, she could still decide that he wasn’t fit to finish raising Hudson.
“Honey…” Ted said into the silence, surprising Seth.
“Hudson is almost an adult. You didn’t raise him to be na?ve.
” He glanced at the teen, then back at Laura.
“This situation might not seem ideal…but he’s clearly okay with it.
Hell, he seems like he’s thriving. If it’s not hurting him, then why does it matter if Seth sleeps with the same woman Beck does? ”
Laura blinked, absorbing the question. Then her gaze drifted back to Hudson, and she really looked at him, as if she was seeing someone she didn’t fully recognize. “Not only have you gotten taller, but you’ve also matured.”
Hudson ducked his head slightly, a little embarrassed but also pleased. “He’s a good dad.”
Seth’s pride swelled. He’d barely had a month to make an impact on the kid. To hear Hudson say that out loud was both a relief and an affirmation he’d treasure.
He held his breath and watched Laura’s expression shift again. Shock gave way to something softer. Acceptance?
Seth leaned forward slightly, wanting to stress his final point.
“Look, I know our relationship is unconventional, but the three of us together actually benefits Hudson. Like he pointed out, he has three parental figures looking out for him, not just two. We can keep a closer eye on him. There’s always an adult around.
” He allowed himself a wry smile. “Besides, both Beck and I were rowdy teenagers, so we know exactly what to look for—and how to nip any bullshit in the bud.”
Laura’s gaze flicked to Beck, who nodded once, his serious expression its own confirmation.
She closed her eyes. Seconds passed, feeling like half an eternity. Seth’s heart continued hammering. Everything rode on whether she could accept the life he’d built.
Finally, Laura opened her eyes and exhaled slowly. “Of all the things I thought you’d say today, this wasn’t what I expected.”
“I’m sure that’s an understatement,” Seth drawled.
“And then some. But I trust my son. If Hudson is okay with it…” She blew out a breath. “Then…I guess I am, too.”
Relief crashed over Seth like a wave. Holy shit. She’d actually said yes.
He knew accepting his news hadn’t been easy for Laura. But she’d still trusted him enough to do it.
Maybe his mother would take the news better than he expected when he sat her down on Monday.
Laura turned to Hudson, her expression soft but serious. “But I need you to make me another promise. If you’re ever not okay with this—if anything makes you uncomfortable or if you change your mind—you tell me. Immediately.”
Hudson nodded without hesitation. “I will. But that’s not gonna happen.” His voice was steady, confident. “Once I got used to the idea, it just felt…normal.”
Laura exhaled, her shoulders sagging slightly as the last of the fight drained out of her. Ted reached over and squeezed her shoulder—a quiet reminder that she wasn’t losing Hudson. He was just growing up. Making his own choices. And she was supporting him.
Seth gripped Heavenly’s hand under the table. She glanced at him, her eyes full of warmth and understanding. Beside her, Beck caught his gaze and sent him an affirming nod.
They’d done it. Together.
The food arrived, and Hudson immediately dug in like a typical teenage boy, eating everything that wasn’t nailed down.
Beck and Heavenly kept the conversation moving, asking Ted about his plumbing business and Laura about Emma’s sleep patterns. Surprisingly, Ted warmed up, jumping in to smooth the lingering tension while bouncing a happy Emma on his knee.
Seth caught Laura watching him again—studying him like she was still taking his measure. He met her gaze steadily, projecting every ounce of confidence and stability he could muster. I’ve got this. I’ve got him.
She seemed to believe it. Or at least, she clearly wanted to.