Mia
Emma Lewis stands at the top of the stairs, her gray-blue eyes wide with shock as she takes in the scene before her.
Me, wearing nothing but Jack's white dress shirt that barely covers my thighs.
Blake behind me, shirtless and struggling with his jeans.
Noah visible through the bedroom doorway, his shirt on inside out and backwards, his cracked glasses sitting crooked on his face.
It's obvious what we've been doing. My face turns so hot I'm surprised it's not on fire. The silence stretches so long I can hear my own heartbeat thundering in my ears.
Emma's face cycles through emotions like a slideshow. Shock. Disbelief. Then something that looks almost like vindictive satisfaction settles into her features, and my stomach drops straight through the floor with dread.
"Well," she says, her voice deadly calm. "This explains a lot."
I open my mouth but no sound comes out. What can I possibly say? There's no explanation that makes this look like anything other than what it is.
Emma's lips curve into a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "The mysterious Mia Wilson. Always so perfect in high school. Perfect grades, perfect reputation, perfect everything." Her voice drips with venom.
"Emma." Jack's voice cuts through the tension as he appears beside me, fully dressed now. "Let's talk about this privately."
"Privately?" Emma laughs, the sound sharp and bitter. "That's rich, Dad. Looks like privacy isn't really your thing anymore."
Jack steps forward, his broad shoulders filling the hallway. Even disheveled, he radiates protective energy. "Emma, my study. Now."
"Oh, I don't think so." Emma doesn't move. "I think we should all hear this. After all, we're practically family now, right?" She looks at Blake and Noah. "How long has this been going on? This little arrangement?"
"Emma." Jack's jaw tightens. "Study. Or you can leave."
Something in his tone finally penetrates Emma's anger. She glares at each of us in turn, her gaze lingering longest on me with pure hatred, then stalks toward the stairs.
Jack follows her down, and I hear the study door close with a sharp click.
The three of us stand frozen in the hallway. Blake moves first, pulling me against his side as he leads me down the steps, Noah following silently behind us. His warmth seeps through the thin shirt, and I realize I'm shaking.
"It's going to be okay," he murmurs against my hair.
"How?" My voice cracks. "She's going to tell everyone. My job, your jobs, everything we've built. It's all going to come crashing down."
Noah appears on my other side when we reach the bottom, his green eyes worried behind his glasses. "We don't know that yet. Let Jack talk to her."
I pull away from Blake, pacing the room. "She hates me. She's always hated me. This is like Christmas morning for her."
Blake catches my hand, stopping my frantic movement. "Hey. Look at me." His brown eyes are steady, calm. "We're a team, remember? Whatever happens, we face it together."
"Blake's right." Noah's voice is quiet but firm. "We knew this was risky. We knew eventually someone might find out."
"But Emma?" I shake my head. "Of all people, it had to be Emma Lewis?"
I glance up toward where the study is upstairs as I hear voices raised and angry. Emma's sharp and accusatory. Jack's deeper, trying to reason. The words are muffled but the anger is clear.
The voices rise in volume. Emma's voice cuts through, sharp and clear. "You're disgusting! She's young enough to be your daughter!"
My stomach twists. Blake's jaw tightens. Noah's hand drops from my shoulder.
"Maybe we should go," I whisper. "Give them space to talk."
"No." Blake's voice is firm. "We're not running. We're in this together, remember?"
"If Jack had wanted us to go, he would have said something," Noah adds.
"I don't care what you think of my choices," Jack says, his voice tight with controlled anger. "I'm an adult. Mia is an adult. What we do in private is none of your concern."
"None of my concern?" Emma's laugh is bitter. "You're the principal of a school, Dad. She works for you. They all work for you. This isn't just inappropriate, it's probably illegal."
"It's not illegal. We're all consenting adults."
"And what about Mom? What about your reputation? What about me?"
"Your mother and I have been divorced for years. My reputation is my own to manage. And you?" Jack's voice softens slightly. "Emma, I know this is hard to understand, but I'm happy. For the first time in years, I'm actually happy."
"With her?" The venom in Emma's voice when she says 'her' makes me flinch.
Blake's hand finds mine, squeezing tight. Noah moves closer to my other side.
Silence falls. I can picture Jack running his hand through his hair, a gesture I've seen him make when he's frustrated or thinking hard.
Footsteps approach the study door. "But don't worry, Dad. I won't tell anyone. Not because I approve, but because I don't want to be humiliated when everyone finds out my father is involved in some kind of sick arrangement."
The study door flies open. Emma storms out, stomping down the stairs, her face flushed with anger. She stops when she sees us huddled together.
"Enjoy it while it lasts," she says, her voice dripping with contempt. "Because this kind of thing never does."
She grabs her purse from the hall table and stalks toward the front door. It slams behind her with enough force to rattle the windows.
Jack emerges from the study looking like he's aged ten years in thirty minutes. "I'm sorry you had to hear that."
I cross to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. He holds me tight, his face buried in my hair.
Jack pulls back slightly, keeping one arm around me. "She says she won't tell anyone. But only because exposing this would humiliate her too." He looks at each of us in turn. "She made it clear she'll use this information as leverage whenever she needs something from me."
"Blackmail," Noah says quietly. "She's blackmailing you."
"Essentially." Jack's jaw tightens. "She's angry and hurt, and she wants me to know she has power over this situation."
We move to the living room, settling onto the couches. I curl into Jack's side while Blake sits across from us, his elbows on his knees. Noah takes the armchair, his fingers drumming against the armrest.
"So what do we do?" I ask. "Just wait for her to decide when to drop this bomb?"
"We're not doing anything wrong," Jack says firmly. "We're four adults in a consensual relationship."
"Tell that to the school board," I mutter. "Or my father. Or anyone in this town."
Blake leans forward, his brown eyes serious. "Look, I know this feels like a fumble in the red zone. But we've still got possession of the ball. We just need to adjust our play."
Despite everything, I almost smile at his football analogy.
"Blake's right," Noah says. "Throughout history, unconventional relationships have existed. We're not the first people to navigate this kind of situation."
"That's not exactly comforting," I point out.
"No, but it's true." Noah adjusts his glasses.
"Emma's silence comes with a price," Jack says.
"What if the price is too high?" I ask quietly. "What if she asks for something you can't give?"
"Then we'll deal with it when it happens." Jack tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes, and kisses me. It's not a passionate kiss, more of a reassuring one.
Blake stands, crossing to where we sit. He kneels in front of me, taking my hands in his. "We're in this together. All of us. Whatever comes, we face it as a team."
Noah joins us, his hand resting on my shoulder. "He's right. We're stronger together than apart."
I look at the three men surrounding me. Jack with his commanding presence and unwavering certainty. Blake with his protective strength and steady calm. Noah with his quiet intensity and thoughtful wisdom.
They're right. We are stronger together.
But as I open my mouth to say so, my phone rings from where I left it on the coffee table. The screen shows "Riverside Elementary School."
My breath hitches in my throat.
The twins.
I snatch up the phone, my hands shaking. "Hello?"
"Ms. Wilson?" The voice on the other end is tense. "This is Sandra from Riverside Elementary. I'm calling about your sons. There's been an incident at the overnight camp."