“I can’t do this right now,” she starts. “I need to think.”
And with that, she turns and walks away.
Chapter 31
Camille
Istumble into my apartment, my hands still shaking from Alexander's unexpected confession. The door barely closes behind me before I notice Julian and Tristan sitting in my living room, their expressions shifting from casual conversation to concern as they take in my flushed cheeks and glassy eyes.
I hadn't expected them to be here, waiting, but something about their presence—so steady, so reliable—makes the knot in my chest both tighten and loosen at the same time.
"Cami?" Julian rises from the couch, crossing the room in three long strides. "What happened?"
I open my mouth to explain, but the words stick in my throat. How do I tell these two men—these wonderful men who have stood by me through everything—that Alexander's words on that sidewalk have shaken something loose inside me? That despite all logic and self-preservation, I felt something crack open when he said he couldn't let me go.
Tristan approaches more slowly, his blue eyes never leaving my face. "Let's sit," he suggests, his voice calm even as his jaw tightens with concern.
Julian sits beside me, taking my cold hands in his warm ones, while Tristan perches on the coffee table directly in front of me, our knees almost touching.
"Did he upset you?" Tristan asks, his voice deceptively neutral. But I catch the steel underneath, the protective edge that makes me both grateful and guilty. They knew that I was meeting Alexander for dinner.
"Not exactly." I take a deep breath, trying to organize the chaotic swirl of emotions into something coherent. "He followed me after Fiona showed up at the restaurant. Told me they weren't together, even though she totally made it seem like they were. Then he said he's never stopped thinking about me. That pushing me away was the biggest mistake he ever made."
Julian's fingers tighten slightly around mine. "And do you believe him?"
"I don't know." The truth spills out, ragged and honest. "He seemed... different. Raw. Like he was finally showing me something real." I look between them, these men who have been nothing but genuine with me from the start. "You should have seen his face when he heard the baby's heartbeat at the appointment. He looked... transformed."
"That doesn't erase what he did," Tristan points out gently. "How he treated you when you tried to tell him about the baby."
"I know." Tears burn behind my eyes, not falling yet but threatening. "I know that. But I also know that people make mistakes. That fear makes us do stupid, hurtful things."
Julian releases my hands to wrap an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side. "What do you want, Cami? Not what you think you should want, or what would be easiest, or what would hurt the least. What do you actually want?"
His question cuts through all my defenses, straight to the heart of the matter. What do I want? The answer rises before I can stop it, honest in its complexity.
"I want..." My voice breaks, and I have to start again. "Part of me still wants him. Still wants to give him a chance. But I don't—" I look between them, suddenly desperate for them to understand. "I don't want to lose what we have. I don't want either of you to think that this changes anything between us."
"What about after the baby comes?" Tristan asks, his gaze steady on mine. "Have you thought about what that looks like? The four of us trying to co-parent?"
"I know it's complicated," I admit. "Maybe impossible. And if he can't accept you, or you can't accept him, then it's not happening. I won't sacrifice what we've built for a maybe."
Julian presses a kiss to my temple, his voice low against my ear. "We just want you to be happy, babe. Whatever that looks like."
"Even if it includes Alexander?" I search his face, then Tristan's, looking for any sign of resentment or reluctance.
Tristan reaches out, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "We're not thrilled about it," he admits with brutal honesty that makes me love him more. "He hurt you. But he's also the father of your child. And if you still have feelings for him..."
"We can figure it out," Julian finishes. "One step at a time."
The tears I've been holding back finally spill down my cheeks. "I don't deserve you. Either of you."
"Don't start with that," Julian says firmly, thumbing away a tear. "You deserve everything good, Cami. Everything."
Tristan nods, his hand finding mine. "Julian's right. This isn't about deserving. It's about choice. And we choose you—all of you, including the complicated parts."
Their acceptance—so complete, so unconditional—washes over me, leaving me so grateful. "I'm so lucky," I whisper,squeezing Tristan's hand while leaning deeper into Julian's embrace. "To have you both in my life."
"So what happens now?" Julian asks after a moment of comfortable silence. "Do you want to talk to Alex? Figure out what he's actually proposing?"
