Abi glides away, leaving me alone with?—
Silas.
Gideon.
Talon.
Three men I’ve kissed.
Two men I plan to sleep with tomorrow.
One man who had his fingers in me in a closet not that long ago.
The silence between us isn’t just awkward—it’s choking.
I swallow hard. “Okay… someone needs to tell me what the hell is happening.”
Silas drags a hand down his face. “I didn’t know. I swear to you, Penelope. I never connected you to—” He gestures vaguely toward the house, toward the world we’re standing in. “This.”
Gideon’s voice comes out low. “Same.”
His eyes burn into mine like he’s trying to read every thought, every secret, every memory. I feel stripped bare.
Talon looks at me, then Silas, then Gideon, like he’s replaying something in his head and suddenly the picture makes sense.
“You…” He points between the three of us slowly, brows pulling together. “Do you—know my uncles?”
My stomach drops. Hard.
I force my voice out. “No.”
Silas and Gideon answer at the exact same time. “Yes.”
I whip my eyes toward them, feeling pure panic fill my chest. Silas winces. Because they weren’t supposed to say that out loud, not here, not now—not in front of him.
Gideon squares his shoulders as if bracing for impact. Talon watches all three of us with a look that’s half amusement, half suspicion.
“Well,” Talon says, leaning back on his heels like he just got handed the juiciest gossip in the state, “looks like somebody’s been busy.”
I glare at him so hard his smirk twitches, but it doesn’t fall. If anything, he enjoys it more.
Silas steps in front of him slightly, voice tight. “Talon. Don’t.”
Gideon’s tone drops even lower. “This is not the place.”
Talon lifts his palms in mock surrender, eyes never leaving mine. “I’m just saying… It's interesting. My TA knows both my uncles. Very interesting.”
“Stop talking,” I hiss.
“Why?” he asks softly, too softly. “You told me you didn’t date.”
Gideon’s attention snaps from me to Talon so fast the air shifts. His voice drops, low and sharp. “You’re the student.”
Talon blinks once, then shrugs like he’s been caught stealing cookies instead of trying to blackmail his TA. “Depends which part you’re asking about.”
Silas’s head jerks back. “Student?” He looks between us, confusion turning into something darker. “What the hell is he talking about, Penelope?”
My stomach pitches. “Not. Here.”
