Us.
My heart jumps. Calil straightens slightly beside Lena
Lena looks at me first. “Z, I know you’re nervous.”
Of course she does.
“I’m not,” I lie.
She raises an eyebrow.
I sigh. “Okay. I am.”
Calil doesn’t interrupt. He just watches, steady.
“I don’t want to lose you,” I say to Lena quietly. “And I don’t want to be a secret experiment while you both present like the perfect hetero couple.”
Calil speaks then, calm but direct. “You’re not a secrete anything let alone an experiment.”
Lena nods. “You’re not.”
She reaches for both of our hands, linking us together in a triangle that feels fragile and powerful all at once.
“I love you,” she tells me first.
Then she looks at him. “And I love you.”
No hesitation. No shame. My breath catches.
“I don’t know exactly what this looks like yet,” she continues. “But I know I don’t want to choose between you. And I don’t want either of you feeling like you’re secondary.”
Calil glances at me. Not possessive. Not smug. Just open.
“We move at your pace,” he says. “Both of you.”
His words lull the room into serene silence filled with possibilities.
It feels like the beginning of a negotiation where no one is trying to win. Instead, we all just want there to be understanding.
I feel like we’re standing at the edge of something that could hold and honor all three of us.
Scary. But steady. And maybe, just maybe—it’s worth it. My heart is still racing when I decide to say it.
“Before we make any decisions,” I say carefully, looking at Lena, “there’s something you need to know.”
She straightens slightly. “What?”
I take a breath. “I filled in at Allure last night. A drunk customer didn’t just get loud. He got handsy and aggressive. After my shift while I was waiting on my Lyft,” I go silent before finishing, “He tried to corner me.”
Her entire face changes. Where her eyes once held softness—they now hold rage.
“What?” Lena’s voice sharpens instantly. She leans forward, grabbing my face gently, scanning me, then patting my arms, my shoulders, my waist. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
I can’t help but giggle at the intensity. “I’m fine. I promise.”
Her eyes still taut with anger. “Who was he? I’ll ruin him.”
Calil clears his throat softly. “He didn’t get the chance to do much.”
