Page 60 of The Final Straw

“Nothing much. The guys here were just telling me that you all went out together after dinner. Grady said you all want to try to make this work?”

He nods, his expression serious. “Yeah. It’s not going to be easy, but I’m willing to give it a shot. For you.”

Tears well up in Olivia’s eyes, and she reaches across the table, taking his hand in hers. “Thank you. That means the world to me.”

We spend the rest of the breakfast talking, laughing, and making plans for the week. We’ve just finished our meal when Olivia speaks up. “I’ve been thinking,” she says. “We should set some boundaries and rules to make this easier for all of us.”

I look at Ollie, my attention solely on her, intrigued by what she’s about to say.

She continues, “I know this is new for everyone, and it’s important that we all feel comfortable. So, let’s talk about what we need from each other.”

Kipp nods, leaning forward. “That’s a good idea. We need to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

I agree. “Yeah, we should each have a chance to say what we’re okay with and what we’re not. It’s the only way this will work.”

Van looks thoughtful for a second. “Alright. I think we need to make sure that we’re always communicating. If someone feels uncomfortable or if something’s bothering them, we need to talk about it.”

“Agreed,” Olivia says, squeezing his hand. “And we need to make time for each other, both as a group and individually. It’s important that we all feel valued.”

We spend the rest of the morning discussing our boundaries and expectations, finding a balance that works for everyone. It’s a productive conversation, filled with understanding and compromise. By the end of it, we all feel a little more secure in our unconventional dynamic.

Chapter 30

Olivia

It's been a week since our breakfast date, and I've been caught in a whirlwind of emotions. I've talked to each of them, and had a few meals here and there, but there hasn't been any more sex. A girl is getting needy, but my crazy busy schedule has been a blessing in disguise, keeping my mind off all the what-ifs. The biggest one is Van. I'm terrified he will ask me to choose, that everything will blow up. I know he had a good time on the date; the guys took him out for drinks afterward, which is promising. I'm clinging to the hope that everything will work out in our favor.

My phone rings, catching me off guard. Grady’s name flashes on the screen.

“Hey, Grady,” I answer.

“Hey, baby. You done for the night?”

“Yeah. Just changed into my pajamas. What’s up?”

“Kipp and I were hoping we could tempt you to come over for a movie night.”

My belly warms and my pussy tingles as memories from our last movie night play in my mind.

“I don’t know. I was looking forward to a lazy night,” I tell him. It’s not a total lie, but I’m also worried that since I’ve been spending slightly more time with them and not Van, it will hurt my first love.

He’s been so busy with the trial and he had to temporarily move in with Bre, so that took up a few days.

Barbi’s been a nightmare for him, calling and showing up at his place. He moved, changed his number and is talking to the DA about a restraining order.

“Come on, babe. What if I told you we were going to watch the original Footloose, and I bought Italian Ice?” Grady tempts me.

“Dammit, Grady,” I groan. “I’ll be there soon, but I’m not changing out of my jams.”

“You know we don’t care.” He laughs as he hangs up.

You can't turn down Kevin Bacon. So I’m going to movie night.

I slide my feet into a pair of little bootie slippers, grab my keys, and lock up. True to my word, I’m headed over in my little sleep shorts and a t-shirt, ready for a cozy night.

Grady answers the door, a mischievous glint in his eye. I kiss him hello and do the same with Kipp. We head to the bedroom for movie night, which strikes me as odd, but I love watching movies in bed, so who am I to judge?

As we step into the hall, the doorbell rings again.

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