Page 52 of One Baddie for Three Daddies

I bite my tongue, trying to suppress the growing fear inside me. The last time she was scared, she ran. What if she does it again? What if all this talk is just a prelude to another heartbreak? I force myself to stay silent, but my mind spirals.

Images of the past flash through my head—her smile when we first met, the laughter we shared, and then the emptiness when she disappeared. It’s like a wound that never fully healed, and here I am opening it up again.

She sniffles and looks at us with those eyes that have haunted me for years. "How can you be so sure?"

Alex squeezes her hand tighter. "Your mom's opinion doesn’t define our relationship."

But what if it does? What if her mother’s disapproval is the final nail in the coffin? The thought gnaws at me.

Bianca looks down at her hands, lost in thought. I can see the turmoil brewing inside her, and she’s on the verge of breaking again; I can feel it.

And that terrifies me.

Is history about to repeat itself? Will she vanish again without a word, leaving us to pick up the pieces? The thought sends a jolt of anxiety through me, my heart pounding in my chest as I watch her struggle with her emotions.

I wish I could read her mind, see if there’s any hope left for us in there, some sign that we can make it through this. But all I see is doubt.

She cares so deeply about her family, and I know she would do anything not to be cut off from her mom. That doubt, that fear, it’s a powerful force, and it threatens to pull us apart all over again.

Alex and James meet me for lunch hours later at my request. I lean back in my chair, watching Alex poke at his salad like it's a puzzle he can't quite solve. James sips his iced tea, his gaze shifting between us. The hum of lunchtime conversations surrounds us, but my mind is locked on Bianca.

"I’m worried she’s gonna bolt again," I say, setting my fork down with a sigh.

James raises an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing. "You think she’s that spooked?"

Alex chuckles, but there's a sharp edge to it. "I saw her face when her mom walked in this morning. She looked like a deer in headlights."

"Exactly," I say, leaning forward, my voice dropping. "I know she's stronger now, but the pressure from her mom... it could be enough to push her away."

James nods slowly, his fingers drumming on the table. "Yeah, I get that. Her mothers opinion means a lot to her."

Alex surprises me by speaking up, his usual carefree demeanor replaced with seriousness. "And she’s scared we’ll fall apart if things get tough."

"You’re agreeing with me?" I ask, half-joking, trying to lighten the mood.

He shrugs, a forced smirk playing on his lips. "Hell must’ve froze over."

James shakes his head. "So, what do we do? Just sit around and hope for the best?"

I glance between them, the weight of the decision we need to make. ""No," I reply, sitting back in my chair. "We should break things off before they get any more serious."

Alex looks at me like I've lost my mind. "What? Are you serious, man?"

I nod, my gaze steady. "Dead serious. Things have already moved so fast, and the longer we fool ourselves into thinking this is going to work, the more it will hurt when it doesn’t."

James sighs, rubbing his temples. "It’s definitely been a fucking whirlwind."

Alex slumps back, crossing his arms. "So that's it? We just cut her off? Like she’s just been some kind of... temporary fix?"

I glance at him, acknowledging the gravity of the decision. "It’s better than dragging this out and ending up even more messed up." The truth of it hangs heavy in the air, a bitter pill we all need to swallow. But the uncertainty of knowing how much Ayanna’s approval means to Bia gnaws at me.

James leans forward, elbows on the table. "Think about it, Alex. Bianca’s mom showing up like that—it’s a sign that we’re walking on thin ice here."

Alex scowls but doesn’t argue, the tension palpable.

"We’ve been down this road before," I say, my voice steady and unyielding. "It was chaos then, and it’ll be chaos now if we keep pretending this can work. We can't afford to let this spiral out of control again."

Alex takes a deep breath, staring at the table. "Fine. But how do we even start that conversation with her?"

---