Page 53 of One Baddie for Three Daddies

"Simple," James remarks. "We just let her know that it isn't working out. Liam is right, we need to put a stop to this before anyone gets hurt even more."

Alex shakes his head but finally nods. "Alright. But we do it together."

"Agreed," I say.

James looks around the table, his eyes meeting mine last. "We’ll tell her tonight."

I lean my head back, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts a tangled mess. Alex breaks the silence first. "So, we all agree then?"

James nods. "Yeah."

Alex exhales sharply. "This is gonna fucking suck."

I lean forward, elbows on my knees. "We just need to be clear and firm. No mixed signals."

James looks at me, his expression hard. "You think we don’t fucking know that?"

"Just making sure we’re on the same page," I reply, my voice steady.

The waiter brings our check, and we each throw down some cash without another word. I glance around the table, noting the tension etched into each of our faces. This conversation is far from over, but for now, we have a plan. As we stand to leave, I catch Alex's eye, and a silent understanding passes between us. We’ve got each other’s backs, no matter what.

As we step out of the restaurant, the sun casts long shadows on the sidewalk, painting the scene in shades of gold and gray. Alex turns to us, adjusting his sunglasses with a practiced ease.

"So, my place tonight?" he suggests, his tone casual but his eyes deadly serious.

James and I exchange glances. We both nod. "Yeah," James says, "that works."

I add, "Let's just get this over with."

Alex pulls out his phone, his fingers moving swiftly over the screen. "I'll text Bianca to meet us there. No point dragging this out."

We continue down the street, our footsteps echoing off the buildings. The scent of fresh coffee wafts from a nearby café, mixing with the salty tang of the ocean breeze, creating a bittersweet contrast to the heaviness in the air.

"Fuck," Alex mutters under his breath as he taps away on his phone, his frustration palpable.

James sighs deeply.

"Hey," I interject, trying to keep my voice steady and in control, "better to end it clean than let it fester. We need to handle this like adults."

"Yeah, yeah," Alex replies, pocketing his phone with a resigned look.

The three of us fall into a tense silence as we make our way to our cars. The weight of what’s coming presses down on me like a physical force. My mind races with what I’ll say, how I’ll say it without sounding like an asshole.

23

JAMES

I'm leaning against Alex's kitchen counter, tapping my fingers against the marble surface. The room smells like his cologne and whatever new air freshener he's trying out this week—some blend of citrus and sandalwood. Liam paces back and forth, his hands shoved into his pockets, while Alex fiddles with his phone.

"Are you sure she said she was coming?" I ask Alex, not for the first time. The edge in my voice is clear.

Alex doesn't look up from his phone. "Yes, James. I texted her as we were leaving the restaurant. She said she'd be here."

Liam stops pacing long enough to shoot me a look. "Calm down, man. She'll show."

I snort but don't respond. It's hard to stay calm when everything is balancing on a knife's edge.

Finally, the doorbell rings. All three of us straighten up like soldiers at attention.

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