Page 122 of Light My Fire Three Times
I part my lips, but no words come out. It seems I’m not the only one left speechless.
“Us. All four of us. This… thing we’ve got going on? I think it’s something we should take more seriously.” Leo grins. “I don’t know about your lot, but I don’t want to keep pretending that this isn’t real anymore.”
My brain short-circuits for a second. It's hard to believe that we’re discussing this so openly.
Karl is the first to jump in. “I’m in. You know I’m in. Always am. I agree, Leo, this is the bestthingI have ever been in.”
Jesse, though, looks more… I don’t know, hesitant?
He’s twisting his hands together, something he does when he’s anxious, and his eyes keep flicking to me. He’s trying to gauge whether this is a good idea or if we’re all about to screw things up completely.
“I mean, yeah… It’s real,” he says, but more guarded than usual, the words careful. “But… there’s Ivy. She’s your best friend, Livvy. She’s my sister. That’s… that’s big.”
His eyes lock on mine then, searching for some assurance, but honestly, I don’t have it. Not right now. Not yet.
Yeah. I get it. I’m not exactly thrilled about the idea of telling Ivy anytime soon. We’re walking a tightrope, and one wrong step could make everything unravel. I take a deep breath, my chest tight with nerves, and try to steady myself.
“We can’t just tell her right now,” I say, a little rougher than I want. “This isn’t something I can just spring on her, Jesse.She’s… my best friend. That’s a lot. She deserves more than that.”
Leo, who’s been sitting silently through this exchange, looks at me, then at Karl and Jesse.
His jaw tightens for a second before he says, “I get that. I do. But if we’re going to do this…” he gestures around the room, including all of us in this crazy plan, “we can’t keep pretending it’s not real anymore. We’ll figure it out between us first, see if this works. If it doesn’t? Fine. But I don’t want to hide anymore. Not from you.”
I hear the sincerity in his voice. He’s not just talking about the relationship. He’s talking about us. About me. And honestly? That makes my heart ache a little.
This whole situation is a mess, but… maybe it’s worth sorting through. Perhaps we can find a way to make it work, even if it’s a little unconventional.
I turn to Karl, looking for something solid that’ll ground me right now.
He gives me that calm smile of his, the one that always makes me feel maybe everything will be okay. “We’ll take it slow. No rush. No need to tell anyone right away. But I’m in, Liv. I’m all in. Just… one day at a time.”
I nod. It’s the right choice, even if my stomach is still a knot of uncertainty. We’ll keep it low-key for now. Take it slow.
“Okay,” I say. “One day at a time. I can do that.”
Jesse exhales a heavy breath and looks at me again, that look of concern still there, but it softens just a bit. “Yeah. One day at a time. No pressure. But if we’re doing this… we do it right.”
Leo’s smile is small, but it’s real, and I feel a little bit of the tension ease from my shoulders. “Yeah. Together.”
Together.
I must admit, it sounds appealing.
Before I can say anything, Karl pulls me closer, his lips brushing my head in that overly affectionate way that somehow makes my heart race.
His kiss is a bit too cool at first, teasing, but then it warms, and, as if he's caught on, it turns more demanding.
The mint on his breath is delicious, stirring something deep in my stomach. He pulls back just enough to let his breath warm my ear.
“You have no idea what you do to me,” he murmurs in that dramatic tone that makes me roll my eyes, even as it flusters me.
I’m about to respond when Leo swoops in, his hands gently cupping my face. His gaze is intense, as if he’s reading me, soul and all.
His chest presses against mine, making my breath catch, but he’s completely calm about it. I almost laugh, but then his lips claim mine, sure and commanding.
It isn’t long before Jesse takes over. Suddenly, his hand is around my neck, pulling me into another kiss—this one deep and sensual. I can’t get enough.
His mouth breathes warmth against my skin, his stubbled jaw tracing lazy patterns across my ribs. His fingers splay across my belly, teasing lower, mapping every inch of me.
