Page 24 of Light My Fire Three Times
Ivy and her three husbands are somehow handling it all like pros. As if they’re part of some elite, parent-of-the-year squad.
Timothy’s got a baby on each arm, Freddie’s cracking jokes to keep the triplets from turning into full-fledged mini tornadoes, and Ivy? Well, she’s everywhere, making it all look ridiculously easy, channeling some supermom energy I didn’t know was possible.
Finally, they’re magic works, and the house quiets down as the triplets drift off to sleep. There’s a collective sigh of relief, like everyone’s been holding their breath for an hour straight.
But then, Freddie, ever the instigator, pounces.
“Alright, who’s up for a board game showdown?” he announces with far too much enthusiasm, holding up a box of something that looks like it came straight from the ‘80s.
There’s no hesitation.
They all dive in, and somehow, I end up on Jesse’s team. I don’t even get a chance to protest before Freddie’s gleaming grin locks me into place.
And suddenly, I’m trapped. With Jesse. On a team. A team where he’s just…there.
Of course, I’m not complaining about him being there. However, the problem is that being near him makes me forget how to form words.
Or thoughts.
Or anything, really.
Like, why is he this close? Why am I hyper-aware every time he reaches across the table to grab a game piece? I mean, I’m supposed to be strategizing, not internally combusting every time his arm brushes against mine.
“Ready to win?” he asks with a smirk, his eyes glinting.
I swallow, trying to force myself back into “game mode.”
“I don’t lose,” I reply, trying to sound confident, but my voice comes out a little more breathless than I intended.
He chuckles, leaning in just a little closer, and I swear my heart skips a beat. “That’s good to know.”
I glance at the board, my mind immediately going blank. Was I supposed to know the rules? Did I even remember how to play this game? Does it matter? Jesse’s literally two inches away from me, looking way too good for my concentration’s health.
Focus, Liv. Focus.
I mean, I can’t be hereagain. What Jesse and I did was wrong. Then, of course, I had my random night out with Karl…
Oh no.
And then, it happens.
The game’s just starting, and the first time Jesse leans in to discuss a strategy, which is unnecessary because I’m already losing track of my thoughts, his arm brushes mine.
It's accidental. It's harmless. But my whole body goeselectric.
I look up quickly, like I’ve been caught doing something wrong. I meet his eyes, and, ugh. There’s that smile. That cocky, charming, “I know exactly what I’m doing” smile that makes my brain short-circuit.
He’s teasing me, and I can’t even pretend it’s not affecting me.
“So, Livvy,” he says casually, reaching for the dice. “You sure you can handle this competition?”
I’m not really paying attention to what he’s saying—more like feeling it.
“I can totally handle it,” I manage, blinking a couple of times to try and shake the stars from my vision. “You’d better keep up.”
“Uh-huh,” he says as he leans even closer to roll the dice. “We’ll see.”
The whole evening turns into a competition of who cannotnotice how much chemistry is in the air between us.
