No more pretending.

Amara’s POV

The rest of the school day felt like it was dragging on forever. Every class, every conversation, every glance from someone—it all felt like it was happening in slow motion, as if the universe was stretching time just to make me more anxious. The tension between me and the triplets seemed to hang in the air, thick and palpable, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it.

By the time the final bell rang, I was practically running to the exit, eager to escape the overwhelming feeling of being trapped between them. I knew they were waiting for me—at least I hoped they were. It had taken everything in me to suggest we talk, but I couldn’t avoid it any longer. We needed to figure this out.

As I approached the parking lot, I saw them leaning against Ryder’s truck, their expressions a mix of frustration, guilt, and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Ryder was first to straighten when he saw me, his eyes softening immediately. But even with that softness, I could see the weight on his shoulders, the strain that had been building between us for weeks.

I took a deep breath, walking over to where they were gathered.

“Okay,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me. “Let’s talk.”

There was a pause, and I could see the tension in all three of their bodies. Jaxon shifted, looking almost like he wanted to crack a joke to lighten the mood, but he didn’t. Instead, he just ran a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable.

“Where do we start?” Caden asked quietly, his eyes locked on mine.

I met his gaze, trying to push past the awkwardness that was swallowing us whole. “I think we start by being honest. With each other.”

Ryder cleared his throat, speaking up for the first time since I arrived. “I think we’re all feeling the same thing. This bond—it’s messing with us, and none of us knows how to deal with it. But what I do know is that we can’t keep avoiding each other, not if we want things to work.”

“Exactly,” I agreed, nodding. “We’ve all been pushing away from each other, and it’s not helping. This bond—it’s not something we can control, but that doesn’t mean we let it destroy us. I won’t let it destroy us.”

There was a brief moment of silence before Jaxon spoke up, his tone uncharacteristically serious. “Amara’s right. We’ve been fighting the wrong battle, blaming the bond when the problem is how we’re handling it. If we want to make it work, we’ve got to do it together. No more pulling away from each other.”

“I agree,” Caden chimed in, his voice quieter but no less firm. “We’re brothers. We’ve always been able to face things together. This—this bond—it’s just another challenge we have to figure out. I don’t want to lose anyone.”

“Then stop pushing me away,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. My eyes flickered from Caden to Jaxon to Ryder, and I saw the remorse flash across their faces.

“I’m sorry,” Caden said, his voice thick with emotion. “I know I’ve been distant, but I don’t know how to handle this. The thought of sharing you with them—it’s killing me, Amara.”

Ryder stepped forward, his presence as commanding as ever. “None of us know how to handle it. But if we keep letting this possessiveness drive us apart, it’ll tear us all to pieces. You think I don’t feel it? The anger? The jealousy?”

I shook my head, a lump forming in my throat. “I know you do, Ryder. I know. But I’m not some prize to be fought over. I never wanted any of this. I didn’t choose this bond. It’s just… here.”

The raw honesty in my words seemed to hang between us, making the air thick with unspoken feelings. Jaxon cleared his throat and stepped closer to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I think we’re all guilty of trying to control things we don’t understand. Maybe it’s time to stop fighting and start trusting each other. Not just the bond, but each other.”

I looked up at him, my heart pounding. “Do you really think we can make it work?”

Jaxon’s smile, though small, was sincere. “I do. But it’s going to take time. We’ve all got our demons to face. And we’re going to do it together, right?”

Caden, too, nodded. “Together,” he agreed.

Ryder, the last to speak, simply said, “No more games. No more pretending.” He stepped closer to me, his eyes locking with mine. “I won’t lose you, Amara. Not to them. Not to anything. We’ll figure it out. Together.”

And in that moment, something inside me shifted. The doubt and fear that had been building up inside me seemed to recede, replaced with a quiet kind of hope. It wasn’t going to be easy, but for the first time in a long while, I truly felt like we were all in this together.

We didn’t have all the answers. We didn’t have a clear path forward. But we had each other. And maybe, just maybe, that would be enough.

The days following our conversation felt like a slow, steady shift. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t instant. But there was a change—a fragile understanding between the four of us that hadn’t been there before. Ryder, Jaxon, Caden, and I were finally trying to face this bond together, rather than letting it tear us apart.

The tension between us had faded, at least a little, though there were still moments when the weight of it would settle heavily over me. But now, we talked. We actually communicated, even when it was uncomfortable or hard. And for the first time in weeks, I wasn’t carrying the burden of it all on my own.

Today, as I sat in the lunchroom with Caden beside me, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of relief. He was quieter than usual, but there was something warmer in his gaze—something that hadn’t been there before.

“Are you doing okay?” I asked him, breaking the silence between us. I picked at my food, feeling the heaviness of the past few days still lingering in the background.

Caden glanced up from his plate, meeting my eyes. His expression softened, and he gave me a small, almost shy smile. “I think I’m starting to. It’s just… a lot to process, you know?” He looked down at his food, swirling his fork. “I didn’t realize how much I was holding in. But I think we’re all on the same page now.”

I nodded, my heart swelling at his words. “I don’t want us to keep bottling it up. I want to talk about everything—about us—and figure out how to make it work.”

He chuckled softly, but there was a sadness to it. “It’s crazy, isn’t it? One moment we’re just regular brothers… and the next thing we know, we’re bonded to the same girl, trying to figure out how to share that without completely losing ourselves.”

I exhaled sharply. “I don’t want any of us to lose ourselves. But I also don’t want to lose you… or Jaxon… or Ryder. I don’t want to feel torn between you. I hate that this bond makes it so hard.”

Caden’s gaze softened as he reached over, placing his hand over mine. “Amara, none of us want to hurt you. But I think we’ve been hurting ourselves more than anything else. We need to find a way to be honest with each other—not just about the bond, but about our feelings. And I know it’s not easy, but I’m willing to try if you are.”

I squeezed his hand, grateful for his sincerity. “I’m willing. I don’t want to be scared of what we have anymore.”

Before Caden could respond, Ryder and Jaxon walked into the cafeteria, both of them looking a little more relaxed than usual. They spotted us at the table and made their way over.

“Mind if we join you?” Ryder asked, his voice light but still carrying that underlying seriousness.

I smiled at him, nodding. “Of course. We’re in this together, right?”

Ryder slid into the seat beside me, his eyes softening as he glanced at me. “Together. I think we’ve all made that clear now.”

Jaxon smirked as he grabbed a seat across from us. “Good, because I’m not sure we’d survive the drama if we weren’t.” He raised an eyebrow, his playful demeanor still there, but there was a level of understanding that hadn’t existed before.

I rolled my eyes, but there was a warmth in my chest as I looked between the three of them. Despite everything, despite how difficult this bond was, we were finally starting to find our way. It was messy. It was complicated. But maybe that was okay.

We ate together, talked about random things—school, upcoming plans, the usual—but there was something different about the way we interacted. It wasn’t just casual conversation. It felt like we were taking small steps toward something real. Towards us. Towards healing.

As the bell rang for the next class, we all stood up together, gathering our things. The triplets were quiet for a moment, and I could feel the bond pulling us closer, threading us together in a way I hadn’t fully understood before.

“I’ll walk you to class,” Ryder said, his voice soft and warm. There was a subtle possessiveness in his tone, but I didn’t mind. It was comforting.

“Thanks,” I replied, glancing at Caden and Jaxon. “See you guys later?”

“Of course,” Jaxon said with a grin. “We’re not letting you off that easily.”

We walked out of the cafeteria, Ryder’s hand brushing against mine. I glanced up at him, the corners of my lips turning up in a soft smile.

Maybe things weren’t perfect yet. But for the first time in a long time, I felt like we were getting somewhere.