Page 61 of Faking with Three

My chest is heaving, the sheets are tangled around me, and my skin is damp with sweat. My hand flies to my forehead as I sit up, blinking into the darkness of my room. My heart is racing, and my body still tingles from the dream.

“What the hell was that?” I whisper to myself, running a hand through my hair. My pulse pounds in my ears as the images from the dream linger, vivid and unrelenting. Marcus, Jax, Ethan. All of them, in their own way, consuming me.

I fall back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling as realization washes over me. Who was I even dreaming about? One of them? All of them? The thought sends a shiver through me. This can’t be happening.

I drag myself out of bed, the remnants of my dream clinging to me like cobwebs I can’t shake off. My cheeks burn as I splash cold water on my face, trying to cool the heat that keeps rising at the memory. Marcus. Jax. Ethan. All of them. It was too much. It is too much.

I hate this.

Pulling on a loose, oversized sweater and jeans, I try to shake off the confusion that’s twisting my thoughts. I’m a grown woman. I’ve built a career from scratch and survived the competitive hellscape of the tech industry, and yet here I am.

My phone vibrates on the counter, Heather’s name flashing across the screen for what feels like the hundredth time. I sigh, ignoring it again. Ever since the episode with Ethan aired, she’s been relentless. “That chemistry was practically illegal,” she’d said in one of her texts. “I’m already obsessed. What’s going on with you two?”

If only it were that simple.

I decide to take a walk to clear my head.

The street is already buzzing with life—coffee shops filling with early risers, joggers weaving through pedestrians, and shop owners setting up for the day. Normally, the hum of the city grounds me. Today, it feels like static.

I replay the events of the past few weeks in my head—everything that happened between me and them.

It all loops like a movie I can’t turn off. And the worst part? I can’t make sense of what I feel for any of them.

Am I falling for one of them? All of them?

I grab my regular coffee order before taking off, checking my phone while I walk.

My phone buzzes again—another text from Heather.

Heather:“Are you seriously ignoring me? Spill the tea, Chase. You and Ethan were basically eye-fucking on screen. Tell me EVERYTHING.”

I groan internally.

Since the episode aired, fans have paid us overwhelming attention. People are already shipping us—Ethan and me, Jax and me, and Marcus. The comments are insane, and while a part of me should feel flattered, I just feel… lost.

I scroll through a few of the fan reactions, my eyes catching phrases like "ultimate chemistry" and "Love Lab’s best couple yet." My stomach churns. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the love from the audience, but they don’t know what’s really going on.

My thoughts are a tangled mess, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t make sense of the situation I’ve found myself in. Ethan. Jax. Marcus. What the hell have I done?

And worse, I can’t stop thinking about them—each of them—like some kind of unhinged soap opera playing on repeat in my head.

What happens when they piece it together?

I run my fingers through my hair, tugging lightly as if the motion will somehow clear my scrambled thoughts. I can’t keep avoiding this. They deserve the truth. I have to tell them.

Draining the last of my latte, I head to Ethan’s apartment. We’re supposed to be having a meeting today. It’s time to strategize and plan what we’re going to do now that Charlie Green had put her foot down.

By the time I reach his door, my heart is racing. I knock twice, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

The door swings open, but it’s not Ethan standing there.

“Marcus?” I say, startled.

He looks just as surprised to see me. “Olivia. I wasn’t expecting you.”

I shift awkwardly on my feet, trying to decide how to begin. “Is Ethan here?”

“No, he’s out. Grocery run,” Marcus says, leaning against the doorframe. His eyes are fixed on me, studying me in a way that makes my pulse quicken.

---