Page 85 of Faking with Three

A spike of concern darts through me. “Wait—you threw up? Are you feeling better now?” I rest my palm gently on her back, where the sweater has slipped off one shoulder. “We probably shouldn’t have mixed gin with greasy jalapeños and day-old fish. You think it’s just an upset stomach, or maybe you’ve got actual food poisoning?”

She gives a shaky laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I hope not. I’m feeling a bit better, but it was rough earlier. Didn’t want to wake you guys.”

“You sure you’re okay?” I press, “We can head to a doctor if you need—there’s that urgent care about a twenty-minute drive from here.”

She shakes her head. “Let’s hold off, at least for now. I just needed some air. Promise I’ll let you know if it gets worse.”

I nod, but I don’t move my hand from her back. Her shoulders feel tense under my touch, like she’s bracing against something. We both face the ocean, watching the sunrise spread a warm peach glow along the horizon. The waves lap at theshoreline, a gentle hush that makes the world feel peaceful, even if my insides are churning with worry.

After a few moments, I clear my throat. “I, um… I wanted to talk, actually. We haven’t had much downtime to just sit and…” I struggle for the right word. “To just be.”

Olivia turns her gaze from the water, eyebrows knitted. “Sure. What’s on your mind?”

“Us,” I admit after a moment. “This... whatever it is we’re doing.”

Her brows lift slightly, and for a second, I think I see a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. “What about it?”

I draw in a slow breath, the words coming out heavier than I mean them to. “I guess I’m wondering where we stand. You’ve got Ethan, Marcus, and me all tangled up in your orbit, and I can’t tell if it’s just... fun, or if there’s more to it.”

Her lips press together, and she looks down at the sand, tracing absent patterns with her fingers. “You think this is just fun for me?”

“I don’t know,” I say honestly.

Olivia’s quiet for a moment, her gaze fixed on the sand. Then she lifts her head, meeting my eyes. “I didn’t plan any of this, Jax. I didn’t wake up one day and think, ‘You know what would be great? Getting involved with three guys I work with.’ It just... happened. I know it was Ethan’s idea at first, but it’s as good as all of ours now. And yeah, it’s messy and complicated, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real.”

“So it’s not just fun?”

She shakes her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “It’s fun, sure. But it’s more than that. At least for me.”

I nod slowly, her answer settling over me like a warm blanket. It’s not everything I need, but it’s something. A start.

“I don’t want to screw this up,” I admit, my voice quieter now. “You, me, all of us—I don’t want to lose it because I’m too much of a mess to figure out how to make it work.”

Her smile softens, and she reaches out, resting her hand on mine. “You’re not going to screw it up, Jax.”

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “What if I already have?” The words come out heavier than I intend, and I glance down at the sand, dragging my hand through it. “With Adam, I mean.”

She turns toward me, her brows pulling together. “Jax…”

I cut her off, the knot in my chest tightening as the words tumble out. “I know threatening her seemed like a good idea at the time. Charlie deserved it—hell, she was practically begging for it. But all I did was close the door on reconnecting with him.”

Olivia’s quiet for a moment. Then she looks at me. “And do you want to? Reconnect with him?”

“Should’ve been an option for me,” I mutter. “That’s the thing, Liv. It wasn’t just about wanting it—it was my right. My right to be in his life, to watch him grow up, to… to be his dad.”

Olivia shifts, angling toward me fully. Her hand rests lightly on my forearm. “You’re his dad. No one—not her, not his mom—can change that.”

“I just don’t want to hurt him. He’s just a kid.”

“Adam deserves his dad, Jax. And you deserve the chance to be that for him,” Olivia says. I expected her to tell me to let go of it—and Adam. That’s part of the reason I told her, but she’s doing the opposite.

I look at her and the words are right on the tip of my tongue. I love you, Olivia.

And this is why I love her.

“What am I supposed to do, Liv? Send a letter? Call his mom? Show up at their doorstep and hope for the best? Every time I think about trying, it feels… pointless.”

“It’s not pointless. And I promise, once we get back to the city, we’ll figure something out.”

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