Page 106 of Faking with Three

“It is,” I agree, smiling despite myself.

The rest of the afternoon is a blur of unloading boxes, unpacking, and claiming bedrooms. The guys argue over who gets what space, but it’s all in good fun. I take the room closest to the library—because yes, this house has a library—and spend a good ten minutes just marveling at the built-in shelves and cozy window seat.

Outside, a couple of neighbors linger on the sidewalk, watching us with thinly veiled curiosity. They’re trying to act casual, but their glances are far too frequent to be accidental.

“Think we’re the talk of the neighborhood already?” I ask, nodding toward them.

Ethan grins, leaning on the doorframe. “Definitely. We should do a house tour. Give them something to really talk about.”

Marcus groans from where he’s wrestling with an overly complicated bedframe. “Last thing we need is to make an even bigger spectacle of ourselves.”

Jax walks in from the backyard, wiping sweat off his brow. “Speaking of spectacles, the announcement video is still trending. We’re holding steady at number three.”

“Number three?” I repeat, my stomach flipping. “Since last week?”

“Yep.” He tosses me a bottle of water, his grin easy. “Seems like people can’t get enough of us.”

I take a long sip, letting his words sink in. It’s a good sign—better than good, really—but it also feels like a challenge. We’ve managed to hold their attention, but what happens next?

“House tour idea isn’t bad,” Ethan says, nudging me with his elbow. “Maybe it’s the kind of content we need to keep the momentum going.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Let’s unpack first, WeTube star. Then we’ll think about the next big production.”

By the time the last box is unloaded and most of the furniture is in place, the house is starting to look less like a blank canvas and more like somewhere we might actually live. The kitchen counters are cluttered with mismatched mugs, a box of pastries Ethan brought as motivation, and a half-unpacked blender. The living room is still mostly empty, save for a couch Marcus wrestled into place with an impressive amount of cursing.

“Dinner’s on me tonight,” Ethan announces, flopping onto the couch with exaggerated exhaustion. “I think I deserve a medal for the sheer number of boxes I carried.”

“You carried, what, three?” Marcus shoots back, smirking. “Maybe four?”

“Details,” Ethan says, waving him off. “I’ll order pizza. That counts as contributing.”

Jax walks in from the backyard again, looking amused as he surveys the chaos. “I’d call it bribery, not contributing.”

“Bribery works,” Ethan replies, already pulling out his phone.

I settle onto the arm of the couch, taking a moment to soak it all in. The place still feels massive, like it might take weeks to fill all the space, but it’s starting to feel less overwhelming and more like ours. The sound of Ethan bickering with Marcus, the sight of Jax smirking in the doorway—it’s grounding in a way I didn’t expect.

“You’re quiet,” Jax says, his voice low as he steps closer. “What’s on your mind?”

I shrug, glancing up at him. “Just thinking about how far we’ve come. A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined this. Any of it.”

He leans against the wall, his gaze soft. “It’s a lot, but we’re here. That’s what matters.”

A knock at the door interrupts the moment, and Ethan perks up. “Pizza already? That was fast.”

He strides over to the door, but instead of a delivery driver, it’s one of the neighbors—a middle-aged woman with neatly curled hair and a curious smile. She’s holding a plate covered with foil.

“Welcome to the neighborhood,” she says brightly, offering Ethan the plate. “Thought I’d bring over some cookies. I’m Sarah, by the way. I live two houses down.”

Ethan grins, his charm dialed up to eleven. “Thanks, Sarah. I’m Ethan. This is Liv, Marcus, and Jax.”

Sarah’s eyes flick to each of us, her curiosity thinly veiled. “It’s nice to meet you all. Quite a team you’ve got here.”

“You could say that,” Marcus says, smiling as he stands up.

“Thanks for the cookies,” I offer. Sarah looks like she’s about to say something but changes her mind the last second.

“Of course,” Sarah says, her smile widening. “If you need anything, just let us know. We’re a friendly bunch around here.”

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