Page 58 of Faking with Three

I stiffen slightly, my mind catching on her words.Crazy like Ethan and Jax.Does that mean she’s noticed their attention? Is she flattered by it? Or worse—interested? I should say something, maybe joke it off, but my throat feels tight. Instead, I just nod.

“Well, someone’s got to be the adult,” I manage to say.

“That’s you for sure.” She squints at me. “You know when I was younger, I wanted to be a doctor, just like you.”

I chuckle, but it’s another reminder of how inappropriate my relationship with her really is.

It feels good to sit with her, but the unspoken tension between us is impossible to ignore. I clear my throat, trying to find the right words, the kind that doesn’t immediately make her bolt.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” I start, leaning forward slightly. “The other night... at my apartment.”

Her cheeks flush instantly, and I don’t miss the way her fingers tighten around her cup. She avoids my gaze, glancing out the window like it holds some kind of escape.

“Marcus...” she says, a soft warning in her tone.

I hold up a hand, offering a small smile. “I’m not trying to make things awkward. It’s just... well, it happened. I think we should at least acknowledge it.

“I just… I’ve been thinking about it. A lot.”

She looks down at her coffee, her fingers tightening around the cup. “It was… unexpected.”

“That’s one way to put it,” I say, trying to keep my tone light, though my chest tightens with the weight of her words. “But it wasn’t just... random for me. It wasn’t just…anything.”

I want to say more. I need to say more. It isn’t just Jax and Ethan; it’s me, as well. I like you more than I can care to admit. But I can’t tell her that. Knowing her, it’s only going to drive her away.

Olivia finally meets my eyes, and for a moment, there’s something raw and vulnerable there. But just as quickly, she looks away, her gaze shifting over my shoulder.

“Oh!” she says suddenly, waving toward someone in the distance.

I turn to follow her gaze and spot a small boy, no older than eight, standing near the sugar station. His oversized coat and beanie make him look even smaller, his wide eyes darting nervously as he clutches a hot chocolate cup like it’s the most precious thing in the world.

“That’s Adam,” Olivia says, standing up. “We met him at the skating rink.”

I squint. “He looks… familiar for some reason.”

Olivia doesn’t answer right away, but waves at the boy. “Hey, Adam,” she says, her voice warm. “Remember me?”

The boy’s face lights up when he sees her, and he walks up to our table. “You’re the nice lady who helped me with my skates!”

“That’s right.” She grins, ruffling his beanie. “How’s it going?”

“Good,” he says shyly, glancing around like he’s expecting someone.

“Is your cousin here?” Olivia asks.

Before he can answer, a sharp voice cuts through the coffee shop. “Adam, what are you doing?”

Both Olivia and I turn to see her—Charlie Green, standing a few feet away, her arms crossed and her face contorted in an expression of pure annoyance.

I keep staring at the kid. There’s something about him that I can’t quite place.

“Auntie Char!” Adam says, running to her and grabbing her hand. “She’s my friend!”

Olivia’s jaw tightens, and she straightens to her full height. “Auntie?” she echoes, her voice carefully neutral.

Charlie’s eyes narrow as they dart between Olivia and me. “What are you two doing here?”

“Having coffee,” I say evenly, though my mind is racing. “You?”

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