Page 88 of Faking with Three

“You mean Jax is suing her?”

I shrug. “Well, we’re all in this together?—”

Clawdia’s ears perk as she suddenly leaps onto my lap, startling me mid-sentence. “Since when is she so chummy with you?” Heather asks, narrowing her eyes through the screen.

“Uh, a few days,” I reply distractedly, running my fingers over Clawdia’s soft fur. “Maybe she just likes me better than you now.”

I was hoping she would be distracted by the cat’s cute face but when she narrows her eyes at me, I know that’s not going to work.

“Liv, there’s something you’re not telling me.”

I glance at Clawdia as if she might bail me out, but the cat just purrs contentedly, oblivious to my inner turmoil. Heather doesn’t drop her gaze, and I can feel her probing through the screen.

“What makes you say that?” I ask, stalling.

Heather leans closer to her camera. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the way you’ve been ignoring my calls, giving me one-word replies to texts, and generally acting like a human mystery novel. Liv, come on. I know you. This isn’t just about Charlie Green, is it?”

I sigh, heavily. My hand stills on Clawdia’s back, and I stare down at her, unable to meet Heather’s eyes through the screen. She’s right. There is more—so much more. But how do I even begin to explain it?

Heather’s voice softens. “Liv, you’re my best friend. You can tell me anything.”

Her sincerity undoes me. My stomach churns as I finally look up, my heart racing. “Okay,” I say slowly, the word feeling like a betrayal of the fragile bubble I’ve been living in. “It’s not just Charlie Green.”

Heather doesn’t interrupt, waiting for me to continue.

“It’s... them,” I admit, the words tumbling out like a confession. “All three of them. Jax. Ethan. Marcus.”

“Ethan? Now what did that asshole do?” she says. “Are they trying to cut you out of the pay on the channel? If they even try to remotely do anything like that, feel free to sue them. Even Ethan. In fact, I’ll be at court cheering for you.”

I shake my head. “That’s not what…” I sigh, rubbing my temple. “That’s not it.”

“Then what?” she says. “I know that woman has been saying vile things about you. All of you. Don’t let her get into your head, Liv. You’re better than that.”

“And what if she’s right?” I say, finally looking up.

“What?” she blinks.

“What if I’m with all three of them? Even your brother?”

Her eyes widen. She opens then closes her mouth like a fish. “You mean you’re working with them?” she finally says.

“No,” I say quietly, barely able to believe I’m saying this out loud. “I mean... I’mwiththem.”

“Wait, you’re serious,” she finally says.

“Yeah,” I say.

“Even Jax?”

“Yes, even your brother,” I say.

“I didn’t plan it, Heather. It just… happened. And now it’s messy and complicated, but it’s real. They care about me, and I care about them.”

Heather leans back in her chair, crossing her arms as she studies me. “So let me get this straight. You’re in a relationship with all three of them. And while that’s happening, my brother is suing Charlie Green for custody of his kid, and she’s dragging all of your names through the mud?”

“Yeah,” I say simply. “That about sums it up.”

“That’s a lot, Liv,” she says

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