Page 145 of Well That Happened

Her jaw drops. “You’re treating me like a dog choosing between treats.”

“We thought of it more like… enrichment time,” Caleb offers. “A little mental stimulation for our favorite girl.”

She walks straight into the room.

And glares.

“You wanna know who I’d pick?Noneof you.”

“Wait, what—?”

“You think it’s cute, trying to turn me into some kind of prize?” Her voice isn’t loud, but it cracks. “Like I’m a game to win?”

Caleb’s face falls.

Grayson straightens.

I go still.

Rilee crosses her arms. “I get it. You’re boys. You joke. You compete. But you don’t get to pit yourselves against each other like I’m the payoff. Youdon’tget to make me choose.”

Grayson opens his mouth—then closes it.

Caleb swallows. “Ri, we didn’t mean it like—”

“I know what you meant,” she cuts in. “But it still sucked.”

Silence.

Long. Sharp. Awkward as hell.

Then she sighs, softer this time.

“I like you all. Okay? In different ways. For different reasons. And I don’t want to be forced into these little moments where you’re all waiting for me to declare a winner.”

Her eyes flick to each of us.

“I just wanted to watch a stupid movie and be held by guys who mean something to me. Not… get tricked into proving something.”

And then—like the goddamn goddess she is—she grabs the blanket from my lap.

Takes the gummies from Caleb.

Snatches the pillow from Grayson’s side.

Drops them all in themiddleof the couch.

And sits right there. Cross-legged. Waiting.

“Pick a movie,” she says, voice calm but still crackling with heat.

We don’t speak.

We just move.

Caleb sinks down on one side of her.

Grayson takes the other, setting the pillow behind her back.

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