Page 22 of Puck Me Thrice
Instead, I told the truth.
"I have feelings for Mira," I said, standing up and facing my teammates head-on. "Real ones. Complicated ones. The kind that makes me question every priority I've established for myself."
Blake made a choked sound. Logan's expression shuttered.
"I know this is messy," I continued. "I know it's probably stupid. I know it definitely violates multiple team dynamics rules I'm supposed to be enforcing as captain. But I'm not going to lie about it."
"Great," Logan said, his voice bitter. "Good talk. Thanks for the honesty."
"Logan—" I started.
"I have feelings for her too," Logan interrupted, the words bursting out defensive and raw. "There. I said it. Are you happy?"
Silence crashed over the gymnasium.
"She gets my anxiety in ways no one else does," Logan continued, the words tumbling out now that he'd started. "Talking to her feels like finally being understood. Watching her skate made me reconsider what I thought was attractive. I've been leaving coffee and notes like a Victorian suitor because I've apparently lost all game when it comes to expressing genuine emotion."
He laughed, but it sounded broken.
Blake cleared his throat. "She makes me feel seen rather than useful. Makes me think maybe I could be more than my size and fighting capacity. Makes me want things I've never let myself want before."
We all turned to Mira, who stood against the gym wall looking stunned, overwhelmed, and completely unable to process three men essentially confessing attraction simultaneously.
Her mouth opened, and then closed.
"This is insane," she finally said, her voice shaky with disbelief. "This is completely insane."
"Agreed," I said.
"I'm supposed to be your performance specialist, not the center of some bizarre love triangle romance situation."
"Also agreed," Logan added.
"I've never successfully navigated a relationship with one person, let alone whatever this would require."
"Fair point," Blake said quietly.
"I'm emotionally stunted, socially inexperienced, and probably the worst possible candidate for any kind of romantic entanglement."
None of us disagreed with that assessment, mainly because she was currently having a minor breakdown in a public gymnasium.
"But—" Mira paused, looking at each of us with an expression that was equal parts terrified and hopeful. "I have feelings for all three of you."
Time stopped.
"Different feelings," she continued quickly. "Specific to each person. But real and undeniable. Completely overwhelming."
"Okay," I said slowly, my brain struggling to process this admission.
"I don't know what that means," Mira continued. "I don't know how it could possibly work. I don't know if I'm even capable of being what any of you might need."
Nobody had solutions. Nobody knew what happened next.
"We should go home," I said finally, falling back on captain mode when everything else felt too overwhelming. "Table this conversation for when everyone's calmer and more rational."
"Will we be calmer and more rational?" Logan asked.
"Probably not," I admitted. "But we can pretend."
