"With her?" The venom in Emma's voice when she says 'her' makes me flinch.
Blake's hand finds mine, squeezing tight. Noah moves closer to my other side.
Silence falls. I can picture Jack running his hand through his hair, a gesture I've seen him make when he's frustrated or thinking hard.
Footsteps approach the study door. "But don't worry, Dad. I won't tell anyone. Not because I approve, but because I don't want to be humiliated when everyone finds out my father is involved in some kind of sick arrangement."
The study door flies open. Emma storms out, stomping down the stairs, her face flushed with anger. She stops when she sees us huddled together.
"Enjoy it while it lasts," she says, her voice dripping with contempt. "Because this kind of thing never does."
She grabs her purse from the hall table and stalks toward the front door. It slams behind her with enough force to rattle the windows.
Jack emerges from the study looking like he's aged ten years in thirty minutes. "I'm sorry you had to hear that."
I cross to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. He holds me tight, his face buried in my hair.
Jack pulls back slightly, keeping one arm around me. "She says she won't tell anyone. But only because exposing this would humiliate her too." He looks at each of us in turn. "She made it clear she'll use this information as leverage whenever she needs something from me."
"Blackmail," Noah says quietly. "She's blackmailing you."
"Essentially." Jack's jaw tightens. "She's angry and hurt, and she wants me to know she has power over this situation."
We move to the living room, settling onto the couches. I curl into Jack's side while Blake sits across from us, his elbows on his knees. Noah takes the armchair, his fingers drumming against the armrest.
"So what do we do?" I ask. "Just wait for her to decide when to drop this bomb?"
"We're not doing anything wrong," Jack says firmly. "We're four adults in a consensual relationship."
"Tell that to the school board," I mutter. "Or my father. Or anyone in this town."
Blake leans forward, his brown eyes serious. "Look, I know this feels like a fumble in the red zone. But we've still got possession of the ball. We just need to adjust our play."
Despite everything, I almost smile at his football analogy.
"Blake's right," Noah says. "Throughout history, unconventional relationships have existed. We're not the first people to navigate this kind of situation."
"That's not exactly comforting," I point out.
"No, but it's true." Noah adjusts his glasses.
"Emma's silence comes with a price," Jack says.
"What if the price is too high?" I ask quietly. "What if she asks for something you can't give?"
"Then we'll deal with it when it happens." Jack tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes, and kisses me. It's not a passionate kiss, more of a reassuring one.
Blake stands, crossing to where we sit. He kneels in front of me, taking my hands in his. "We're in this together. All of us. Whatever comes, we face it as a team."
Noah joins us, his hand resting on my shoulder. "He's right. We're stronger together than apart."
I look at the three men surrounding me. Jack with his commanding presence and unwavering certainty. Blake withhis protective strength and steady calm. Noah with his quiet intensity and thoughtful wisdom.
They're right. We are stronger together.
But as I open my mouth to say so, my phone rings from where I left it on the coffee table. The screen shows "Riverside Elementary School."
My breath hitches in my throat.
