Page 124 of Triplet Babies for my Ex's Best Friend

A frown crosses her face. “Okay.”

I glance at Oliver. “We’ll be in the office.”

He nods, already distracted by the imminent collapse of his construction.

Addy follows me down the hallway. The door closes behind us with a soft, decisive click.

She crosses her arms lightly. “This feels ominous.”

I meet her gaze. “It isn’t. We… need to establish boundaries.”

There. Direct and necessary.

Her expression stills. “Okay.”

“This situation,” I continue, “isn’t sustainable without structure.”

A flicker of emotion crosses her face. “Agreed.”

“Then we define it.”

She nods once. “Define away.”

I hold her gaze. “Nothing in front of Oliver.”

Her expression softens slightly, and the tension between us gives way to something more serious. Whatever this is, neither of us wants him caught in it.

“Obviously,” she says.

“Nothing that interferes with your work.”

“Also obvious.”

I pause because the next part is the only one that matters and the only one I don’t want to say. “If it becomes complicated?—”

She tilts her head. “It already is.”

“Yes,” I say. “Which is why we don’t allow it to escalate further.”

Her gaze holds mine. “And if it does?”

“It ends.”

She watches me for a long moment, then nods. “Okay. But you’re the one who loses control, remember?”

My jaw tightens slightly. “That’s not true.”

She raises a brow. “No?”

“No.”

She takes a step closer. “Because from where I was standing, you didn’t exactly look like a man exercising excellent judgment the other night.”

I hold her gaze. “And you did?”

She exhales a small, almost laugh. “Absolutely not.”

She’s honest, which feels dangerous. Especially with her in my personal space. “Addy?—”