Page 170 of Triplet Babies for my Ex's Best Friend

The bluntness of it seems to catch even him off guard.

Beside him, Celeste closes her eyes briefly. She saw that answer coming approximately five minutes ago.

Bryce lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Because of a breakup?”

“No,” I say calmly. “Because tonight isn’t the night. This evening is over.”

Bryce looks at me again. “Ethan?—”

“No.” I hold his gaze steadily. “You need to leave.”

Celeste exhales softly beside him. “Bryce, we should go.”

Then, finally, he nods once. “Fine.”

Relief moves through the room so quickly it’s almost physical. Especially as he exits.

Once the door closes behind them, Addy looks down briefly, blinking hard once.

And suddenly I understand something with alarming clarity: Bryce didn’t just break her heart. He made her expect less from people.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Addy

I don’t thinkI’ve ever been this exhausted in my entire life.

Which is impressive, honestly, because I once worked for twins who communicated exclusively through screaming and sticky hands.

But this?

This feels different.

Heavier.

Like my nervous system has simply decided to clock out for the evening.

The penthouse is quiet now that Bryce and Celeste are gone. Too quiet, almost. The kind of silence that settles after a storm passes, where everything looks intact until you notice the cracks.

Captain seems to sense it too.

He’s lying directly across my feet beneath the kitchen island like an emotional support rug, occasionally sighing dramatically enough to suggest this evening has also been difficult for him personally.

I’m still standing in exactly the same spot where Ethan left me a minute ago, trying to process the fact that he actually did it.

He threw Bryce out for me.

The thought keeps short-circuiting in my brain.

Because Bryce always made me feel like accommodating me was exhausting. Like my emotions were dramatic, inconvenient things people had to tolerate.

And Ethan just… handled it without hesitation. Without making me beg for it. Without acting like I was unreasonable for being upset.

It shouldn’t feel revolutionary.