The falls

chapter 40

The morning sun filtered through the curtains of the log cabin, casting soft shadows on the floor. Lilien sat up in bed, her heart racing. She stared at the unfamiliar item in her hands—a training bra with llamas on it, clearly neomi's. Lilien's mind was a storm of conflicting thoughts, her emotions tangled in knots.

She had been denying it all morning, trying to find any other explanation for why she had woken up naked next to Jessica and Noemi. Maybe it had been a dream, or maybe something else had happened—but every logical explanation she came up with only pointed to the undeniable truth.

She had agreed to be vulnerable with them. She had agreed to have sex with them.

Lilien closed her eyes, gripping the small piece of clothing tighter in her hands. The memory of last night came flooding back—how it had started with an awkward but honest conversation between the three of them. They had talked about what they wanted. None of it had felt forced or rushed. They had all made the decision together, ensuring everyone was comfortable with it before moving forward.

But now, in the quiet of the morning, fear crept in. What if this changed everything? What if she screwed up their relationship? Lilien was terrified of what emotional vulnerability could mean, especially with people she cared about so much. She had always tried to keep her guard up, to be in control, (partially because it became instinctual with how long her parents tried to make her perfect) but last night had been different. She had let herself feel, had let herself trust. It was exhilarating, but now the weight of it was pressing down on her.

Still, she couldn't deny how safe she'd felt with them, how respected she had felt. Noemi and Jessica had been open and honest every step of the way, and they had treated her with a kindness she hadn't expected. They hadn't just been careful with her body—they had been careful with her heart.

A small smile tugged at Lilien's lips as she let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. As terrifying as the thought of being vulnerable was, the truth was she'd gladly do it again. Not just because of the physical aspect of what happened; though that had been the best feeling she'd ever experienced; but because of the connection she felt. Jessica and Noemi respected her, truly respected her, and she knew they'd continue to be open with each other going forward.

And that was the part that made her realize it wasn't as scary as she thought. They had all agreed to this, and they would all continue to be honest with each other. They weren't going to let it mess things up. They had built something solid together—something based on trust.

Lilien lay back down for a moment, staring up at the wooden beams of the cabin ceiling. She was still nervous, still scared that things might feel different now. But there was also something reassuring about knowing she wasn't alone in this. They were all figuring things out together.

And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.