The falls

chapter 42

The sun streamed through the tall pine trees surrounding the log cabin, casting long shadows on the front porch where Lilien sat, fidgeting with Neomi's training bra in her hands. She stared at the little images of llamas printed on the fabric, her mind swirling with thoughts from the night before. It wasn't just what had happened that had her feeling off-balance; it was the weight of everything—her parents' divorce, the pressure of perfection, and now, this new and strange relationship she had found herself in.

Taking a deep breath, she stood up, clutching the bra a little tighter. It was time to talk, time to face Jessica and Neomi. The idea made her stomach twist with nerves, but she knew it had to be done.

Lilien knocked on the door before pushing it open, finding Jessica and Neomi sitting on the couch, chatting. They both looked up as she entered, Jessica giving her a small smile, while Neomi tilted her head curiously.

"Hey, Lilien," Jessica greeted softly. "Everything okay?"

Lilien swallowed, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I, uh... I have something to return."

She held up Neomi's bra, her cheeks heating with embarrassment as she offered it back. Neomi raised an eyebrow before snickering, standing up to take it from her. "I was wondering where that went," Neomi teased, but then her expression softened. "You okay?"

Lilien nodded slowly, but her expression told a different story. "I just wanted to talk to you both about... about last night." Her voice was a little shaky, and she fidgeted with her hands. "What we did, it was... it was fun. But, at the same time, it kind of freaked me out."

Jessica stood and walked over to her, putting a comforting hand on Lilien's shoulder. "Freaked you out how?"

Lilien let out a shaky breath. "I was emotionally vulnerable with you two. And with everything going on with my parents—" Her voice cracked. "I guess I was just really worried that this... whatever we have, was going to fall apart because of that. You both know about the divorce, and I feel like everything in my life is breaking down. I thought... I thought this would too."

Neomi's brow furrowed as she stepped closer. "Lilien, listen. I don't want to break up this three-way relationship, okay? I don't know if you've noticed, but both of you make me feel safe. And loved. And that's not something I take lightly."

Jessica nodded in agreement, her voice steady. "I would never have agreed to what we did last night if I didn't feel safe with you two. I mean, it was new and weird at first, yeah, but the fact is I did agree to it. And that means something."

Lilien exhaled slowly, her tense posture relaxing a bit as she heard their words. She looked between them, her eyes softening. "I... I'm glad you both feel that way. I was just scared that maybe, with everything else going wrong in my life, this would too. But now, after what we did, I'm not so sure. That's not something people do if they're planning on breaking up, right?"

Neomi shook her head, smiling warmly. "No way. That's something people do when they trust each other. When they care about each other."

Jessica smiled too. "Exactly."

Lilien finally allowed herself to smile, the tension easing from her body. "Okay. I just needed to hear that. I'm not used to... being this open with people, especially not about stuff like this. But I trust you both."

Neomi grinned and reached out, pulling Lilien and Jessica into a tight group hug. "Then we're good, Lilien. You don't need to worry. We're all in this together."

Lilien leaned into the hug, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders.