Chapter 19

ISABELLA

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What am I going to wear?

I decide to call Alex to the rescue.

"I need your help!" I tell him without missing a beat.

"Hello, Alex. How are you?"

"I don't have time for this bullshit. I've got to join the Blacks for breakfast."

"Wait, rewind. Weren't you depressed last night?"

"Yeah well to make a long story short, Jax came over, we talked and we both fell asleep. His brothers were worried because he hadn't come home and they came to my place. Anyway, they invited me to have breakfast with them."

"All three of them? What's the deal?"

"All three of them like me and they want to get to know all three of me and they don't care. Like they're not jealous of each other."

"Are you fucking aware that you're living my dream? Three fucking hotties are ready to share you." He sighs. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm seriously jealous of you."

"What the hell am I wearing?"

"Something casual. A light dress or jeans with a t-shirt or blouse."

"Thank you, Alex. You're a lifesaver... as always. I was literally freaking out over an outfit."

"It'll come back, sweetie. You'll get used to trusting yourself again. You still don't want to tell me what happened yesterday when you went up to their place?"

"No." I answer simply because, firstly, I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about it and, secondly, I still haven't digested the whole thing.

"Okay. Just go with the flow. Don't let it go to your head, okay?"

"I promise I'll try." I answer, a smile stretching my lips.

"I love you, Isa. have a great day and I want a detailed report as soon as you can."

"Promise. Love you too."

As soon as I hang up the phone, I grab a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. I tie my hair in a ponytail and lightly apply make-up. Then I slip on a pair of flat brown sandals and look at my reflection in the big mirror in my bedroom. I take a deep breath and wipe my hands on my thighs.

Off we go! As I enter the elevator, I punch in the code and it goes up.

After a few seconds, the doors open and after a moment's hesitation, I get out. I don't see anyone in the lobby and I don't know whether to go in or stay there.

"In the kitchen!" Someone shouts and I follow the voice.

As I enter the kitchen, I take the time to observe the scene before me. Jax is placing empty plates on the counter, while Asher is squeezing oranges and Jax is arranging plates on which I can make out waffles, bacon, eggs, fruit, pancakes and so on. Wow, that's a real hotel breakfast.

"We didn't know what you preferred, so I made a little of everything." Knox tells me with a smile and Jax clears his throat, crossing his arms. "Okay, I plead guilty. I ordered because three men living together equals an empty fridge."

I snort." I had a feeling you didn't do all this yourself you know."

"Sit down." Knox says, pulling out a stool for me. "Coffee, tea..."

"Coffee, with a dash of milk." I cut him off and he smiles at me.

Will I ever get used to those dimples? Asher turns and sets a carafe of orange juice on the counter. When our eyes meet, I literally bristle.

Will I ever be able to control my body in his presence? I'm undeniably attracted to him whenever I'm in the same room as him or when our eyes meet. He opens his mouth as if he's about to speak, but then turns back around. Knox sits down on the vacant stool next to me, a mug in each hand. He places one in front of me and takes a sip from the second. I take a sip. "Perfect." I murmur to myself.

He's managed to make me a coffee exactly the way I like it on the first try.

"Thank you." I say, smiling at him.

"You're welcome. It's a pleasure to please you." He wiggles his eyebrows, in case his insinuation has gone unnoticed.

"Stop it. You'll make her uncomfortable." Asher tells him sharply.

Knox snorts as he puts bacon on his plate. "The only person making her uncomfortable is you...Mr. Psycho-rigid." He adds under his breath.

"Stop it, both of you." Jax says, shaking his head. "I'm sorry for their behavior, but they can't help it."

"It's nothing... on the contrary. I want you to be yourself. I want to get to know you and not have you pretend."

"Sounds doable." Konx replies with a wink.

Asher nods and sits down opposite me. The boys quickly start eating and chatting.

"Someone will come tomorrow to replace the countertop." The eldest announces and his two brothers laugh.

I think it must be a private joke because I don't understand how changing the countertop in a kitchen they recently renovated is funny.

Seen from the outside, this scene may seem quite innocuous. Three brothers having breakfast with a friend, discussing a variety of topics. But this scene is far from harmless and normal. None of this is normal. It's not normal to eat with werewolves, to consider a romantic relationship with three other people. The more I think about it, the faster my heart rate increases. I find myself with three pairs of eyes staring back at me, which doesn't help.

Knox's hand settles on my thigh. "Hey, are you okay?" he asks, genuinely concerned.

"I'm..." For a brief moment, I consider lying and saying I'm fine, putting on an act and going home. But I don't feel like pretending in front of them. It's a strange thing to admit, but I'm convinced I can trust them. "I don't know. I feel nervous and at the same time I have this feeling that I'm where I'm supposed to be." I shake my head. "I don't know if that makes sense."