Chapter 77

Rowan exhales loudly and throws her hands up. “Wooo—okay. That’s enough deep conversations for now.”

She stands, stretching like she just survived emotional boot camp, then looks straight at Naomi. “I’m raiding your bar. I need a bottle.”

Naomi laughs, still curled comfortably against Celeste. “Go ahead. Preferably tequila, please.”

Rowan points at her. “Say less.” She turns and heads toward the bar.

Celeste slips an arm around Naomi’s waist and pulls her fully onto her lap. Naomi settles there easily, like it’s exactly where she belongs.

Celeste looks at her, eyes soft but certain. “I’m ready for whatever’s next,” she says—and leans in.

The kiss is unhurried. Warm. Grounded. Naomi hums into it, smiling against Celeste’s mouth.

“I’m really happy I can get kisses freely now,” Naomi says when they part, laughing quietly.

Celeste chuckles. “Me too.”

She studies Naomi for a beat, then asks gently, “So… is there something between you and Rowan now? Since the last time I saw you two?”

Naomi doesn’t dodge it. “There could be,” she admits. “We kissed a few times. Mostly we talked—really talked. Got to know each other.” She smiles, a little fond. “Celeste… you definitely picked a good one this time.”

Celeste’s brows lift slightly, listening.

“We had some deep conversations last night and this morning,” Naomi continues, warming as she speaks. “And I want a full relationship with her too. Like—equal. All of us. No one competing. No one on the outside. We all get to love and be loved the same.”

She pauses, then adds softly, “Last night was the first time she and I were alone without you. And it was… nice. I really enjoyed being with her.”

Naomi suddenly realizes she’s rambling and winces. “Sorry—sorry. I didn’t mean to—” She stops herself, then looks directly at Celeste. “How do you feel about that?”

Celeste doesn’t hesitate. “I love it,” she says. “That’s exactly what I want. All of us. Loving each other.”

Naomi’s shoulders relax instantly.

Then—

“Well,” a voice says lightly, “that’s good to know.”

Naomi looks up.

Rowan is standing there, bottle and glasses in hand, leaning casually against the bar frame with a soft smile that says she heard everything.

Naomi squints. “How long have you been standing there silently listening?”

Rowan sets the bottle and glasses down on the coffee table. “Long enough,” she says simply. “Heard it all.”

She walks over, unhurried. Naomi is still on Celeste’s lap when Rowan stops in front of her. Rowan lifts Naomi’s chin gently, thumb warm beneath her jaw, and kisses her—soft but sure.

“I want that too,” Rowan says when she pulls back. “And I feel the exact same.”

Celeste smiles, watching them with something like awe. “I have only dreamed about this,” she admits.

Rowan laughs softly. “Okay—but real question.” She glances between them. “What do you think Simone and Lila are going to say?”

Naomi shrugs, grinning. “Honestly? I already told them I wanted both of you. That night at the club—yeah, drunk Naomi said it—but I meant it.” She laughs. “They’ve seen the love triangle forming for a while now. I don’t think they’ll be shocked.”

Rowan shakes her head, amused. “Of course drunk Naomi started the group chat early.”

Naomi grins, already halfway to mischievous, and lifts her glass like she’s about to make a toast that absolutely shouldn’t be trusted.

“You know,” she says, eyes flicking between them, “you both really love drunk Naomi.”

Celeste raises a brow. “Oh no.”

Naomi points at Rowan, laughing. “I got a moan out of you that night. A very pretty one.” She tilts her head, teasing. “Remember that? It sounded… beautiful. Wouldn’t mind hearing that again.”

Rowan groans and gives Naomi a soft shove at the shoulder, her face warming instantly. “Stop,” she laughs. “You’re going to make me blush.”

Celeste bursts out laughing, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”

Naomi beams, entirely unashamed. “And yet—deeply loved.”

She reaches for the bottle, giving it a little shake like she’s checking its remaining potential. “So,” she says brightly, already pouring, “how about we finish this and keep the night going?”

Rowan grabs a glass. “I mean… we’ve come this far.”

Celeste lifts hers too, smiling at both of them. “Yeah,” she says. “Let’s do that.”

Celeste shifts, her tone soft but intentional, eyes moving between them like she’s sealing a pact.
“I feel like tonight,” she says, a small smile tugging at her mouth, “we actually get to know each other. For real. No questions off limits. You guys down?”

Naomi slides off Celeste’s lap immediately, energized by the idea. “Deal,” she says, already reaching for the bottle like it personally challenged her. She lines up the shot glasses again, pouring with a confidence that says this night is officially committed. “Radical honesty, tequila edition.”

Rowan laughs, pushing herself up from the couch. “I’m down,” she says easily. “Let me grab chasers.” She pauses, glancing back at them. “Anyone want anything specific? We do know Naomi has everything.”

Celeste thinks for half a second. “Orange juice?”

Naomi doesn’t even look up from pouring. “Wine.”

Rowan snorts. “Of course.” She points between them. “Alright—OJ for Celeste, wine for Naomi… and,” she grins, grabbing a glass for herself, “I’ll go wine too.”

She heads toward the kitchen, calling back, “If this turns into emotional chaos, I’m blaming both of you.”

Naomi lifts her glass in mock innocence. “I accept zero responsibility.”

Celeste chuckles, watching them move around the space so naturally now—no tension, no tiptoeing. Just three people choosing to stay present.

Rowan returns, setting the chasers down like offerings. “Okay,” she says, settling back in. “No questions off limits, right?”

Naomi raises her shot. “That’s what you said.”

Celeste lifts hers too, eyes bright. “To honesty.”

Rowan clinks her glass against theirs. “And actually listening.”

They drink.

The burn is familiar now, grounding and warm, not sharp—like the night itself easing into something deeper.

Naomi exhales, satisfied. “Alright,” she says, smiling as she looks between them. “Who’s brave enough to go first?”

Rowan grins, already leaning into the chaos she helped create.
“I’ll go first,” she says, lifting her shot glass. Then she looks at Celeste. “But before that—can you order us pizza, wings… honestly just food. Period. Future us is going to be grateful.”

Celeste laughs, already pulling her phone out. “Say less.” She rattles off toppings and sauces like it’s muscle memory. “Pizza, wings, fries, something cheesy, something fried… and dessert because I’m feeling optimistic.”

Naomi raises her glass. “I love a woman who plans ahead.”

Celeste hits order and tosses her phone onto the table. “Okay. Done.”

They all take a shot together.

Rowan exhales, shakes it off, then sits up straighter, suddenly serious in that playful way that means she actually cares.
“Alright,” she says. “First question is for both of you. You can answer separately.”

She looks between them.
“What did you think of me when you first saw me?”

Celeste doesn’t hesitate. She pours herself another shot first—like she knows she’s about to tell the truth—and downs it.

“Well,” she says, setting the glass down slowly, eyes locking on Rowan. “When I first saw you, you were sitting across the room. Quiet. In the corner. Looking like you belonged there without trying to prove it.”

Rowan’s brows lift slightly.

Celeste continues, voice softer now. “And I remember thinking—oh shit. This woman is going to make me break my rules.” She smiles, a little self-aware. “Rewrite my whole life, honestly.”

Naomi lets out a low laugh. “Damn.”

Celeste shrugs, unashamed. “You had this calm confidence. Like you weren’t chasing anything—but if something came to you, you’d hold it steady.” She glances at Naomi briefly, then back to Rowan. “I knew you were trouble in the best way.”

Rowan swallows, clearly not expecting that level of honesty so fast. “Okay,” she says quietly. “Wow.”

She turns to Naomi. “Your turn.”

Naomi doesn’t answer right away this time. She turns her glass slowly, eyes on Rowan, more deliberate than before.

“When I first saw you,” she says, voice low and honest, “I thought you were beautiful. Not just physically—though, yeah, that too—but your energy. The way you carried yourself. Your aura.” She smiles faintly. “It was sexy and free, like you weren’t trying to be anything other than exactly who you are.”

Rowan’s breath catches just a little.

Naomi continues, softer now. “I clocked it immediately. And then I stopped myself.” A small shrug. “Because in my head, you were Celeste’s future girl—whether she was willing to accept that yet or not.” She lets out a quiet laugh. “So I filed it away. Admired you from a respectful distance.”

Her eyes meet Rowan’s again, steady. “Doesn’t mean I didn’t notice. I just knew where you belonged… even before all of this caught up with us.”

Naomi takes a breath, rolling the rim of her glass between her fingers before lifting her eyes to them both.

“Okay,” she says, half-smiling, half-serious. “My turn.” She pauses, then blurts it out before she can overthink it. “I know we’ve all chosen each other—and we’re good—but how come in life no one ever chooses me first?” She gives a small laugh that doesn’t quite hide the vulnerability underneath. “Am I intimidating? Hard to approach? Or am I just… doing something wrong?”

The room goes quiet.

Celeste doesn’t hesitate.

“Honestly?” she says gently. “Yeah. You are intimidating at first glance, Nae.”

Naomi winces, but Celeste keeps going, voice warm, not critical.

“You walk into a room looking like a strong, independent, take-no-shit woman,” Celeste says. “You look like if someone even thinks about approaching you, they better already have their life together.”

Naomi’s eyebrows lift.

“I mean it,” Celeste continues. “You give off this energy like—have you gone to therapy? Have you dealt with your past trauma? Have you found peace within yourself? Do you know how to communicate? Do you know how to treat a woman? Can you express your feelings without running?” She chuckles softly. “And on top of all that, you also better be affectionate as hell, because your love language is physical touch. You want a life partner, not a fling.”

Naomi stares at her, stunned.

Celeste adds, almost as an afterthought, “And let’s not ignore the fact that you’re literally rich. You already have everything, so people don’t know what they can bring to the table—even though all you’re really asking for is them. Just… themselves.”

Silence.

Rowan’s mouth is hanging open.

Naomi’s too.

Rowan slowly turns her head between them, then finally blurts, “Yeah.” She nods emphatically. “What she said.”

Naomi lets out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. “Wow. Okay. I did not expect to be read like that tonight.”

Rowan reaches over, bumping Naomi’s knee with hers. “For what it’s worth,” she says softly, “none of that makes you unapproachable. It just means the wrong people get scared.”

Naomi looks between them, eyes a little glassy now—but smiling.

“So basically,” she says, lifting her glass, “I’m not unchosen. I just have a very high emotional security clearance.”

Rowan grins. “Exactly.”

Celeste clinks her glass against Naomi’s. “And we passed the background check.”

Naomi laughs, shoulders finally relaxing. “Okay,” she says warmly. “That… actually makes sense.”

Rowan shrugs a little, almost shy despite the buzz in her veins.

“If it makes you feel any better,” she says, glancing at Naomi through her lashes, “I would’ve approached you the first time I saw you—if I wasn’t already into Celeste.” She pauses, then adds with a small laugh, “But honestly? I didn’t even know if you were into women.”

Naomi blinks. “Wait—really?”

“Really,” Rowan says, nodding. “You had this very… composed, powerful energy. Like you could go either way and didn’t owe anyone an explanation.” She smirks. “I was intimidated. And curious. Dangerous combo.”

Celeste chuckles. “That tracks.”

Naomi laughs too, softer this time, shaking her head. “So I’m intimidating and mysterious.”

Rowan grins. “Very. But in a hot way. Like ‘I’d rehearse what I’m going to say to you three times and still mess it up.'”

Naomi exhales, warmth spreading across her chest. “Okay. That actually helps more than you know.”

Rowan lifts her glass toward her. “See? Chosen. Just… respectfully waiting their turn.”

Celeste leans in, bumping Naomi’s shoulder. “And now you’ve got two people who have chosen you.”

Naomi smiles at both of them, eyes bright. “Guess I’ll take that as a win.”

Celeste lifts her glass, already bracing herself. “Alright,” she says, exhaling through a crooked smile. “Shot. Because the next question might be loaded. Or… the answer might be.”

They clink.
They shoot it back.

Celeste coughs lightly, sets the glass down, and looks between them—really looks. “Okay,” she says. “So what actually happened in the last twenty-four hours? I want everything. Because I did not expect to walk into this.” She gestures around Naomi’s house, then points at Rowan. “No offense, Nae—but this is the house you don’t bring anyone to. And yet here we are.”

Rowan straightens a little. “I’ll tell her,” she says calmly.

She turns to Celeste, steady and honest. “After I left your place that morning, I knew I needed answers. Not guesses. Not vibes. Answers.” She glances at Naomi, then back. “So I called Naomi the second I got to my car and asked her to talk.”

Naomi nods. “She did.”

Rowan continues, “She sent me the address to the place she was staying near you. I went over and I asked her everything. Straight out. If you two slept together. How she felt about you. How she felt about me. What she actually wanted. And she answered—every question.”

Celeste swallows, listening.

“We had wine,” Rowan says. “Food. Too much alcohol. We talked. We flirted a little. Nothing crossed a line.” She pauses, then adds softly, “I stayed the night. We just… slept. Cuddled.”

Naomi lifts her glass. “Accurate.”

Rowan smiles faintly and keeps going. “The next morning she was in the kitchen cooking breakfast like it was nothing. Like it was normal. And it felt… easy.” She glances at Naomi. “I told her she was wife material.”

Naomi laughs under her breath. “You did.”

“We danced,” Rowan says. “Got caught up for a second. Kissed. Laughed it off.” She looks back at Celeste, serious now. “I also told her that being with you—being in this—could mess up my career if it goes wrong. And that I still wanted it.”

Celeste’s chest tightens.

Rowan shrugs lightly. “We drank more. She casually mentioned she’s rich—no shock there.” Naomi smirks. “Then she brought me here. Showed me the house. We talked. Really talked. And we decided the only way forward was to stop dancing around you and have you come over so we could figure this out together.”

She finishes with a small, firm smile. “We didn’t sleep together. We just… enjoyed each other.”

Naomi raises her glass again. “Yup. That.”

The room goes quiet for a beat.

Celeste lets out a long breath, running a hand through her hair. “Okay,” she says slowly. “Thank you. For telling me.”

Rowan nods. Naomi reaches for the bottle.

Celeste lifts her glass again, softer this time. “I’m glad you found answers,” she says. “Even if it scared the hell out of me.”

Naomi clinks her glass against hers. “Growth is terrifying,” she says dryly. “But look at us. Still standing.”

Rowan smiles. “Barely sober—but standing.”