Relapse

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“You know I won’t judge you for having three boyfriends, right?” Grandma’s shocking words are accommodated by her looking over the top of her phone at me.

“What?” I ask, my mouth dropping open in shock.

She waves a hand. “Oh don’t try to play coy with me, girl. I was at the same table as you at lunch yesterday and let me tell you, I was watching.” She points two fingers at her eyes and sends me a serious look.

Jesus.

I should have known this was coming. All throughout the rest of our outing yesterday, Grandma watched the guys and I like a hawk. Especially right after I’d come back with Chase. I had to ignore Jamille’s knowing look while Grandma asked what took so long. When she didn’t get the answer she wanted from me, she took to grilling the guys. I was genuinely surprised when the interrogation didn’t continue when we got home. I should have known better.

“I don’t have three boyfriends, Grandma.”

She frowns. “But you’re well on your way, yes?”

“No, I mean, yes.” I shake my head and let out a groan. “I don’t know, Grandma. I’m not trying to hide anything, I literally just don’t know what’s going on.” And that’s the truth. Yes, I know that the whole friends thing that I kept trying to delude myself into thinking was a thing isn’t going to work out. Not when I’d had Chase’s finger inside me and Emmet’s mouth on me. And not when I want more from all three men. Yet, there’s no way that I can think to make this whole thing work. Realistically, I may want all three men, but I know I can’t. Not when my focus needs to be on the kids. Plus, Chase may have mentioned that they wouldn’t mind sharing me but saying and doing something are two entirely different things.

“I don’t know,” I repeat again, looking at Grandma.

She nods. “No worries, I’ll get it all cleared up for you at dinner.”

“What do you mean you’ll get it cleared up at dinner?” I ask, my eyes wide as I stare at her.

She just lets out a hum before shrugging as she scrolls on her phone. “I invited the guys to dinner.” The woman says it so casually that I almost think for a moment that I imagined her saying it.

“Grandma!”

“What?” She looks up at me with innocent eyes.

“When did you even find the time?” She hadn’t asked yesterday while we were out eating. I know for a fact since I was listening to all her questions closely and shutting down the inappropriate ones.

“Well, I could have had all the time in the world when you were out canoodling with Chase.” Her lips twist into a mischievous smile as I look at her in shock. “Oh, darling, don’t think I’m oblivious as to what you were up to. It doesn’t take that long to take a call, especially not from your mother.”

She waves a hand. “But if you must know, I walked over and invited them this morning, they do only live next door. Nathaniel said he’d take off early from work, Chase is off today, and Emmet said he’d be here too. Emmet even fixed me a cup of coffee while he drank his tea.” She continues on. “Did you know that he has the loveliest dog? Just a cutie, that one.”

I can’t do anything but stare at the woman as she talks as if she goes way back with the guys and it’s just normal for her to go to their house and sit around having coffee and shooting the breeze.

“Grandma.” I reach over and move her phone from out of her face, making her look at me.

She frowns. “I don’t see what you’re so worried about, they clearly like you and you like them. They also all seem to know and not mind the situation and whatever is going on, so I think that means you should go for it.”

Who’s Grandma tells them that they should definitely have three boyfriends?

The same one who didn’t bat an eye when she walked in on me with my first girlfriend laid out under me with my hands beneath her clothes, of course. All she’d said was to make sure to be safe and not make any babies before letting out a laugh at her own joke and closing the door.

“Grandma, please don’t harass them at dinner.” I know there’s no going back and uninviting them now, but the least the woman can do is be civil while they’re here.

“Hmm, we’ll see.” She turns her phone screen toward me. “You know that this is totally a thing right? Having multiple boyfriends or partners. A reverse harem.” My eyes land on the page pulled up on her screen and I frown as I look at the headline.

Reverse harem trope sweeping the book industry.

“Grandma, that’s about fictional women with fictional boyfriends.”

“And you know polyamory has been around for ages,” she continues as if not hearing my words. “Why do you think swingers were so popular back in my day.” As a look of mischievousness crosses over her face, I already know I don’t want to hear the next words out of her mouth.

“Grandma-”

“Me and your grandpa, God rest his soul, used to always go to those little parties and push our boundaries.”