A Couple is Three: The Beginning (book 1 & 2 Completed)

Chapter 58 - The Truth Is Freeing

"What?"

Samantha shook her head. "Nothing. Just more secrets," she spit out.

Lily pulled her bent legs back up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I don't know, Samantha. I don't think that I'm strong enough to tell them."

Samantha stood and took a seat next to Lily on the bed. She put her arm around Lily's shoulders. "I know how hard it is to tell someone when someone has done something to you that you didn't agree to, but you are strong, strong enough to do this."

"To do what?" Josh poked his head into Lily's bedroom before he walked in with Jake on his heals.

He stared hard at Samantha with a look that she couldn't understand.

"Have you two made up over whatever the earlier issue was?" Jake pulled Samantha over to the other bed as Josh took a seat next to his sister.

Samantha and Lily shared a look before they both smiled.

We're good between us, aren't we, Lily?" Samantha nodded her head, but the look she gave Lily showed that their conversation wasn't over.

Lily sighed and dropped her shoulders. "Yeah, we're good."

Josh put his arm around Lily and pulled her head onto his shoulder. "Mom asked us to come get the two of you for supper."

"And our brothers want to meet you." Jake kissed Samantha's temple. He stood and offered Samantha his hand. He grimaced as he realized what he had to do. He held onto her one hand and used his other to gently lift her chin until he was looking her in the eyes. "Let's take you to them, but if they get to be too much just tell us. We'll get them to back off."

She nodded before tilting her head down to kiss past of his hand. She turned and gave Lily the look. "After supper, we share." She kept her eyes locked on Lily until Lily reluctantly gave a slight nod to her head.

With a smile and a blown kiss to Josh, Samantha followed Jake out of the room.

"Are you sure you're OK with this?"

Lily pulled her head up from Josh's shoulder and turned to look at him with her eyebrows raised.

"I mean, are you OK it's both Jake and I dating Samantha?" Josh searched his sister's face for any clue that would reveal to him what exactly the two of them had been talking about.

He had heard the full statement that Samantha had made to Lily about knowing how hard it was to tell someone when someone had done something to you without consent and it concerned him. He had wanted to continue to listen in, but knew that his brother and Jake's were getting restless waiting to meet Samantha.

What could have happened to Samantha? And why was she telling that to Lily instead of us? Did something happen to Lily? Is that why she has not been herself? Did someone hurt her? He tried to find the answers to the questions that were swirling around on a loop in his brain, but Lily's face was not giving up any answers.

"Josh, I'm happy for you. And for Jake, too. I know how hard relationships have been on the two of you so this seems like the best solution." Lily placed her hand on Josh's forearm. "I really like Samantha and I'm glad that none of you have to choose."

Josh released the breath that he hadn't realized that he had been holding. He placed his other hand over Lily's and lightly squeezed. "I'm so relieved that you are fine with this. She makes me so happy, and I see how happy she makes Jake. It will be difficult, but I want this to work for good."

"I think that it will." Lily lowered her knees and pushed herself up and off the bed. "Come on. We better go rescue your girlfriend from Jake's brothers." Lily smiled and a tiny chuckle escaped from between her lips.