Chapter 15: The Safe Harbor (POV: Bia)
The silence that settled over Ana’s room was the complete opposite of the storm of pleasure that had taken over just hours before. The golden late-afternoon light streamed softly through the window of that two-story house, illuminating the messy tangle of sheets on the king-size bed. I was lying on my side, my head resting against Lucas’s broad, warm chest, feeling his fingers trace slow, comforting strokes along my arm. Around us, Ana rested her head on the other end of the mattress, and Sophia lay on her stomach, lazy and relaxed, with one of her legs draped casually over mine.
The exhaustion in my body was delicious, but my mind felt incredibly light. For the first time in months, that constant knot of anxiety I always carried in my chest had vanished.
"What are you thinking about, beautiful?" Lucas’s voice sounded deep and gentle right next to my ear, followed by a tender kiss on my shoulder.
I let out a long sigh, snuggling even closer into his embrace.
"Just thinking about how crazy all of this is... and how incredibly good I feel here," I confessed, staring up at the ceiling. I felt a lump form in my throat and decided to finally let out what I had been keeping bottled up. "My ex-boyfriend... he was so insensitive to me. Looking back now, it feels like he didn't even like me for real. He just used me for his own pleasure. When he was done, he would just roll over and pretend I wasn't even there. I felt so used, so empty..."
Ana opened her eyes slowly, looking at me with a deeply comforting sweetness. She reached out her hand and gently caressed my ankle.
"Selfish men are all over the place, my angel. They don't know how to value the jewel they have in their hands," Ana said, her voice smooth with the wisdom of someone who had lived through a lot.
Sophia lifted her head, resting her chin on her hands, and let out a mocking yet deeply empathetic laugh.
"Don't even get me started on stupid exes, Bia. My last boyfriend was like a rushed teenager. Besides being a total jerk on a daily basis, the guy was horrific in bed! He wouldn't last two minutes, only thought about himself, and left me completely hanging. An absolute embarrassment."
Sophia rolled onto her side, looking at her brother with a spark of pride and adoration in her eyes.
"I only learned what real pleasure was when Lucas showed me. He is the complete opposite of those guys out there. My brother knows exactly how to take care of a woman, how to be generous. Did you see how he didn't rest until he saw the three of us completely satisfied?"
I blushed a little, remembering the sheer intensity of everything we had done, but I nodded. It was the absolute truth. Lucas hadn't just been incredibly hot; he had been attentive, affectionate, and extremely mindful of my well-being the entire time.
Looking at the three of them there—so close, with no secrets and no barriers—a profound realization hit me. I swallowed hard and continued my confession, letting the tears finally well up in my eyes.
"You know... the outside world would look at you guys and say this family is dysfunctional. They would judge you because of this... this incest, because of this freedom. But the truth is, my 'traditional' home is the real hell. At my house, my parents live a lie, hating each other in silence. There is constant pressure, coldness, verbal aggression, and judgment all the time. No one hugs, no one actually supports each other. It’s a hollow, empty lie."
I turned my face to look directly at Ana, and then at Sophia and Lucas.
"Your family... it might be dysfunctional to others, but to me, it is so much better than my own family. There is real affection here. You aren't ashamed of making each other happy. You protect each other, you share everything, you look out for one another. I have never felt so welcomed and loved in my entire life as I do right now between the three of you."
Lucas let out a low chuckle, giving Sophia’s thigh a playful little tap and pulling me even closer to him.
"You guys make it sound like you're talking about someone else... I just do what a real man is supposed to do," he said, with that relaxed, humble, and friendly attitude that made me forget any lingering shyness.
He shifted on the bed, turning to face me completely. His dark eyes searched mine with a warm intensity that made my heart race in a different, more romantic way. Lucas cupped my face gently, his thumb caressing my cheek.
"Bia... I never want you to feel used or unhappy ever again in your life. Not by me, not by anyone. What happened here today wasn't a one-night stand. I truly like you, everything about you... and my mom and sister adore you too."
He flashed a wide, bright smile—the kind that completely lit up his face.
"Why don't you become my official girlfriend and come live here with us in this house?"
My eyes widened slightly, the surprise freezing the words in my throat for a second. I looked over at Ana and Sophia, and both of them were smiling, waiting for my reaction with total excitement and approval.
"Be your girlfriend... and live here?" I stammered. "But... what about people? What will they say?"
Lucas shrugged, laughing casually, and gave me a knowing wink.
"To the outside world—at college, to the neighbors, to our families—we’re just going to be a normal couple. You'll be my girlfriend who moved into her boyfriend's house to live with his family. A perfect facade to hide just how 'dysfunctional' we are. No one else needs to know our secret. But in here, behind closed doors... we keep running by our own rules, taking care of you and giving you all the love and pleasure you deserve. What do you say?"
I looked at Lucas, at his perfect body, at the sincere tenderness in his gaze. Then I looked at Sophia, my best friend, and at Ana, the mature woman who had welcomed me with so much warmth. I had absolutely no reason to go back to my old, dull life.
A massive smile broke across my lips, and tears of pure relief finally spilled over.
"I accept, Lucas... I want to so much," I replied in an emotional whisper.
In that exact instant, Lucas pulled me into a warm, deep kiss full of promises, while Sophia let out a little cheer of celebration and threw herself on top of both of us, quickly followed by Ana’s tender embrace. The pact was sealed. I was now, officially, Lucas’s girlfriend and the newest, happiest possession of that house.