Page 101 of Better When Shared (Kristin Lance Anthologies #2)

Kiaan

The silence in Skylar’s car felt heavier than it should have as we pulled away from the Friday Harbor seaplane terminal, Ryker’s broad frame growing smaller in the rearview mirror until he disappeared.

I glanced at Skylar’s white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, the slight downturn of her lips, the way she blinked a little too rapidly. She hadn’t cried, but the absence of the third piece of our puzzle left a palpable emptiness in the car, like the strange hollow feeling after an orgasm that was physically satisfying but emotionally incomplete.

“He’ll be back,”

I said, the words sounding pathetically inadequate even to my own ears.

Skylar nodded, her eyes fixed on the winding road ahead. “I know.”

But did she? Did any of us really know what happened next? The past two weeks had unfolded like some fever dream—the three of us tangled together, boundaries dissolving, something new and beautiful taking shape. And now Ryker was flying back to Denver, back to his firefighting job and his normal life, while Skylar and I were left here to... what? Wait? Hope? Pretend everything hadn’t fundamentally changed?

“It’s just work,”

I tried again, reaching across the console to rest my hand on her thigh.

“His shift rotation. He has responsibilities.”

“I know that,”

she snapped, then immediately softened.

“Sorry. I just... fuck. This sucks.”

I squeezed her thigh, feeling the solid muscle beneath the worn denim of her jeans. Two weeks ago, touching her like this would have been the culmination of years of fantasy. Now it felt natural, necessary, and incomplete without Ryker’s steady presence.

“We’ll figure it out,”

I promised.

“The three of us. We always do.”

She laughed, a short, sharp sound with little humor.

“Do we? This isn’t raiding a dungeon, Kiaan. This is real life. Relationships are hard enough with two people. With three? When one lives across the fucking country?”

“We’ll work it out,”

I repeated, more firmly this time.

“Long distance isn’t ideal, but it’s not forever. There are options.”

The words hung between us as Skylar guided the car onto the main road that would take us back to Strawberry Creek Ranch. San Juan Island stretched out around us, all gentle hills and glimpses of water between the trees. Two weeks ago, I’d arrived here as a successful tech entrepreneur with a carefully constructed life—and zero intention of falling for my best friend and her other best friend simultaneously.

Now I couldn’t imagine my life without either of them.

“Are you leaving too?”

Skylar asked suddenly, her voice small in a way that made my chest ache.

I blinked, genuinely surprised by the question.

“What? No.”

“You have a life in California.”

I snorted.

“Not really. Not since I sold the company.”

“What about the investing thing you told me about?”

“Impact investing? I can do that from anywhere.”

I shrugged, trying to put into words the realization that had been building since that first night in the tent.

“I don’t have anywhere else I’d rather be. Nothing more important than this.”

Skylar’s hands relaxed slightly on the steering wheel, some of the tension draining from her shoulders. “Really?”

“Really.”

I slid my hand higher on her thigh, just shy of inappropriate for a public road.

“And I’m not trying to make Ryker look bad. I think the same is true for Ryker,”

I added, watching her face carefully.

“He wants to be here. With us. It’s just...”

“His job is important.”

I nodded.

“It’s harder for him to pick up roots. He’s not a rich asshole who can throw money at problems until they go away. And his sister lives in Denver.”

That got a genuine laugh out of her.

“You’re not an asshole. Most of the time.”

“High praise.”

“Wait. His sister! What time is it? Her podcast is happening right now!”

“How would you know that?”

She grinned at me.

“It’s entirely possible that I was stalking Ryker via his sister’s podcast.”

“You didn’t Google me to find out if I was really rich, but you started listening to Ryker’s sister’s podcast? I feel a bit left out.”

“Oh shut up. I didn’t know your last name!”

“Yeah, cuz there are a ton of Kiaan’s in California who own tech companies,”

I muttered as I pulled out my phone, curiosity piqued. A quick search brought up Aimee’s podcast page, and to my surprise, a “LIVE NOW”

banner flashed across the top.

I turned it on speaker just as Aimee was saying.

“If you’ve just tuned in, inspired by someone in my life, I’m exploring the topic of polyamory. Who out there wants to chat about the struggles and joys of poly relationships.”

Skylar’s eyes widened.

“We can’t call in.”

Aimee’s voice continued.

“Come on, callers, don’t leave me hanging…”

“Ryker wouldn’t want me to leave his sister hanging.”

I wiggled my phone suggestively.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

I grinned, already tapping the call-in number.

“Watch me.”

The phone rang twice before connecting to what was clearly a call screener. I explained briefly what I wanted to discuss—a long-distance polyamorous relationship with the screener’s boss’s brother. There was a pause, then a laugh, and suddenly I was on hold, being told I’d be on air in less than a minute.

“They’re putting me through,”

I whispered to Skylar, who was torn between horror and amusement.

“I’m actually going to be on the podcast.”

“Motherfucker,”

she muttered, her expletive making me laugh just as a chipper voice came through the car speakers via Bluetooth.

“Welcome back to The Aimee Position, where no relationship question is too awkward to answer! I’m your host, Aimee Hale, and we’ve got a very interesting caller on the line. Caller, you’re live—what’s your relationship dilemma today?”

I cleared my throat, suddenly nervous.

“Hi, Aimee. I’m, um. Kitten, calling from Washington State.”

“Hi Kitten! And you’re in a polyamorous relationship?”

“Yeah. I we’re a triad, as in, we would love to live together you know. All three of us. But I’m not sure what to do about boyfriend being an idiot hero in Denver when he should be home with us.”

There was a beat of silence, then a sharp intake of breath.

“You sound… familiar. Have we talked before?”

I burst out laughing.

“I might happen to know someone you know. A firefighter. From Denver.”

“Oh my god! It’s so good to hear your voice, Kitten! I’d love to meet you some day. Is your girlfriend there?”

“Yeah. She might not talk, but you can call her Duchess.”

“Oh my god,”

Aimee squealed, professionalism temporarily abandoned.

“You guys are real! I mean, I knew you were real. Mostly.”

“Very much so,”

I said, unable to keep the pride from my voice.

“But your brother just flew back to Denver for his shift rotation, and we’re trying to figure out how to talk some sense into him.”

Aimee composed herself, sliding back into her podcast persona.

“Well, this is certainly a unique situation. For my listeners who are just tuning in, Kitten, Duchess, and their firefighter are in a poly triad, but the firefighter is long distance, is that right?”

“Yep,”

I said, warming to Aimee despite never having met her in person. She had Ryker’s directness but none of his reservation—a combination that was oddly comforting.

“So, what specifically are you concerned about with the long-distance aspect? Are you worried about the relationship losing momentum, or more about practical logistics?”

I considered the question, glancing at Skylar, who was now fully invested in the conversation despite her initial embarrassment.

“Both, I guess. We’ve only been together physically for two weeks, but we’ve known each other online for years. Everything clicked so perfectly when we were all together, and now... I’m worried about what happens when we’re not.”

“And Duchess, thoughts?”

Skylar bit her lip, then spoke.

“I’m scared he won’t come back. That real life will get in the way. That he’ll realize this whole thing is too complicated and not worth the effort.”

The vulnerability in her voice made my chest tight. I reached for her hand, intertwining our fingers on the console between us.

“First of all,”

Aimee said, her tone softening.

“Because I happen to know him, I can tell you with absolute certainty that your firefighter has been head over heels for both of you for years. Literally years. I’ve had to listen to him pine over his online gaming crushes for half of the last decade.”

Skylar’s lips curved upward at that, her eyes still on the road but some of the tension easing from her face.

“But you’re right to be concerned about logistics,”

Aimee continued.

“Long-distance relationships require intentionality, especially polyamorous ones. You need regular check-ins, clear communication about expectations, and a plan for the future.”

“What kind of plan?”

I asked, genuinely curious. I’d never been in a serious relationship before, let alone one with two people, one of whom lived thousands of miles away.

“Well, that depends on what you all want. Is the goal eventually to live in the same place? To create a life together? Or is this more of a when-we-can-be-together arrangement?”

I glanced at Skylar again, realizing we hadn’t actually discussed this. Everything had happened so fast, so intensely, that practical future planning had taken a backseat to exploring our newfound connection.

“I think we want to be together,”

Skylar said before I could respond.

“As a family. All of us. But we haven’t really talked about it.”

“Then that’s your first step,”

Aimee said firmly.

“Have that conversation. Be honest about what you want and what you’re willing to compromise on. And include my brother in it, even if it has to be over video chat.”

“And in the meantime?” I asked.

“In the meantime, get creative. Send care packages. Have virtual date nights. Make the distance part of your story, not an obstacle to it.”

She paused, then added in a more personal tone.

“And tell my brother to call me, because I have so many questions that are definitely not appropriate for public radio.”

I laughed, feeling some of the weight lift from my shoulders.

“Will do. Thanks, Aimee.”

“Anytime. And listeners, if you’re just joining us, chime in with your experience with long distance, or with polyamory. We’d love to hear your takes.”

I disconnected as Aimee smoothly transitioned to the next caller, turning to find Skylar grinning despite herself.

“I can’t believe you did that,”

she said, shaking her head.

“Called in to his sister’s podcast.”

“Made you smile, though, didn’t it?”

Her expression softened.

“Yeah, it did.”

She squeezed my hand.

“And she’s right. We need to talk about what we want long-term. All three of us.”

I nodded, already mentally drafting a message to Ryker.

“We will. But to be clear, I want you to be my partners. Both of you.”

Ryker

Miss you both already. FaceTime tonight? Naked?

Skylar

Miss you too, but I think we need to do some planning for the future first.

Kian

But we can do that naked!

Skylar burst out laughing and elbowed me.