Brooke Roberts

"I can feel the panic, like a living organism around me, pulsing, covering me like an oily layer that keeps me from breathing properly." I rub my eyes before turning my attention back to the computer screen, where my psychologist is watching me closely. "It’s like all my progress went down the drain," I confess.
"Recovery isn’t a linear path, Brooke," she says in a calm, patient voice. "How have you been sleeping?"
"The most I’ve gotten is three and a half hours since we received the letters," I admit.
"That was over a week ago," Dr. Luana notes. "Have you left the house at all?"
"Once. But I could feel someone watching me the whole time, and it triggered another episode, less severe than the last," I rub my arm, uncomfortable with the memory. "And when I got back, there was a fucking new letter." The tear runs hot down my cheek. "Something about how he was glad I finally received his letters, which means he saw us the day my parents were here."
"I understand how much that can shake you."
"I just want my life back," I confess.
"And you will get it back, Brooke," she says. Her voice has a calming effect, and I wonder once again if it's something unique to her or a trait all psychologists have. Is that a college course or something? "One day at a time, one step at a time. Everyone responds to trauma differently, and we need to find what works for you."
"What if I’m too broken? What if I can never go back to normal?"
"You’re not broken, Brooke. You’re rediscovering yourself. Getting your life back doesn’t mean erasing your trauma—it means not letting it control you. What happened to you, what you went through, isn’t something you can just forget, Brooke, you know that. A traumatic event like the one you faced leaves marks, scars... but they can be healed."
"Then why does it feel like that will never happen?"
"Because sometimes healing hurts more than the wound."
The sentence resonates within me, like it's searching for a place to settle until it finally finds home in my soul, holding two pieces together like a band-aid.
"Before the kidnapping, what did you do to relax? When things got too heavy, what were your ways of releasing stress and daily worries?"
"Surfing and dancing," I answer promptly, a nostalgic smile forming on my lips.
"I think you should consider trying one of those again to deal with everything that’s happening. Carefully, don’t act on impulse, and take one or all of your boyfriends with you." She winks at me. "And remember to trust your instincts—they’re there to protect you. If you feel like the walls are closing in or that you’re overwhelmed, stop. Take a deep breath."
"I’ll try."
"Good, and if you need anything, you know how to contact me. If not, I’ll see you at our next session. Be well, Brooke!"
"You too, Dr. Luana."
The video call ends, and I stare at the screen for a few minutes, needing that time to compose myself, absorb and process all the emotions.
I grab my phone and open the saved page in my favorites that shows the tide at the beaches near San Jose, but the ones that are good for surfing aren’t looking great today—I missed the wave peak.
I open WhatsApp and our group chat makes me laugh. After Raffi got over the boys and changed the group name, Kyle and Seth decided they could win it back, so I solved the problem by changing it to “B’s Men.”
Brooke: Are we going to Underworld tonight?
I send the message in the group and soon see Raffi typing.
Raffi: Finally get to flaunt my girlfriend in public? Count me in!
Seth: If that’s what you want, Honeybee.
Kyle: I already told Darius we’re going and our table in the VIP area will be reserved.
I smile at the messages, at their constant support. No hesitation—they know I just came out of therapy, so they probably assumed it was related. I send the same message to my best friend, and as soon as it shows as read, my phone rings.
"Are you serious?" she asks as a greeting the moment I answer. "I’m cardiac, don’t joke about this kind of thing!"
"It’s nothing major, Liv," I reply.
"Getting to party with my best friend is nothing major? I couldn’t disagree more," she answers excitedly. "And I have the perfect outfit!"
"So that’s a yes?" I ask with a smile. I really am lucky to have so many people who love and support me.
"Did you even doubt it?" I can picture her with one hand on her hip and a raised eyebrow. "See you later. Love you, B!"
"Love you too, Liv."
The call ends, and for the first time in a long while, I feel excited about the idea of going out.

***

I enter Underworld surrounded by my boyfriends. We use the side door that leads to the club through the private garage and head straight for the stairs that lead to the mezzanine in the VIP area.

We approach the central table overlooking the dance floor, surrounded by comfortable sofas and marked with a “Reserved” sign in elegant letters. I notice that the number of people roaming around the mezzanine is much smaller than usual, and I mentally thank the guys for their care.

Raffi touches the small of my back, drawing my attention to his light blue eyes.
"Want something to drink, babygirl?"
"That amazing mango and passionfruit juice," I ask, smiling.
"I’ll get it." He leans in and gives me a quick kiss before turning to the guys to see what they want.

I close my eyes for a few seconds, letting the music wrap around me, and feel arms encircle my waist. The citrusy scent fills my lungs, and I smile even before Kyle speaks.
"You okay, Sunshine?"
"Yeah, I’m good. I like this DJ," I say, nodding toward the stage below. He’s one of the regulars who plays at the club. "But they need to bring DJ Blue back again."
"I’ll see what I can do." He kisses the top of my head. "Let’s sit and wait for Raffi to come back with the drinks?" he offers, and I agree.

I sit beside Seth, his hand resting on my knee, while Kyle settles on the other side, his arm draping over my shoulders. Their touch calms me and keeps me grounded in the present.

A new song starts, and it feels like it echoes through my body, my heartbeat syncing with the rhythm.

Raffi returns, handing me the juice and the guys their drinks. Seth grabs his water since he’s the designated driver tonight, and Kyle and Raffi take their beers. I can feel my body slowly relaxing, surrounded by the men who taught me what it means to truly love. I close my eyes, resting my head against Kyle’s arm, letting myself sink into the feeling, into the sensation of Seth’s thumb gently caressing the inside of my knee. His musky scent—somehow reminiscent of salty ocean air—mixes with Kyle’s citrus and Raffi’s woody cologne, still standing and chatting with the blond. It wraps around me, and there’s only one word to describe it: home.

"You guys really do match."

I open my eyes and see my best friend standing on the other side of the table, a bright smile on her face. She looks around carefully before turning back to me.
"Did you forget someone?"
"Who?" I tease, already knowing exactly who she means.
"Your bodyguard." She places a hand on her hip.
"She’s got us three, Liv," Raffi replies.
"Exactly, she already has you three. Would it kill you to help me out?" she complains, pouting. She smooths her short black sequin dress, molded perfectly to her figure. "I even came in my new dress."
"And you look gorgeous," I compliment.
"I can call him for you, if you want, Liv," Kyle offers.
"And say what?" she asks.
"That you want to see him," Seth says, laughing.
She turns to him, throwing her arms up as if she can't believe what he just suggested.
"Of course not, by the goddess! It has to be a believable excuse, Seth!"
"We don’t have one," Kyle explains. "His contract is to protect Brooke when one of us isn’t available, and as you can see, that’s not the case tonight."
"God clearly has favorites, I know," she says, looking up at the ceiling. "I must be paying for something, or I’m just the favorite joke of whatever deity is watching us, that’s the only explanation!"
"So dramatic," I say, and she rolls her eyes.
"Let’s dance!" I say, placing my hands on Seth and Kyle’s legs to get up.
"Thought you’d never ask." Liv hooks her arm through mine, and we walk together toward the stairs.

We make our way to the center of the dance floor, and people move aside to let us pass, which isn’t usual. I understand why a second later when a hand touches the small of my back. I turn to see Raffi looking at me with a mischievous smile on his lips. Seth and Kyle are beside him.

"You guys gonna dance?" I ask loud enough to be heard over the music.
"Of course. We need to make it clear you’re ours."

Ours.
The word echoes through me, making my stomach tighten with those five letters. The possessive tone stirs something inside me more than I expected.

His hand slides from my waist to my stomach, pulling me against him, my body molding to his as he moves with the music. Kyle steps in front of me, slipping his leg between mine, his hand resting on the other side of my body. My arms wrap around his neck and we dance in sync.

The music is hypnotic, hot, sensual.

Feeling their strong bodies pressing and moving against mine brings back memories of the first time they shared me. Kyle smiles and leans in, his lips hovering over mine for a second before closing the distance and claiming them. His tongue explores my mouth with fervor.

The kiss is quick but intense enough to make my body burn.

But my heart misses the fourth piece of this puzzle. My eyes search for Seth and find him beside us, close enough for me to reach out and grab his shirt. He arches a brow but steps closer.

Without any of us saying a word, Kyle steps back enough for Seth to pull me into him. Our lips meet in a kiss that sets my whole body on fire. His hand wraps around my throat, and memories flood my mind. As soon as Seth pulls away, Raffi spins me to face him, the wicked grin on his lips full of promises, making my stomach flutter with anticipation. He kisses me, his hand squeezing my ass.

"Damn, Beyblade Roberts!" Liv exclaims, laughing. I had completely forgotten we were in the middle of a crowded dance floor and that my best friend was less than a meter away. "Some have too much, others so little," she teases.

I feel my cheeks flush and hide my face in Raffi’s chest, who chuckles.

"Looks like we’ve got a new name for our group, babygirl," he teases.
"Don’t you dare," I snap back, but I can see in his eyes that my reaction had the opposite effect.
"If I’m going to be playing third wheel all night, I need a drink," Liv announces, grabbing my hand and pulling me with her, whispering, "I don’t know how you stay sane with those three. Just watching you made me feel hot."

I look back and see my three boyfriends following us. I turn to my friend and wrap an arm around her shoulders.
"Everyone has their cross to bear." She nudges me with her shoulder and I smile.
"I know I’m lucky..."
"Lucky is the last Mega Millions winner, Brooke. You’re on another level, babe," she interrupts.
"I only stayed sane because of them," I confide. "I wouldn’t have made it without them." I stop walking and hug my friend. "Without you."
"Don’t you dare make me cry, my makeup’s gonna be a mess. Are you insane?" She starts walking toward the bar again. "And I’m way too sober for this kind of talk."
"I’ll wait for your first drink, then."
"The humiliation never ends," she groans, and we try to squeeze our way toward the bar.

"What do you girls want?" Kyle asks, touching my waist.
"One of those blue ones," Liv says. "I never remember the name."
"Blue Lagoon?"
"That one!"
"And you, Sunshine?"
"The rainbow one," I request.
"Alright." He raises his arm and the bartender turns to him immediately, one of the perks of being the club owner. He places our order.

"We should take advantage of being here and hit the bathroom before going back to the dance floor," Liv suggests. And she’s right—otherwise, we’ll have to cross the whole place again, and now we’re right by the hallway.
"Go, we’ll watch your drinks," Raffi says.
"Thanks." I grab Olivia’s hand, and we walk down the hallway together.

When we reach the bathroom, we’re met with a huge line. We should’ve gone to the VIP one, but laziness to go back up the stairs won, and we ended up staying there.

"I think you need to convince your boyfriends to install a private elevator between floors," Liv says as we return to the bar. "Would’ve taken us just two minutes to pee and come back."
"Right, because the justification for building an elevator is our laziness to climb one flight of stairs."
"I think that’s perfectly fair," she laughs.
"You’re impossible."
"I’m a visionary."

My feet freeze a few steps from the bar. My eyes on my boyfriends and the women surrounding them. A blonde and the same redhead from Tristan’s studio are shamelessly flirting with Seth, who looks like he’s searching for an escape. Raffi and Kyle have their own crowd of admirers smiling at them while chatting. They’ve always drawn attention—and how could they not? They’re the hottest men I’ve ever seen, and the kindest, most affectionate, attentive—the list of qualities is endless.

What did they see in you? the acidic voice asks in my mind.

They love me, I reply. But uncertainty and doubt wash over me. I don’t think they’d ever cheat, but what if I’m not enough? Sure, everything’s new now, exciting, fun. But what if that’s all it is? What if one day, one of them—or all of them—decide...