The air in the room had finally lightened; all three women had relaxed a little, smiling shyly as the earlier tension seemed resolved. They were all relieved.
Julie, in particular, felt as though a huge burden had been lifted.
'Skadi and Aisha can be with him openly.' She thought. 'They've already made their feelings clear. But me...I could never have asked him outright. This way, everything just...naturally aligned.'
Her heart fluttered with quiet relief. But just as they were about to laugh over who would sleep on which side of the bed, Cassius suddenly rose from his chair, brushing crumbs from his fingers.
"Actually..." He said casually, as if it were nothing. "Never mind. Forget all that. There's no way we're all sleeping together, it's impossible. I'll just take the mattress."
The words fell like a bomb.
