Nilla woke to the sound of her phone vibrating somewhere under a throw pillow and the taste of stale tequila on her tongue. Her head throbbed. Her mouth was dry. Her soul… regretted everything.
"Ughhhhhh," she groaned, rolling over.
Sarah appeared in the doorway holding a glass of water, two painkillers, and a look of someone barely containing laughter. "Rise and cringe, birthday girl."
"I think my skeleton is trying to escape my body," Nilla mumbled.
"Good. That's karma for the war crimes you committed last night."
"What war crimes?" she asked suspiciously, taking the pills and sipping the water.
Sarah just raised an eyebrow. "You kissed James. Then Theo. In front of each other. At a bar. In front of a crowd."
Nilla choked. "*I did what?*"
"Oh yeah," Sarah said with the dramatic flair of a Greek chorus. "Then you declared yourself the 'Hotness Supreme' and tried to pole dance on a coat rack."
Nilla buried her face in her hands. "Please let the earth swallow me."
"Can't. You're too tall for shallow graves."
"That's not comforting, Sarah."
Sarah plopped down beside her. "Look, it was honestly hilarious. But… both of them were there. And sober. And saw you. And got kissed. You kind of... blew up the love triangle."
Nilla groaned again, throwing a pillow over her face. "I ruined everything."
"No, no. You just—uh…" Sarah paused as Nilla's phone vibrated again. "You might want to look at that."
Reluctantly, Nilla peeked out and grabbed her phone. One new group message.
**Theo**: *Hey. You, me, and James. Can we meet? I have something to talk about. It's important. No pressure, just… soon?*
Nilla stared at the screen, stomach dropping.
"*A group chat?*" she whispered in horror. "I made it to the group chat phase of bad decisions?"
Sarah snorted. "You leveled up in love triangle hell. Proud of you."
"I can never face them again."
Sarah grinned, patting her leg. "Oh yes, you can. Because I *need* to see what Theo has planned. That man had a very specific look last night—like he was five minutes away from rewriting a romantic drama."
Nilla just stared at her phone, heart pounding, and whispered, "What *is* his idea?"
The three of them sat in an awkward triangle in a quiet corner of a trendy coffee shop—Nilla with her hands wrapped around a latte like it might protect her from emotional fallout, James with his fingers laced tightly on the table, and Theo… calm. Too calm.
Nilla stared at him. "You… called *this* meeting?"
"Yep," Theo said, his eyes flicking between them. "I've had a lot on my mind."
James raised a brow. "Is this about the birthday bar chaos?"
Theo smiled. "Partially. But more about what came after."
He paused, giving them both time to brace.
"I love Nilla," he said simply, eyes steady on her. "And I think you still love her too, James."
James nodded slowly. "I do. But I'm not trying to steal her or force anything."
"I know," Theo said. "That's the thing. I've watched you closely since we started working together and becoming friends. You've changed. You're grounded now. Humble. You treat her like someone precious."
Nilla blinked. "What are you saying, Theo?"
He took a breath and leaned forward. "When you kissed James, I didn't feel jealousy. Just… curiosity. And maybe a strange calm. I should've been upset. But I wasn't. Because it was James. And I trust him."
James shifted, looking stunned but silent.
"I've spent weeks thinking about this," Theo continued. "And it's a wild idea. But what if… we didn't make you choose?"
Silence.
Nilla's eyes widened. "You mean—"
Theo nodded, still calm but vulnerable. "A relationship. All three of us. Together. If we all agree. If it works for everyone. We don't have to decide today. Or ever. But I needed to put it out there because I want you, Nilla. And I don't think love has to look like a box we squeeze ourselves into."
James stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "You're serious?"
"I am. And it's not about just being open. It's about *you* too, James. I wouldn't even consider this if I didn't respect you. If I didn't… care about you too, in a weird, complicated way."
James leaned back, stunned, the wheels turning.
Nilla's heart pounded like a drum in her ears. "This is… a *lot.*"
Theo reached across the table, touching her hand. "No pressure. No expectations. I just wanted honesty. And to give this… us… a chance. However that might look."
Silence lingered again. Then Nilla exhaled, slow and shaky.
"Well," she whispered. "This isn't the love triangle I imagined. It might just be something… more."