The soft hum of the oven filled the kitchen as the pizza rolls crisped inside, the savory scent slowly spreading through the house. Sam leaned back against the counter, glancing at the timer before throwing a playful jab at Colby, who stood a few feet away, arms crossed and eyes mischievous. They were bantering about something ridiculous—whether ghosts could make pizza rolls or if that was strictly the domain of the living. Their laughter was warm and easy, the kind of shared energy you loved about being around them.

You were curled up on the couch in the living room, wrapped in your favorite oversized blanket, your knees pulled to your chest. You flicked through the streaming options on the TV, pretending to focus on picking a movie, but your thoughts kept drifting. You could hear them joking just a room away, and normally it would bring you comfort, but tonight… your chest felt tight.

You hadn’t told them yet.

Corey.

The memory from last night felt like a splinter under your skin. You’d been alone in the house while they were out filming, something that happened often and never bothered you before. You trusted them. You trusted their friends.

But then Corey came home early—unexpected, but not completely strange. You’d smiled, offered him a hello as you passed through the kitchen on the way back to your room. But then he’d followed. The way he leaned in the doorway. The way his eyes traveled over you in a way that made your skin crawl. The comment. The way he said your name.

“You know, if they ever get boring… I’m always around.”

You’d frozen. Flabbergasted. Confused. Embarrassed.

He was their friend. Their roommate. Their problem? No—yours now too. It crossed every line. He knew you were with Sam and Colby. He knew you were poly, yes—but that didn’t mean open to him. It wasn’t just awkward—it felt violating. You’d made an excuse and left, heart pounding and hands trembling.

You hadn’t said anything. Not yet.

You’d planned to. You wanted to. But Sam and Colby had already been talking about how they didn’t know what to do about Corey lately. The tension in the house was growing, arguments simmering just under the surface. You didn’t want to be the thing that made everything worse. You didn’t want them to feel like they had to choose between you and their friend. But more than anything, you didn’t want to hide this from them either.

They deserved to know the truth. They deserved to protect you the way they always promised they would. But it was hard. Because it wasn’t just your safety—it was your home, your relationship, the fragile balance of this little world you’d all built together.

“Hey, babe,” Colby called from the kitchen. “You figure out what we’re watching yet? Or are we just gonna watch you scroll forever?”

Sam chuckled. “I vote for watching them. It’s better than half the crap on Netflix.”

You gave a small laugh—too small—but they didn’t catch it. You tucked your face against your knees for a second and tried to breathe through the nerves. Then you glanced up, watching the way Sam bumped his shoulder into Colby with an easy smile. The way Colby looked back at him with something quieter, something tender behind the teasing.

They were your safe place. They always had been.

And they needed to know what happened. Even if it wasn’t easy.

Even if it hurt.

You swallowed hard and tightened the blanket around your shoulders, mustering the courage.

“Hey,” you called softly.

They both turned.

“I need to talk to you guys… about something that happened last night.”