Kai lets out a slow breath, his eyes fixed on Julian now. “We were just talking about how this works. Or doesn’t work. For me.”
My hands start to sweat, a quiet panic settling in the pit of my stomach.This feels like he’s breaking up with us.
Julian straightens, his posture sharpening like he’s bracing for impact. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… it feels like I’m just tagging along half the time,” Kai says, his tone honest and calm. “You two are married. You make decisions, talk about things as a unit, and I’m just… there. Like a guest.”
Julian’s frown deepens. “That’s not what we want, Kai. You’re not a guest.”
Kai’s lips press into a thin line as he shrugs. “Maybe not intentionally. But it’s hard not to feel like I’m always playing catch-up. Sophie loves being a hotwife, and you support her. I love that for you guys, it’s something you’ve built together. And I get it, I really do. But it’s just another thing that makes me feel like the odd one out.”
He pauses, his fingers tapping idly against his thigh before his eyes flick between us. “I guess what I’m saying is… are you sure I’m not just your unicorn?”
The room goes still, the weight of his words settling heavily between us.
Being in the lifestyle, I’m familiar with the term. I know what it means, but I’ve never associated Kai with being a unicorn—someone we were seeking out to use then discard.
I never intended to fall for him. And I know Julian didn’t, either. It all just sort of… happened.
“What?” Julian asks, his voice quieter now, cautious.
Kai exhales slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. “At the club tonight… there was a moment. When you said something about how much you love watching Sophie with another man. And you two just—looked at each other. Like you were the only ones in the room.”
I open my mouth to argue, but Kai’s gaze pins me in place. “I know what that was. I wasn’t part of it.” Kai shrugs again, but there’s no humor in it. “I mean, let’s be honest. I’m the new, exciting thing. I fit into your dynamic now, but that’s easy when I’m not asking for more. I’m here for the sex, for the fun—right? But if that’s all this is, tell me now.”
My heart twists painfully as I watch him stand there, vulnerable and guarded all at once.
“Because if that’s the case,” Kai continues, forcing out a dry laugh, “adding more guys into the mix down the road… I don’t know. It just makes me feel even more like an outsider.”
Julian shakes his head immediately, stepping forward. “Kai, that’s not?—”
“I know it’s not on purpose,” Kai cuts in, his voice softening just slightly. “But I can’t help how it feels.”
I catch Julian’s eye, and for a moment, there’s nothing but silence between the three of us. Then Julian reaches out, curling his hand around Kai’s wrist, grounding him.
“Kai, this isn’t about you fitting into something we already had. We’re building something new with you. And maybe we can discuss Sophie being a hotwife. Together.The three of us.”
Kai’s lips press into a thin line, and he looks down for a moment before meeting Julian’s eyes again. “I understand. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m not… I… I can’t see myself being okay with it. With her sleeping with other men.”
My heart twists at his words, and I take a step closer to him, my voice soft. “Kai, are you saying you want me to stop?”
He shakes his head quickly, running a hand through his hair. “I’m not asking you to change who you are. I know how much it means to you. The confidence it gives you, the way it makes you feel alive. The way it makes you feelfree.I wouldn’t want to take that from you.”
Free.
Just like I told him earlier.
Julian frowns. “Then what are you saying?”
Kai takes a deep breath, his shoulders stiff. “I’m saying I don’t think I can do this if it keeps going the way it has. I thought maybe I’d adjust, that I could learn to be okay with it. But I want… something different. Something exclusive. This isn’t justfunfor me anymore,” he adds.
I blink, thrown off. “You mean… a closed relationship?”
Kai nods, his voice quieter now. “Yeah. Just the three of us. No one else.”
The room falls silent, and I glance at Julian, whose expression is unreadable. My mind races as I try to process what Kai is asking.
“Kai,” I say carefully, “you know that being a hotwife was a big part of my life. I’m still trying to figure out what it means to me now, but… I don’t know if I’m ready to give it up completely. And Julian…” I trail off, unsure how to finish the thought.
