Our Secret Meeting

I never thought I’d do this, but it happened. My partner and I have been together for years, in an open relationship since last year. She introduced me to her friend Rachel as a playmate. We started seeing each other occasionally, just the three of us or one-on-one, always consensual, always safe. But recently, I met someone new on my own, outside our group. It feels wrong, like cheating even though it’s not supposed to matter. I told him he could never be more than a casual fling, but now I can’t stop thinking about him. The shame is overwhelming.