~Jaden~
Her lips were soft. Familiar.
But they didn't feel like Lily's.
And that was the problem.
Brielle pressed closer, her hands sliding under his shirt, nails grazing his skin like old memories. Her breath was warm, her mouth hungry, and she knew every trick, every touch, every move that used to undo him.
But this time?
It didn't work.
He grabbed her wrists. Firm. Not rough. Just… final.
"Stop."
She blinked up at him, mascara thick around her lashes. "What?"
"I said stop." He pulled back, heart pounding. "This isn't happening."
Brielle stared at him like he'd slapped her. "You're kidding."
Jaden stepped away, running both hands through his hair. "You think I came here to get off? I came here because I was angry. Because I needed to yell at someone. Because I'm confused and pissed and I knew you'd get it. But not for this."
Her eyes narrowed. "So she really has you wrapped around her finger."
"She's not wrapping me," he snapped. "She's just… real. She makes me want to be better."
Brielle scoffed. "Better? You think stopping mid-makeout earns you a halo?"
"No," he said quietly. "It means I finally know what the hell I'm doing. And I'm not throwing away what I have with Lily just because you know how to kiss like a weapon."
Silence.
Brielle stepped back, arms crossed, the heat draining from her face.
"You'll regret this," she said.
"Maybe." He walked to the door. "But not like I'd regret her."
And he left.
The cold Stockholm air slapped him the second he stepped outside. He welcomed it. Let it burn his skin, bite at his lips, freeze the fire that had almost consumed him.
He pulled out his phone, fingers trembling.
⸻
Jaden's fingers hovered over the phone screen, the message half-typed and erased a dozen times.
How do you say this without sounding like a mess?
He paced the small living room, the weight of everything pressing down on him — the fight with Ezra, the almost-betrayal with Brielle, and most of all, Lily's face when she looked hurt and distant.
He swallowed hard and finally pressed send.
JADEN [Text to Lily]:
We need to talk. I want to tell you everything before you hear it from someone else. Can we meet?
Minutes passed like hours. Then—
LILY [Reply]:
Okay. When?
They agreed to meet at a quiet café near the edge of town, where no one would know them.
Jaden arrived early, nerves twisting in his gut. When Lily walked in, her brown hair catching the light, her eyes wary but curious, he felt everything he'd been holding back crash forward.
"Lily," he said, voice low, "I want to tell you what happened at Brielle's place. Because I owe you that much."
She nodded, her gaze steady but cautious.
"I went there because I was angry. Confused. I thought I could get answers, maybe closure. But she tried to use that moment to mess with me… with us. She tried to make me do something I didn't want."
He looked at her, searching. "But I stopped it. Before anything happened."
Lily's breath hitched. "You stopped it?"
He nodded. "Because you matter more than a moment of weakness or pain."
She looked down, then back up. "Thank you for telling me first. That means a lot."
Jaden reached across the table, his hand brushing hers lightly.
"I'm sorry for the chaos. I want to make this right."
Lily's lips twitched into a small, hopeful smile.
"Then prove it. Not just with words, Jaden."
And for the first time in days, maybe weeks, Jaden felt like maybe — just maybe — they could get through this together.