LEAH I still couldn't believe he would do it. "I told you, Leah," Isa said through the phone. Her voice was careful, but there was an edge under it. "I saw them hanging around more than usual. You just didn't want to believe me." "I'm not in the mood for lectures right now," I said. My voice cracked. A tear slipped down my cheek and landed on my shirt. "I can't stay at my place tonight. Can I come to yours?" There was a short pause. "Of course you can. But I'm not home." "Where are you?" I wiped my face with the back of my hand. "I can come to you." "I'm at a bar with Leo. I'm outside right now. When I saw your message I got worried. I don't think a bar is the best place for you tonight." "No, it's fine," I said quickly. I was already reversing the car out of the parking lot. "I think that's exactly what I need. I'm okay. Really. Just send me the address." "Are you sure? I can leave right now and meet you at home." "I'm sure, Isa. Please just send it." I was tired of talking. Tired of hearing my own shaky voice. "Okay. Drive safe. Please." I didn't answer. I ended the call and dropped the phone on the seat beside me. For a few seconds I just sat there with my forehead on the steering wheel, trying to breathe. My chest felt tight. Every time I closed my eyes I heard Ashley's voice again. Fuck, Jeremy, we have to be quiet. And his laugh right after. The same laugh he used when he was trying not to get caught doing something stupid. I hadn't even seen them. I had only heard it. That almost made it worse. My mind filled in everything I didn't want to see. My phone started vibrating again. Jeremy's name lit up the screen. I didn't pick up. I just watched it ring until it stopped, then started driving. The bar wasn't far. By the time I parked, my hands were still shaking a little. Inside, the music was loud enough that it pushed against my ears. The air smelled like alcohol and perfume. People were laughing, dancing, leaning into each other. I stood near the door for a second, suddenly unsure if I wanted to be there at all. "Leah!" Isa's voice cut through the noise. She was already moving toward me, her long blonde hair swinging behind her. When she reached me she pulled me into a hug so tight it almost hurt. I didn't pull away. "I was scared you changed your mind and went back home," she said, pulling back just enough to look at my face. "What took you so long?" "Traffic," I said. It was easier than explaining that I had sat in the car for ten minutes trying not to cry. She studied me for a second, then her mouth twisted. "I can't believe he actually did this to you." "I can't either," I said. Isa stared at me for a moment. "Actually, no. I can." "Isa!" "What? You want me to lie to you?" She crossed her arms. "That man has been collecting red flags like they're university credits." "I'm serious." "So am I. At this point I need to know what you see in him, because his personality isn't doing the heavy lifting." I looked away Isa's expression softened. "You know I'll never lie to you, if something isn't good for you, you should believe I'll let you know." I shook my head, but the corner of my mouth stayed up. She took my hand and started pulling me toward the bar. "Come on. Let me get you something to drink." I snorted. We sat on two stools side by side. Isa ordered for both of us. "Alcohol isn't going to fix my problems." "No, but it might convince you to stop checking your phone every thirty seconds." I looked down. I was still holding my phone. I hadn't even realized it. "I'm not checking for him." "Of course not. You're just staring at your screen with the intensity of a woman waiting for a lottery result." "You're a terrible friend." "I'm an excellent friend. That's why I'm about to introduce you to alcohol and my questionable taste in men." When the drink arrived I took a sip. It burned going down and left a sweet-sour taste on my tongue. "Speaking of questionable taste," I said, "how's Leo?" Isa glanced over her shoulder toward one of the couches. Leo was sitting alone, phone in his hand, looking bored. "Pretty face. Terrible conversationalist." "So what's the attraction?" She gave me a look. "Leah, darling, some talents don't require conversation.Most talents actually require a good mouth, amazing hands and a breathtaking dick" I stared at her. "You're disgusting." "And yet, you're smiling." I was. It felt strange on my face. Isa took a drink and watched me carefully. "I was going to ask you to tell me everything in detail," she said, "but I don't think I want to hear about him tonight." "Good," I said. "Because I don't want to talk about him either." My phone buzzed on the bar. Jeremy's name lit up the screen again. I didn't reach for it, but my eyes stayed on it longer than they should have. Isa noticed. "Don't answer it." "I wasn't going to." "Leah." "What?" "You have that look." "What look?" "The look you get right before you forgive him for something he hasn't even finished apologizing for." The words stung. I looked away. "You're making me sound pathetic." Isa's expression softened. "No. I'm making you sound like someone who's been in love with the wrong person for too long." I didn't answer. She was right, and we both knew it. That was the part that scared me the most. If I went home alone, I might answer the next call. I might let him talk. I might believe whatever he said. Isa bumped her shoulder against mine. "I'm sorry for showing up like this." I said "Don't be. If you need a distraction tonight..." She grinned. "Leo's terrible at talking, but he's really good at other things. Important things and you know I love to share." "Isa." "What? I'm just saying." "You're insane," I said, but the corner of my mouth twitched again. She laughed and stood up. "I'll be right back. Don't disappear on me. And don't answer that phone." She kissed the top of my head before she walked away, her short dress swaying with each step. The second she left, the heaviness came back. I watched couples dance and wondered how many of them were lying to someone. The music felt too loud. My head started to spin. I finished the rest of my drink too fast and still didn't feel better. My phone stayed face-down on the bar. I didn't flip it over. I needed air. Or silence. Or both. I asked two girls near the hallway where the bathroom was. They pointed, and I followed the narrow corridor until I found the door. It was a small room, barely big enough for one person. I locked it behind me, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water on my face. My reflection looked tired. My lip gloss was gone. My hair was a mess. My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out. Jeremy had stopped calling. There was a new text instead. I didn't open it. I could already see the first few words. Baby, I'm sorry. You know I would... I locked the screen and shoved the phone back in my pocket. Another text came in from Isa. She was ready to leave. I unlocked the door and stepped out. I barely made it two steps before I walked straight into someone. "Shit-sorry," a low voice said. Hands caught me before I could stumble. One settled on my waist, the other on my arm. I looked up. He was taller than me, dark hair falling a little over his forehead, and he was watching me with a mix of surprise and something else I couldn't name yet. "It's fine," I said. My voice came out quieter than I meant it to. I shifted, expecting him to let go. He did, but slowly. "Kai!" a woman's voice called from somewhere down the hall. She sounded angry. His expression changed in an instant. The easy look disappeared. His jaw tightened. I didn't have the energy to ask questions. "Excuse me," I said, trying to move past him. He looked at me again. The anger faded just as fast as it had come. His eyes flicked down the hallway, then back to me. Something calculating settled in his face. "Can you do me a favor?" he asked, voice lower now.

LEAH "What kind of favor?"I asked "Kai!" the woman called again, closer this time. He glanced over his shoulder, then back at me. "Just go with it," he said. Before I could answer, he kissed me. It wasn't soft. It was sudden and deep, and for a second my brain went completely quiet. His hands returned to my waist, pulling me closer until there was almost no space left between us. I should have pushed him away. Instead, my fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt. When he tilted his head and deepened the kiss, a small sound escaped me before I could stop it. He made a low noise in response and slid one hand into my hair, holding me there. "Kai!" "You're a fucking whore!" the woman shouted. Her heels clicked hard against the floor as she stormed closer, then stopped. I heard her curse again before she turned and walked away fast. He didn't pull back right away. When he finally did, we were both breathing harder than before. His forehead rested against mine for a second. "You're a lifesaver," he said, voice rough. I blinked, still trying to catch up. "You can put me down now." He hadn't even realized he was still half-holding me. He set me on my feet carefully. "Right. Sorry." He looked down the empty hallway, then back at me. "Come with me for a minute." "I should-" He didn't wait. He took my hand and led me farther down the corridor, into a room at the end. The door closed behind us. Inside, the space looked nothing like the rest of the bar. There were roses on the bed, a bottle of wine on the table, champagne sitting in a bucket of ice, and folded towels stacked neatly on the side. Candles were lit. It looked planned. Expensive. He stared at the room like he hadn't expected it either. "Are we supposed to also pretend we're on a honeymoon or something?" I asked. He let out a short laugh. "I have no idea why any of this is here. She said this was the room we were staying in. I wasn't paying attention but I think she mentioned knowing the owner of the bar or building" "She," I repeated. "As in the girl who just saw you kissing me?" "Yeah." He picked up the wine bottle and turned it in his hands, reading the label without really looking at it. "She's not my girlfriend. She's just... someone I was seeing. She got the wrong idea." I crossed my arms. "So you kissed a stranger to prove a point." "Pretty much." He glanced at me. "Worked, though." I didn't answer. The room was warm from the candles. My lips still felt warm too. He poured two glasses without asking and held one out. I stared at the glass of wine he was holding out to me, my jaw tightening. "Why would I take a drink from you? I have no idea who you are." He did not look offended at all. Instead, a slow, lazy smile spread across his lips. "Suit yourself, princess," he murmured, before taking a slow sip out of the glass himself. I stood there, completely stunned by how calm and relaxed he was acting after practically dragging me into a private room off a noisy club hallway. "You could have just explained all of this outside," I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. "This is literally kidnapping!" He let out a short, amused chuckle, swirling the dark red liquid in his glass. "She could still be hanging around the corner. I did not want to risk running into her again." I scoffed, my eyes sweeping over the ridiculous romantic setup around us "And bringing me into the exact room she planned for you is supposed to be any better?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He paused, his eyes gleaming with a mix of mischief and humor. He looked around the room as if he was only just noticing the decorations. "You have a point," he admitted, setting his glass down on the table. "Though, I am positive she will go home crying to her roommate by now, so we are safe." "You are insane," I breathed out, shaking my head at his total lack of normal boundaries. His playful expression shifted slightly. He tilted his head, his dark eyes narrowing as they searched my face. The smirk faded, replaced by something much more sharp and observant. "What is making you this mad? You alright?" he asked quietly, raising an eyebrow. I almost laughed. "Not really. I walked in on my boyfriend with his coach's daughter earlier. My best friend allowed me to come here so I could drink away my sorrows while she spends time with the guy she's seeing. And now some stranger just kissed me to get rid of his fling." He was quiet for a second. Then he said, "That's a shit night." "Yeah obviously." "For what it's worth," he added, "you're a great kisser and that stranger enjoyed every bit of it." I looked at him. There was a small, crooked smile on his face, but his eyes were watching me carefully, like he was trying to figure out if I was about to leave or stay. "You're very confident for someone who just used a random girl as a shield," I said. "I am." He didn't deny it. "But I also owe you now." "You don't owe me anything." "I do." He stepped a little closer. Not enough to crowd me, but enough that I noticed. "And from experience, the best way to feel better after someone cheats is to stop letting them be the only one who gets to have fun." "You want me to cheat back? How ethical," I scoffed, crossing my arms tightly over my chest as I glared up at him. He took another slow, deliberate step toward me, closing the distance between us until I could feel the faint, warm heat radiating off his body. "Not cheat back. Play back," he corrected smoothly, his voice dropping into a low, steady tone that sent an involuntary shiver straight down my spine. "Think about it," he continued, his gaze drifting over my face. "He obviously played you. And honestly? He has probably been doing it behind your back for a very long time. You only found out tonight because you happened to walk in at the wrong moment. You deserve to have a little fun, too." I should have told him to shut up. Instead I stayed where I was. He reached out slowly and brushed my hair over my shoulder. His fingers barely touched my skin when he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to the side of my neck. It was softer than the one in the hallway. It still made my breath catch. "What do you say, princess?" he asked against my skin.

LEAH He kissed the side of my neck and I didn't pull away. That was the first thing I noticed. My hands stayed loosely at my sides, like I was still deciding whether I wanted to touch him back or push him off. My breathing had already gone a little faster. I could feel the warmth of his mouth on my skin and the steady weight of his hands on my waist. He pulled back just enough to look at me. I knew my eyes were probably glassy from the drinks and everything else that had happened tonight. I felt like I was one wrong move away from either crying or kissing him again. A short, shaky laugh left me. "Are you trying to sleep with me?" He smiled. He didn't even try to hide it. "Is it working?" he asked, that cocky smile still on his mouth. I didn't answer. I couldn't. Everything came rushing back-Ashley's voice, Jeremy's laughter, and me crying in the car. And in that moment, I realized he might actually be right. I did something else and internally blamed it on the alcohol I had taken earlier. I grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him down into a kiss, teeth catching his bottom lip. He groaned and kissed me back just as hard, one hand gripping my ass as he lifted me off the floor. My legs locked around his waist. The second my back hit the wall I gasped into his mouth. He was already hard against me, I rolled my hips without thinking. His hand shoved under my top and yanked my bra down. He closed his mouth over my nipple and sucked hard, then switched to the other and bit just enough to sting. Every pull sent a sharp throb between my legs. I was soaked already. "Fuck," I breathed, fingers twisting in his hair. He slid his hand into my jeans. Two fingers pushed into me easily. I was dripping. My head thumped against the wall as he fucked me with them, slow then deeper, the heel of his palm grinding against my clit. Wet sounds filled the space. I moaned, loud, hips rocking down. "Fuck, you're soaked," he muttered. He added a third finger and curled them just right. He kept the pace steady, watching my face like he was learning exactly what made me shake. He pulled his fingers out, sucked them clean while he held my eyes, then yanked my jeans and panties down and freed his cock. I watched him roll a condom on. Even half-hard he was bigger than Jeremy. When he was fully hard the difference was obvious-thicker, longer, the kind of stretch that made my stomach clench. He rubbed the head through my slick folds. "Tell me to stop," he said. "Please...Don't." He thrust in hard. The stretch burned more than I was used to, then turned into heat as he sank all the way in, filling me deeper than Jeremy ever had. I cried out, nails digging into his shoulders. He fucked me against the wall, deep and steady at first, then harder. His hands gripped my thighs, holding me open. "You're not allowed to think about him," he said against my mouth. "If you need a name to call out, use mine. It's Kai." "Kai," I gasped. He angled his hips and hit that spot. I came with his name on my tongue, clenching hard around him. He fucked me through it until he buried himself deep and groaned against my neck as he came. He pulled out carefully, set me on shaky feet, stripped the rest of my clothes off, and carried me to the bed. He laid me on my back and knelt between my legs, hands sliding up my thighs. He was just lowering his head when my phone started ringing on the bed beside us. It kept going. Loud. He paused, glanced at the screen, and his jaw tightened. "Who the fuck is Jere?" I was still catching my breath. "That's...that's him." He smirked. Before I could react he grabbed the phone. My eyes widened, but my limbs felt heavy and I was too drained to fight for it. He held the phone in one hand, answered the call, and lowered his mouth to my cunt at the same time. Jeremy's voice came through, worried and sharp. "Babe? Babe?! Where are you? I've been so worried-" Kai's tongue dragged a slow, flat stripe up me, then closed over my clit and sucked. I bit my lip hard, trying to stay quiet. He licked me like he had all the time in the world, unhurried, two fingers sliding back inside me while his mouth stayed on my clit. I tried to keep still. A moan still escaped, low and broken. "Leah?" Jeremy's voice jumped. "What the fuck? Where are you-" Kai ended the call without looking up. He tossed the phone aside and lifted his head just enough to say, "You're welcome," before he went right back toward me. I pushed weakly at his shoulder, still breathless. "What the fuck?" He looked up at me, mouth wet, one brow raised. "Do you really still care after what he did?" The question landed hard. I opened my mouth, then closed it. I didn't have an answer that didn't make me sound stupid. He watched me for a second, then smirked like he'd expected exactly that, and lowered his head again. He took his time. Tongue circling, fingers curling slow and deep, arm across my stomach holding me down when my hips jerked. Jeremy had never filled me the way Kai just had. Kai acted like he was proving a point with every slow lick. Every time I got close he eased off just enough to drag it out, then built it again until I was shaking. "Kai-fuck-" I gasped, fingers in his hair. He hummed against me and I came hard, crying out, walls clenching around his fingers while he licked me through it. He pulled back, mouth wet, sat against the headboard, rolled on a fresh condom, and looked at me. "Come here." I crawled over him on shaky legs and sank down onto him slowly. The stretch was immediate-thicker than I was used to, reaching deeper when I finally took all of him. I braced my hands on his chest and started to move, rolling my hips. He let me set the pace, hands on my tits, thumbs brushing my nipples while he watched me ride him. "That's it," he murmured. "Take what you want." I rocked harder, grinding my clit against him. One of his hands slipped between us to rub tight circles while I fucked myself on his cock. He felt bigger like this too, the angle making every thrust hit deeper. He thrust up to meet me when I got messy, and I came with a broken cry, clenching hard around him. He gripped my hips and fucked up into me through it until he followed, burying himself deep with a low groan. I collapsed against his chest, both of us breathing hard, his cock still inside me. His hand settled on my lower back, stroking slowly. My phone was silent now. Jeremy felt very far away. "I would never cheat on you, you're perfect." he said after a moment.