Jack responded after a moment—lower now, but no less emotional. “I don’t want to watch him touch you anymore. I don’t want topretendI’m okay with it. Because I’m not.”
I stood frozen in place, chewing my lip raw, my breath caught tight in my throat.
“Are you eavesdropping?”
I jumped. I hadn’t even heard Elliott behind me. His voice was clipped, his expression clouded with anger.
“Something’s wrong,” I said quickly, stepping down the hallway toward our room. “We can’t keep doing this. You two are just…you’re competing now. I don’t know when it started, but it needs to stop.”
“Agreed,” he snapped. “This was a bad idea. Especially with them. People you’ve had history with. People who are just as fucked up as he was.”
My mouth parted in shock, rage sparking like a fire. “Are youseriouslycomparing Hana and Jack to Michael?” My voice rose. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
We were shouting—too loud and too heated.
The bedroom door creaked open, and both Hana and Jack stepped out, confusion flashing across their faces.
“Why are my and Hana’s names in the same breath as Michael’s?” Jack barked, his angry eyes bouncing between us.
“Jack, calm down,” Hana said, but Jack wasn’t done.
“No. I want to know why the fuck you two are out here talking shit about me and my wife,” he snapped, pointing a finger at Elliott and me.
Elliott immediately stepped in front of me. “Don’t fucking point at her,” he growled.
“Okay,let’s fucking stop!” I yelled. “Enough!”
My words stopped everyone in their place. All three of them turned to look at me.
“This wasclearlya bad idea. It was fun while it lasted—but you two?” I pointed at the men. “You’re having a fuckingdick measuring contestat my and Hana’s expense.”
There was angry, tense silence. Elliott let out a heavy sigh but said nothing. Jack looked down, his chest still heaving.
And Hana…Hana looked broken.
“I thought we were stronger than this,” she said quietly. “I thought we were grown, consenting adults communicating with each other and having fun.”
“You should know me better than that by now, love,” Jack said snarkily, pushing past her and back into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.
Hana looked at me, then at Elliott. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, then turned to follow him.
I stood there in the heavy quiet, my chest tight, my heart pounding frantically.
Elliott sighed beside me. “Well. That went to shit fast.”
He walked down the hall into the kitchen. I followed him, my throat dry and tight. “What just happened?”
Elliott shook his head. “Maybe we were both just…too caught up in the excitement of it all.”
I shook my head. “Excitement?”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah. The thrill of it. Something new. Watching each other. Being watched. You can’t tell me that didn’t do something to you, too.”
I recoiled a little. “Of course it did. But I thought it was more than that. I thought we were building something honest, trusting each other.”
He looked away. “I did trust you. I do. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t get in over my head.”
I crossed my arms, heat rising in my chest. “So, what—you’re saying you lied?”
