LOGINThey stayed longer than either of them expected.Not because it got easier.But because neither of them walked away.Cami traced the rim of her cup again, quieter now, like the sharpest part of what she needed to say had already come out.Ariana didn’t rush her.Didn’t try to fill the silence this time.She just stayed.“That’s new,” Cami said suddenly.Ariana looked up.“What is?”“You not trying to fix the silence.”Ariana let out a small breath.“I think I’ve done enough damage trying to control things.”Cami studied her for a second.Then looked away again.“Yeah,” she said. “You have.”It wasn’t said to hurt her.Just to keep things honest.Ariana nodded slightly, accepting it.Another pause settled between them, softer now.Not as sharp.Cami leaned back in her chair, her gaze drifting toward the window again.“Did you ever think about how this would affect me?” she asked.Ariana d
For a moment, neither of them spoke.The noise of the café filled the space between them, but it didn’t touch what was sitting at the table.Cami looked down at her hands, then back up at Ariana.“You know what the worst part is?” she asked.Ariana didn’t answer.She knew this wasn’t a question that needed one.Cami’s fingers tightened slightly around her cup.“It’s not even that you’re with him.”A pause.“It’s that you let me be around you while it was happening.”That landed differently.Sharper.More personal.Ariana felt her chest tighten.“I didn’t plan it,” she said quietly.Cami let out a short laugh.“That doesn’t make it better.”“I know.”“No, I don’t think you do,” Cami replied, her voice still controlled but heavier now. “Because you weren’t the one sitting there, talking to someone, trusting them, while they were hiding something like that from you.”Ariana’s gaze dropped for a second.Not avoiding.Just… taking it in.“I would’ve told you,” she said.Cami shook her head
Cami didn’t overthink it this time.That was new.Usually, she would’ve waited. Let the feeling settle, sharpen, turn into something precise before acting on it.But she was tired of being the one who adjusted after everything had already happened.So she picked up her phone and called.Ariana answered almost immediately.“Cami?”There was something in her voice—surprise, relief, tension all mixed together.“We’re not doing this over text,” Cami said.Direct. No buildup.A small pause on the other end.“Okay,” Ariana replied. “Where?”Cami glanced around her room like the answer might be there.“Tomorrow. Lunch. That café near the park.”“I know it.”Another pause.“Cami—”But she cut her off.“Don’t say anything now.”Her tone wasn’t harsh.Just controlled.“I’d rather you say it to my face.”A beat.“…okay,” Ariana said quietly.The line went dead.Cami lowered her phone slowly.Her heart was beating faster now.Not from nerves.From anticipation.Because this time—she wasn’t going
Ariana noticed the shift before it was said out loud.It wasn’t dramatic.It wasn’t obvious.It was in the way Mateo looked at his phone a little longer than usual, then put it down without saying anything.In the way he stayed quiet after dinner, not distant, just… thinking.She waited a while before asking.“What happened?”He looked at her from across the table.Nothing defensive.Nothing hidden.“I spoke to Cami.”That was enough to tighten something in her chest.Not fear.Not jealousy.Something more complicated.“Okay,” she said carefully. “And?”Mateo leaned back slightly in his chair.“She’s angry.”Ariana nodded slowly.“That makes sense.”Silence followed.Because neither of them tried to soften it.Ariana traced the edge of her glass with her finger, watching it for a second.“What kind of angry?” she asked.Mateo didn’t rush.“The kind that hasn’t finished yet.”That landed heavier than she expected.Ariana looked down for a moment.“I didn’t want to hurt her,” she said q
Cami didn’t sleep.She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, the faint glow of the city slipping through the curtains and stretching across her room.Her phone was still on the bed beside her.Screen dark now.But she knew exactly what was on it.You already did.She had meant it.That was the problem.She turned onto her side, pulling the pillow closer, her fingers gripping the fabric without realizing it.For days—weeks—she had been fine.Not pretending.Not forcing it.Just… fine.Everything had settled into something manageable. Predictable. Controlled.No surprises.No emotional spikes.No moments that caught her off guard.And then one message—and suddenly she couldn’t shut her mind off.She sat up abruptly, pushing the covers away, frustration building in her chest.“Why now?” she muttered under her breath.It wasn’t even anger.That would have been easier.It was something heavier.Something that didn’t explode—just stayed.She got up, pacing her room, running a hand thro
Cami didn’t plan to go home that early.But something about the night lost its pull halfway through.The music felt louder than usual. Conversations blurred together. Diego was saying something beside her, but she wasn’t really listening.She picked up her drink, stared at it for a second, then set it back down untouched.“I’m leaving,” she said.Diego paused. “Already?”“Yeah.”He studied her face like he was trying to figure out if something had happened.“Want me to come with you?”Cami shook her head.“No.”A small pause.“I just want to be alone.”He didn’t push.“Text me when you get back.”She didn’t answer that. Just gave a small nod and walked out.The night air hit her differently this time.Cooler.Quieter.She wrapped her arms loosely around herself as she walked, heels clicking softly against the pavement.For once, she wasn’t rushing.She didn’t feel like she was escaping anything.But she wasn’t staying either.When she got home, she didn’t turn on the lights right away
Mateo didn’t slow. He only increased his pace, his cock pounding into her with a savage hunger, his breath ragged against her ear as he whispered, “Mine. All mine.” His hands moved to her thighs, spreading them wider, giving himself full access to her most intimate place. He slammed into her agai
The silence in the breakfast room was so thin it felt like it would shatter at the slightest breath. The phone continued to vibrate, a mechanical hum against the wood that sounded like a ticking bomb. Mateo’s hand was still on Ariana’s jaw, his thumb pressing into her lower lip with a pressure that
The marina was a symphony of clinking rigging and the low, expensive hum of engines. The Obsidian Star lived up to its name, a massive, predatory silhouette of black steel and glass that dwarfed the surrounding white cruisers. As they stepped onto the polished teak deck, the air was already thick w
Inside the locked stateroom, the air was thick with the smell of Julian’s expensive cologne and Ariana’s mounting terror. Julian tossed the keycard onto the vanity, his eyes dark with a stubborn, ugly persistence."Don't be like that, Ari," he said, stepping closer as she backed into the door. "You







