Chapter 3

Evan POV

I clutch the broken hotel card in my hand, pressing the pieces together as if I can somehow mend the night. My fingers shake, heart hammering against my ribs. I refuse to believe Mason lies. I refuse to let him ruin what Ryan and I promised. I swallow hard and take a shaky breath, staring down the dimly lit corridor, listening for any sign, any sound from him then I hear it.

A sound that freezes my blood.

A moan, soft at first, then sharper, more deliberate. “Ohhh… ohhh… Ryan, take it easy on me… Hmmm, that was so good babe.”

My hands clutch the card so hard that it bends. My pulse spikes. What the hell?

I sprint toward the room, fumbling with the keycard as panic drives me forward. My fingers shake as I insert it, twisting the handle and flinging the door open.

And there he is, Mason Carter half-naked on the bed, lounging like he owns the world. My stomach flips, bile rising. My mind freezes.

“What the hell?” I blurt, my voice trembling. “Where is Ryan?”

Mason laughs, low and cruel, the sound wrapping around me like smoke. “He’s in the bathroom,” he says, eyes glinting with that same smug confidence, “getting ready for… round two. Why would he want you when he could have all this?”

He shifts on the bed, moving deliberately, every motion calculated to make me squirm. … His smirk sharpens as he watches me, as if daring me to look away. My stomach churns, my chest tightens, and my hands tremble.

I grit my teeth, swallowing down the bile threatening to rise. “As if I believe that,” I spit. “He’s probably not even in there.”

Mason smirks wider, tossing something toward me with a flourish. I catch it, Ryan’s jacket. My fingers brush the familiar leather, and my eyes immediately catch the pink-and-green rose stitched inside the pocket.

Flashbacks hit, Ryan in this jacket holding me close, whispering promises in the dark. My chest tightens painfully.

No, no, no, he wouldn’t. He couldn’t…

I throw the jacket back at Mason, voice trembling. “No! You’re lying!”

Mason leans back on the bed, laughter echoing in the room. His smirk stretches wider, predatory. I press my hand to the bathroom door, heart pounding, and shout:

“Ryan? Are you in there?”

Inside, Ryan stirs, groaning weakly. His voice, low and fragile, reaches me. “Evan…?”

I’m trembling, fury and panic colliding. “Ryan! How could you? You promised me!”

He tries to push himself up, but his body falters, still dazed and vulnerable. I pound on the door. “No, Ryan! You don’t get to hide from me! I need an explanation!”

Mason’s voice comes from behind me, low and deliberate. “You’re about to find out the truth, Evan. Go on… open it. Ask him to come out and see if he will. He is ashamed of what he did.”

I grit my teeth, ignoring him, pressing harder against the door. My voice cracks as I call out again: “Ryan! I’m counting to three!”

“One…” My pulse is deafening in my ears.

“Two…” Trembling, heart exploding with a mix of anger and dread.

“Three!”

The door creaks. Ryan attempts to push himself upright, trying to respond, but his legs give out. He collapses back onto the tile with a dull thud, groaning. My chest seizes with a combination of relief and fury.

“You ruined tonight! You ruined us!” I yell, voice breaking. “You betrayed me!”

Tears streak down my face, mixing with the sweat from panic and anger. My hands clutch the broken hotel card like it’s a lifeline to what I thought I knew. I can’t even look at him, I can’t trust my eyes.

Ryan groans again, barely conscious, murmuring, “Evan…” weak. He tries to push himself upright, but his body won’t cooperate. I feel a pang of helplessness, but it doesn’t soften the rage boiling in me.

Mason leans lazily against the doorway, smirk still in place, enjoying every second of my panic. My stomach twists at the sight, the sheer audacity of him. I want to lunge, to hit, to scream, but I’m too drained, furious, and betrayed.

The jacket, the rose, the way Mason twisted every tiny detail, it’s like a knife in my chest. I take a shaky step back, pressing my palms to my face, letting the sobs come, ragged and raw. Every heartbeat echoes the betrayal: Ryan, my Ryan, did this happen? Did he… let this happen?

I force myself to straighten, wiping tears hastily, furious at myself for letting Mason’s manipulation get to me. I can’t forgive him tonight. I won’t like this. My throat is raw from shouting, my chest aching, my legs trembling but I won’t stay, I refuse to.

I glance back at the room. Mason lounges smugly, triumphant. His smirk cuts deeper than any knife. But I realize something, leaving now is the only choice I have. Staying, pretending, hoping… that would be weakness. That would be giving him control over my life, my heart, my choices.

I take a step toward the exit, dragging my shaking legs down the hallway. Every step is weighted with pain, every breath a reminder of what was lost tonight. The sound of my sobs fills the corridor, mingling with the distant bass of the ballroom. It all feels surreal, like I’m walking through someone else’s nightmare.

I think of Ryan again, weak, dazed, but I don’t look back, I can’t. Mason’s smirk lingers in my mind, a cruel echo of manipulation and lies. I will not let it control me any longer.

The lobby stretches ahead, sterile and cold, fluorescent lights harsh on my tear-streaked face. I press my hands to the counter, gripping it like it can hold me upright, like it can somehow anchor me in a world that feels suddenly alien.

I think of the hotel card again, the fragments of a night I thought would be perfect. I press it to my chest briefly, a silent farewell to the promises and whispered words that now feel hollow. My heart aches, chest tight, but I refuse to turn back. I refuse to forgive tonight.

Mason’s laughter echoes in my mind again, a poison I carry with me. I clench my fists, jaw tight, tears still slipping down, and whisper to myself, “I can’t… I won’t… not like this.”

I turn my back fully, striding toward the exit, letting the doors to the hotel lobby slide open to the night air. Cool wind hits my face, biting and sharp, and I let it wash over me, clearing the haze of tears and rage just enough to breathe.

I walk away, not knowing exactly where I’ll go, but knowing this night is over. Mason may have won a moment, but he hasn’t won me. And Ryan… Ryan’s actions tonight have closed a door I may never open again.