INICIAR SESIÓNKade “Bro, I need your advice.” Shawn’s voice breaks through my thoughts, and I turn to look at him. He looks disheveled and weary, his shoulders slumped like the weight of the world has decided to make itself comfortable on his back. Yeah, this is definitely what I need to keep myself from storming upstairs and dragging Sora out of Cameron’s reach. I’ve been sitting here trying to respect her request for privacy, but every minute she spends alone with that idiot makes my patience wear thinner. An uneasy jolt runs down my spine, and I shift in my seat, forcing myself to focus on Shawn instead of imagining all the ways my brother could piss me off in the next five minutes. “What’s good, bro?” I snicker, clapping him on the shoulder. “Trouble in paradise?” I point toward Sandy, who has her head buried between her thighs as she sleeps. Even Jackson looks like he’s attending a fucking funeral, sitting there with a face so long I’m tempted to ask who died. Shawn doesn’t laugh
SoraTears prick at the corners of my eyes, and I blink rapidly, refusing to let them fall. This is humiliating. So darn humiliating. This isn’t how I imagined him finding out about my feelings, with me standing in front of him, desperate to snatch back a journal I never intended for him to read.A tiny spark of hope flickers in my chest, and I hate myself for it. Some stupid part of me wants to believe that knowing how long I’ve loved him might change something between us, but I can’t afford to hold on to that hope anymore. Not when I’ve finally decided to give Kade a chance, not when I know how much I’ve hurt him already.“I love Kade,” I lie through gritted teeth, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “And whatever you read in that book was just pure fiction. I don’t have feelings for you, Cameron, so get off your high horse.”I scoff, turning my face away before he can see how badly my hands are trembling. The words taste bitter on my tongue, and my chest aches as though I’m physical
Sora I snap my head toward the door, but all the words in my throat die the second I see Cam’s disheveled face. His hair is a mess, and there are dark circles beneath his eyes, making him look like he hasn’t slept properly in days. What is he doing here? I thought they hated being around each other? I turn to Kade, who is already glaring daggers at Cam, his jaw clenched so tightly that I can see the muscle twitching beneath his skin. “I told you to wait outside, you'll talk to her when she's ready.” I look between the two brothers, my heart pounding loudly against my ribs. “Why’s he here?” I ask Kade, tightening my grip on his hand. Kade lets go of my hand and shoves his into his pocket, his expression suddenly unreadable. “He’s your best friend, you’ve been pitching for us to work things out. So here we are.” He looks everywhere but at me, and Cameron’s presence is already beginning to irritate me. It’s always like this with him. Just when I think I’ve finally managed to move o
Kade“I don’t want Cameron. I just told you I wanted to be with you. To work this out.” She screams at me before dropping onto the bed, the mattress dipping beneath her weight. “I don’t get this.”But I do.I get that she sees me as a safety net. The one who is always going to show up for her, no matter how many times she pushes me away. She said it herself. She’d rather be with Paxton than me. Anyone but me. Any man who isn’t me.And now she suddenly wants to work things out.I rub my jaw, still feeling the sting from her slap against my cheek. I should be angry, but all I can think about is how badly I want to believe her.I’m prideful. Maybe stupidly in love with her, but I’m not blind enough to ignore what I think she’s doing. I need to know that she wants me because she actually wants me, not because I’m the person who keeps showing up whenever she needs someone.Until she proves she wants me just as much as I want her, I’ll keep my distance from my pretty Shadow.“I’m not trying
Sora“You wanted to speak to me?” His eyes stay fixed on the floor as he scratches the back of his head, looking almost uncomfortable. “What’s up?”I close the space between us and wrap my arms around his waist.Kade jolts at the contact, his body going stiff beneath my arms. He tries to step away, but I hold on for another second before finally looking up at him, blinking like a cat.“I’m sorry.”“What?” He looks down at me, and this time he actually tries to pry himself away from me. “Sorry?”I reluctantly let him go, my hands falling to my sides as I meet his eyes.“I screwed up, I agree, but please just listen to me for a second.”He scoffs and turns away from me, walking a few steps around the room. A quiet, humorless chuckle leaves his lips as he rubs the back of his neck.“You don’t have to do all this because I saved you.”His words sting, and I swallow the lump forming in my throat. Maybe I deserve that. After the way I treated him at the hospital, I can’t exactly blame him f
Sora“What do you mean, feelings?” she shrieks, shooting to her feet so quickly the chair scrapes against the floor. She starts pacing around the room, her hands flying through the air as if she can physically make sense of what I just told her.I raise a hand, trying to calm her down, but she’s clearly not having it.“I was joking when I suggested that, for fuck’s sake.” She throws her hands up, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. “God, do you know how scandalous that will be? Falling for two brothers?”Wow.I really didn’t expect her to be this horrified by the fact that I’m moving on, but shit, this still stings. Something tightens in my chest, and I turn my face away before she can see it.“Gee, I wonder how the world would take it too,” I say flatly, shifting against the pillows and turning toward the other side of the bed.“So, that’s not what I mean.” Her footsteps stop behind me, and when she speaks again, her voice is softer. “You know I’m not judging you, not in t







