Chapter 1

BRIELLE’S POV

I was almost skipping down the hallway in barely contained excitement.

Last night kept replaying in my head, Axel's hand on my waist, Hunter whispering how long he'd wanted this, Darius pressing his forehead to mine.

Maybe this was it. Maybe I wasn't just Tristan's little sister anymore.

I wanted to see them. I wanted to know if they felt it too, if last night had changed anything, if it meant what I hoped it meant.

I could hear their voices from down the hall before I even reached the door, and I slowed my steps, smiling to myself.

I could just imagine their faces when I walked in.

“Being with Brielle was one heck of a night.”

I froze mid-step in the hallway, bracing my hand against the wall, as I heard my own name.

“…Brielle actually thought it was real.”

That was Axel’s voice and he was laughing. I dug my fingers into the plaster and didn’t move for a few minutes.

Then I heard Hunter’s voice next, his was lower, but it carried the same amount of amusement. “She made it too easy. One look and she was already melting.”

Darius didn’t laugh as loud as Axel did, but I still heard him. “An entire sketchbook full of us. Literally clouding every page, that's creepy if you think about it.”

“Poor thing, she probably thinks we're in love with her or something.” Darius chimed in.

“Yeah man, next time don't put me up to dumb bets like this. I'd hate to fuck another fat ass like her.” Hunter said jokingly.

What? They had seen my sketchbook?

So the night of my birthday, the way they had looked at me, the way they had touched me.

It was all a bet?

I couldn't believe what I heard, so I shoved the door open before my brain could catch up, ready to confront them.

All three of them were inside. Axel was standing near the window, Hunter half-sitting on the arm of the couch, and Darius was leaning against the desk with my sketchbook still in his hands.

The pages were open, revealing my drawings of them. Multiple sketches of them training, swimming and goofing around with Tristan.

Years of my secret, stupid feelings laid out as a joke.

The room went silent the second the door hit the wall.

Axel’s eyes locked on mine first. Then Hunter’s. Then Darius’s.

For a second none of us moved.

Then Axel crossed the room quickly and grabbed my wrist before I could think of turning away.

“Brielle—”

I tried to yank my wrist from him, but his grip was tight. “Let go.”

“Listen—”

“Let. Go.”

He didn’t, at least not right away. He pressed his thumb against the inside of my wrist and held me down.

Hunter straightened up. “It’s not what it sounds like.”

I laughed sarcastically. “Really? Because it sounds exactly like what it is.”

Darius closed the sketchbook slowly, and turned his eyes towards the floor. He still wouldn’t look at me.

Axel finally released my wrist, but he didn’t step back. “We were just talking.”

“About the bet,” I said, shaking a little. “About who was bold enough to sleep with me?”

Hunter rubbed the back of his neck. “It was stupid and we were drunk half the time, it wasn’t anything serious.”

“It wasn't anything serious?” I stared at him in disbelief. “You took me to bed, all three of you. On my freaking birthday and it wasn’t serious?”

Axel’s jaw tightened. “You’re making it sound worse than it was.”

“How should I make it sound then?” I stepped closer. “Tell me, explain it to me properly. Because from where I’m standing it sounds like the three of you decided my feelings were a game and then laughed about how easy I was to get.”

Darius finally spoke up. “We didn’t mean for it to go that far.”

“But it did.” I looked at him. “And you still went along with it.”

He didn’t answer.

Hunter tried again. “Brielle, come on. You’re blowing this up. It was a dumb challenge between us, we never planned on actually—”

“Actually what?” I cut in. “Actually touching me? Actually letting me think you loved me?”

Axel exhaled hard through his nose. “You want the truth?”

“Yes.”

He looked me straight in the eye. “None of it was real. Not the compliments, not the attention, not even the way we acted after. We dared each other and that was it. You have been drawing us for years Brielle, don't you think that's a little messed up? Then when we finally give you what you want, you're complaining. Playing the victim? Walk it off Brielle, we all got what we wanted.”

The words coming out of his mouth hurt me more than those I had overheard.

Hunter shifted uncomfortably. “Axel—”

“She asked for the truth,” Axel said without looking at him. “Well, I’m giving it to her.”

I stared at him. Tears were threatening to form at my eyes, bit I fought them back. “So I was just the easiest target.”

“You were available,” he said. “And you made it clear you wanted us, so we didn’t force anything.”

“I never said you forced me.” I countered. “I said you lied.”

Darius set the sketchbook down on the side table and finally looked up at me. “We should’ve stopped.”

“But you didn’t.”

There was silence in the room.

I reached for the sketchbook and my fingers brushed the cover just as Axel moved at the same time.

The book slipped, hit the edge of the table, and fell open on the floor between us.

The pages were open everywhere.

There were drawings of Axel mid-spar, with sweat on his eyebrows. Hunter climbing out of the lake with little water droplets running down his chest. Darius leaning against a tree with that half-smile he only ever gave Tristan.

This book was years of quietly watching them and hoping none of them would ever find out.

Now they all had.

I dropped to my knees and gathered the pages as fast as I could, shoving them back inside without looking at any of them. My hands were shaking but I kept my face still.

Hunter crouched as if he was going to help. “Brielle—”

“Don’t.” I warned.

He stayed in that position.

I stood up with the sketchbook clutched against my chest. The cover was slightly bent and one of the pages had torn a little at the edge.

Axel watched me the whole time. “You’re overreacting.”

I met his eyes. “Am I?”

“It’s not like we promised you anything.”

“No,” I said quietly. “You just let me believe in a lie. There’s a difference.”

Darius looked at me again and this time he looked remorseful, but right now that wasn’t enough.

Hunter tried one last time. “We can talk about this properly, just not like this.”

“There’s nothing left to talk about.” I stepped back toward the door. “You got what you wanted. You won your little challenge. Congratulations on your victory.”

Axel’s mouth tightened. “You’re acting like we ruined your life.”

I stopped with my hand on the doorframe. For a second I almost turned around and told him everything I was feeling.

How long I had wanted them. How carefully I had hidden it. How stupid I felt standing here now.

Instead I just said, “You didn’t ruin my life. You just showed me exactly what I was worth to you.”

Then I walked out and didn’t look back.

I kept my shoulders straight and my steps even all the way down the hallway, past the portraits, past the stairs, until I reached my own door.

Only when it closed behind me did I let my legs give out.

I slid down against the wood until I hit the floor, the sketchbook was still held to my chest.

Then the tears that were threatening to fall came out all at once. Each one after the other until I couldn't stop.

My mind drifted back to the night before which was my birthday.