The claim

"If you want to be a Hayes, sweetheart, you should know we Hayes men share everything. And now, it seems, we share you."

My breath caught in my throat. "Ethan, you don't mean that."

"I never say anything I don't mean, Aria."

He was so close now I could see the flecks of gold in his green eyes — the same eyes as Jace, but where Jace's were warm, Ethan's were a storm.

"Ethan, please. This is between me and Jace. We—"

"You and Jace?" He let out a short, humorless laugh. "My brother has loved you since you were old enough to wear lip gloss, but he is too much of a coward to do anything about it until he is forced. I am not a coward."

His hand was still near my face, not quite touching me, but I could feel the heat from his palm.

"For five years I told myself to stay away. You were Michael's little sister. You were Jace's obsession. You were off-limits. I built a company. I dated women who meant nothing. And the entire time, I was waiting for you to grow up."

My heart was hammering so loud I was sure he could hear it.

"You were waiting for me?" I whispered.

"I was waiting for the day you looked at me and saw a man, not just your brother's friend's older brother." His eyes searched mine. "Tell me you feel nothing, Aria. Tell me right now that you feel nothing when I look at you like this, and I will walk out of that door and never mention this again."

I opened my mouth to tell him exactly that. To tell him he was wrong. But no words came out. Because it would be a lie.

I did feel something. A dangerous, thrilling pull low in my stomach that terrified me. Jace made me feel safe, cherished, like I was coming home. Ethan made me feel... seen. Like he saw the woman I was trying to become, not just the girl I had been.

"That's what I thought," Ethan whispered, and his voice was rough now. He finally let his knuckle brush my cheek, so lightly it made me shiver.

Downstairs, someone called my name. Michael. "Aria! Jace! Where did you guys go? Cake time!"

Ethan's hand dropped. He stepped back, and the cold, distant CEO mask was back in place in an instant.

"Your brother is calling. You should go."

"And what about... what you just said?" I asked, my voice small.

He opened the bedroom door for me, his hand lingering on the handle. He leaned down, his mouth close to my ear, but not touching.

"I meant every word, Aria. You belong to us now. Both of us. Go downstairs and pretend you don't know it yet. But tonight, after the party... my brother and I are going to have a talk. And then we're going to come find you."

He let me walk out first. My legs felt like jelly.

When I got downstairs, Jace was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. His hair was a mess like he had been running his hands through it. When he saw me, his eyes were full of panic and guilt.

"Aria, are you okay? What did Ethan say to you?"

I looked at Jace — my first love, my forever crush — and then I looked past him to where Ethan had just appeared at the top of the stairs, watching us both, his expression unreadable.

And for the first time, I didn't know which brother I wanted to run to.

"Aria?" Jace took my hand, his thumb rubbing my wrist where my pulse was racing.

I looked up at him and forced a smile. "I'm fine. Let's go cut the cake."

But I could feel Ethan's eyes on us the whole night. And I knew nothing would ever be fine again.