Their rules

The next day the Hayes brothers both appeared at my campus. Both of them holding two chains and a pendant. I was so surprised that i couldn't utter a word.

"I've been waiting for your answer"Ethan said

"Me too" Jace said. Then they both joined the necklace and wore it on my neck.

"You are ours now Ethan said". Then I smiled.

Then they offered me a ride

I couldn't breathe in the back seat of Jace's Range Rover.

Ethan's necklace was cold against my skin. Two chains, one pendant. One silver for Jace, one black for Ethan. Twisted together so tight you couldn't separate them.

"Take it off if you don't want it," Ethan said, watching my face in the rearview mirror. His voice was calm, but his eyes were not calm at all.

I didn't take it off. My fingers stayed on it.

"Aria, look at me," Jace said from the front seat. He had stopped the car by the lake where we used to come as kids. No one was there. "We didn't bring you here to scare you."

"You did scare me," I whispered. "You both showed up at my campus. People filmed us. Chloe said Ethan posted my building."

"I did," Ethan admitted without shame. "I wanted them to know you are taken. So no idiot in your class tries to ask you out again."

"Ethan!" Jace snapped. "We agreed not to be possessive like that."

"That was rule number four, and I broke it. I know." Ethan didn't sound sorry. He leaned over the center console, closer to me. "But I don't share you with anyone else, Aria. Only with him. Only with my brother. Do you understand that?"

I nodded, because my voice was gone.

Jace got out of the car and opened my door. "Come here."

I got out. The wind from the lake was cold, but Jace's hands were warm when he took mine.

He had always been the warm one. Since we were kids. He taught me to ride a bike. He helped me with homework. He was safe.

Ethan got out too. He didn't touch me right away. He just leaned against the car, watching us, his arms crossed. He was the dangerous one. The one who left town at 18 and came back a millionaire. The one who looked at me now like I was something he bought and would never return.

"We made rules last night," Jace said quietly, holding both my hands. "Because Ethan and I... we almost fought over you. Real fight. And we never fight. Not about anything."

"Tell her the rules, Jace," Ethan said.

Jace swallowed. "Rule one: You never have to choose between us. We both know you love me... and I know you have feelings for him too, even if you won't admit it. So we stop asking you to choose."

My eyes filled with tears. "Jace..."

"Rule two," Ethan cut in, pushing off the car and stepping behind me. I could feel his chest against my back. "You are honest with us. If you want a kiss, you say it. If you want us to stop, you say it. One word and we both stop. Always."

His breath was on my neck. I shivered.

"Rule three," Jace whispered, his forehead touching mine. "We take turns. But we share the nights. If you are with one of us, you are still ours. Both of us."

This was insane. This was wrong. People would call me names. My mother would kill me. But why did my heart beat so fast?

"And rule four," Ethan said, his lips brushing my ear, "You wear our mark. That necklace. So everyone knows you belong to the Hayes brothers. Both of us."

Jace looked at Ethan, then at me. "Aria... do you want to try? Just for one week. One week of being ours. If you hate it, we walk away. Both of us walk away and we never bother you again."

Both of them waited. Jace with soft, desperate love. Ethan with dark, patient hunger.

I touched the necklace again. Two chains. One pendant.

One week.

What could happen in one week?

"One week," I whispered.

Ethan smiled for the first time — a real, possessive smile. "One week is all we need, little one."

Jace pulled me into a hug, his arms tight, like he couldn't believe I said yes.

And over Jace's shoulder, I saw Ethan mouthing the words: _You're ours now._

And for the first time, I didn't want to run from it.