Page 35 of Deviant Obsession

"Stupid," I mutter, pushing off the wall. "So stupid."

Each step toward the exit feels heavier than the last. Part of me wants to turn back, to demand answers about what's happening between us. A bigger part knows that would be disastrous. Better to leave now, while I still can. Before these feelings grow any deeper roots.

The club's main area pulses with loud music, the sound washing over me as I emerge from the private corridor and descend the stairs. Bodies writhe on the dance floor, couplesentwined in darker corners. Everyone is lost in their own worlds of pleasure. I envy their simplicity, their ability to take what they want without overthinking it.

Or catch feelings.

The exit sign glows like a beacon of sanity ahead of me. Just a few more steps and I'll be out in the quiet entrance hall, then the cool night air. I can call a ride, go home, take a long shower, and try to wash away these dangerous thoughts. Then maybe I can work out why I even came here in the first place.

As I make my way towards the velvet curtain separating me from reality, I’m willing every muscle in my body not to turn around. My heart stutters the closer I get to the exit, wondering if Dean followed me. Wondering if part of me hopes he did.

But then I freeze, my world tilting sideways.

Across the dance floor, Dean stands by the bar, laughing with the bartender. He's wearing dark jeans and a black button-down he definitelywasn’twearing minutes ago. And how did he get here without passing me in the hallway? My feet come to a standstill as he turns, catching sight of me. His brow furrows in confusion.

"Rhea?" He calls out, striding toward me, head tilted. "What are you doing here?"

Footsteps sound behind me, and Dean's eyes shift over my shoulder. His expression transforms instantly, a cold rage sweeping across his features.

"Ethan?" The name falls from his lips like a curse.

My stomach drops to my feet like a lump of lead. Slowly, I turn to find an identical face behind me—the man I just left in the playroom. The man who just marked my skin, who bent me over and drove himself into me, who took his time soothing the burning welts...

"Ethan? Wha—no." A strangled gasp tears from my throat as horrific realization crashes over me. "Youpretendedto be him?"

Ethan raises his hands, pausing several steps away from me and his furioustwin. "Shit. I… Look, I didn’t know you wereRhea. I can explain?—"

"Explain?" My voice rises sharply, drawing attention from nearby clubgoers. "Explain how you had sex with me while pretending to be your brother? How you let me think... Oh god, I'm going to be sick."

"What?" Dean's voice cuts through the air like steel. He moves toward his twin, anger radiating from every line of his taught body. "You didwhat?"

"She came into the coffee shop thinking I was you," Ethan says quickly, backing away slightly. "We’ve swapped girls a million times, I didn’t think it was a big deal. I didn’t know it wastheRhea you’ve been obsessing?—"

"Stop talking." Dean cuts him off, hands curled into fists. "Right fucking now, before I break your jaw."

Their voices blur together as they argue, Dean’s face twisted with anger while Ethan emanates only glacial calm. I back toward the exit, my skin crawling with the memory of his hands on me—hands I thought belonged to the man I'd chosen to trust. Every mark he left feels like a brand of shame now, and every gentle moment of aftercare is now a layer of manipulation.

"I'm leaving," I announce, cutting through their heated exchange. My voice sounds strange in my ears, tight with unshed tears. "Don't either of you psychos dare follow me."

"Wait!" They both start forward, then glare at each other with identical expressions of warning.

"Rhea, let’s just talk—" Dean tries again.

"No." I hold up a trembling hand. "I trusted you… Or who I thought was you. I gave my consent toyou, nothim. And you," I turn to Ethan, venom dripping from every word, "you took advantage of that trust in the worst possible way. You made me feel safe just to get what you wanted.”

Ethan's face pales. "It wasn't like that. I didn’t know who you were. I thought you were just another one of Dean’s casual hookups. Someone who wouldn’t be bothered if I took his place. I didn’t realize I’d messed up until you mentioned that he hadn’t fucked you before."

"Save your excuses for someone who might believe them." The tears threatening to fall make me even angrier. I won't give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry. "You're both disgusting. The twin who violated me and the one who never bothered to warn me he had a crazy duplicate running around."

Without another word, I spin on my heel and shove through the exit curtain, leaving their weak protests behind me. My phone is already in my hand, ordering a ride, desperate to get as far from this nightmare as possible.

Behind me, the curtain opens again. "Rhea, wait. Please!"

I can't even tell which one of them it is at this point. The thought makes me walk faster, wrapping my arms around myself as I hurry toward the street. The welts on my skin burn with fresh humiliation, every mark a reminder of how completely I was deceived.

Chapter 12

Ethan

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