Page 25 of Fractured Faceoff

I stared out the window at the city lights blurring past us, feeling a strange mix of pity and frustration towards him. He wanted so badly to believe in something that was never real.

He finally spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just... I thought..."

I turned to face him fully, softening just a bit. "Jared," I said quietly but firmly. "She isn't who you think she is."

He didn't respond immediately; instead, he let out a long breath through his nose and kept his eyes on the road ahead.

“She told me if I was closer, we'd be together,” he said, his voice strained.

I took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of frustration and pity. I didn't understand why he was telling me this. Quite frankly, I didn't want to know any of it. But I also felt… I didn't know. I didn't totally feel bad because what Jared was doing to Kash was a betrayal. But Ava leading Jared on was just as bad.

Part of me was pissed that Jared didn't get that. That he couldn't see through her.

“Yeah, well, Ava is a liar,” I said, my tone harsher than intended.

“Isla,” he said in a warning tone.

“No,” I snapped, turning to face him. “You don't get to defend her. Not after what she did to you. Not after what she's doing to Kash. How? How could you be okay doing that to your brother?”

He flinched but didn't look away from the road. “It's not that simple.”

“It is that simple!” My voice echoed in the confines of the truck. “You're hurting Kash. She's hurting you. And you're both hurting each other for what? A fantasy?”

“It's not a fantasy,” he argued, his grip on the wheel tightening. “It's real.”

I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “Real? Real like what? Sneaking around behind everyone's back? Real like breaking up an engagement?”

“You don't understand,” he muttered, eyes fixed ahead.

“Make me understand,” I challenged, crossing my arms over my chest.

He let out a frustrated sigh, his jaw clenched tight. “Ava and I... we have something special.”

I rolled my eyes, feeling anger bubble upinside me again. “Special? She plays games with people's hearts, Jared! She's done it before and she'll do it again.”

“She loves me,” he insisted stubbornly.

“Does she?” I asked pointedly. “Or does she love the thrill of sneaking around and breaking rules?”

He stayed silent, his face a mask of determination mixed with uncertainty.

“You deserve better than this,” I said quietly after a moment, my tone softer but still firm.

“And what about Ava?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Ava needs to figure out who she is without dragging other people down with her,” I replied honestly. "She has to live with herself."

Jared's shoulders slumped slightly as if the weight of my words finally started to sink in. The truck's engine hummed as we drove through the city streets in heavy silence.

The truth hung between us like an unspoken agreement—something neither of us wanted to fully acknowledge but couldn't ignore any longer.

“Don’t you feel a little guilty?” I asked, my voice quieter, almost a whisper.

Jared glanced at me, his expression hardening. “For what?”

“What about Kash?” I pressed, leaning closer to him.

“Kash is a prick,” he said flatly. “He always has been.”

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