Page 91 of Fractured Faceoff

The tension thickened the air between us. I held my breath as I watched Ava's expression shift—fear mixed with disbelief at Jared’s boldness.

“You think you can just waltz in here and play hero?” she challenged, but the edge of her confidence faltered under his glare.

“I’m not playing anything,” he shot back. “You need to realize who you're dealing with.”

Ava took a step back, eyeing Jared warily.

“Jared,” I said softly, still reeling from the pain in my hand and the rush of adrenaline that made my heart pound loudly in my ears.

He turned slightly toward me, concern threading through his features as he caught sight of my clenched fist. “Are you okay?”

I nodded stiffly, feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping up my neck. This wasn’t how I imagined things would unfold—not after everything that had happened between us lately.

Ava's gaze shifted between us again before settling on Jared. “What do you think you can achieve here? This isn’t over.”

Jared didn't even turn as he took my hand in his, inspecting it. His protectiveness wrapped around me like a shield against her hostility as I tried to steady my breath and rein in the storm brewing inside me.

“Where did this even come from? He… he was mine.” Ava’s voice shook as she confronted me, confusion mingling with anger.

“No, he wasn’t,” I shot back, meeting her gaze head-on. I gently pulled away from Jared, feeling his warmth slip from my skin. I stepped closer to Ava, steadying myselfagainst the whirlwind of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

“You were using him just like you used all of them,” I pressed on. “The ones before Kash, the ones after. Even the ones when you were with him. You’ve always done this to me. Always made little jokes, those double-edged swords that cut me down. Stealing every guy I’ve ever had a crush on."

“Kash?” Jared's voice broke through the tension, a hard edge to it.

I rolled my eyes at him. “I told Ava he was cute when I was ten,” I muttered, a lump forming in my throat as memories flooded back—innocent moments twisted into painful recollections.

“What do you expect?” Ava countered sharply, her defenses rising. “My looks were the only damn thing I had over you. Do you know what it felt like being compared to you?Isla’s doing fractions and she’s only ten! Ava can barely multiply when I was that age. Good thing she's got her looks.”

“What do your looks have anything to do with stealing my boyfriends?” My voice rose without meaning to, but anger ignited my words.

“I…” She faltered, glancing at Jared as if seeking help. But his expression remained cold and unyielding.

“So that’s it then?” she said, a hint of desperation creeping into her tone. “You’re really going to choose him over me? Over family?”

“Are you serious?” My voice cracked slightly as disbelief washed over me. “Brody told me what you did?—”

“And you believe him?” Ava interrupted sharply.

“For this, yeah, I do.” The truth rang clear in my mind despite how much it hurt to sayit out loud.

The air thickened with unspoken words and bitter realizations hung heavy between us.

Jared’s jaw tightened as he stood beside me, the tension radiating from him like heat waves. “I think you need to leave,” he said, his voice low but firm. He stepped toward Ava, a solid wall of resolve. “You aren’t welcome here.”

Ava’s eyes flared with anger as she took a step back, disbelief washing over her features. “So much for marrying me, huh?” she shot back, bitterness lacing her words. “You’re a fucking liar.”

“And you're a goddamn whore,” he spat back, his tone sharp enough to cut through the thick air. “Lucky I got out before it got too serious.” He opened the door wide. "So maybe I should be thanking you."

“Or what?” she snapped, fists clenched at her sides. The defiance in her posture crumbled beneath the weight of desperation.

“I’ll tell Kash everything,” he declared, his voice dropping into a menacing whisper. “Since you’ve burned so many bridges, you’ll have nowhere to go.”

“Like he’ll believe you.”

“He’ll believe me.” I stepped forward, my heart pounding with every word that escaped my lips. “I wouldn’t lie to him and he knows that. And honestly, Ava? I doubt he doesn't know. He just… doesn't want to deal with it."

Ava’s gaze turned toward me, eyes wide with betrayal as if I had plunged a knife into her back. “I…” She stammered but couldn’t find the words to defend herself.

---