Page 90 of Fractured Faceoff

“I love her.” The words spilled out before I could stop them; a truth more potent than anything else I'd ever uttered. “Now that you've said your piece, you're not welcome here,” I continued, my tone resolute as I faced her tear-streaked expression. “I don’t want you around her until you figure out how to stop.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked, confusion clouding her features.

“You know what,” I said firmly, my pulse racing as anger threatened to overtake me again. “You hit on Brody when Isla got with him.”

Ava’s expression shifted; she narrowed her eyes at me defiantly. “You think that's all I did?”

My breath caught in my throat as realization dawned on me like a punch to the gut—she hadn’t just flirted;it felt like so much more.

“Isla needed to know he was bad from the get-go,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“So,” I began tightly, piecing it all together in horror and disbelief. “Not only were you fucking me and my brother…” My voice trailed off as the implications hit hard. “This was never about me or Kash or Brody, was it?” My heart raced as it all fell into place; it had always been about Isla. Ava's jealousy shimmered like an undercurrent threatening to pull us both under. “You're… you're threatened by her.”

Ava crossed her arms defiantly. “You think I’m threatened by Isla? Please, Jared. You’ve got to be kidding me.”

She sauntered over, a confident smile creeping onto her lips as she pressed her hands against my chest.

“Ava, don’t,” I warned, pushing her hands away firmly. “Don’t touch me.”

“Come on,” she coaxed, leaning closer. “We had something real.”

Before I could react, she leaned in and kissed me long and hard. My mind raced; shock flooded through me as I wrenched away from her grasp, fury boiling beneath the surface.

“What’s… what’s going on here?”

Isla's voice drifted from the stairs like a haunting echo, and I turned sharply. There she stood—eyes wide with disbelief and pain etched across her features.

I had seen that look before; it twisted my gut into knots. I could only imagine what she thought… Ava leaning against me while I struggled to pull away.

The air felt thick and suffocating as Isla took a step forward. Her eyes darted between us, searching for answers that hung unspoken in the charged atmosphere. My heart sank further with each passing second; guilt gnawed at my insides like an animal desperate for freedom.

I glanced back at Ava, who wore a smug grin as if this was some twisted game to win back control. But it wasn’t just about that anymore—it never had been.

"Isla, I?—"

Isla stepped into the kitchen, walked right over to Ava, and punched her in the face.

Chapter 27

Isla

Pain exploded in my hand after the impact, radiating up my wrist like a shockwave. The sting barely registered against the fury coursing through me.

“That’s my man, Ava,” I growled, heat pooling in my chest.

Ava's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a sneer. “You fucking bitch.”

She lunged for me, but Jared stepped between us, muscles tensed and jaw set.

“Back off,” he warned, voice low and steady. “You don’t want to do this.”

Ava hesitated, glancing from me to him, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. “What are you going to do? Protect her?” she spat, anger spilling over.

He crossed his arms over his chest, his stance unwavering. “If you lay a finger on Isla, I'd be inclined to lay a hand onyou.”

"You wouldn't."

Hearched a brow.

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