Page 92 of Fractured Faceoff

“Go,” Jared urged, his tone hardening like steel. “You’ve done enough.”

Silence hung in the air between us like a noose waiting to tighten around our throats. I could feel the weight ofAva’s disbelief pressing down on my chest. I couldn't bring myself to care.

She stood there for what felt like an eternity before finally backing away from the threshold, a wounded look etched across her face. I had never seen her so small.

The door clicked shut behind her with a finality that echoed through my bones. The rush of adrenaline began to fade, leaving an unsettling stillness in its wake.

Jared turned toward me then, his expression shifting from fury to something softer.

Before I could think better of it, I stepped forward, closing the distance between us, and pulled him down to me. Our lips crashed together, urgent and hungry, as if we were trying to consume each other whole. The taste of him—warm and slightly sweet—filled my senses.

Jared responded eagerly, his hands finding their way to my waist, fingers digging in just enough to anchor me against him. He deepened the kiss, tilting his head slightly as our mouths moved together with a fervor I hadn’t expected.

My heart hammered in my chest as his breath mingled with mine. Every brush of his lips sent electric shocks through me, awakening a fire I had kept stifled for far too long. The weight of everything—the betrayal from Brody, the conflict with Ava—melted away in the heat of this connection.

I pressed myself closer against him, feeling the solid warmth of his body against mine. His hands roamed up my sides, fingers trailing along the fabric of my shirt until they found my back, pulling me even tighter against him.

He groaned softly into my mouth as I tangled my fingers in his hair, gripping it lightly as if to ground myself in this dizzying moment. Jared’s responseignited something primal within me; he kissed like he had been waiting for this—waiting forme.

The intensity wrapped around us like a thick fog; every heartbeat felt amplified in the quiet aftermath of Ava's departure. It was reckless and thrilling all at once.

“What was that?” Jared asked, his breath warm against my skin as he pulled back slightly, his brow furrowed.

I shook my head, still trying to process everything. “I saw her kiss you.” The words tumbled out in a rush, laden with confusion and hurt. “And I just… I lost it. Jared, I… I want you. I know this is the end. We got what we wanted out of it.” My heart raced as I searched his eyes for understanding. “But please, let me pretend I have you. Let me just feel like I was picked first.”

“Isla,” he murmured, the weight of my confession hanging between us.

“I don’t… I don’t want pretty words.” My voice wavered, desperation clawing at me. “I just want to pretend. Give me this and we can go our separate ways. Please.Please.”

He cupped my cheek with one hand, his eyes searching mine as if looking for some kind of answer buried deep within me.

“I want?—”

“No,” I interrupted, shaking my head firmly. “You’ll tell me what I want to hear. And I don’t… that’s the last thing I want. Show me. Don’t tell me. Just show me.” The tension between us thickened, electric and undeniable. “And then that’ll be it,” I added, forcing myself to meet his gaze head-on. “It’s what we both want.”

Jared clenched his teeth, a storm brewing behind his dark eyes before he closed the distance between us again. His mouth crashed onto mine roughly; the kiss ignited afierce heat that spread through every inch of me like wildfire.

His lips moved against mine with a fierceness that stole my breath away—possessive and raw, demanding something deeper than words could convey. He held nothing back; the urgency of the moment swept over us like an unstoppable tide.

My fingers found their way back into his hair, gripping tightly as if anchoring myself to him in this chaotic whirlwind of emotions. Every brush of his tongue against mine sent shockwaves through my body, unraveling the carefully constructed barriers I'd built around my heart.

He pulled me closer still, his hands firm on my waist as if he wanted to fuse our bodies together in this fleeting escape from reality.

In that electrifying kiss, nothing else mattered; the chaos receded as if it had never existed at all—only him and the desperate need for connection filled the space between us now.

His hands were suddenly everywhere, and I could barely keep up with the whirlwind of sensations coursing through me. He gripped the hem of my shirt and yanked it over my head, tossing it aside like it was nothing.

“Damn,” he murmured, his gaze drinking in the sight of me. There was something primal in his eyes that made my heart race, a hunger that matched the fire igniting within me.

I responded instinctively, fumbling with the waistband of his pants, desperation fueling my movements as I stripped him down. I wanted to feel him against me—skin on skin—craving more than just this moment.

He caught my wrists and pressed me against the wall,lips trailing along my neck as he whispered against my skin. “You were jealous.”

The words sent a shiver through me. I gasped as his mouth brushed over my collarbone before he cupped my breast, fingers kneading gently but firmly.

“I—” The protest caught in my throat as pleasure shot through me. I couldn’t even argue because he was right; jealousy coursed through me like an electric current every time I thought of him with Ava.

The reality of what we were doing crashed over me like a wave. I had done the one thing I never should have done—fallen for Jared Crowder.

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