Page 4 of Dirty Little Mistake

"Trystan, I'm not on birth control." I tugged back.

He laughed. "I heard you. We don't need one because we aren't having sex. Not tonight anyway."

"Oh." I couldn't hide the disappointment in my voice. "Should I go?"

"No. Unless you changed your mind and you don't want to spend the night with me."

I hadn't changed my mind. "No."

Trystan and I climbed into his bed. Our naked bodies fused together as we both drifted off to sleep without another word.

My eyes eased open, and I shivered as a cold chill swept through the room. A hint of sunlight seeped in, and I realized it would be morning soon. I shifted my position to let Trystan know I was sneaking back to Kaia's room but I was alone. My gaze scanned the empty room.

Jumping out of bed, I searched the floor until I found my clothes, quickly pulling them on. I stepped out onto the terrace, searching for Trystan.

He was gone.

He'd disappeared while I was sleeping.

Pulling open Kaia's bedroom door, I headed straight for the bathroom, thankful Kaia wasn't awake yet, not that she would care that I'd snuck into her stepbrother's bed last night. I just didn’t want to admit that he ghosted me.

It took me twenty minutes to shower and change before heading downstairs for a drink.

My bare feet stuck slightly to the polished hardwood as I descended the stairs. Morning light streamed through the wall of windows in the kitchen.

I froze at the sight of Trystan standing one hip cocked against the island, coffee steam curling around his fingers while hisother hand moved restlessly across his phone screen. The whole kitchen smelled like expensive coffee and regret.

I wrapped my fingers around the doorframe, steadying myself. "Hey."

Trystan's thumbs moved rapidly across his phone screen.

"What's up?" He didn't bother looking up.

I started to turn away, my body already knowing what my mind refused to accept.

"Oh—" His voice stopped me, and I hated how quickly hope bloomed in my chest. "About last night. Let's keep that between us."

"I tell Kaia everything." The words came out sharper than I meant them to. "She's my best friend. She won't care."

"I care." His eyes finally met mine, blank as a newly wiped slate. "I would rather this stayed between us."

His words settled like ice in my stomach, spreading frost through my veins until even my fingertips felt numb. He regretted last night. I squared my shoulders, summoning the same mask I'd worn for years, letting it slide into place like armor. My lips curved upward, practiced and hollow.

I sucked in a deep steading breath. "Sure."

"I gotta go." He placed his coffee cup in the sink. "I'll see you around."

"Yeah."

My gaze followed him as he disappeared out of the house and into the garage. Even though I knew Trystan was a free spirit and he'd been honest with me from the start, a part of me still thought maybe it was more, but lesson learned.

Never again would I make the mistake of not taking his warning seriously.

Chapter 1

Camryn

Two years later…

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