/Leo/
A wave of shock slammed into me as the truth unraveled. Raven and Zara-together. The words boyfriend and girlfriend still rattled in my head like loose bullets. It wasn't just the fact that Raven had someone-it was who he chose. Raven, the man who always kept his heart guarded, who dismissed flings like they were meaningless, had finally found someone to stand beside him. And it was Zara.
My thoughts were colliding when Zara's cheerful voice broke through, brushing against the edge of my ears. But there was something about it-something familiar.
It clicked.
"Zara," I said slowly, my eyes narrowing as they flicked from her to Raven, "did you come to Raven's house last week...during mornings?"
Her smile didn't falter. "Yep that was me."
Her casual answer confirmed what I really feared. My suspicions coiled tighter inside me, sharp and bitter.
"So that was both of your plan, wasn't it?" I pressed, my gaze shifting fully to Raven now. "Jake and I meeting-'accidentally.' That wasn't an accident at all."
Raven's face barely moved, but his eyes hardened. One brow arched deliberate, challenging. "So what?" ha said flatly.
The space between us thickened with unspoken anger, an invisible battlefield stretching across the table.
But before either of us could push it further, Zara's voice sliced through the silence. "Why don't we let the past go." she said brightly, forcing a smile. "We're all here tonight-why not enjoy it instead of dragging up the past?"
Her words tried to dissolve the tension, but the fire in my chest didn't die. If anything, it burned hotter.
"I'm going to refill the drinks for us." I muttered, rising from my seat. But before I turned away, my eyes lingered-just for a moment-on Jake. His calm, soft gaze caught me off guard, and it hit me: even if none of this had been fate, even it had all been setup, they'd still brought him to me. And for that, I couldn't regret it.
"You should say it."
I stopped mid step, the words halting me before I even reached the bar. Raven had followed, his sharp eyes reading me too well.
My gaze snapped to him. "What if he..."
"... says no?" Raven finished for me without hesitation. He picked up a shot from the bar, downed it in one smooth motion, and set the glass back down with a quiet thud.
"Well, it worked out for me," he said voice steady but edged with meaning. "And if you don't say it, you'll never know."
His words carved their way into me. My eyes drifted back to Jake again-his smile, his ease, the way his presence alone seemed to quiet the storm inside me. Somewhere along the way, my feelings for him had shifted. No, more than that-they had consumed me. The need to keep him close, to protect him, to love him... it was all in my chest, in my lungs, in every beat of my heart.
And yet... the fear of losing it all kept my mouth shut.
"Hey handsome, want to have a drink with us?" A pair of woman slid up beside us while we waited for our refills at the bar.
"Sorry, but we already have company waiting for us," I replied politely as the bartender slid two fresh glasses our way.
"A drink won't hurt, will it?" one of them insisted, stepping directly into out path. Slowly, almost deliberately, they herded us back into two empty seats near the bar.
They set their purses down on shelf beside us and lifted a glass, pushing them towards us. The taller one pressed the rim of her glass against my lips, urging me to drink.
Before I could react, the weight of the glass suddenly disappeared from my lips.
I blinked in confusion-only to see Jake holding it instead. And then, without hesitation, he tipped the glass back and drained it in a single swallow.
When he set it down with a sharp clink, his eyes burned with something new. "You can find someone else to drink with." he said firmly, his voice cutting through low music of the club. "Because this one-" his hand found mine, gripping tight,"-belongs to me."
Without giving either of them time to respond, Jake tugged me up from the chair and pulled me away, his hold on my hand leaving no room for doubt.
We slid back into our seats, Raven trailing behind us with fresh drinks in hand. He set them down, his sharp eyes flicking between me and Jake, but said nothing.
The club's music thumped in the background, but all I could hear were the words echoing in my head: "This one belongs to me."
My face burned hotter with every replay. Jake had never... said anything like that before. Never claimed me. And yet, he had done it so easily, so firmly, in front of everyone. loud and clear so that no one would dare to approach me again .
I glanced at him. His jaw was tight, his shoulder stiff. He wasn't proud of what he said-he was angry. Angry at the women, angry at the situation. His eyes never ones met mine, as if avoiding me would erase the weight of his words.
But no matter what he wanted to downplay it. I couldn't. My chest still throbbed with the aftershock of hearing him say that I belong to him.
I lifted my glass, more to steady my trembling hands than to drink. "You didn't have to..." The words slipped out, quieter than intended.
Jake finally turned his eyes sharp but clouded. "I did have to." he muttered, voice low, controlled, but heavy with something I couldn't name.
Raven leaned back in his chair, smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, clearly amused. Zara, beside him, was practically vibrating with curiosity, but thankfully kept her silence.
I couldn't. My heart was already too loud.