The Taste of Trouble

I stood there, heart racing, watching Ethan pull away.

Watching Tessa walk away.

And for the first time, I felt it—the weight of everything I had ruined.

The fire Ethan and I had been playing with wasn't just ours to burn in anymore.

It had spread.

It had hurt people.

And now, as I stood between the two most important people in my life, I realized something that scared me more than anything.

Maybe this wasn't just a game anymore.

Maybe this was the moment I lost everything.

Ethan turned; his jaw tight.

"This has to stop, Liv."

I blinked. "You're joking."

He exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. "Tessa's right. We're just hurting people."

I scoffed, anger flaring through me. "And what? You just suddenly care about that now?"

His eyes flashed. "I've always cared."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Right. That's why you kissed me back last night, right?"

Ethan's muscles tensed; his fists clenched at his sides.

"You think I don't hate myself for that?" His voice was rough, raw.

That stopped me cold.

I swallowed, a lump forming in my throat.

"You regret it?" My voice was quiet now.

He exhaled; his expression conflicted. "I regret what it's doing to you."

My heart twisted.

Because the worst part?

I wasn't sure if that was the same thing.

Silence settled between us.

Thick. Suffocating.

The kind that felt like a goodbye before it even happened.

I took a step back, shaking my head.

"You don't get to decide this for me, Ethan."

His jaw tightened. "It's not about deciding. It's about knowing when to walk away before we destroy everything."

I crossed my arms, stubborn and hurting. "Newsflash, Carter. We already did that."

His gaze held mine. "Then let's stop before it gets worse."

But that was the thing about us.

It already was worse.

It had been from the moment this started.

Because no matter how much we fought it, no matter how much we told ourselves to stop—

We never did.

And in that moment, looking at him, I knew.

We never would.

I don't know who moved first.

Maybe him.

Maybe me.

But suddenly, we were colliding.

A mess of lips and hands, heat and hunger.

Because no matter how many times we tried to end this—

We always came back.

I gasped as his hands gripped my waist, pulling me against him like he needed me closer, closer, closer.

Like he needed this just as much as I did.

My fingers curled into his shirt, fisting the fabric like letting go wasn't an option.

Like this was all we had left.

And maybe, just maybe—it was.

The moment shattered when a loud noise echoed through the air.

A crash.

A warning.

I tore away from Ethan, pulse skidding out of control.

Then—the sound of footsteps.

Fast. Too fast.

Ethan's body went rigid.

And suddenly, I wasn't thinking about kisses or mistakes or the way his hands felt on me.

I was thinking about Jax.

I was thinking about danger.

And how, no matter what we did—

It always found us.

Ethan stepped in front of me, his body tense.

Protective.

Like he already knew what was coming.

And when Jax stepped out of the shadows, smirking like he had been waiting for this moment—

I knew, too.

"Knew I'd find you two together," Jax said lazily, but his eyes were sharp.

Cold.

Ethan clenched his fists. "Leave her out of this."

Jax let out a low laugh. "Can't do that, Carter."

My stomach twisted.

Because the way he was looking at me—

Like I was leverage.

Like I was the exact weakness he needed.

I sucked in a breath, stepping forward.

"I have nothing to do with whatever this is," I said, my voice calm despite the fear curling in my gut.

Jax's smirk widened. "Oh, sweetheart. But you do."

Then, he looked at Ethan.

And the words that came next?

They changed everything.

"You're the reason she's a target now."

The world tilted.

My stomach plummeted.

Because this wasn't just about Ethan anymore.

This wasn't just about us playing with fire.

I was in it now.

And there was no way out.

I felt Ethan stiffen beside me.

Felt the way his whole body tensed, the way his hands curled into fists.

And then—

Before I could react—

He lunged.

Everything exploded.

One second, Ethan was standing beside me.

The next, he had Jax slammed against the wall, his fist colliding with his jaw.

The sound was sickening.

Jax just laughed.

And somehow, that was worse.

I grabbed Ethan's arm, pulling, pleading.

"Stop," I whispered, fear clawing at my throat.

But he didn't.

Because this wasn't about him anymore.

This was about me.

And Ethan?

Ethan had just realized how much he could lose.

Jax wiped the blood from his lip, grinning.

"You think this changes anything?" he muttered, voice dark.

Ethan's breath was ragged, his hands still shaking with fury.

Jax tilted his head toward me, still smirking.

Then he said the words that sealed my fate.

"She's in this now, Carter."

His gaze flicked to me.

"You both are."

A chill crawled down my spine.

Because in that moment, I knew—

We weren't just playing with fire anymore.

We were about to burn.

Jax makes it clear—Liv is now a target.

Ethan loses control, proving how much he's willing to risk.

Liv realizes this isn't just about them anymore—this is survival.

The fallout from the fight, and the choice Liv has to make.