The Taste of Trouble

The second Jax stepped into the gym, the air shifted.

Ethan tensed beside me, his entire body going rigid, his fists clenching at his sides.

I felt it too.

The slow, creeping realization that this moment—this **very second—**could change everything.

Jax wasn't here to talk.

He was here to remind us who was in control.

And I had a sinking feeling that it wasn't us.

Jax's eyes flicked to me first.

Like he wanted to make it very clear that I was the reason for all of this.

That my presence in Ethan's life was the match that had lit this fire.

Then, slowly, he turned to Ethan.

"I hear you've been busy," Jax said, his smirk sharp, cutting.

Ethan didn't move. Didn't blink.

He just stared at him, unflinching.

Jax clicked his tongue. "Ignoring people like me? That's not smart, Carter."

I took a step back, my stomach twisting.

Ethan noticed.

His hand reached for mine.

A small movement.

Barely there.

But enough.

Enough to remind me that no matter what happened next—he wasn't letting me go.

Jax exhaled, shaking his head like he was disappointed.

"I was going to let this go, you know." His voice was calm, almost casual.

Like he wasn't standing there, holding all the power in his hands.

Ethan's fingers tightened around mine.

"But then," Jax continued, his eyes locking onto me, "I realized something."

My breath caught.

Jax smiled. Slow and dangerous.

"I don't have to go through you anymore, Carter."

He tilted his head toward me.

"I can go through her."

Ethan moved.

Fast.

Too fast.

One second, he was beside me.

The next, he had Jax slammed against the wall.

I gasped.

Jax just laughed.

Because he knew.

He had won this round.

Because Ethan's reaction?

It meant he cared.

More than he should.

More than he wanted to admit.

And that?

That was dangerous.

Jax left.

Not because he was scared.

But because he had already done what he came here to do.

He had planted the seed.

The doubt. The fear. The power.

And now?

He just had to wait for it to grow.

I turned to Ethan, my chest tight.

His hands were still shaking.

His jaw was clenched so hard I thought he might shatter.

"Ethan."

He shook his head, stepping back. Pulling away.

I felt the loss immediately.

"You should've never been dragged into this," he muttered.

My throat tightened. "It's a little late for that."

He let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair.

"This is exactly what I was trying to prevent."

I swallowed hard. "And yet, here we are."

His eyes snapped to mine.

A war raging inside him.

A war he was losing.

Because no matter how much he wanted to push me away—

He couldn't.

Ethan moved before I could think.

One second, he was across the room.

The next—

His hands were on me.

On my waist.

In my hair.

Everywhere.

And then, he kissed me.

Hard.

Desperate.

Like he was trying to erase what had just happened.

Like I was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.

And maybe—

Maybe I was.

I kissed him back with everything I had.

With all the fear, the frustration, the fire.

Because this?

This was the only thing that felt real.

The only thing that made sense.

I gasped against his lips as his hands tightened around me.

Pulling me closer.

Like he wanted to burn in this fire forever.

Like he didn't care about the consequences.

Like I was the only thing that mattered.

And maybe—

Maybe I was.

When we finally broke apart, we were breathless.

Shaken.

His forehead rested against mine; his breath warm on my lips.

"This is a bad idea," I whispered.

Ethan let out a slow, shaky exhale.

"The worst."

I swallowed. Waiting for him to stop this.

Waiting for him to walk away.

But he didn't.

He just looked at me.

And God—the way he looked at me.

Like I was his biggest mistake.

And his favorite one.

And then, finally—

He said the words we both already knew.

"But I'm not stopping."

Neither of us said it.

Neither of us admitted what this really meant.

That this—whatever this was—was bigger than either of us had planned.

That this was real.

That this was dangerous.

Because Jax wasn't done.

And this fire we were playing with?

It wasn't just going to burn us.

It was going to destroy everything.

And maybe—

Maybe it already had.

Ethan and Liv give in to the inevitable—again.

Jax makes it clear—Liv is now a weakness Ethan can't afford.

But neither of them can stop.

The consequences of this secret start to unravel.