The Taste of Trouble

The door slammed behind Tessa, but the echo of it lingered.

The silence left in her wake was heavy, suffocating.

I didn't move.

Didn't breathe.

Because I knew.

I had just lost my best friend.

And maybe?

Maybe I deserved to.

Ethan exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair.

"She was bound to find out eventually."

His voice was flat, emotionless.

But I wasn't.

I was breaking apart.

I turned on him, my pulse pounding in my ears.

"Don't do that."

His gaze snapped to mine. "Do what?"

"Act like this doesn't matter." My voice cracked.

Because it did matter.

More than I wanted to admit.

Tessa had been my constant.

The one person I thought I could always count on.

And now?

I had shattered that.

For what?

A boy who couldn't even decide if he wanted me.

Ethan crossed his arms, his jaw tight.

"You knew this would happen, Liv."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Did I?"

He exhaled. "Tessa was never going to be okay with us."

I took a step back.

Because I heard what he wasn't saying.

He had already accepted losing her.

He had already chosen this.

But I hadn't.

I wasn't sure I ever had.

I squeezed my eyes shut, the guilt weighing me down.

"I should go talk to her."

Ethan's expression darkened. "Not right now."

I frowned. "She's my best friend."

His jaw clenched. "Yeah? And she just walked out like she wants nothing to do with you."

I flinched.

Because it was true.

Tessa hadn't yelled.

She hadn't lashed out.

She had just left.

And that?

That hurt more than any fight could have.

Tessa was angry.

But she was also smart.

And that?

That was what scared me.

Because Tessa had always known me too well.

Her instincts were sharp, unforgiving.

And if I knew her at all, I knew this—

She wasn't just going to let this go.

She was going to figure out why.

And once she did?

I wasn't sure I'd be able to stop her.

I barely made it home before my phone buzzed.

Tessa.

My stomach twisted.

I hesitated—too afraid to answer, too afraid not to.

Then, finally, I swiped the screen.

"…Tessa?"

Silence.

Then—

"You lied to me."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "I know."

Another pause.

Then her voice dropped.

"But that's not even the worst part."

My breath hitched.

"Tess, I—"

"You're in trouble, Liv."

My blood ran cold.

Because her voice?

It wasn't just angry anymore.

It was scared.

I gripped my phone tighter.

"What are you talking about?"

Tessa exhaled sharply.

"I didn't just leave because of you and Ethan."

I swallowed hard. "Then why?"

A long pause.

Then—

"I think Jax is watching you."

My stomach dropped.

"No," I whispered.

She let out a shaky breath. "Liv, I saw someone outside your apartment last night."

A chill crawled down my spine.

I turned toward my window, my breath uneven.

I didn't see anything.

But suddenly?

I felt it.

The weight of someone watching.

The way the air felt different.

The way my skin prickled.

I had ignored it before.

But now?

Now, I knew better.

Tessa's voice softened.

"I know I should hate you."

My throat tightened.

"But I don't."

A breath hitched in my chest.

Because even after everything, even after all the ways I had failed her—

She was still trying to protect me.

"Tess…"

"I don't trust Ethan," she said, cutting me off. "But I trust my instincts."

Another pause.

Then—

"And my instincts are telling me that something is very, very wrong."

I gripped the phone, my heartbeat pounding.

Because for the first time?

I believed her.

Tessa exhaled.

"You need to be careful, Liv."

My pulse skidded.

"What do you mean?"

She hesitated.

Then—

"I think Jax isn't just watching you."

A sharp breath.

"I think he's planning something."

Silence.

My chest tightened.

Because suddenly, I knew.

Tessa wasn't just trying to warn me.

She was trying to save me.

And the problem?

I wasn't sure if she was already too late.

Tessa finally speaks to Liv—but her instincts tell her something bigger is happening.

Jax is getting bolder. The danger is no longer just a shadow—it's real.

Liv is left questioning everything—especially Ethan.

The moment when danger stops lurking and finally strikes.