The Taste of Trouble

The door slammed shut, sealing me inside the warehouse.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Not because it was quiet.

But because it was thick with everything I didn't want to believe.

Tessa stood in front of me, her grip still tight around my wrist.

I yanked free, my breath shaking.

"Tell me this isn't real."

She didn't flinch.

Didn't look away.

And that?

That was how I knew.

This wasn't a game.

This wasn't a mistake.

This was a choice.

Her choice.

I took a step back, my heart pounding.

My best friend.

My person.

The one who had always been on my side.

Except she wasn't anymore.

Except she never really was.

"How long?" My voice was barely a whisper.

Tessa exhaled, crossing her arms.

"Liv—"

"How long have you been working with him?" I cut her off, my voice shaking with anger.

She didn't answer.

And that?

That was answer enough.

The space between us stretched, thick and poisonous.

I wanted her to laugh, roll her eyes—say this was a joke.

But she didn't.

Because it wasn't.

And the silence between us?

It wasn't just a pause.

It was a break.

One that couldn't be undone.

Finally, she spoke.

"I did what I had to do."

I let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

"Yeah?" I snapped. "And what exactly is that?"

She clenched her jaw.

"You think Ethan's the good guy in this, don't you?"

My stomach twisted.

Because this wasn't about Ethan.

This was about me and her.

But Tessa?

She wasn't seeing that.

She was seeing a war.

And she had picked a side.

And it wasn't mine.

"You don't understand, Liv," she continued.

I scoffed. "Then make me."

Tessa exhaled.

"Ethan isn't who you think he is."

I stilled.

And she saw it.

The hesitation.

The doubt I had tried so hard to bury.

She stepped closer.

"He's reckless, Liv. He's violent. And if you think you're safe with him, you're lying to yourself."

My pulse skidded.

Because the worst part?

A small, horrible part of me knew she wasn't entirely wrong.

I had seen Ethan lose control.

Had seen the rage in his eyes, the way he fought like he had nothing left to lose.

But that wasn't the whole story.

And it sure as hell didn't justify this.

I shook my head. "You don't get to do this, Tess."

Her jaw tightened. "I already did."

I swallowed hard.

There was no coming back from this.

No apology that would undo what she had done.

And that?

That was the real heartbreak.

That was the real loss.

Because for so long, I had thought I would lose Ethan.

I never thought I would lose her.

Jax's voice cut through the room.

"God, I love a good betrayal."

I turned; my fists clenched.

He stood near the entrance, arms crossed, smug and satisfied.

Like he had just orchestrated a masterpiece.

Like this was all exactly what he wanted.

I exhaled sharply, my head pounding.

"You're a coward," I muttered.

Jax chuckled. "And yet, here we are."

His eyes flicked to Tessa.

"She did what was necessary."

Tessa stiffened.

And suddenly?

I saw it.

The flash of something in her eyes.

Something like doubt.

But she didn't back down.

She didn't walk away.

And that?

That was all that mattered.

Jax pulled out his phone.

Dialed a number.

Held it to his ear.

And then—

His smirk widened.

"Carter," he greeted smoothly.

My breath caught.

Ethan.

Jax put the call on speaker.

And then—

Ethan's voice came through.

Cold. Deadly.

"If you hurt her, I will kill you."

My stomach clenched.

Because I knew that tone.

That wasn't a threat.

That was a promise.

Jax chuckled, shaking his head.

"Relax, Carter. She's still breathing. For now."

A pause.

Then—

"You have an hour."

Ethan's breath hitched.

"An hour for what?"

Jax's grin turned sharp.

"To decide if she's worth it."

The call cut off.

Silence followed.

And for the first time since this started?

I wasn't sure if Ethan was going to make it in time.

Jax gives Ethan a deadline—an hour to make a choice.

Tessa's betrayal still lingers, but is she starting to doubt herself?

Liv realizes the silence isn't just breaking—it's about to explode.

Ethan races against time, and Liv learns what Jax really wants.