Dirty little secrets

Chapter7

~Ava~

I was still sprawled on my bed, shirt half-buttoned, hair looking like I’d made out with a leaf blower, when Mom knocked once and poked her head in.

“Girls’ night looked fun!” she sang, way too chipper for someone who’d been at a charity auction until one a.m. “You two are so cute. Breakfast is ready whenever you’re decent.”

Riley, now in my oversized hoodie and acting like she belonged here, gave Mom her sweetest smile. “Thanks, Mrs. S! We’ll be down in ten.”

Mom beamed, shut the door, and left us alone again.

I stared at the ceiling. “I’m never moving again. My legs are broken. You broke them with your tongue.”

Riley snorted. “You’re welcome.”

We dragged ourselves downstairs twenty minutes later, me in leggings and the world’s biggest lie (a smile), Riley still wearing my clothes like a trophy.

The second we hit the kitchen I froze.

There was a girl sitting at the island.

Not just any girl. A legit ten-out-of-ten girl. Long black hair, perfect skin, tiny waist, legs for days, wearing one of Jax’s hoodies like it was made for her. She was laughing at something Richard said, hand on his arm, all cozy.

Jax was leaning against the counter in gray sweatpants, arms crossed, smirking at her like she hung the moon.

My stomach dropped straight through the floor.

Riley bumped my shoulder, whispered, “Who the f**k is that?”

I couldn’t answer. My throat closed up.

The girl turned, spotted us, and her whole face lit up. “Oh my God, you must be Ava!” She hopped off the stool and basically floated over, hand out. “I’m Chloe. Jax’s girlfriend. I’ve heard so much about you!”

Girlfriend.

The word hit me like a brick to the face.

I shook her hand on autopilot. Her grip was warm, nails perfect, voice sweet enough to rot teeth.

“Hi,” I croaked. “Cool. Nice to meet you.”

Riley’s eyes were ping-ponging between me and Chloe like she was watching a car crash in slow motion.

Chloe kept smiling, oblivious. “Jax said you’re super smart, failing government or whatever, but still super smart. I literally just flew in this morning, surprise visit! I go to UCLA, but I had a long weekend so I figured why not.”

She laughed and tucked hair behind her ear. Jax watched her like a proud boyfriend, then glanced at me.

Our eyes locked.

His mouth twitched, half-smirk, half-something I couldn’t read.

I wanted to die.

Mom clapped her hands. “Isn’t this wonderful? Everyone under one roof! Chloe’s staying the whole weekend.”

Whole weekend.

Great.

Riley leaned in, fake-whispered, “You okay? You look like you’re about to commit murder with a spatula.”

I forced a laugh that sounded like a dying cat. “I’m great. Super great.”

Chloe was already sliding back to Jax’s side, looping her arm through his, resting her head on his bicep. “Babe, can you make me one of those protein shakes you do? Pretty please?”

Babe.

I hated her.

I didn’t even know her and I hated her with the heat of a thousand suns.

Jax ruffled her hair. “Yeah, give me two seconds.”

He moved around the kitchen like this was normal, like he hadn’t had his tongue inside me twenty-four hours ago, like he hadn’t growled “you come find me” while I was still shaking from the last orgasm he gave me.

Chloe turned back to me, all sunshine and rainbows. “So Jax says you and Riley are, like, attached at the hip. That’s so cute! I love best-friend energy.”

Riley smiled with too many teeth. “Oh, we’re super attached. Like glue. Like herpes. You can’t get rid of us.”

Chloe blinked, laughed like she wasn’t sure if it was a joke. “That’s hilarious.”

Mom handed me a plate of pancakes. “Eat, honey. You look pale.”

I wasn’t pale. I was homicidal.

I sat down across from Chloe, Riley next to me kicking my ankle under the table like calm the f**k down.

Chloe kept talking. About her flight, about UCLA, about how Jax was surprised when she showed up at his room at 5 a.m., how they stayed up all night “catching up.”

All night.

Catching up.

I stabbed a pancake so hard the fork screeched on the plate.

Riley choked on her orange juice.

Jax slid the protein shake to Chloe, fingers brushing hers. She beamed up at him.

“Thanks, babe.”

He kissed the top of her head.

I think my soul left my body.

Richard started asking Chloe about her major (psychology), her parents (doctors), her spring break plans (Greece with Jax).

Every word out of her mouth was perfect and I hated her more with each syllable.

Riley leaned over, whispered, “You’re clenching your fork like you’re about to go full prison yard. Breathe.”

“I’m breathing,” I hissed through my teeth.

“You’re acting weird.”

“Correct.”

Jax finally looked at me again. Held my stare for three full seconds while Chloe was distracted showing Mom pictures on her phone.

His eyes said: you good?

I stared back: f**k you.

He smirked, looked away.

Chloe turned back. “Ava, we should totally hang out this weekend! Girls’ day, you, me, Riley. Spa, shopping, whatever.”

Riley answered for me. “Ava’s actually super busy. Like, tragically busy. Midterm season. She might cry if you look at her too long.”

Chloe pouted. Actually pouted. “Aw, that sucks. Maybe next time!”

Next time.

Over my dead body.

I shoved a whole pancake in my mouth so I wouldn’t say something that got me grounded until I’m forty.

The rest of breakfast was torture. Chloe fed Jax a strawberry. He licked juice off her finger. I almost threw my plate at the wall.

When they finally left to “show Chloe the pool house,” Riley grabbed my arm and dragged me upstairs.

The second my bedroom door shut she locked it and turned on me.

“Okay, what the actual f**k was that?”

I sat on the bed, stared at my hands. “He has a girlfriend.”

“Yeah, I got that part. The part I’m asking about is why you look like you’re about to key his truck.”

I laughed, sharp and ugly. “I’m not jealous.”

“Bullshit.”

“I’m not! We’re not even….we can’t….I hate him.”

Riley raised an eyebrow. “You hate him so much you let him rearrange your guts with his tongue last night.”

“That was different.”

“How?”

“It just was!”

She flopped next to me, shoulder bumping mine. “You’re jealous.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I hate her.”

“You don’t even know her.”

“She’s perfect and I hate her.”

Riley started laughing. “Oh my God, you’re so gone for him it’s embarrassing.”

I shoved her. “I am not gone for him. I hate him. I hate her. I hate this house. I want to move to Antarctica.”

She kept laughing. “You want to fight her for the girlfriend spot you swear you don’t want.”

“Shut up.”

“You want to wear his hoodie and feed him strawberries.”

“I will end you.”

She rolled on top of me, pinned my wrists. “Admit it. You’re jealous.”

I glared up at her. “Fine. I’m jealous. Happy?”

“Ecstatic.”

She kissed me quick, just a peck, then rolled off.

I stared at the ceiling again. “She’s staying the whole weekend.”

“Yep.”

“He’s gonna f**k her in the pool house.”

“Probably.”

“I hope she gets food poisoning.”

Riley cackled. “That’s the spirit.”

Downstairs I heard Chloe squeal, then Jax’s low laugh.

I pulled the pillow over my face and screamed into it.

Riley patted my leg. “Welcome to the club, babe. Population: idiots in love with people we’re not supposed to want.”

And I laid there hating how much I didn’t want Chloe’s perfect laugh echoing through the house, hating how much I wanted to be the one making Jax laugh like that, hating how much I hated myself for it.

This weekend was gonna be hell.

And the worst part?

I had zero right to feel any of it.

Zero.