Dirty little secrets

13

~Ava~

I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck that then backed up and ran me over again for fun. My thighs ached in this weird, satisfying way that made me want to punch myself in the face. Sheets were twisted around my legs like they were trying to strangle me, and my mouth tasted like leftover chocolate. The phone said 7:42 a.m. The sun was already being obnoxiously bright through the blinds.

Riley was already up, sitting cross-legged on her bed, scrolling her phone with this evil little grin that meant trouble.

“Morning, slut,” she said without looking up.

I threw a pillow at her head. “Excuse me?”

She caught it, laughed. “I said good morning. But also, what the hell were those noises last night? Sounded like someone was rearranging furniture with their ass.”

My stomach dropped straight into my asshole. “What noises?”

“Don’t play dumb. Creaking. Thumping. Someone moaning like they stubbed their toe on a vibrator. I thought maybe you were having a nightmare or something, but then I checked the guest room and you were all ‘I’m fine, go away’ in this squeaky voice. Suspicious.”

I sat up too fast. Head spun. “I was… thinking. Loudly. About life. Existential stuff.”

“Uh-huh.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Existential stuff that sounds like heavy breathing and slapping? Kinky.”

“There was no slapping.” Lie. There was so much slapping.

“Mhm. And I’m the Virgin Mary.” She tossed the pillow back. “Whatever. Just don’t break the guest bed. Mom will lose her s**t if the frame cracks again.”

I groaned, flopped back down, pulled the blanket over my head. “I hate you.”

“Love you too. Now get up. Breakfast. Chloe’s there.”

My soul left my body for a solid three seconds.

Chloe.

Jax’s girlfriend.I had so much fun with Jax yesterday I forgot he had a girlfriend.

I dragged myself out of bed, threw on leggings and a hoodie that smelled faintly like last night’s sin, brushed my teeth so hard my gums bled a little, and headed downstairs like I was walking to my execution.

Kitchen smelled like bacon.

Mom was at the stove flipping pancakes, Dad was reading the news on his tablet pretending to be important, Riley was stealing bacon off everyone’s plates, and there sitting at the table in Jax’s lap like she owned the place was Chloe.

Perfect. Giggling at something Jax said, her hand on his chest like she was marking territory.

Jax looked up when I walked in.

Our eyes locked.

He smirked. Slowly. The kind of smirk that said he remembered exactly where his fingers had been four hours ago.

I wanted to die.

“Morning, Ava,” he said, voice all casual sunshine. “Pass the milk?”

He held out his hand. The same hand.

I stared at it like it was a live grenade.

Chloe turned, smiled that fake-sweet smile. “Hey, Ava! Sleep okay?”

“Like a baby,” I said through my teeth. “You?”

“Great. Jax kept me up half the night though.” She laughed, poked his chest. “He’s such a night owl.”

Jax’s smirk widened. “Couldn’t sleep. Too… restless.”

I grabbed the milk carton same one from last night, still half-empty and slammed it down in front of him so hard it sloshed.

“Here. Choke on it.”

Riley snorted into her orange juice.

Mom turned. “Ava Marie, manners.”

“Sorry,” I muttered. Sat as far from them as possible.

Chloe leaned over, whispering loud enough for the whole table to hear. “Jax said you guys were fighting about something last night? In the kitchen? He came back all red-faced and grumpy.”

Jax shrugged. “Just sibling stuff. Ava gets dramatic.”

“Dramatic?” I snapped. “You’re the one who—”

“Pancakes!” Mom cut in, sliding plates everywhere. “Eat before they get cold.”

I stabbed my pancake like it personally offended me.

Jax leaned back, arm around Chloe’s waist, but his eyes stayed on me. “Hey, Ava? Can you pass the syrup? I like it… sticky.”

I almost threw the bottle at his head.

Riley kicked me under the table. Whispered, “You okay? You look like you’re gonna commit murder.”

“I am,” I hissed back.

Breakfast dragged on like torture. Chloe kept touching him—hair, arm, thigh—like she was putting on a show. Jax played along, laughing at her dumb jokes, but every time Chloe wasn’t looking, he’d glance at me. Quick. Heated. Like he was daring me to snap.

I snapped my fork in half instead.

Oops.

Dad looked up. “Everything alright?”

“Fine,” I said. “Fork’s defective.”

Jax coughed into his fist to hide a laugh.

After breakfast, Chloe dragged him to the living room to “watch TikToks,” and I escaped to the backyard to breathe. Fresh air. Birds. No blondes. No smirks. No memories of fingers inside me while footsteps creaked.

I sat on the porch steps, head in my hands, trying to convince myself last night was a fever dream.

Door opened behind me.

Footsteps.

I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

“Running again?” Jax asked, voice low.

I stood up fast. “I’m not running. I’m existing. Away from you.”

He stepped closer. “We need to talk.”

“About what? How you have a girlfriend who’s literally in the next room giggling at your memes?”

He winced. Just a flicker. “Chloe’s… complicated.”

“Complicated. Right. That’s code for ‘I’m cheating on her with my stepsister.’ Classy.”

“It’s not cheating if… ”

“If what? You haven’t f****d her in months? Spare me.”

He grabbed my wrist. Gentle this time. “Ava.”

I yanked free. “Don’t.”

He stepped into my space anyway. Backed me against the porch railing. “You think I want her here? She showed up unannounced. Mom invited her for before I could stop it.”

“Poor you. Must be so hard having a hot girlfriend throw herself at you.”

“She’s not… ” He stopped. Sighed. Ran a hand through his hair. “f**k. This is messed up. I know.”

“Understatement of the century.”

“But last night… ”

“Last night was a mistake.”

“Bullshit.” He leaned in. Nose almost touching mine. “You came so hard you bit my shoulder. Left teeth marks. Still there if you wanna check.”

I shoved at his chest. “Stop.”

He caught my hands. Pinned them behind my back with one of his. Used the other to tilt my chin up. “Look at me.”

I did. Stupidly .

His eyes were dark. Serious. No smirk now. “I don’t want Chloe. I want you. Been wanting you since the day our parents got married and you called me a walking STD.”

I laughed despite myself. “Romantic.”

“I’m serious.”

“You’re insane.”

“Maybe.” He pressed closer. Thigh sliding between mine. Slowly. Just enough pressure to make my breath hitch. “But you’re wet again. I can feel it.”

“Jax…”

“Say stop.”

I didn’t.

He rocked against me once. Friction. Heat. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.

“Tell me you don’t want this,” he whispered.

“I don’t…”

“Liar.”

He kissed me then. Hard and desperate. Like he’d been starving for it. I kissed back, I couldn’t help it, his tongue, teeth, anger. My hands were still pinned, so I arched into him instead, grinding down on his thigh.

He groaned into my mouth.

“f**k, Ava.. ”

Door banged open.

Riley.

We sprang apart like we’d been electrocuted.

Riley stood there, arms crossed, eyebrow raised so high it disappeared into her hairline. “Wow. Okay. Didn’t see that coming. At all.”

Jax cursed under his breath. Stepped back. Adjusted his hoodie to hide… everything.

I wiped my mouth. “It’s not… ”

“Save it,” Riley said. “I’m not blind. Or deaf. Or stupid.” She looked between us. “Chloe’s looking for you, lover boy. Said something about ‘cuddles on the couch.’”

Jax’s face went blank. “Right. Be right there.”

He glanced at me once long, loaded then walked past Riley into the house.

Riley waited until the door shut.

Then turned to me.

“So,” she said. “You and Jax. Since when?”

“Last night,” I muttered. “And it’s not… it’s complicated.”

“Understatement.” She sat next to me on the steps. “You okay?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know.” I dropped my head into my hands. “He has a girlfriend. And I hate him. And I want him. And I’m going to hell.”

Riley patted my back. Awkward. “Yeah. Sounds about right.”

We sat there in silence for a minute.

Then she snorted. “At least you got some action. I’ve been dry since summer.”

I laughed sharp, surprised. “Shut up.”

“Seriously though. What’s the plan? You gonna keep sneaking around like horny teenagers? Or confront the Chloe situation?”

“I don’t know.” I stared at the grass. “Part of me wants to avoid him forever. Pretend it never happened. Move to Antarctica.”

“And the other part?”

“The other part wants to scratch his eyes out. Or ride his face. Jury’s still out.”

Riley cackled. “Classic Ava.”

I sighed. “I need revenge. Or distance. Or both.”

“Revenge how?”

“I don’t know yet. But it’s gonna be petty. And satisfying. And probably involve milk. Since that’s apparently our thing now.”

She grinned. “I’m in. Team petty all the way.”

Inside, I could hear Chloe’s laugh. High. Annoying. Jax saying something low in response.

My stomach twisted anger, jealousy, want, all mixed up in this ugly knot.

I stood up.

“I’m going upstairs. Lock myself in my room. Avoid eye contact for the rest of eternity.”

“Good luck with that,” Riley said. “He’s not the avoiding type.”

“Yeah. I noticed.”

I walked inside. Past the living room where Chloe was draped over Jax like a blanket, phone out, taking selfies.

He looked up as I passed.

Our eyes met again.

He didn’t smile this time. Just watched me. Like he knew exactly what I was thinking.

I flipped him off behind my back where Chloe couldn’t see.

His mouth twitched.

Upstairs, I slammed my door. Locked it. Flopped onto my bed.

Stared at the ceiling.

Thought about his thigh between mine. His groan. The way he said my name like it hurt him.

Thought about Chloe’s hand on his chest.

Thought about how much I wanted to claw her face off.

And how much I wanted to claw his off too.

But mostly… how much I wanted him to corner me again. Pin me. Make me forget everything except how good it felt to hate him this way.

I grabbed my phone. Texted Riley.