CROSSFIRE

Episode 3

Nia's POV

I hated that I liked the way Carter was staring at me. I hated it even more because Knox was still so close I could barely think.

His hand was braced beside my head, his body angled into mine and I could feel his warm breath against my ear from that dangerous little threat of a deal.

To everyone in the hallway, it probably looked like we were one second away from doing something reckless.

And Carter was watching. His face had gone hard, his jaw tight and his eyes were on me and the sick part was, I liked it.

After everything he’d done, after last night, after the way he’d looked at me in our apartment like I was an inconvenience—his attention still hit me like a drug I should’ve quit and couldn’t.

Before I could say anything, Carter was already crossing the hallway.

People went quiet as he closed the gap between us, his gaze flicking from Knox’s hand beside my head to the way I was trapped between them. “What the hell is going on here?” he snapped.

My pulse jumped and Knox pushed off the wall slowly, like he had all the time in the world, and leaned one shoulder against it instead. That only left me standing in the middle of both brothers, every pair of curious eyes in the hallway suddenly on us.

Carter looked furious and Knox looked amused.

And I felt like I was standing in the center of a fire.

Carter’s eyes cut to me. “Are you really doing this because of yesterday?”

The anger in his voice should’ve hurt but instead, it made something bitter rise in me.

I lifted my chin. “Doing what?”

He laughed in disbelief. “Don’t act dumb, Nia.”

I looked him dead in the eye and asked, “Why are you crashing out like we’re more than friends?”

And that struck him so hard that I saw it.His expression flickered, and for one second, I thought….’say it’.

Claim me, tell them, tell him, tell everyone.

But then Carter glanced around and seemed to notice the crowd for the first time. A dozen people were openly staring now, phones half-lowered, whispers already starting, causing his face to harden.

And just like that, the moment died.He looked at me, then at Knox, then muttered, “Forget it.” Then he turned and stormed off.

My chest sank so fast it almost made me dizzy because that was it.

There was no claim, denial, no— she's mine. Just…anger, then retreat.

I hated how much that hurt, I hated that I still stood there wishing he had chosen differently.

Knox looked at me like he could see every ugly little thought on my face. “Still want to pretend he gives a damn?” he asked quietly.

“Shut up.”

I tried to move past him, but he caught my wrist again.

“Let go of me.”

“You didn’t answer my offer.”

“I’m not tutoring you.”

His mouth curved into a hard smirk. “You should think harder.”

“I’d rather fail a class, and again? Do your worst.” I spat and his brows rose. “I mean it,” I snapped. “Leak it. Show whoever you want. You think I care what people think after what your brother did?”

Something shifted in his expression, enough to make me hate that he’d gotten under my skin.

“You’re a jerk,” I hissed. “And whatever game you’re playing, find someone else to ruin.”

Then I shoved past him and walked away before he could stop me.

By the end of the school day, the anger had faded and what was left was worse.

Guilt.

I kept replaying the hallway in my head. Carter’s face. The way he looked when he saw me with Knox. The way he walked away.

Maybe I’d pushed too far, Maybe I’d wanted to hurt him the way he hurt me. Maybe… maybe he’d only been angry because he cared.

It was pathetic. I knew it was pathetic,but love didn’t stop being humiliating just because you recognized it.

By six, I was standing outside Carter’s house, again.

I hated myself for it.

His porch light was on, and music drifted through the windows. His car was in the driveway. So were two of his friends’ trucks.

I should’ve turned around right then, which I almost did, then I heard my name.

I froze just outside the open side window, hidden by the hedge.

“Nia?” one of his teammates laughed inside. “Man, what even is going on with you two? She looked pissed this morning.”

A few chuckles followed and just like that, my heart started pounding.

Then Carter laughed too.“Nothing’s going on,” he said.

“Come on,” another voice pushed. “You’ve been dragging that girl around since forever. At this point, you either like her or she’s got dirt on you.”

More laughter.

I stood perfectly still, waiting to hear more, then Carter said, “Please. Me and Nia?”

My breath caught. “I could never see her like that.”

The room laughed louder this time, and something cold spread through me.

“What, she's not your type?” someone asked.

Carter scoffed. “Nia’s… Nia. She’s not good enough to stand beside me like that.”

I stopped breathing, tears suddenly threatening to fall down my face.

“She’s sweet, I guess,” he continued casually, like he wasn’t ripping my heart out with every word. “But I’m still her friend because she won’t let me go. If I cut her off, she’d probably lose her mind.”

My vision blurred with tears and every muscle in my body went stiff, then numb.

That was what I was to him?. Not a secret love, someone he was protecting or planning to claim later.

Just a girl he tolerated because I was too pathetic to leave.

My throat tightened and I slowly stepped back, then I bumped into something solid.

A hand caught my elbow before I stumbled.

And it was Knox.

His brows drew together the second he saw my face.“Nia?”

I couldn’t speak, I didn’t think I could if I tried.

Something in his expression darkened. He must’ve heard enough, because his jaw flexed and his eyes flicked toward the house with a look that made my stomach twist.

“Come on,” he said with a low voice and I shook my head.

“Nia.”