The one night stand

Chapter 4

It was Ava.

My chest tightened. She stood there on the threshold, her lipstick too red, her smile too polished, her eyes too sharp.

Where is Jacob? she demanded.

Before I could stop it, his voice came from behind me. What’s going on?

And just like that, Ava’s whole expression melted into one of grief. She rushed past me, straight into Jacob’s arms like she belonged there.

Jacob froze, stiff as a statue, but she clung to him as though her life depended on it.

It’s been the worst three years of my life, Jacob. Her voice cracked, her body shaking with sobs. After that night… after our night… I got pregnant.

The words slapped me harder than any hand could. My mouth went dry.

Jacob’s jaw clenched. His eyes—usually cold, unreadable—flickered with something I couldn’t place. What are you talking about?

Ava’s hand shot to her chest, trembling fingers brushing away her crocodile tears. I couldn’t handle it. I gave the baby up for adoption. But then I started looking… searching… and after months of digging, I found him. Her arm stretched toward the boy playing quietly in the living room. He’s here. With you.

The silence in the room was suffocating.

Then another shadow stepped in. My mother.

Oh, Jacob, she said softly, her voice laced with false sympathy. I had no idea Ava had been carrying this burden. She only confided in me recently.

Recently. I nearly choked on the word. Lies, every single one of them.

Jacob took a step back, his eyes narrowing. His mind was a battlefield—I could see it in the tension of his shoulders, the muscle ticking in his jaw. And now, Ava was standing here, weaving her story like a net.

But Jacob said nothing. He turned, silent, his face unreadable, and walked upstairs.

The air shifted the moment he was gone.

Ava’s sobs stopped instantly. She straightened, her eyes cold, glittering with triumph. Mother closed the door behind her, sealing me in with their venom.

Don’t you dare, Ava hissed, her finger stabbing the air at me. Don’t you dare tell him we’re sisters.

My blood ran hot. Why?

Because, she sneered, Jacob Hayes doesn’t need to know he’s being fought over by two sisters. Do you want us to look pathetic? Desperate?

Mother’s voice was calm, measured, cruel. If Jacob learns the truth, it will ruin everything. You’ll keep quiet, Emily. You owe us that much.

I almost laughed at the absurdity. Owe them? After years of lies and cruelty?

I crossed my arms, staring hard at Ava. When did you even get pregnant, Ava? Hm? Tell me that.

Her lips curled. Three years ago. After that night.

My stomach flipped. The same timeline.

What happened? I pressed, my voice sharper, louder. What did you do, Ava?

She smirked, leaning closer until her perfume made me dizzy. Doesn’t matter what I did. What matters is, Jacob believes me. And if you ever try to expose me, you’ll regret it.

Mother’s hand clamped down on my shoulder, her nails digging into my skin. Don’t test us, Emily. You’ve already caused enough trouble.

I wanted to scream, to tear the lies apart, but the words choked me. Upstairs, footsteps echoed. Jacob was still here, still within earshot if I shouted.

But one look at Ava’s twisted smile and my mother’s ice-cold stare told me the truth.

If I said a word, they’d burn me alive.

I couldn’t take it anymore. My heart pounded as I climbed the stairs, my fists clenched at my sides. Jacob’s door was half-open, the faint glow of a lamp spilling into the hall.

He sat at the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees, head bowed. A man carrying the weight of the world.

Jacob. My voice cracked.

His head lifted. His eyes locked on mine, stormy, unreadable.

Do you believe them? I asked, my words trembling despite the fire in my chest. Do you actually believe anything they just said?

Silence. His gaze pierced through me. Then slowly, he stood.

I don’t know what to believe anymore, he admitted, his voice raw. Three years ago… I made a mistake. Just one night. And she disappeared before dawn. No name. No trace. Since then, I’ve searched for her. I promised myself I’d never fall for anyone else.

He stepped closer, his voice lower now, almost a whisper. Until you.

My breath hitched.

I don’t understand it, Emily. I don’t know if it’s fate playing with me or if I’m betraying myself. But every time I’m near you… His hand brushed against mine, tentative, like a man testing fire. …I don’t know how to stop.

The air between us thickened. My chest ached. My heart betrayed me, thundering as if begging me to close the distance.

Jacob leaned in, his breath warm against my lips. My eyes fluttered shut.

And then

His phone vibrated on the nightstand, shattering the moment. The sharp trill yanked us back to reality.

He exhaled, dragging a hand down his face. I should get that.

I forced a nod, stepping back, though my body screamed in protest.

******

Jacob ended the call and tossed the phone onto the bed, his jaw tight. He looked at me as if deciding whether to push me away or pull me closer.

Emily, sit.

I hesitated, then lowered myself onto the armchair near his bed. My pulse hammered, waiting.

He took a deep breath. You asked if I believed them. Truth is, I don’t know. But I need to tell you something I’ve never told anyone.

My throat went dry.

Three years ago, after she left me—after that night—I couldn’t let it go. I searched, Emily. Every city, every lead. Nothing. And then my father started pressing me to marry, to settle down, to give him a grandchild. He wouldn’t stop.

His voice cracked, though his expression stayed cold. So I did the only thing I could. I adopted Max. Told my father he was mine by blood. I thought maybe… maybe raising him would quiet the storm inside me.

My breath caught. Max. The boy I couldn’t stop thinking about.

Why didn’t you ever tell me this? My voice shook with anger and something I couldn’t name.

Because it wasn’t your burden to carry, he said quietly. And because admitting it out loud meant admitting I’ve been living a lie.

Silence pressed between us. My chest ached.

He stepped closer, his eyes dark, searching mine. But now… you’re here. And every wall I built is breaking. I don’t know how to handle it, Emily.

I swallowed hard, my heart racing.

He leaned down, his voice low, trembling. I’m already falling for you. And I don’t know what the hell to do about it.

Jacob’s words lingered in the air like fire—I’m already falling for you.

Before I could even process it, he closed the space between us, his lips brushing mine. It wasn’t gentle. It was raw, desperate, like he’d been holding back for too long.

I gasped, pushing lightly at his chest. Jacob, wait. They’re still downstairs.

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his dark eyes burning. I don’t give a damn. His voice was low, ragged. I’ve wanted you since the moment you walked into my life. I’m not stopping now.

His mouth came back down, devouring mine, his hands roaming—rough, impatient, yet worshipful. Fingers tangled in my hair, sliding down my spine until he cupped my ass and pulled me flush against him. The hard press of his arousal made my pulse spike.

A moan escaped me when he ground against me. My nails clawed at his shirt, yanking it open. Buttons flew. His chest was hard, hot, sculpted under my palms. I wanted more. Needed more.

Jacob ripped my blouse open, lips trailing down my throat, sucking, biting, leaving marks only he could claim. His hand slid under my bra, thumb circling my n****e until my knees buckled.

Jacob… I whimpered, heat flooding me.

He growled against my skin, voice dark. You’re driving me insane, Emily.

He pushed me onto the bed, his weight pressing me into the mattress. My skirt rode up, his hand slipping between my thighs. His fingers teased me through the thin fabric of my panties, stroking, testing.

You’re soaked, he rasped, lips at my ear. For me.

I shuddered, thighs parting wider. Please, Jacob.

That was all he needed. He shoved my panties aside, his fingers sliding into me, stretching, filling. I cried out, hips bucking, clutching the sheets. He worked me with ruthless skill, curling his fingers just right, until pleasure spiraled tight in my core.

My release tore through me, sudden and violent. My back arched, breath ragged, his name falling from my lips like a prayer.

He didn’t stop. He ripped the rest of our clothes away, his c**k thick and hard pressing against me. He paused only long enough to look at me, his forehead resting against mine. Say you want this, Emily.

I swallowed hard, heart racing. I want this. I want you.

He thrust inside me in one smooth stroke. I gasped, nails digging into his shoulders as he filled me, stretched me, made me his.

Jacob groaned, head dropping to my neck. f**k, you feel like heaven.

He moved then, slow at first, savoring every inch, then faster, harder, until the bed shook beneath us. My cries filled the room, his thrusts deep and relentless.

Every movement broke me apart, put me back together. He kissed me like he owned me, whispered filthy promises against my ear, his body pounding into mine with raw need.

I clung to him, gasping, moaning, matching his rhythm until the world blurred and I shattered again, screaming his name. He followed with a roar, spilling into me, collapsing against my body, both of us trembling, drenched in sweat, clinging to each other like drowning souls.

For a moment, silence. Just our ragged breaths, our hearts racing in sync.

Then—

A faint creak at the door. A shadow slipped away.

Neither of us noticed.