after they met her

twentyfive

i v a n a

Back home, I was lost in my own thoughts. Ray's betrayal stung more deeply than I could have imagined.

I thought it was real, the control I felt with him, yet it was just another illusion I made myself believe. He was my brothers subordinate, of course he would be more loyal to them than to me.

His words echoed in my mind: "You didn't ask." How could he think that was a valid excuse though?

He made me so angry. Why would he kiss me back when he would act like that.

I felt dumb.

Naive.

I sat at the dining table, my meal untouched. The clinking of utensils and murmur of conversation around me felt distant, almost surreal.

Ray was out running an errand. My brothers ate with their usual expressions, oblivious to the chaos brewing inside me. Gray glanced at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Eat, Ivana," he said firmly, his tone leaving little room for argument.

I ignored him, my eyes fixed on my plate. The food, usually gone in minutes, looked even more unappealing and cold than ever. My mind replayed the events of the day, each thought cutting deeper than the last. I wanted to puke.

"Ivana?" Matthew's voice broke through my thoughts. He was trying to catch my eye, his concern evident. "Are you okay?"

I didn't answer him directly. Instead, my voice came out monotone and detached. "Did you use my phone without asking me?"

Matthew's brows furrowed in confusion. "What? No, why would I—"

Before he could finish, Asher's eyes widened in realization, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. I turned my gaze to him, my anger simmering just below the surface.

"Did you block Lily's number on my phone?" I asked, my tone sharper now, my patience wearing thin.

Asher shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Ivana, we were just trying to protect you. You don't understand the danger—"

"Protect me?" I snapped, my voice rising. "By isolating me from my friends? By making me think they abandoned me?"

Gray put down his fork, his expression hardening. "Ivana, you need to calm down. We did what we thought was best."

"Best for who?" I shot back, tears of frustration brimming in my eyes. "You have no idea what it's like to be cut off from everyone you care about. To feel completely alone!"

"You're not alone," Gray insisted, his tone still commanding. "You have us."

I laughed bitterly. "And what good has that done me? You've only made things worse. Ray—" I choked on his name, unable to continue. The thought of Ray, his betrayal, his excuses—it was too much.

Matthew reached out, trying to place a comforting hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged him off. "Ivana, we didn't mean to hurt you," he said gently. "We just wanted to keep you safe."

"Safe from what? From my own life? You've turned me into a prisoner. I couldn't even trust my own friends. I don't even know if I can trust any of you."

Gray's expression softened slightly, a rare glimpse of vulnerability in his usually stoic demeanor. "Ivana, we love you. Everything we've done, we've done out of love."

"Love?" I whispered, shaking my head. "This isn't love. This is control. This is manipulation. And it hurts. It hurts so much."

Silence fell over the table. The weight of my words hung in the air, each one a dagger to my brothers' hearts.