Shades of Desire

Ethan

I can barely fucking breathe. The second Ivy said his name, something inside me snapped. I can't even look at her right now. My mind's racing, every thought clouded by the image of her in his bed.

I storm out of her dorm, fists clenched, not caring who the hell sees me. I need to find Jace.

He's in his apartment when I barge in, no knock, nothing. He's standing there, relaxed, like none of this shit matters to him.

"Ethan," he says, barely looking up. It's like he expected me.

"You slept with her," I spit out, my voice shaking with rage. "You couldn't fucking leave her alone, could you?"

He turns to me, calm, with that smug look on his face that makes me want to rip him apart. "She made her choice," he says, voice cold. "You should've seen it coming."

That's it. My fist flies before I even think. It connects hard with his jaw, sending him stumbling back. Blood runs from the corner of his mouth, but that bastard doesn't back down.

"Feel better?" Jace asks, wiping the blood off with his thumb like it's nothing.

"Fuck you," I growl, going at him again, but this time he's ready. He blocks my next punch and shoves me back.

"You really thought you could keep her?" he sneers, his voice low, dangerous now. "You don't get it, do you? She's not yours. She was never fucking yours."

I swing again, but he grabs me by the shirt and slams me into the wall. "You think I'm scared of you?" His voice is low, dark, like a warning. His grip tightens, but I don't give a shit. I need to hurt him, make him feel what I'm feeling.

I manage to break free and land a solid punch to his ribs, but he barely flinches. Instead, he just laughs—fucking laughs—and hits me back, hard enough that I see stars.

"You think you're the only one who cares about her?" Jace spits, his face inches from mine, his voice sharp with anger. "You've been playing it safe while I've been the one keeping her close. You weren't there when she needed someone."

The words cut deeper than the punches, and for a moment, I just stand there, breathing hard, everything crashing down around me.

"Fuck you, Jace," I mutter, voice hoarse, and shove past him, leaving the room before I lose it completely.