𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑋𝑜𝑛𝑒

𝐿𝐼𝐼

I could feel the heat rising in my chest, my hands tightening into fists. "Janet's not yours. She's mine. And you better start respecting that." I said through clenched teeth, stepping closer to her, my voice low and intense.

Shawn's eyes flickered with something, a mix of anger and maybe, just maybe, regret. But she didn't back down. She held my gaze in the mirror, her lips tight as if she were trying to hold back whatever words she wanted to say.

"You think you've got her all figured out, huh?" she sneered, still not turning around to face me fully. "You think you can just waltz in and claim her? She's got a history, Mariah. You think she's going to let go of me that easily?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but my heart was racing. I wasn't about to let her manipulate the situation. "I know Janet's been through a lot, but she's chosen me. And if you can't respect that, then maybe you should stay out of the way." My words were sharp, but I meant every single one.

She finally turned to face me, her arms crossed. "You think she's going to come out because of you? You think you're going to make it all better, just like that?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, but there was something else, something bitter. "It doesn't work like that. You can't just force her to be something she's not."

I clenched my jaw, but I kept my composure. "It's not about forcing her, Shawn. It's about giving her the love and space she needs. I'm here for her, no matter what. Are you?" I asked, the challenge in my voice undeniable.

Shawn looked at me for a long moment, her face flickering with emotion, anger, frustration, maybe a hint of vulnerability, but she quickly masked it. "Whatever, Mariah. You can have her," she said, turning away from me and walking toward the door. "Just remember this, she's mine too. And I won't just disappear."

I stood there, rooted to the spot, as Shawn tried walking past me. I only nudged her with my shoulder. I used all of my force, stopping her from moving forward and only knocking her two steps back.

She looked at me like we were at war. And that's how it felt, like world war. I grabbed her, and she grabbed me, her hand pulled my hair. The tug hurt my scalp, and someone barged in the bathroom door behind me.

Shawn stopped, looking at whoever it was behind my back, and gasped.

"Get your hands off of her!" Janet's voice was soft but firm as she ran up to us. She pulled Shawn off of me and pushed her back before standing between us.

Janet walked up to me, her eyes scanning me like she was looking for any bruises or cuts, maybe.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice softening with concern.

I nodded my head, trying to shake off the intense adrenaline coursing through me, but I couldn't hide the worry in my eyes. I wasn't sure where to go from here, but I knew I wasn't backing down. Not for anyone. And especially not for Shawn.

Janet turned around, looking at Shawn, her expression hardening. Shawn opened her mouth to speak, but Janet held up her finger to her lips, silencing her before she could say anything. The room grew tense, the air thick with the unspoken words that hung between us.

Janet's gaze shifted between the two of us. "I don't wanna hear who did what. You both promised me, you wouldn't do this." Her voice trembled slightly, the hurt and disappointment in her eyes evident. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but the emotion was too raw.

I felt a pang in my chest, the guilt weighing down on me. Seeing her look at us like that, disappointed, hurt, was unbearable. I had promised her we wouldn't let this happen, yet here we were, caught in a mess I never intended.