The air in the penthouse had thickened, becoming a heavy blanket since Haiden's confession. We – the twins and I – had always been a tightly woven unit, a bizarre little family forged in the fires of mutual disdain for Ace. But now, an invisible barrier crackled between us, shifting with the capriciousness of a summer storm. I felt the weight of it most acutely every time I caught the brothers' silent, loaded glances.
When Haiden had confessed his jealousy, his voice had been rough, almost raw. "I hate feeling like this, Hailey," he'd mumbled, his fingers raking through that dark, subtly brown-streaked hair. His hazel eyes, usually warm and playful, had been clouded with a torment I couldn't ignore. "Watching you two… it just grates on me." It was a bomb dropped in the middle of our carefully constructed world, and the shrapnel was still stinging.
Before Ace, before the gaudy displays of his wealth and the hollowness of his promises, there was just… me. A stripper at The Velvet, hustling to save enough for my dream: a small, sun-drenched café where I could bake and forget about the flashing lights and wandering hands. My escape was ruined the day Ace walked into the velvet strip club.
The three of us had gravitated towards each other after Ace took me to the mansion, a weird sanctuary born from shared trauma. He was a whirlwind of chaos, and Christian, with his sharp wit and dark gaze, and Haiden, with his easy smile and unwavering support, became my anchors. Especially Haiden, the one who cooked the most delicious meals, who always knew how to make me laugh. I even had a sex fantasy about Haiden, making me wish it was real. I was always too blinded by Ace.
I was so infatuated with Ace because I wanted him since my younger days, I stayed with the bastard and shut my feelings down for Haiden. Stupid.
The day of the wedding…God, the wedding. It was the day the carefully constructed illusion shattered. Seeing Ace, laughing and joking with his ex-wives, a chilling realization bloomed in my chest: I was just another trophy. I fled, a desperate escape from suffocating gold and empty promises, running blindly until I collapsed on a park bench, gasping for air.
That was where Christian found me. He sat beside me, a silent, understanding presence. We spoke words that had long been buried, a hesitant dance of raw emotion. I felt a dizzying mix of relief and guilt, a terrifying exhilaration that threatened to consume me. Then Ace arrived, bringing the storm with him.
Now, days later, I found myself back on that same bench, the memories swirling around me like a painful kaleidoscope. I replayed every moment: the unexpected heat of Christian's hand brushing mine, the fierce protectiveness in Haiden's eyes as he pulled them apart, the undercurrent of…something else…that I had been too blind to see.
Could it be possible? That Haiden felt something more than friendship? Had I missed the signs? The way his gaze lingered a fraction too long, the subtle touches, the quiet understanding that seemed to flow between us?
"Hailey?"
Haiden's voice was soft, hesitant. He was walking towards me, his movements cautious, as if approaching a wounded animal. The sun was bleeding across the horizon, painting the sky in fiery hues.
"I…uh…" My throat felt tight, anxiety coiling in my stomach. How could we even begin to repair the damage? "Do we…do we need to talk?"
He nodded slowly, taking a seat beside me, leaving a small space between us. "About…everything?" His hazel eyes were searching, vulnerable.
"About everything," I confirmed, feeling the immense weight of unspoken words pressing down on us. The silence stretched, thick with regret and unspoken desires.
Haiden finally broke the stillness. "I never meant for this to happen. I thought… I thought if I told you how I truly felt, I'd ruin everything. Our friendship…everything."
"Haiden, I... I had no idea," I whispered, the realization hitting me like a wave. I wasn't alone in this chaotic mess of tangled emotions. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. I didn't realize… God, I hate that Ace made me feel like I had to choose between you and Christian."
"He didn't deserve you, Hailey," Haiden said, his voice laced with a quiet intensity. "It should have been us. From the beginning."
My heart hammered against my ribs. He wanted me. The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating. Could we actually navigate this? Could we rewrite the script?
"We're going to figure this out," I said, my voice stronger this time, a touch of steel in my tone. "Somehow, we will."
As we sat side-by-side, bathed in the fading light, I knew that the road ahead would be bumpy, filled with uncertainty. But it was a road worth traveling, a chance to build something real, something honest, something that Ace could never touch. And maybe, just maybe, I could finally have my shot with the man who truly deserved me, the one whose hazel eyes held a depth I was only now brave enough to explore.