Page 53 of Faking with Three

“Yeah, I watched it,” I snap.

Ethan sets the bags on the counter a little too hard, spinning to face me. “Okay, first off, it wasn’t like that?—”

“Don’t even try to downplay it, Ethan,” I cut him off.

“That’s rich, coming from you,” Ethan says.

“You’re pissed because you like her, and you can’t stand that she and I?—”

“Don’t,” I warn, cutting him off. “Don’t even finish that sentence.”

Ethan doesn’t back down. “Admit it, Jax. You’re jealous.”

My fists clench at my sides, and it takes everything in me not to lose it. “I’m not jealous,” I grind out. “I just don’t want you screwing this up for her—or for us.”

“Bullshit,” Ethan says, his voice dripping with frustration. “You’ve been acting territorial ever since the rink. And you know what? Fine. You like her? Great. But don’t stand here and act like I’m the only one crossing lines.”

I take a step closer, glaring at him. “At least I’m not stupid enough to get caught on camera.”

Ethan’s face flushes, and for a moment, I think he might actually swing at me. Instead, he throws his hands up in exasperation. “You know what, Jax? Fine. Let’s be real. You don’t like the idea of me and Olivia because you can’t figure out how to deal with your own damn feelings.”

“Oh, and you’ve got it all figured out?” I snap. “Because it sure seems like you’re making this up as you go, Ethan. And in case you forgot, this whole thing was your idea.”

Ethan opens his mouth to retort but stops, shaking his head. “This is pointless,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair. “We’re not getting anywhere.”

“Because you won’t admit that you’re the one screwing up,” I shoot back.

“And you won’t admit you’re jealous!” he fires, his voice echoing in the apartment.

We both stand there, glaring at each other.

Finally, Ethan breaks the silence. “You know what? Fine. Maybe I like her. So what?”

The admission hits me harder than I expect, and for a moment, I don’t know what to say.

“Look, this isn’t going anywhere,” he says, his tone more resigned than combative. “We’re not going to agree on how to handle this, and Olivia doesn’t deserve to be caught in the middle of some petty fight.”

I arch an eyebrow. “You’ve got a better idea?”

“You think you’ve got a claim here, Jax? Let’s settle this like grown men.”

I narrow my eyes, unsure of where he’s going with this. “Settle what?”

“This. Her. We try and win her over, both of us,” Ethan says. “No sabotage, no underhanded crap. Just two guys trying to win over the same girl. Fair and square.”

I hesitate. “And Olivia has no idea about this?”

“She doesn’t need to know,” he says, pushing off the couch. “We keep it between us.”

“This feels kind of sleazy, don’t you think?”

“Not if we do it right,” I argue. “We don’t mess with her head. We just… make an effort. Show her what we’ve got. If she picks you, fine. If she picks me, also fine.”

Ethan doesn’t look convinced, but I can see the gears turning in his head. “And if she doesn’t pick either of us?”

“Then we back off,” I say firmly. “No hard feelings.”

He narrows his eyes at me, clearly trying to gauge whether I’m being sincere. Finally, he exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fine. Let’s do it.”

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