Page 62 of Faking with Three

I hesitate, the words I’ve been rehearsing stuck in my throat. Marcus notices, his expression softening as he steps aside.

“You weren’t supposed to be so early,” Marcus says.

“Yeah, I know,” I reply, already feeling a little defensive.

Marcus tilts his head, studying me with a suspicious glint in his eye. “Are you sure you didn’t just want to be alone with Ethan?”

I blink, caught completely off guard. “What makes you say that?”

He shrugs, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “It can’t be more obvious that you like him. You can’t keep your eyes off him when you’re together. Or maybe it’s Jax. Honestly, I’m starting to lose track of who you’re leaning toward more.”

“That’s not true,” I shoot back, my voice sharper than I intend. Heat rises to my cheeks as I cross my arms, mirroring his stance.

Marcus steps closer, his expression softening but his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that makes my breath hitch. “You’re lying,” he says quietly, his voice low and sure.

I open my mouth to protest, but the words don’t come. He’s too close now, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating off him. My heart starts to pound, and I take an instinctive step back, but he follows, closing the distance until there’s nowhere left to retreat.

“But they aren’t the only ones who like you.”

“Marcus—”

He takes another step towards me. “I want you to see me.”

“I want you to…consider me as well,” he murmurs, the words a soft plea that reverberates through me.

Before I can respond, his lips are on mine, urgent and demanding. I freeze for a split second, caught off guard, but the heat of his kiss melts away my hesitation. His hands frame my face, pulling me closer as his mouth moves over mine with a hunger that leaves me breathless.

“Marcus,” I breathe, my voice shaky. I look up at him, my hands still clutching his shirt. His eyes are dark, filled with anemotion I can’t quite name but that makes my heart race all the same.

“What are you doing?” I whisper.

“Exactly what I’ve been wanting to do,” he says, his voice steady, his gaze unflinching. “You deserve to know how I feel, Olivia. I’m not going to stand on the sidelines while you get pulled in different directions. I care about you, and I’m not afraid to show it.”

Marcus’s lips are back on mine before I can think of what to say, his hands gripping my waist as he presses me against the wall. My fingers tangle in his shirt, my breath hitching as his kiss deepens, searing and possessive.

But then the door swings open.

“What the hell?” Jax’s voice cuts through the haze like a cold wind, and I jerk away from Marcus, my face burning.

CHAPTER 19

ETHAN

Jax was tellingme something when the door swings open. And then I see them, and the world slows down around me.

Marcus is kissing her. Olivia’s hands are on his chest, pulling him closer, and Marcus is holding her like she belongs to him.

No.

“Get your hands off her,” Jax growls, his voice low and menacing as he steps forward. My pulse thunders in my ears, drowning out the sound of the door slamming shut behind us.

But I can’t move. My feet are rooted to the spot, my brain scrambling to catch up with the reality playing out in front of me. No, this isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. Olivia isn’t supposed to be kissing Marcus. She’s supposed to be with me.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Jax was supposed to be my only competition. Not Marcus. Marcus wasn’t even supposed to be in this equation. But there he is, kissing her like he’s been waiting for this moment his entire life. And she’s not pushing him away. She’s kissing him back.

My heart is hammering against my ribs, and my fists curl at my sides as anger and disbelief rise in equal measure.

"Don’t you see?" I say, my voice louder than I intend, raw and bitter. "She’s enjoying it."

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