Page 102 of The Trade

“We?” Jade scoffs, her laugh a bitter note in the air. “You mean, you and West? Or you and my brother?”

I blink, completely taken aback. “Your brother’s here?”

“I don’t know if he’s still here,” she fires back, her voice biting. “Shan, why don’t you fill us in?”

Shannon shrinks, looking smaller than before. “He checked into a hotel right after you left.”

“How sweet of him.”

Shannon reaches out. “Jade, I’m so—”

“Look, I just can’t right now,” Jade cuts her off, shaking her head. She steps back, distancing herself physically and emotionally. “I get it, Shan. I know my brother; I know what he’s like. This is what he does. I’m angry at you, sure, but I can’t blame you for what happened.”

My mind spins, pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. Last night was a fucking roller coaster for Jade, in more ways than one.

“When can we talk about this?” Shannon pleads, a hint of desperation in her voice.

“I don’t know.” Jade rakes a hand through her hair, her fingers tangling in the wild curls before yanking out the elastic. As she pulls her hair into a neat bun, she continues. “Maybe once I’ve had a chance to digest everything. Maybe when my ex-boyfriend isn’t standing there, eavesdropping on every word between us.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” I stammer, the words lodging in my throat. “Do you want me to leave?”

Jade’s eyes pin me in place, a piercing gaze that burns right through me. “Why don’t you just say what you came here to say?”

In the background, Shannon clears her throat, a loud, awkward sound in the silence. “I’ll, um—I’ll just be in my room.”

“Good idea,” Jade says, her words pointed and crisp. She seems to be holding herself together by sheer force of will.

Once we’re alone, my gaze traces the contours of Jade’s face. She’s a picture of devastation, a testament to a sleepless night. It’s as if a hurricane swept through her and left only wreckage in its wake.

“Are you okay?” I ask, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

She laughs, a harsh, grating sound. “Hell no, I’m not okay. I mean, fuck, did you use your context cues? Figure out what happened between Ace and Shan last night?”

“Yeah, I got that part,” I manage to say, my voice a soothing contrast to her fiery outburst. “Where’d you end up staying?”

She crosses her arms, her body language defensive. “If that’s what you wanna talk about, then fine. I stayed with Garrett.”

“Your editor, Garrett? You hate that guy.”

A smirk spreads across her face. “Not after last night.”

“Wait, what are you saying? You didn’t . . .?” I trail off, my eyes searching her face, desperate for a hint, a clue.

“Didn’t what? Sleep with him?” she asks, her tone devoid of any warmth. “So what if I did?”

My mind reels. I can’t believe it, can’t rationalize it. Would she really go to him, of all people?

“If you did, then ... fuck, Jade,” I breathe out, blood pulsing behind my temples. “You dumped me, so I guess that’s your right.”

“So, if I tell you I slept with Garrett, then that’s it? You’ll let me go?”

“Fuck no, I won’t,” I say, my voice firm despite the knot in my stomach. “Even if you slept with Garrett, it doesn’t change how I feel. I still want you back. But the thought of you turning to him of all people ... it’s driving me up the wall.”

Her voice breaks, the façade crumbling. “What did you expect me to do? You broke my trust. And then, to come home and find Ace and Shan together ... It’s just too fucked-up.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine the hurt you’re feeling right now. Lying to you was the worst mistake I’ve ever made. You mean everything to me, Jade.”

Her posture deflates, crossed arms falling to her sides. “I just wish that you hadn’t done it.”

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