Page 29 of Off-Limits

Jake looks at me for a moment, giving me a small, reassuring smile before turning his attention back to the camera.

"Listen to me," Jake starts, pacing back and forth. "I know you're upset, and you have every right to be. But I need you to hear what I'm about to say." He pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing. "The truth is that I love Mia."

He... loves me? I don't know what to think in that moment. Things have been heating up between us, sure, but I didn't think it was that deep.

It's a revelation—something I never thought would happen. I don't even know what to say, if there's anything to say at all.

There's a moment of silence as Ryan takes in those words, and I can practically see the gears turning in his head as he tries to process this new information.

"You... what?" Ryan finally manages to choke out, looking utterly bewildered.

"I love your sister," Jake says again, more firmly this time. "And I have for a long time now."

"But... you promised me," Ryan stammers, looking betrayed. "You promised you'd stay away from her."

Jake nods, his expression solemn. "I know I did. And I tried—I really did. But sometimes, life has other plans." He glances at me, a soft smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Mia is... she's special, Ry. She deserves to be happy, and I want more than anything to make her that way."

I can see Ryan struggling with this new reality, his expression shifting from anger to confusion to something like resignation as he takes in Jake's words.

"Love her?!" Ryan yells, his voice echoing through the phone. "You're supposed to be my best friend! My brother! And you go behind my back and fall in love with my fucking little sister?" His face is beet red, veins popping out on his neck as he screams at Jake, and by extension, me.

I shrink back from the phone, shocked at Ryan's sudden outburst. I've never seen him this angry before. Not even whenwe were kids, and I accidentally broke one of his favorite action figures.

Jake, on the other hand, remains calm and collected despite my brother's verbal assault. "Look," he says, his voice firm but gentle. "I get that you're upset—"

"No," Ryan snaps, cutting him off. "No, Jake. You don't get to play the understanding best friend right now. You fucked up. You broke your promise to me."

Jake sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I know I did, Ry. And I'm sorry about that. But—"

"Sorry?" Ryan laughs. This isn't going to end well. "You think you can just say 'sorry' and make it all better? You slept with my sister, Jake! My little sister!"

Jake flinches at the harsh words, and I feel myself recoiling as well. Ryan's never spoken to either of us like this before.

"Ryan," I say softly, reaching out to take the phone back from Jake. "Please, calm down—"

"No!" Ryan shouts, making me jerk my hand back. "I won't calm down, Mia! Not until I've said what needs to be said." He takes a deep breath and I'm afraid of what he's going to say. "Jake, if you ever, and I mean ever, hurt my sister... I will come home right now and make you regret it."

"There's no—" Jake says, but Ryan just laughs bitterly.

"I don't care what you have to say, Jake. You're not the only one who knows how to fight." He leans in closer to the camera, his eyes blazing with anger. "I trusted you with my sister's safety, and you betrayed that trust. I won't forget it."

As Ryan finishes speaking, Jake's expression darkens, the calm and collected demeanor he'd been maintaining until now evaporating in an instant.

"Enough," Jake says sharply, his voice like thunder. "I've listened to you rant and rage, and I respect the way you feel, but this—this is bullshit, Ryan."

Ryan looks taken aback by Jake's sudden outburst, his eyes widening in surprise. "What are you talking about?" he asks.

"What am I talking about?" Jake repeats incredulously. "You're acting like some sort of controlling father figure right now, dictating who Mia can and cannot see—who she can and cannot love."

"She's my little sister," Ryan growls. "I have every right to be concerned about her well-being."

"No," Jake snaps, shaking his head. "You don't get it. This isn't about you being protective or looking out for her. It's about you trying to control her life because you can't stand the idea of someone else being in charge." He pauses, letting that sink in before continuing. "I promised I wouldn't touch your sister, and I kept that promise—for years. But you know what? Mia is an adult now. She gets to make her own decisions about who she wants to be with."

Ryan's face flushes red again, his anger boiling over. "She's too naive, too inexperienced. She doesn't know what she wants."

"She knows," Jake says firmly. "And even if she didn't, it wouldn't matter. Because at the end of the day, this isn't about Mia. It's about you and your need to maintain control over every aspect of her life." He takes a deep breath before delivering his final blow. "You know what, Ry? Maybe you're not as different from your dad as you like to think."

That seems to hit Ryan like a physical punch, all the air going out of him as he stares at Jake in shock and betrayal. And for a moment, neither of them says anything, both too stunned by the sudden escalation of their argument.

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