Jax's POV

I watch the flames engulf the thick blocks of wood, releasing the smell of burnt oak. I watch Evelyn's arms wrap around Ashton's neck as she exceeds this nervous keenness about her. I'm not completely convinced playing this game will reveal the hellish person who chose to make a page online full of gossip and fabricated lies but we can sure as hell try. 

I notice the hoodie Evelyn's wearing is way too oversized for her small figure and I curse myself at the desire that claws its way into my chest every time she's in my line of vision. I can feel Sophie staring at me while I pretend to look at the flames and not at Evelyn. I pull out a cigarette in need of the ability to do something with my hands. I stare at Sophie for a split-second, wondering what being with her would be like for a second but I feel numb at the thought. I hear Ashton's deep voice start explaining the rules of the game as I glance over the crowd trying to find a nervous tic, a nervous facial expression that will tell on the person that's guilty of using our personal lives for their amusement. I spot Nicky sitting next to Sarah as Sarah gives me a smirk and bites her bottom lip. Yeah, that's never happening again...

"I have a brother; I have a girlfriend and I almost went to boot camp when I was 20." Says Ashton. I turn my head so fast to look at him at the mention of his brother that I get whiplash. I wince at the pain in my neck, grasping at it. What the hell? Evelyn and almost everyone else is looking at him with a flabbergasted look on their faces. 

Ashton raises his eyebrows and I see Nicky clench her fists from my peripheral vision. I see what he's doing, he's provoking. But what if he's provoking the wrong person?

"What? Now everyone decides to have morals and principles. Now people decide to stay quiet. Pussies." Ashton mutters that last word under his breath as he takes a swig from his beer, but I heard it. He repositions Evelyn, moving her a little to the left to get her comfortable on his lap and the sight makes my stomach turn with envy, but I swallow the jealousy and keep it down. I balance my cigarette on my lips and run a hand through my hair, letting this game play out as it goes around the circle, observing, and reading our peers and their body language. Finally, it gets to Sarah, I'm sure she's one of the people we're all suspicious of.

"I'm an only child, I have had a boyfriend since a couple of months back and my best friends have fallen in love with the same person." She gives her best-wicked smirk after saying these words and it dawns on me that Sarah doesn't mind creating animosity. She doesn't mind creating it even when it's between the only people that still tolerate her as long as she meddles in other people's shit. 

I look at Evelyn, her ocean eyes glaring at Ashton with pain and glaring back at Sarah then Nicky then Allison. Ashton's clenching his jaw, clearly irritated by Sarah's lack of respect. I look over at Nicky and Allison, Allison is questioning Nicky in front of everyone. 

"So that's why it was so easy to convince you to post that picture or even take it in the first place!? You're a conniving bitch and I should've never trusted you." Allison spats Nicky as she gets up and walks away, her blonde waves flailing messily in the cold breeze. Nicky's cheeks are almost as red as her hair, and I see what Ashton meant now. These types of games are invented for people to tell on themselves, for people to bend. Nicky gets up and whispers something to Sarah angrily, something I'm too far away to comprehend, she walks away making her way to Allison. 

"Alright everyone, continue drinking and socializing. Games Over." I say, standing up. I hear some whines and murmurs, but everyone soon moves on to gossip about the incident that just took place. I know that this is going to cause a fight between Eve and Ash because well, Ashton made out with Nicky at that party. I'm sure Evelyn is confused as to why that would mean that she's in love with him unless he was lying about the lack of relationship he had with Allison and the fleeting moment with Nicky. 

Stay out of it, stay out of it, stay out of it. But I can't, every time I see her hurt, every time I see her cry, every time I see anything but happiness in those sea-green eyes the only instinct I get in my body is to go after her and make her feel better or at least try. I've pushed it down, I've pushed it away, I can't take it anymore. Evelyn had stormed off past her dock and Ashton had followed.

"I see the way you look at her Jax, it's not going to end well," Sadie says standing beside me, looking at me as I stare at Ashton and Evelyn bickering by the pool. I trust Sadie, I'd trust anyone acquainted with Evelyn honestly, I know anyone near her wouldn't want to make her life more complicated than it has been. 

"The way I look at her is nothing compared to what I feel. The worst part is she's in love with someone I consider my brother." I say bluntly, being reckless yet truthful. She puts a hand on my shoulder and walks away just as Arlo, Ayden's best friend, and Ayden himself arrive at the bonfire. What am I going to do with this feeling?

"Let me help you." I hear Sophie whisper, inches away from my ear. I get goosebumps all over my neck, at the end of the day Sophie is beautiful, she's dyed her hair black with red pieces, and it falls in curls down her back, her eyes glistening with lust as she looks at me. 

"I'm beyond that type of help, and I'll only end up hurting you," I tell her. The lust is replaced by something I can't decipher, and she leaves it at that. I follow her gaze as she walks by the fire pit and she looks back at me one last time, my eyes glaze over her ripped jeans. What the fuck is wrong with me?

- - - 

Evelyn's POV

"IN LOVE?? You said that sleeping with Allison meant nothing, did she not get the damned memo?? What about Nicky, how the FUCK did she fall in love with you from one kiss?!" I ask Ashton angrily. This is exhausting, draining, the rumors, the secrets the fucking games. Ashton puts up his hand to touch me and I flinch, repulsed by the gossip surrounding our lives. 

"Evelyn this is exactly what Sarah wants, to create chaos, to fuck us up!" He says loudly. 

"Babe don't fucking shut me out, don't push me away. Relationships are work I know I'm not a saint and your reputation-" He starts.

"Oh, my reputation??" I cut him off, offended at his choice of words. I pull his hoodie over my head and throw it at him. 

"Evelyn, don't do this right now. You knew what it was when we started dating, we BOTH don't have the best reputation." He noted. I stare at him wide-eyed, astonished that he just repeated that choice of words a second time around. 

"You know what? fuck this." I say. A flash of pain consumes his face when I say this, but it's replaced by a look that scared me, a look that I hadn't seen before. 

"No, Evelyn. Do you want to say fuck this? Yeah, fuck it I guess." With that, he leaves me standing there alone. He doesn't go back to the bonfire, just leaves altogether. Suddenly I feel a sense of panic arise in my chest at the thought of him doing something stupid over my clumsy, rage-fueled words. I realize I'm standing outside in a tank top, with my cleavage threatening to spill out of my top in freezing weather. I make my way through the double glass doors that lead to my living room. 

I walk over to the kitchen and pull out my phone to text Ayden. 

*Get Nicky, Sarah, and Allison out of here before I catch a charge. * I send the text. 

A few moments later. 

*Got it*-Ayden. 

I grab a glass and pour myself some wine from an open bottle in my fridge. I take the bottle upstairs along with the glass and make my way to my room. My blinds are open, and I can see everyone having a good ole' time from my room window. 

I chuckle bitterly. "I could vanish into thin air, and no one would notice," I say to myself, drinking the glass of cabernet as my eyes scrutinize everyone down below. 

"I would notice." Jax's voice startles me, and I gaze at his unlikely demeanor, something's changed.

I smile at him, a wine-infused smile and I motion for him to sit on my couch. I remove myself from my window and refill my glass, offering him some. He takes a small sip from the exact place where my lipstick is smudged over the crystal glass. I do the same, being all too aware that if someone looks up and sees us in front of my window it would be another rumor to add to the stupidity of the week. 

I restrain myself from asking him the questions that always linger in my mind. What did he mean by his intentions weren't pure? Why does he look at me like he's ready to take a bullet for me? Why is he always here when I need someone the most? Why does he always come when Ashton leaves? I contemplate the possible answers to these questions and study his demeanor while I do so. His legs parted away from each other slightly, his arm spread out over the top of the velvet couch, his generous demeanor, that's only viewed as generous when I'm alone with him. 

The lights in my room are dimmed yellow, the ambiance is inviting and cozy. Of course, the wine makes it even more welcoming. We sit in silence for a moment and it's not that awkward silence that makes you want to crawl out of your skin, it's a peaceful silence, an understanding between two people of wanting to share the silence. 

"You know, you don't need to come to my rescue every time something happens that evokes a negative emotion in me," I say, trying to convey a secure attitude. An attitude that broadcasts that I can take care of myself. He gives me an amiable smirk and it arouses concern in the pit of my stomach for a reason I can't deem faithful. 

"I know that I've told myself that a million times. Yet here I am." He proclaims. His dark eyes seeped into mine. 

"You should be comforting Ashton if anything. Not sitting here with me, drinking wine. Don't you think?" I'm pushing him, purposely. How much longer will it take for him to say what he wants to say? 

"I'll leave if that's what you want." He whispers.

But I don't know if that's what I want. What do I want? I feel a pang of guilt in my chest at the feelings that unravel every time Jax, and I are alone. 

"Just finish this bottle of wine with me why don't you? At least until everyone leaves...music?" I offer, standing up from beside him. His eyes scan over my body, not once but twice. He has a calculated, expressionless look on his face. But eyes don't lie. Either I'm in denial or convincing myself I'm hallucinating. 

Songs: older by Isabel Larosa, swelling by Sarah jeffe, friends by chase Atlantic 

 I walk over to my smart TV and grab the remote, putting on music. I place the remote on my bed satisfied. I glance out of the window and notice half of the people that were here had already left. 

I hear Jax and I get a notification almost simultaneously, the vibration coming from both of our phones. His eye contact with me is yet to be broken and I can feel my cheeks getting warm. Why is he looking at me like that? 

I check my phone and click on the pop-up on the screen, of course, the gossip page. But what I see this time is a picture of Ashton and Nicky looking as if they're in deep conversation, standing far too close to each other's faces for my comfort. I rub my lips with my fingers, demanding myself to breathe. This can't be happening again, he's not that stupid, he wouldn't. 

"What is it, Evelyn?" Jax asks straightening his posture. 

"The other shoe, the other shoe that I thought would never drop is dropping," I say, walking over to him and holding the phone up to his face so he sees what I did. Jax runs his fingers through his hair and sighs deeply, perplexed. 

"Look how close they are to each other. You're telling me Nicky wasn't the one that did the first post? Is it more than one person running this stupid gossip page??" I ask, gawking at him. 

He stands up and my mind starts running rampant, at the thought of Ashton cheating on me, and not just because he's self-sabotaging this time. 

"I'll call him on speaker, I'm sure this is all bullshit," Jax says. 

A minute passes by and Ashton answers the phone, I hear moaning in the background and my heart shatters. That empty pit in my stomach, that feeling as if someone just grabbed a knife and cut at my heartstrings. That's what his betrayal felt like. My knees buckle and I hold onto the armrest of the couch in my room. 

"What the fuck are you doing man?" Jax asks Ashton. 

"Forgetting, I'm busy I'll call you back," Ashton answers and I could tell from his voice that he's fucking someone because that's what his voice sounds like when he's fucking me. I feel the bile rise in my throat and I run over to the bathroom just in case. But nothing comes out, I start dry heaving, shaking, hoping that this is some fucked up nightmare. 

I look in the mirror, my smudged mascara, my smudged eyeliner, a mess. I look back at Jax as he rubs the nape of his neck. 

"How? How does someone act like they are so in love? So infatuated? The way he spoke to me, the way he looked at me, the way he touched me as if I was the only one in this world he ever wanted to touch. The lies, the games, the bullshit." I practically growl.

"Call him," Jax says. I roll my eyes doubting that he's going to answer. But I find myself dialing his number anyway. I bite my painted nails until the paint is chipped. 

"Hello?" He answers. My heart stops for a second, what am I supposed to say? 

"we're done. Have fun fucking whoever it is you're screwing." I say and then I hang up. He might not know I found out from Jax; he might think it was the gossip page that gave him away. I get a text back almost immediately after hanging up. 

*Evelyn.*-Ashton. 

*Answer me*-Ashton. 

He had a guilty conscience, that's what it was. That's why he asked me about those things in the janitor's closet. He played me like his favorite fucking joke. I turn off my phone not wanting to deal with the texts, the notifications, or the heartbreak. I throw my phone on the floor but Jax doesn't flinch. I sit on my bed and look at Jax as he stands in front of me, knowing Jax will do anything to take my pain away. Don't do it, Evelyn.