Twisted Truths

The room felt smaller, like the walls were closing in. The sound of the rain against the windows seemed deafening now, drowning out the silence stretching between them.

Grace's hands trembled at her sides, but she refused to let them see it. Refused to let her see it.

"You weren't over?" she repeated slowly, her voice dangerously calm. She turned to Jax, who was still silent, his jaw clenched so tightly she thought it might shatter. "Tell me she's lying."

Jax inhaled sharply. "Grace, I—"

"Tell me she's lying, Jax!"

His silence stretched a second too long.

And that second was all it took.

Grace felt something crack inside her, something deep and raw and irreversible. The betrayal settled over her like a weight, suffocating, crushing. She took a shaky step back, as if distance could protect her from the truth.

Sienna, meanwhile, looked pleased. Like this was the outcome she had hoped for all along. "I mean, technically, we were on a break," she added with an exaggerated shrug. "But you know how those things go, right? Feelings don't just disappear overnight."

Grace swallowed down the lump in her throat. "A break," she repeated, her voice hollow. "So, what? You were still sleeping together when I met him?"

Jax's head snapped up. "No!" His voice was sharp, urgent. "No, it wasn't like that."

"But you were still talking," Grace shot back. "Still telling her things that made her think she had a chance."

Jax ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated, but he didn't deny it.

Sienna smirked, her arms folding over her chest. "Come on, Grace," she said smoothly. "You had to know. Guys like Jax don't just move on that fast." She tilted her head, like she was examining something fragile. "You were just... convenient."

The words sliced through Grace like a blade.

Jax turned on Sienna instantly. "Enough," he growled, his voice dark, dangerous. "You came here to talk, so talk. But don't you dare twist things just to get in her head."

Sienna held up her hands, feigning innocence. "I'm just saying what you wouldn't."

Grace let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "This is unbelievable."

Jax turned back to her, his expression tight with desperation. "Grace, I swear to you, I never meant for it to be like this. I was done with her. But I handled it badly, I should've—"

"Should've what?" Grace cut him off. "Told me the truth? Not let me find out like this?"

Jax looked like he wanted to reach for her, but he didn't. Maybe because he knew she wouldn't let him.

Sienna watched the exchange like she was enjoying a front-row seat at a show.

Grace turned to her, anger finally breaking through the shock. "And you," she spat. "What exactly was your goal here? To break us up? To prove some kind of point?"

Sienna just smiled. "I didn't have to break anything," she said sweetly. "You two were already cracked."

Grace's stomach twisted.

She hated that she was right.

The air in the apartment felt suffocating now. She needed to get out.

Without another word, she turned on her heel and grabbed her bag.

"Grace, wait—" Jax reached for her, but she yanked away before he could touch her.

"No," she said sharply. "You wait, Jax. You wait and see if I ever come back."

And with that, she walked out.

Leaving Jax standing in the wreckage.

Jax's silence hit Grace harder than she expected. She could handle anger, frustration—hell, even insults. But this? The hesitation, the guilt in his eyes? It made her stomach twist.

"Say something," she muttered, hating the way her voice cracked.

Jax ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "Grace, it's not—"

"Not what I think?" She let out a hollow laugh. "Where have I heard that before?"

Sienna crossed her arms, looking pleased with herself. "You really should've told her, Jax." She tilted her head. "Or were you planning on keeping her in the dark forever?"

Jax shot her a sharp look. "Sienna, shut up."

Grace ignored him. She turned to Sienna, her nails digging into her palms. "You wanna talk so badly? Fine. When exactly did you and Jax break up?"

Sienna's smirk widened. "Break up? See, that's the interesting part. Jax and I never really had a clean break." She glanced at Jax, her voice dropping into something softer, more intimate. "Did we, baby?"

Grace's breath hitched, but she forced herself to stay calm. "And by 'not a clean break,' you mean...?"

Sienna shrugged, playing with the ends of her rain-damp hair. "Oh, just that we were still... involved. Even after he met you."

Grace's heart pounded. "Define 'involved'."

Jax stepped forward, his voice tight. "Enough, Sienna."

But Grace wasn't looking at him anymore. She was staring at Sienna, who took a slow step closer, lowering her voice like they were sharing some kind of twisted secret.

"You saw the texts, right?" she whispered. "The ones where I told him I missed touching him? That I missed us?" She let out a small, amused laugh. "He never told me to stop, you know."

A cold wave of nausea washed over Grace. She swallowed hard, shaking her head. "You texted him. That doesn't mean he—"

"Doesn't mean what?" Sienna cut in smoothly. "Doesn't mean he let it happen? Because he did. Maybe not in the way you're thinking, but trust me, Grace. If a guy wants nothing to do with his ex, he makes it clear. And Jax?" She smiled. "He never made it clear."

Jax clenched his jaw. "Sienna, I swear to God—"

But Grace had heard enough.

She turned to Jax, her hands shaking. "Tell me she's lying."

Jax's mouth opened, but nothing came out.

That silence? It was the final nail in the coffin.

Grace felt something in her chest tighten, crack—like a dam about to break. "Unbelievable," she muttered, stepping back.

Jax's eyes flashed with something desperate. "Grace, I swear, I never—"

"Save it," she snapped, her voice breaking. "I am so tired of trying to believe you."

The apartment felt too small, too suffocating. She needed air. She needed to get out.

Without another word, she turned and grabbed her coat.

Jax reached for her. "Grace—"

"Don't."

Her voice was cold, sharp—sharper than she'd ever spoken to him before. She ripped her arm away before he could touch her.

And then she was gone.

The door slammed behind her, and the sound echoed through the apartment.

Jax stood frozen, his hands clenched at his sides.

Sienna let out a soft sigh. "Well," she said, brushing a raindrop off her sleeve. "That went well."

Jax turned to her slowly, his expression dark.

"Get out."

Sienna arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he growled. "Get. Out."

Sienna scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, now you want me gone?" She shook her head. "You're so predictable."

But Jax didn't care anymore. He was already moving toward the door, already opening it, already waiting for her to leave.

She let out a dramatic sigh and stepped past him. But before she left, she turned to him one last time, her expression unreadable.

"You know, she was different from the others," she murmured. "She actually believed in you."

Jax's jaw tightened.

Sienna's lips curled into a sad little smile. "Too bad you ruined that."

And with that, she was gone.

Jax closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling slowly.

His chest felt heavy. His head was pounding.

He had to fix this.

Before it was too late.