Hate Me, Love Me, Stepbrother

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Chapter Three

Asher

We got to the downtown hotel ten minutes early.

"I'm going downstairs to the vending machine for some water," Chloe said. She dropped her bag on the bed and gave me a soft, reassuring smile. "Wait right here. Everything is going to be fine, Asher. We're going to handle this."

I nodded, sitting on the edge of the mattress. My leg bounced up and down against the bedframe. I was terrified, but I wanted this over with. I wanted Jace out of my life so I could finally breathe.

Three minutes later, the door clicked open. Chloe walked in. She didn't have water. She was carrying three plastic bottles of Coke.

And walking in right behind her, taking up the entire doorframe, was Jace.

"Here," Chloe said cheerfully, breaking the dead silence. She handed me a Coke, then walked across the room and held one out to Jace.

My throat was completely dry from the nerves. I didn't think twice. I twisted the cap off, tipped my head back, and chugged half the bottle in three seconds.

Across the room, Jace held his bottle loosely in one hand. He didn't even open it. His dark eyes never left my face.

Ten minutes went by. Nobody spoke. I was about to ask Jace what the hell his problem was, but the words died in my throat.

Something was wrong.

The room tilted. I gripped the edge of the desk, my knuckles turning white. A strange, unnatural heat started in my stomach and quickly spread to my chest. It felt like I was burning up from the inside.

My breathing got shallow. My legs felt like they were made of lead. I tried to stand up straight, but I swayed.

"Chloe?" I mumbled, my tongue feeling thick. "Something's wrong with me. Did you... what was in that?"

Then, the silence broke.

Chloe laughed.

She set her Coke on the nightstand and casually walked across the room. I watched, paralyzed, as she stepped right up to Jace. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, pressing her body against his chest.

"Asher," Chloe sneered, looking over her shoulder at me. Her eyes were completely different now. The sweet girl from the library was gone. "You didn't actually think I liked you, did you?"

I couldn't speak. I just stared at them.

"Who would ever like a bookworm like you?" she continued, her voice dripping with disgust. "You're a loser. I only talked to you because of Jace. I just needed a way to get close to him."

The heat in my veins was getting worse. I was sweating, but I felt freezing cold.

"I know Jace doesn't like me yet," Chloe said, lowering her voice. She turned back to Jace, tracing a finger down his shirt collar. She looked obsessed. "He always tells me to get lost. So I had to come up with a better plan."

She turned her head to look at me again. Her smile was sick.

"Asher, you love me, right? You'd do anything for me. So just let Jace and me be together."

My brain was short-circuiting. What was she talking about?

"We can all stay together," she said smoothly. "The three of us. We can have sex right here. You can watch, or you can join. That way you still get to stay by my side, and I get Jace. Isn't that a great idea?"

She didn't even wait for me to answer. She went up on her toes, leaning in to press her mouth right against Jace's lips.

My stomach churned. A blind, white-hot anger hit me so hard I couldn't see straight.

And Jace. I looked at his face. He was just standing there.

He knew. He had to know.

This was just another one of his games. He took Emma from me at that party, and now he was taking Chloe, right in front of my face. He loved playing me. He loved treating me like an idiot just to see me break.

The drug was kicking in hard now. My skin was on fire. Down below, an embarrassing, agonizing heat was starting to build.

I panicked. I couldn't let them see me like this. I had to get out.

I turned and ran for the door.

My legs barely worked, but I threw myself forward.

"Asher."

A hand grabbed my wrist.

I was jerked backward, my sneakers slipping on the carpet. I stumbled and almost crashed to the floor, but that same hand caught my shoulder, holding me up.

I looked up, breathing hard.

Jace was standing right over me.

He reached out and shoved Chloe backward. She stumbled back against the wall, a shocked gasp escaping her mouth.

Jace didn't even look at her. He took a step toward me, trapping me against the door.

"Don't go," he said. His voice was low. "Look at me, Asher."

I tried to turn my head away, but I couldn't. His dark eyes locked onto mine.

"Did you really think I came to this hotel for her?" he asked. "No. I came here for you."

Across the room, Chloe's jaw dropped. The smug smile was completely wiped off her face.

"What did you say?" she stammered, her eyes wide with shock. "Jace, what are you talking about?"

Jace ignored her. It was like she didn't even exist in the room anymore. His gaze was fixed entirely on me, burning right through my skin.

He took another step closer. There was no space left between us.

His breath washed over my face. He smelled like mint and whiskey.

"You thought I went through all this trouble," Jace murmured, his voice rough, "just to steal another one of your girlfriends?"

The heat from the drug was tearing through my body, mixing with my fury. My chest heaved. I couldn't take this tension. I couldn't take him playing with my head anymore.

My control snapped.

I raised my hands and shoved him as hard as I could right in the chest.

"Then what the hell do you want?!" I screamed at him. My voice cracked. Hot tears of total frustration blurred my eyes. "Do you just love making a fool out of me?! Do you get off on watching me spin in circles while you play these sick games?!"

Jace lunged forward. He grabbed my shoulders and shoved me back against the door so hard it rattled in the frame.

He leaned in and pressed his forehead hard against mine. His breathing was heavy, ragged. When I looked into his eyes, they were red.

"Make a fool out of you?" he whispered. His voice was completely shattered. It sounded like he was in physical pain.

"Asher," he breathed, his lips inches from mine. "Everything I've done... was all for you."

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