Kiara
My eyes sweep Trey's bedroom, looking for a way out of this. Yes, it hurts that she didn't want to tell me she was here, but popping out of Trey's bedroom knowing that he was just fucking me is going to cause more damage. I do want to tell her, just not like this.
Although this place is huge, there's nowhere to hide, and the only exits are in the hallway. There's a huge chance I'll run into them on the way out. Plus, Trey brought me here so I'll have to wait for an Uber.

My heart races, as if threatening to burst from my chest at any moment. I shift my gaze toward the backdoor leading to the balcony, dismissing the absurd idea that had crossed my mind. The height difference between here and the ground is at least ten stories—there's absolutely no way I will try to escape this way!
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" I exclaim, running my fingers through my hair as I pace back and forth in the living room.
This can't be happening! Act calm, Kiara. Okay, you can do this. Deep breaths.
Like Trey said, we'll do this together. She just won't hate him as much as she'll hate me. Although I've been texting with Madison from "Rhythm and Boots", our connection will never match the closeness I shared with Candy—or, at least, what we used to have. I'm not sure what's going on with her, she's never shut me out like this. I never expected she'd favor the brother who was absent for three years, although for a good reason, over our longstanding bond.
A surge of dread envelops me as I hear their muffled voices in the hallway, and I compel myself to sit down on the couch and confront my fate. This is inevitable, regardless of whether I'm ready for it or not. There's a part of me that should be somewhat grateful; the guilt has been eating away at me for months, and I would have felt worse hiding it from her any longer.
Trey swings the door open, lugging in Candy's large suitcase into the room. His body is rigid, his eyes, usually warm, hold a steel gaze that guards the storm of emotions I'm sure we both are feeling. Candy trails behind him, her face adorned with an air of satisfaction. With her auburn hair pulled neatly into a bun, she exudes a casual comfort that sharply contrasts with the palpable tension in the room.

Initially oblivious to my presence, her face twists into a mask of confusion when she finally spots me. "Kiara," she exclaims sharply, "what the hell are you doing here?"
Trey quickly sets the suitcase aside and steps between us, a human barricade attempting to build a dam amidst the raging sea between us. Her eyes dart between Trey and me, confusion morphing into an expression of pure rage.
Fuck, here it comes.
"What's going on?" she demands, her gaze fixed solely on me. The fiery intensity in her green eyes singes me, and I instinctively flinch back.

"Candy-"
"I'm not talking to you," she snaps at Trey, a sharp edge to her tone. Her eyes narrow as she directs her attention back to me, demanding answers. "I want to hear it from you. How long have you been fucking my brother, Kiara?"
I swallow hard, preparing to unveil the truth I've kept buried for what feels like an eternity. My lip bears the brunt of my nerves as I gnaw on it viciously, summoning every ounce of courage to speak. "You remember after I broke up with Jordan and I told you I had a one-night stand?" My voice wavers slightly, and I glance at Trey, who stands like a silent sentinel in the room. "Well, it was accidentally with Trey, and I didn't know how to tell you at the party-"
"So you just kept fucking him behind everyone's back?" Her words pierce the air like arrows, and I shift uncomfortably under the weight of her accusing gaze. "Or am I the only one who doesn't know?"
"We only really started a few weeks ago, but I didn't want it to get out until we told you," I answer quietly.
Her anger intensifies, and she takes a step forward. "I can't believe you. You're such a hoe! You were supposed to think of him as family, not keep spreading your fucking legs even after you knew it was wrong!" she shouts, her voice echoing through the room, carrying the bitterness of betrayal. "Jordan broke you that much that you just don't have any self love anymore? You're settling for my brother who sticks his dick in anything with a hole? What the fuck is wrong with you, Kiara?"
Hurt flashes in Trey's eyes, but he quickly conceals it. She's wrong about him, wrong about us, and I'll defend him the same way he defended me earlier when she was making excuses for why she didn't want to tell me she was here.
I shoot out of the chair, walking right past Trey to get right in front of her, my own anger coursing through me. "Don't talk about him like that, Trey is a good man!" I fire back at her. "You abandoned me when I needed you the most, and no, it didn't give me a right to be anything other than his friend, but he's been here for me and he let me stay with him when I didn't have anyone else. I tried to fight it. I really did! But I fell for him...hard...way harder than I imagined I could ever fall for anyone after what Jordan did to me."
My gaze locks onto hers, a silent plea for understanding, yet all that meets my eyes is her unbridled rage. Tears well up, my throat tight and burning, but I press on with my confession, "We both wanted to tell you, but you ignored everyone for two months while we were worried sick about you. So yeah, I apologize for you finding out this way, but I'm not sorry for trying to be happy after you left me high and dry to be with your girlfriend."
She coughs out a bitter laugh, her voice dripping with disdain. "You know what, you're no different than your sister," she spits out between clenched teeth, "A guy is nice to you, and the first thing you do is lie on your back and spread your legs for him. I guess that's all you're good for when your last bestseller was, what, two years ago? You needed money that bad, Sis?"
Typical Candice. When she's upset, she strikes with something that cuts deep, aiming for the wound that hurts the most.
I clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "Take it back," I demand, my voice shaking with a mix of anger and desperation.
"No," she retorts, her tone unyielding, a challenge in her eyes. The air thickens with tension as our confrontation escalates, each word a verbal duel in the battlefield of our shattered friendship.
Before I can think, my hand shoots out, grabbing her by the shoulders, my fingers gripping tightly. "I said take it back!" I insist, the words leaving my lips with a raw intensity.
Her eyes widen for a moment, registering the unexpected physical confrontation, but then narrow. "Go ahead, Kiara, hit me. You've already fucked my brother and destroyed our friendship. See how much more you can hurt me," she challenges.
The seconds tick by before Trey intervenes, stepping between us with a stern expression, a wall of authority demanding order in the chaos. "Stop," he says in a calm yet firm voice.
Trey carefully guides me away from Candy, creating a safe distance until we're on the other side of the room, and envelops me in his arms. His lips press tenderly against my forehead, a silent reassurance that, in this storm, he's my anchor.
"Really, Trey?" Candy shrieks, her voice cutting through the room. "You're really going to choose a piece of ass over your own sister?" She throws a venomous glance in my direction. "You already know that's all she is to you, no matter how stupid and delusional she's being right now."
Trey's grip tightens protectively. "I'm not abandoning anyone! And no, she's not. You don't have to approve of us, but I love Kiara and we're going to be together. You're my sister and I love you too, but I refuse to choose between my sister and my girlfriend."
She falls silent, her chest heaving with uncontrollable anger, but Trey continues, "You better get used to seeing her around while you're here. I won't be disrespectful with my affection, but she's mine and I'm not losing her," he declares with unwavering conviction.
Wow.
My heart practically leaps out of my chest. His feelings for me are as real as they get. I think tonight I've fallen more in love with him, if that's even possible.
Despite Trey's bold proclamation and the undeniable intensity of his love, the aftermath is palpable. The room remains a battleground of shattered relationships and irreparable trust.
Candy still fumes, her gaze shifting between us. "I'll never trust either of you again," she declares, her voice a venomous whisper that lingers in the charged air. Her eyes lock with mine. "And we're not friends anymore, Ki. I want you out of my life and lose my fucking number," she sneers.
A dull ache grips my chest, the inevitable pain I foresaw now a tangible reality. There was no way she going to be okay with this, and she'll probably never forgive me. Four years of our friendship has just been washed down the drain and it hurts like a motherfucker.
Trey's frustration boils over. "You're really acting like a fucking child right now!” he shouts at his sister, a mixture of anger and disappointment in his tone.
I swiftly intervene, placing a hand on his arm to stop him. "It's okay, Trey," I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. "I just want to go home." He studies my face for a long moment before sighing in defeat. "Okay. I'll drive you home, Cupcake."
Candy avoids eye contact as we leave, and the ride to my apartment is tense and silent, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Once we arrive, he walks me inside, the weight of the evening heavy on our shoulders, and shuts the door behind us. "Aren't you going to go back?" I ask weakly, mentally drained from what just happened.
He shakes his head, shedding off his shirt and pants in the doorway. The act seems like a physical release of the evening's tension. "Until Candy calms the fuck down, I'll just stay here at night, but I promise we will not be hiding our relationship anymore. I'm sure by tomorrow, my entire family will know about us anyway." With a firm grip, he takes my hand, leading me to my room. As we enter, he plops down on the bed and gestures for me to follow.
I strip off everything but my undergarments and lay on his chest. He strokes my hair as I snuggle closer to him, listening to the calming rhythm of his heart. "Who knew two months ago I had a rule in place that women never stayed in my bed after sex, and now I can't sleep without you," he murmurs.
A sad hum escapes me, and Trey glances down at me, furrowing his brows. "Do you regret telling her?" he asks, concern etched across his face.
"No, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest, but it's been replaced with an even heavier one. I'm going to miss her," I admit softly.
A small, reassuring smile graces his face. "She'll come around. She just needs some time and maybe I don't know her as much as you do, but I can see clear as day something bad happened in New York, and I doubt she'll open up to anyone about it but you."
I know exactly what he's referring to, I saw it in her eyes when we were arguing. That's why she didn't want anyone to know she was back, especially me. I would be able to coax the truth out of her, while Trey might pester her about it and eventually let it go. Now, she can just pretend everything's okay.
"She hates me now," I say with a shuddering breath, her last words cutting through me like a sharp blade. My throat tightens, and I wrestle with the urge to cry. The happiness of openly being together with Trey is overshadowed by the painful cost of losing a best friend.
"She doesn't. She's just mad," he assures me, planting a kiss on my head.
As I lay in his arms, I can't help but replay the scene in my mind. Our friendship destroyed beyond repair, the accusations, the hurt and fury in Candy's eyes – it's all etched into my memory.
Tears cascade down my face like a broken faucet, the weight of guilt and mourning crushing my chest and making each breath a struggle. In the midst of it all, Trey's silent presence is both a comfort and a stark reminder of the choices made and the consequences faced. He wraps his arms tighter around me, continuing to stroke my hair and pepper kisses on my forehead. The room is swallowed by a heavy silence, broken only by the sound of my shattered sobs, the air saturated with the pungent scent of tears.
"I never thought it would end like this," I confess, my voice choked with tears. "We've been through so much together."
He gently tilts my chin up, sympathy and reassurance reflected in his gentle, hazel eyes. He wipes away my tears, although they continue to fall uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry, baby, but I promise you that no matter what happens, you're not alone," he murmurs, his voice a soothing balm to my wounded soul.
She may never forgive me; that's a cold, hard fact. But one thing I'm certain of: I don't regret falling for Trey Thompson.