Ryder
The second Ethan refused to come with me, I felt my control slipping. My patience, my restraint—it all burned away as the jealousy and frustration boiled over. I grabbed him by the arm, not caring about the stares from the students around us.
“Asher, make the call,” I said, my voice cold and detached.
I could feel the tension in the air thickening as Asher pulled out his phone, quickly summoning the backup we’d need. The plan wasn’t complicated: scare Ethan enough that he’d stay away from Ariana for good. It wasn’t about hurting him—at least, that’s what I told myself. But deep down, I knew it was about more than that. This was about proving something. To Ariana. To Ethan. To myself.
We dragged Ethan toward the basement, ignoring the looks from passing students. His protests were
