Chapter 73

It was time to let Jace know exactly where I stood.

"Jace, what you're calling a 'small mistake' is something I just can't brush off. You know me well enough to understand that I don't tolerate any kind of betrayal," I said, stepping back to put some distance between us.

"My love doesn't need to be a whole soap opera, but my guy can't be out here sending mixed signals to another girl—not even a little. If I'm in, I'm all in," I added, glancing sideways to see how Jace was reacting.

As I did, I caught Hayden's gaze a few steps away. It seemed like he'd overheard at least part of our conversation.

Our eyes locked for a second before I refocused on Jace.

Jace's expression was a mix of impatience and annoyance, like he thought I was being totally unreasonable. "You should know by now that in today's world, no one stays faithful forever. You need to stop living in a fantasy."

He wasn't wrong—temptation was everywhere, and the days of slow, deliberate love, where you only had eyes for