The Fake Boyfriend Gambit - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

"No—let me go!"
I thrashed against him, my palm cracking across Jason's face.
But he didn't flinch. Didn't even get angry. Instead, his arms locked around me, crushing me tighter.
He was unraveling—holding me like a madman, whispering nonsense into my hair.
"Jess, stop lying to yourself. You want me."
His breath was hot against my ear.
"You're only with Lucas to punish me, aren't you? Because I used him to mess with your head."
A rough laugh escaped him, jagged and raw.
"You hated that I knew how you felt and played dumb. Well, I'm done pretending. I was wrong, Jess."
His grip tightened.
"Forget being your brother. Let's start over."
He'd lost it. Completely.
But—
"Jason, I don't love you."
"Bullshit!"
The words ripped out of him.
I'd spent months in that psych ward turning it all over in my head.
What were my feelings for Jason?
The jealousy when he flirted with other women. The way I'd sabotage his relationships. How I craved his attention like some pathetic addict.
But none of that was real.
It was his game.
He'd stoked my tantrums, dangled just enough affection to keep me hooked. Let me twist in the wind, never rejecting me, never claiming me.
A calculated mindfuck from day one.
Because Jason didn't just see me as his sister.
He just couldn't admit it.
Too twisted by guilt, too possessive to let go.
So he made me the villain.
Pathetic.
I shoved him back, my voice ice.
"Jason, wanting your adoptive sister? That's sick."
Finally, I threw his own words back at him.
For a heartbeat, he froze.
Then his eyes went black.
A sharp rip—fabric tearing. Cold air hit my bare shoulders as the monster in him woke up.
His hand closed around my throat, fingers digging in.
"Yeah, I love you." His voice was a dark promise. "And every second you spend with Lucas, I want to drag you back where you belong."
A cruel smile.
"You're never leaving me."