The Other Woman in His Shadows - Chapter 5: Chapter 5
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Yven's jaw dropped as he whipped his head toward me. "Wait—what? Is that for real?"
I didn't flinch, answering coolly, "No. I don't have a boyfriend."
Jason's expression darkened, his eyes turning to ice.
The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Sensing the mood, Shairine swayed dramatically, pressing a delicate hand to her forehead. "Jason, I—I think I'm coming down with something. The cold's getting to me. Could you take me back?"
We were all still soaked from earlier, and the evening breeze cut straight to the bone.
Jason let out an exasperated sigh, flicking her forehead lightly. "You can't even swim—what were you thinking, going near the water? You're lucky you didn't drown."
Without another word, he scooped her up effortlessly.
As he passed me, he paused, shooting me a sharp look. "Stay put. We'll talk later."
Then he was gone, Shairine cradled in his arms like some damsel in distress.
Yven blinked after him, baffled. "Zoey, what the hell was that? Since when is Jason your boyfriend?"
I shivered, sneezing before shrugging. "He's delirious from the cold. Ignore him."
I didn't bother explaining further and started toward the lodge. All I wanted was a scalding shower and dry clothes.
One thing was certain—someone had pushed me into that stream. And it didn't take a genius to guess who.
But why?
Before I could dwell on it, a knock interrupted my thoughts. Jason.
This time, I didn't open the door wide. I blocked the entrance, arms crossed.
He glanced down the empty hallway before lowering his voice. "We need to talk. Let me in."
"No," I said flatly. "Say what you need to say right here. Unless you want people to start rumors about you sneaking into my room."
His jaw tightened, but he gave up on forcing his way in. Instead, he studied me, frustration creeping into his voice. "What's gotten into you today? Shairine's one thing, but you—you're just playing along?"
"Playing along?" I tilted my head. "I think it's sweet. She's clearly crazy about you."
His eyes narrowed, searching my face. "This isn't like you. What's going on?"
"Oh?" I arched a brow. "And what is 'like me'?"
A smirk tugged at his lips. "The Zoey I know would've been seething right now. You used to lose it if another girl so much as looked at me."
"Really?" I scoffed. "And did you ever listen?"
Of course not. To him, my jealousy was just another quirk—something to humor, not take seriously.
His smirk faltered for a split second before he schooled his expression. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, almost coaxing. "You're mad I didn't save you, aren't you?"
He didn't wait for an answer, plowing ahead like his logic was bulletproof. "Think about it. Yven was right there—he'd never let anything happen to you. But Shairine? If I hadn't jumped in, who knows what could've happened. You wouldn't want that on your conscience, right?"
Oh, please.
If I hadn't seen him dive in after her without a second thought, I might've almost believed him.
I didn't flinch, answering coolly, "No. I don't have a boyfriend."
Jason's expression darkened, his eyes turning to ice.
The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Sensing the mood, Shairine swayed dramatically, pressing a delicate hand to her forehead. "Jason, I—I think I'm coming down with something. The cold's getting to me. Could you take me back?"
We were all still soaked from earlier, and the evening breeze cut straight to the bone.
Jason let out an exasperated sigh, flicking her forehead lightly. "You can't even swim—what were you thinking, going near the water? You're lucky you didn't drown."
Without another word, he scooped her up effortlessly.
As he passed me, he paused, shooting me a sharp look. "Stay put. We'll talk later."
Then he was gone, Shairine cradled in his arms like some damsel in distress.
Yven blinked after him, baffled. "Zoey, what the hell was that? Since when is Jason your boyfriend?"
I shivered, sneezing before shrugging. "He's delirious from the cold. Ignore him."
I didn't bother explaining further and started toward the lodge. All I wanted was a scalding shower and dry clothes.
One thing was certain—someone had pushed me into that stream. And it didn't take a genius to guess who.
But why?
Before I could dwell on it, a knock interrupted my thoughts. Jason.
This time, I didn't open the door wide. I blocked the entrance, arms crossed.
He glanced down the empty hallway before lowering his voice. "We need to talk. Let me in."
"No," I said flatly. "Say what you need to say right here. Unless you want people to start rumors about you sneaking into my room."
His jaw tightened, but he gave up on forcing his way in. Instead, he studied me, frustration creeping into his voice. "What's gotten into you today? Shairine's one thing, but you—you're just playing along?"
"Playing along?" I tilted my head. "I think it's sweet. She's clearly crazy about you."
His eyes narrowed, searching my face. "This isn't like you. What's going on?"
"Oh?" I arched a brow. "And what is 'like me'?"
A smirk tugged at his lips. "The Zoey I know would've been seething right now. You used to lose it if another girl so much as looked at me."
"Really?" I scoffed. "And did you ever listen?"
Of course not. To him, my jealousy was just another quirk—something to humor, not take seriously.
His smirk faltered for a split second before he schooled his expression. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, almost coaxing. "You're mad I didn't save you, aren't you?"
He didn't wait for an answer, plowing ahead like his logic was bulletproof. "Think about it. Yven was right there—he'd never let anything happen to you. But Shairine? If I hadn't jumped in, who knows what could've happened. You wouldn't want that on your conscience, right?"
Oh, please.
If I hadn't seen him dive in after her without a second thought, I might've almost believed him.
End of The Other Woman in His Shadows Chapter 5. Continue reading Chapter 6 or return to The Other Woman in His Shadows book page.