The music was too loud. One of those house parties where everyone was either drunk, high, or pretending to be both—shoulder to shoulder in a sweat-slick crowd, red solo cups clutched like lifelines. The floor sticky, air heavy, lights dimmed just enough to make mistakes feel weightless. You weren’t supposed to be here for him. That wasn’t how it worked between you and Rafe.

You two weren’t together. That was the rule. That was the rule. You hooked up, sure—burned up the sheets, clawed at each other’s skin like there was oxygen in it, like your next breath lived in the curve of his throat or the arch of your back. But there was no talking about feelings, no late-night texts that didn’t end in you up?, no whispered mine.

It was fine like that. It worked. Until tonight.

Rafe had already shown up with someone else on his arm. Some girl with pouty lips and too-long lashes, giggling at everything he said. And you? You let some tatted-up pretty boy slide an arm around your waist by the kitchen counter, let him murmur compliments in your ear, let his hands rest too low on your hips and didn’t bother moving them. Not until Rafe’s eyes caught yours across the room.

And fuck, was he looking.

There was something feral behind that gaze. Something crawling under his skin like heat, like rage, like—possession.

He didn’t even try to hide it. Just stalked forward through the crowd, drink abandoned, girl forgotten, expression dark and dangerous as he closed in. You turned, but it was too late. His fingers wrapped around your arm—not too hard, but just hard enough to make your breath catch—and he yanked you from that guy like you were already his to take.

“Really, {{user}}?” His voice was low, guttural. Stupidly calm in a way that always meant trouble. “You gonna let him touch you like that? In front of me?”

Your pulse stuttered, blood rushing like you’d been caught red-handed—even though this wasn’t cheating. This wasn’t betrayal. This wasn’t anything, right?

He dragged you into one of the guest bedrooms, door slamming behind him so hard the frame shook. You could still hear the party pounding outside, but in here it was muffled. Like the world had shrunk down to just the two of you.

“You forget how this works?” he asked, voice quieter now, but meaner. Rougher. His hand slid from your wrist to your jaw, forcing your chin up to meet his stare. “You wanna fuck around? Fine. But not in front of me. Not where I have to watch.”