The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of fairy lights strung above your bed. The world outside had melted away hours ago—no calls, no texts, no interruptions. Just you and Cameron, alone at last. His touch was familiar, grounding. His mouth knew all the right places to kiss, the exact way to draw soft gasps from your throat. Clothes were gone in a blur, replaced by heat and skin and a rhythm you’d grown addicted to.

“Missed you,” he’d whispered against your neck, voice low, warm.

You smiled, fingers threading into his hair as he kissed lower, slower. The bed rocked beneath you, quiet moans and the sound of skin meeting skin filling the room like a private song. His grip, his scent, the way he looked at you—it was all Cameron. It had to be.

Until it wasn’t.

A flicker of something—off—tugged at the back of your mind.

He said something, a nickname Cameron never used. You stiffened slightly, heart thudding harder, but you tried to shake it off. Maybe he was just being playful. But then he looked at you, and for the first time all night, really looked at you—and something was wrong.

His eyes were darker. A shade off. The smile? Just a little too smug. The touches, now that you were thinking about it, had been familiar but not quite right. Your stomach twisted.

“…Cameron?” you asked, voice trembling slightly.

He froze.

The look on his face—guilt, panic, realization—was immediate. And then, softly: “I… I didn’t think you’d notice.”

The world dropped out from beneath you.

Your heart slammed into your ribs as you jerked back, dragging the blanket up over your chest. “Malachi?”

He didn’t deny it.

You stared at him, horror crawling up your spine, shame and confusion crashing together in your chest. “Where’s Cameron?” you choked out.

Malachi swallowed. “He’s not home. I—I thought you knew…”

Everything blurred. The room was suddenly ice-cold, your breath caught in your throat. The man in your bed was not the one you’d invited in.

He reached for you, but you flinched.

“Don’t,” you whispered.

And for the first time, Malachi looked ashamed.