The Chateau was loud until it wasn’t. Everyone had crashed, quiet settling over the night like a heavy blanket. You couldn’t sleep, not with your mind racing—mostly about Enzo, about how JJ had been acting weird since you started hanging with him.
You slipped into the kitchen, wearing just an oversized tee, looking for a cold glass of water. The fridge light cast a soft glow when you opened it.
“Couldn’t sleep either?”
JJ’s voice came from behind you, deep and low.
You turned, rolling your eyes when you saw him leaning in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes locked on you like always. “Do you just lurk in the shadows waiting to be annoying?”
He smirked. “Only when Kooks sneak into my kitchen after midnight.”
“You’ve had a thing with Kiara, JJ. You can’t talk.”
His jaw tensed like you hit a nerve, but then he stepped forward, closer than before. “Yeah, and you’ve got Enzo now, right?” His tone was light, but his eyes weren’t.
You raised a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
JJ didn’t answer right away. His hand brushed your hip casually. “Just funny how you claim to hate me but let him touch you like you’re his.”
“I don’t let—”
He cut you off with a kiss—fast, rough, heated. You gasped against him, hands pressed to his chest, unsure if you were going to push him away or pull him closer. You didn’t have time to decide.
“JJ?” a voice said sharply.
You both snapped apart like fire met water.
Kiara stood in the doorway, frozen.
You didn’t know what to say.
JJ swiped his thumb slowly across his bottom lip, where a smudge of your lipstick had stained him. He glanced at the red on his skin, then at you, and muttered, “Of course.”