The days after Ethan's kiss were a blur of confusion and guilt.
I couldn't look at Jason without feeling like a fraud. Every time he smiled at me, every time he touched me, I felt like I was betraying him. But the worst part was, I wasn't sure if I even cared anymore.
I kept telling myself that I was still in love with Jason, that I could fix this, that I could return to the life we had. But every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Ethan—his dark, smoldering gaze, the way he made me feel like I was the only person in the world.
I was torn.
And I hated it.
I hated that I couldn't just forget him. I hated that I couldn't pretend anymore.
One night, Jason took me out to dinner, trying to bring some normalcy back to our relationship. I tried to smile, tried to pretend like everything was fine, but it felt like I was drowning. I could barely focus on what he was saying, my mind constantly drifting back to Ethan. To the way Ethan's lips had tasted. To the way his touch had felt like fire on my skin.
But Jason wasn't stupid. He saw the distance between us. He saw the way my eyes flickered every time Ethan was in the room.
"I've been feeling like something's off with you lately," Jason said quietly, his eyes searching mine. "Is there something you want to talk about?"
I felt my throat tighten, panic rising in my chest. I could feel the truth bubbling up inside me, the truth I didn't want to face, the truth I didn't want to say out loud. But I couldn't lie anymore.
"I…" My voice cracked. "Jason, I don't know what's happening to me."
His face fell, a mix of confusion and hurt in his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I think… I think I've fallen for someone else," I whispered, barely able to meet his gaze.
The words hit him like a physical blow. He sat back in his chair, his face paling as the silence stretched between us. He didn't say anything at first, as if trying to process what I'd just said.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, tears threatening to spill over. "I never meant for this to happen."
Jason didn't say anything. He just stared at me, his expression a mixture of disbelief and pain.
And in that moment, I realized how much I had hurt him. How much I had destroyed the man I once loved.
But even as the guilt ate away at me, I knew one thing for sure: I couldn't go back. I couldn't unfeel what I felt for Ethan.