Chapter 3 Strip

~SCARLETT.

The sound of running water pulled me from sleep. My head throbbed and my mouth was dry as sand. I groaned softly, blinking as the room came into focus.

But something wasn't right.

The bed beneath me was bigger and softer than the one in my suite. The walls were painted beige, unfamiliar. Panic gripped me tightly as I sat up too quickly, the sheets pooling around me. I scanned the room: an armchair in the corner, expensive furnitures, and the door to the bathroom where the water ran steadily.

This isn't my suite.

My gaze landed on the chair. Jake's shirt and the red lingerie I'd worn last night were neatly folded on it.

The memories hit like a wrecking ball. The bar. The alcohol. The stranger.

Pressing a shaking hand to my forehead, my face burned as everything came rushing back.

What did I do?

The sound of the shower brought me back. My eyes darted to the bathroom door, steam slipping through the crack beneath it.

He was still here.

I needed to leave before he came out. Before I had to face what I'd done.

Throwing the sheets off, I slid out of bed. I grabbed Jake's shirt and pulled it on. It still smelled faintly of him, a cruel reminder of the man I had betrayed.

I grabbed the lingerie, guilt twisting in my stomach, and moved quickly to the door. My hands shook as I turned the handle. I opened it just wide enough to slip through, biting my lip to keep my breathing quiet. I was almost out, the door halfway closed behind me, when-

"Scar?"

The voice froze me in place, making my heart plummet to my feet.

Slowly, I turned, my stomach dropping because Jake stood a few feet away, his steel-blue eyes were wide with shock and relief. His raven-black hair was mussed like he'd been running his fingers through it over and over.

"Where have you been?" He strode toward me. "I've been looking everywhere for you! You disappeared. What happened?"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. The last time I'd seen him...

Her.

Him and her. Together.

"Jake..." I whispered.

His eyes narrowed as he took me in. His focus moved over the shirt that hung loosely on my body, then to the lingerie clenched tightly in my hand, before sliding past me to the door I'd just stepped through. His expression shifted, first confusion, then realization, and finally, into something darker.

His jaw tightened, his lips pressing into a hard line.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he barked.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Jake-"

"Did you..." He took a step back like the distance might make it less true. "Did you cheat on me?"

I flinched, feeling the guilt cut deep.

The hurt in his eyes was quickly overtaken by fury. "Who is he?" He growled. "Who's the asshole in there?"

"It's not what you think, please, let me explain-"

"Explain?" he barked. "Scarlett, you're walking out of a stranger's room in my shirt, holding that. Don't insult me."

I reached for his arm, desperate, but he yanked it away.

"Jake-"

"Who is it?!"

He shoved past me before I could stop him. His shoulder slammed into mine, knocking me into the wall.

"No, Jake, please don't!"

But he was already throwing the door open.

"Who the fu-"

He stopped short.

I scrambled after him, my breath caught in my throat. Then, a low, calm, and dangerous voice spoke.

"Jake."

Jake took a step back, his body stiff, his face drained of color. "Liam?"

The man-Liam-stepped into view, a towel slung low around his hips, droplets of water still clinging to his tanned skin. His chocolate-brown curls were damp, his face set in a scowl. But his eyes were locked on me.

And they burned.

Jake stumbled back into the hall, his anger faltering as the realization settled in. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Get lost," Liam growled.

Jake ignored him, his hand snapping to my wrist as he grabbed me roughly. "We're leaving."

"Jake, let go-"

But he pulled me hard down the hallway. I glanced back to see that Liam hadn't moved, but his fists were clenched and his gaze followed me with something I couldn't decipher.

Jake dragged me through the resort corridors and into our suite, slamming the door shut behind us. I stumbled when he finally let go, my heart hammering in my chest as I tried to keep my balance.

"Explain. Now." he demanded. He was shaking, anger swirling in his gaze like a storm.

I was still catching my breath. My chest burned, my skin hot with shame.

But then I remembered.

I remembered her.

"You don't get to demand anything," I snapped, trembling. "I saw you, Jake. Last night. With her."

His brows furrowed in confusion. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He was trying to make sense of what I said, trying to piece it together.

"Who's 'her'?"

"Don't play dumb. I saw you in that suite with a woman, your hands and mouth were all over her."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he muttered, the disbelief evident in his eyes. "Do you really think I would-"

I nodded, interrupting him. "It was you, Jake. I called your phone when I went looking for you after you didn't return to the suite. It rang, inside the room. That's how I know it was you."

His expression didn't waver as he said, "Then show me. Show me the missed call, because I sure as hell didn't receive any calls from you."

I hesitated, the blood draining from my face as I suddenly remembered that I had dropped my phone last night.

"I-I dropped my phone," I whispered.

"You dropped your phone." His voice was empty. "Right."

"Jake, I swear-"

He laughed bitterly, but there was no humor in it. "So let me get this straight. You saw someone you think looked like me. And now you're accusing me?"

"I know what I saw."

"No, Scarlett." He stepped closer. "You know what you wanted to see. You were emotional. You jumped to the worst conclusion, then what? Ran straight into a stranger's bed for revenge?"

I stared at him, blinking back tears. "It wasn't like that."

"Oh really?" His voice broke. "Because it looks exactly like that."

Silence stretched between us. Then, in a softer, more fragile voice, he said, "I would never do that to you."

My throat tightened as the words hit me harder than I expected.

"And yet you did it to me," he added coldly. "You didn't even ask. You saw something unclear and decided I was guilty."

"Because I didn't know what else to believe!" I shouted. "You've been distant, secretive, acting like I'm some burden you're stuck with-"

"That's because I've been going through a lot of shit!" he shouted back. "Work's been hell, and I'm under a ton of pressure lately. I know I shouldn't have taken it out on you, but I'm struggling. And you... you couldn't trust me enough even after everything I've done for you?"

I faltered because everything felt fractured. Shaky.

"I don't even know who the fuck you are anymore," he said, staring at me like I was a stranger. "And maybe you don't either."

He didn't wait for a reply.

He walked out.

The door slammed behind him, and I stood there, shaking, wearing a shirt that didn't belong to me, in a room that didn't feel like mine.

And for the first time since I arrived at this cursed resort, I didn't know who the villain was.

Me. Him. Liam.

Or maybe all of us.

*****

After hours of trying to make sense of everything, with guilt eating at me profusely, I finally decided I needed to freshen up. My mind was a jumbled mess, and I knew that if I stayed in this suite any longer, I'd start losing control of my thoughts. Maybe once I cleared my head, Jake would have cooled down, and we could talk about everything calmly. Maybe we could fix this.

Stepping into the bathroom, I turned on the shower and let the hot water wash over me. The steam offered some relief for a moment, but the chaos in my mind never faded, with images of last night replaying relentlessly.

After stepping out of the shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My skin felt hot and my head was still spinning. Grabbing a yellow flared mini skirt and a white tank top from my bag, I dressed quickly.

Stepping into the hallway, I took a deep breath. Everything felt like too much and I wondered if this trip had been the right choice, was I running toward something or just away from everything else?

My thoughts spun as I walked down the corridor. Turning a corner, I spotted a couple walking hand-in-hand. The guy's gravelly voice carried over to me.

"You're so sexy, princess." He pulled her close so she faced him, his hand sliding possessively down her waist.

She laughed softly. "Stop, you're going to make me blush."

He slapped her ass. "Good. I love making you blush."

I halted, my breath seizing as I watched them. She gasped, then leaned into him, clearly unbothered. He pulled her into a deep, rough kiss. She moaned softly, her body melting against his.

The heat between them was electric, stirring an unfamiliar longing within me. I knew I should leave, but my feet stayed rooted.

He pulled back from the kiss. "You're all mine, you know that?"

She bit her lip, smiling, and they moved toward the end of the hall. Without a second thought, my feet followed them. What was I doing? Why was I following them?

They stopped in front of a door and slipped inside. The sign read, "Private Indoor Pool." I hesitated for a moment, but curiosity pulled me forward. I cracked the door open and peeked inside.

He was lounging in a chair, wearing only jeans, while she shyly stood before him. He slowly rose and walked toward her.

"Strip," he ordered.