𝐀/𝐍: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐎𝐧𝐞! 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝!!

𝐘/𝐍'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

The sound of laughter and clinking glasses echoed through Chris and Alba's cozy living room as we all settled in after dinner.

Chris had dimmed the lights slightly, creating a warm, intimate atmosphere as everyone found a spot to lounge.

Madelyn had easily integrated herself into the group, her laugh blending seamlessly with Dylan's loud jokes and Scott's animated stories.

I sat on one end of the couch, my arm resting on the back as I watched her across the room. Madelyn stood near the fireplace, holding a glass of wine, her body angled toward Alba as they exchanged stories about filming experiences.

My chest swelled with pride as I saw how natural she was in this setting, how effortlessly she fit in with everyone. Even Anna, who was always hyper-protective of me, seemed completely taken with her.

Scarlett, on the other hand, sat on the far side of the room, her posture stiff as she nursed her drink.

Florence and Lizzie flanked her, doing their best to keep her engaged, but I caught her eyes flicking toward Madelyn more than once, a tension in her jaw that hadn't relaxed all evening.

"Chris, we're playing a game or something, right?" Dylan's voice cut through the room, drawing everyone's attention.

Chris groaned, setting down his drink. "You're such a child."

"Come on, it's a bonding activity!" Dylan argued, grinning.

Madelyn made her way over to me, her cheeks flushed from the wine and laughter. "What game are we playing?" she asked, sitting down beside me.

I shrugged. "Knowing Dylan, it'll be something chaotic."

Madelyn perched on the arm of my chair, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder. Every now and then, her fingers would graze the nape of my neck, a subtle touch that made my pulse quicken.

Across the room, Scarlett sat on the couch between Florence and Lizzie, her posture stiff and her gaze flickering toward us more than once. She sipped her wine, the stem of the glass twisting between her fingers.

Madelyn leaned down slightly, her lips brushing against my ear. "I think Alba's cheesecake might be better than yours," she teased, her voice low enough that only I could hear.

I raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Careful, Cline. Words like that might get you banned from my kitchen."

She laughed softly, her breath warm against my skin. "I'll take my chances."

Her laughter drew a few eyes, including Scarlett's. I could feel the weight of her stare, though I refused to look her way.

Dylan, as always, was the life of the party, cracking jokes with Scott while Anna chimed in with sarcastic quips. Madelyn fit right in, her easy charm winning everyone over. Even Chris, who'd set us up, looked pleased.

At one point, Dylan suggested a game of charades, which devolved into chaos as Scott and Florence tried—and failed—to act out a scene from Titanic.

"Is he drowning or dancing?" Madelyn asked, giggling as Scott flailed his arms.

"I'm drowning while dancing!" Scott retorted, earning groans and laughs from the group.

Madelyn shifted, sliding into my lap as the game continued. Her fingers traced idle patterns on my arm, and I leaned in close, whispering, "Having fun?"

"More than I expected," she admitted, her smile softening as she glanced at me. "Your family's great."

Before the conversation could continue, Madelyn shifted, catching me off guard as she climbed onto my lap, her arms casually looping around my neck. My hands instinctively rested on her waist, and she leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling with playfulness.

"Is this okay?" she whispered, her lips brushing against my ear.

I nodded, a smile tugging at my lips. "More than okay."

"Good," she murmured, leaning back slightly. Her fingers played with the hem of my sweater, her touch light and teasing.

"I'm genuinely having a great time," she replied, her gaze warm.

"You mean you're not terrified of Dylan?" I teased, earning a laugh.

Madelyn leaned in closer, her lips grazing the shell of my ear. "The only one I'm scared of is you."

I raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh? Why's that?"

"Because you keep looking at me like that," she said, her voice soft but full of mischief.

"Like what?" I asked, pressing a quick kiss to her neck.

"Like you're about to make me forget we're surrounded by people," she whispered, her cheeks flushing.

"Maybe I am," I teased, kissing her again, just below her jawline this time.

She giggled softly, swatting at my shoulder, but didn't move away. I sneakily slid my hand to her inner thigh as she pulled my hand back, her eyes widened as her cheeks turned pink before she started giggling, slightly embarrassed but, I knew she also liked it.

"Babe, stop, save that for when we get home, I'd like to not be turned on around your family," she whispered as I laughed and nodded, moving my hands back to her waist.

The sound of her laughter must have been contagious because Dylan grinned. "Look at you two, the poster children for lovebirds everywhere."

"Shut up, Dylan," I said, though my tone was light.

Madelyn buried her face against my neck, her laughter muffled. "You're terrible."

"I'm perfect," I corrected, smiling as I held her tighter.

"Hmm, debatable," she replied, her tone playful.

The room was alive with chatter and jokes, everyone seemingly enjoying the ease of the evening—except for Scarlett. I caught her staring, her expression unreadable but her tension palpable.

Scarlett's voice cut through the laughter. "It must be nice," she said, her tone sharp enough to slice through the air.

The room quieted slightly as heads turned her way. Madelyn straightened, her brows furrowing. "What must be nice?"

Scarlett tilted her head, her smile saccharine. "Sliding into a group like this so easily. I mean, you're used to the attention, right? Millions of followers, the spotlight... It must make things easier."

Madelyn blinked, her surprise evident, but she recovered quickly. "I think it's more about being around good people," she said calmly. "That's what makes it easy."

Scarlett hummed, swirling her wine. "Good people. Right."

I felt my jaw tighten, my hand reflexively resting on Madelyn's waist. "What are you getting at, Scarlett?"

"Nothing," she said with an innocent shrug. "Just making an observation."

But she wasn't done. She leaned forward slightly, her gaze settling on Madelyn.

"It's impressive, really. How quickly you've... settled into things with Y/n. She has a type, you know. Women who make it easy for her to jump from one thing to the next, actresses..."

The room went silent. Florence and Lizzie exchanged uneasy glances, while Alba frowned, clearly unsure of how to intervene.

Madelyn's lips parted, but no words came out. I could see the hurt flicker across her face, quickly masked by a neutral expression.

"That's enough," I said, my voice low but firm. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Scarlett arched an eyebrow, her smile icy. "Don't I? It's not like this is new for you, Y/n. You move on so quickly, it's almost impressive."

"That's rich, coming from you," I shot back, my frustration bubbling over.

"Y/n," Chris said sharply, standing. "Drop it."

"No," I snapped, standing as well as Madelyn got off of my lap. "I'm not just going to sit here and let her talk to us like this."

Madelyn's hand found mine, her grip gentle but grounding. "Y/n," she murmured. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," I said, glaring at Scarlett. "If you have something to say, just say it."

Scarlett set her glass down, her gaze hard and unyielding. "Fine. I think it's ridiculous. You're playing house with someone you barely know, pretending like it's real."

The words hit harder than I expected, but I refused to let it show. "And what about you?" I challenged. "What are you pretending?"

Before she could respond, Florence stood, placing a hand on Scarlett's arm. "That's enough, Scar."

The tension was thick, the air heavy with unspoken words.

"Okay, how about you go get some air," Chris directed, I knew it wasn't a suggestion as he pointed to the door. I felt like a kid getting scolded right now.

I watched as Florence and Lizzie took Scarlett to the backyard. Madelyn gave my hand a squeeze before I walked outside to the front yard.

I stood there, in the cool air for about 10 minutes when I was interrupted.

"Y/n," Scarlett's voice called out behind me.

I turned, finding her standing on the porch, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice sharp.

"I..." She hesitated, glancing away before meeting my gaze. "I just... Why her?"

The question caught me off guard. "What?"

"Why her?" she repeated, her voice rising slightly. "Of all people, why her?"

"Because she doesn't make me feel like I'm not enough," I said bluntly. "Because she knows what she wants and isn't afraid to say it. Unlike you."

Scarlett flinched, her jaw tightening. "You think this is easy for me? Watching you move on like I meant nothing?"

"For fucks sake Scar, cut the shit. You know I didn't treat you like you meant nothing but now, that I've got some fucking clarity and moved on from the situation, you're turning this on me? Do you not remember half the shit you said to me?"

Her demeanor shifted as she soaked in what I said. "Well, then yes it was a mistake," I knew she only said that to not face reality.

The words cut deeper than I expected, but I refused to let her see it. "You don't get to rewrite history just because you're scared, Scarlett."

"I'm not scared," she snapped, her voice cracking.

"Yes, you are," I said, my tone softening. "You're scared of what it means to feel something real. so you default to it's complicated or it was a mistake,"

Her shoulders slumped slightly, and for a moment, I thought she might admit something, anything. But instead, she shook her head. "You've already moved on. None of this matters,"

"It matters," I said, my voice breaking, "because I cared about you. And you couldn't even let yourself care about me back."

The silence stretched between us, heavy with words left unsaid.

"Just let me go, Scarlett," I said finally, turning away. "Figure your shit out, maybe without me in your life you can do just that." I said as I began to head back towards the door.

"And one more thing, don't ever disrespect Madelyn like that agin. She didn't deserve any of your nasty remarks, learn how to control your fucking feelings, you were good at concealing those before, so stop acting like you give two shits about me and let me be happy." I spoke again before returning inside.

Eyes were on me immediately and Florence and Lizzie bid me goodbye as they walked past me. I walked over to Madelyn who sat with Alba, Anna, and Scott.

"Babe, can we go please?" I asked softly, part of me was afraid to talk to Madelyn, I didn't know if she would be upset with me.

I knew after everything that happened, I needed to talk to her about what's truly going on because Scarlett just dragged her into it.

"Yeah we can," she spoke softly as she locked her eyes on me, concern written on her face. Madelyn and I hugged my brothers, thanked Chris and Alba and said goodbye to my friends before grabbing Madelyn's hand and heading to my car.

.  .  .

𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

The drive home was quiet, the hum of the car engine the only sound between Lizzie, Florence, and me. Florence was in the passenger seat, scrolling on her phone, while Lizzie drove, her knuckles white against the steering wheel.

The tension was thick, and I knew they were both waiting until we were off neutral ground to say something.

When we finally pulled up to my townhouse, I barely had time to open the door before Lizzie spoke.

"What the hell was that, Scar?" she demanded, her tone sharper than usual.

Florence, always the mediator, glanced at her and then back at me. "Let's get inside first," she said gently, though I could see the concern in her eyes.

I didn't say anything, just grabbed my bag and headed for the door. They followed close behind, the weight of the evening pressing down on all of us.

The second the door shut behind us, Lizzie turned on me, her hands on her hips. "Scarlett, seriously. What was that?"

I sighed, tossing my bag onto the couch and heading for the kitchen. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on," Lizzie said, following me. "You were rude to Madelyn all night. And Y/n—God, Scar, you were practically begging for a fight."

"She's right," Florence added, leaning against the counter. "You weren't just passive-aggressive. You were outright mean."

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, twisting the cap off with more force than necessary. "I was just being honest."

"No, you weren't," Lizzie shot back. "You were being petty. And you know it."

I slammed the bottle onto the counter, the water sloshing over the sides. "What do you want me to say, Lizzie? That I was jealous? That seeing them together makes me want to crawl out of my skin? Is that what you want to hear?"

Lizzie blinked, taken aback by my outburst. "I want you to admit that this isn't about Madelyn. This is about you."

"I don't even know what 'this' is," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "It's not like it matters. Y/n's moved on. She's happy. End of story."

Florence stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "If it's the end of the story, why do you care so much? Why did you make those comments tonight? And why, Scar, are you still holding onto this?"

I avoided her gaze, staring down at the bottle in my hand. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do," Lizzie said softly. "You just don't want to admit it."

I looked up at her, my chest tightening. "Admit what?"

"That you're in love with her," Lizzie said, her tone steady.

The words hit like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. I opened my mouth to deny it, but nothing came out.

Florence sighed, crossing her arms. "Scar, we're not trying to gang up on you. We're trying to help. But you need to be honest—with us, with yourself, and with Y/n."

"She doesn't want to hear it," I said, my voice cracking. "She's moved on. She's with Madelyn now, and I... I can't compete with that."

"It's not a competition," Lizzie said gently. "But if you keep acting like this, you're just going to push her further away."

I sank onto one of the barstools, my head in my hands. "I don't know what to do. Every time I see her, it's like... all of it comes rushing back. And then I see her with Madelyn, and it's like she's happier than she ever was with me. And it hurts."

Florence placed a hand on my shoulder. "Scar, it's okay to feel hurt. But taking it out on her—or on Madelyn—that's not going to fix anything. If anything, it's making it worse."

"I know," I whispered. "But I don't know how to stop."

Lizzie crouched down in front of me, her eyes soft. "Then start by apologizing. Not just to Madelyn, but to Y/n too. She deserves that much."

"And you deserve to move on, Scar," Florence added. "Whether that means letting her go or fighting for her, you need to decide. But this? This isn't fair to anyone—including you."

I nodded slowly, their words sinking in. I didn't know if I was ready to face Y/n again, but I knew one thing for sure: I couldn't keep going like this.

"I'll figure it out," I said quietly. "I promise."

Lizzie squeezed my hand, offering a small smile. "Good. Because you can't keep living in limbo. It's time to move forward, Scar—whatever that looks like."

Florence nodded, her expression kind but firm. "And if you need us, we're here. Always."

For the first time that night, I felt a sliver of hope. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

𝐘/𝐍'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

The ride back to my apartment was quiet, the tension from the night still lingering in the air. I kept glancing at Madelyn out of the corner of my eye, her expression unreadable as she stared out the window.

I hated that tonight had gone the way it did. She deserved better.

As we stepped into the apartment, Madelyn set her purse down on the kitchen counter and leaned against it, arms crossed. She didn't say anything, but her silence spoke volumes.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Madz, I'm so sorry."

She glanced at me, her lips pressed into a thin line. "You don't need to apologize for Scarlett. That's on her, not you."

"I know," I said, stepping closer to her. "But I need to apologize for everything tonight—my actions included. I should've handled it better. I let her get under my skin, and she dragged you into something you never should've been a part of. You didn't deserve that."

Madelyn's gaze softened slightly, but she didn't move from her spot. "It's not your fault Scarlett acted that way, Y/n. But... I need to know something."

"Anything," I said instantly, my chest tightening at the seriousness in her tone.

"Are you with me because you truly like me?" she asked quietly. "Or is this just a way to get back at Scarlett? Because if it is, I need to know now. I can't... I won't be part of something like that. I don't know what's going on between the two of you but—"

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I took a deep breath, closing the distance between us until I was standing right in front of her. "Madz, look at me."

She hesitated but eventually lifted her gaze to meet mine.

I gave her the spark notes version of the truth behind everything going on with Scarlett and I, as much as it hurt me to tell her. Her gaze stayed fixated on me.

"Regardless of that, I need you to know this: I'm with you because I want to be. Because I like you—a lot. Tonight didn't go how I wanted, but that has nothing to do with why I'm here with you. I'm falling for you, Madelyn. And it scares the hell out of me, but it's the truth. I promise you, there are no ulterior motives, I genuinely just— I really like you Madelyn, I do."

Her expression softened, her arms uncrossing slightly. "You're falling for me?"

I nodded, stepping even closer and gently taking her hands in mine. "Yeah, I am. And I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I never hurt you. I'll be honest with you, always. I don't want there to be any doubts between us."

She searched my eyes for a moment, as if trying to gauge the sincerity of my words. Finally, she exhaled, her shoulders relaxing.

"I just... I don't want to get caught in something messy, Y/n. I've had my fair share of that in the past, and I can't do it again."

"You won't," I said firmly, squeezing her hands. "I'm done with Scarlett. Whatever we had, it's over. I don't want her. I want you, Madelyn."

Her lips parted slightly, and I could see the faint glimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her head on my chest. "That's all I needed to hear," she whispered.

I held her tightly, one hand stroking her back while the other tangled gently in her hair. "I promise you, Madelyn, I'm all in. It's just us from here on out. No games, no doubts. Just us."

She nodded against my chest, her arms tightening around me. "Okay. Just... be honest with me, Y/n. That's all I ask because I'm falling for you too and I