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Annie stood in the dimly lit bedroom, her breath unsteady, her pulse roaring in her ears. Her hands balled into fists at her sides, nails biting into her palms, but she barely felt it. Her voice was strained, barely holding itself together as she whispered, "Just say it. Say what you did."
Caroline sighed, long and slow, as if she had been waiting for this moment and was already bored of it. She leaned back against the desk, crossing her arms, her expression unreadable but her lips still curved with that ever-present smirk. "You really want to hear it? Fine. Lucien and I made a game out of you. A little bet, nothing personal. We just wanted to see which one of us you’d fall for first."
Annie’s breath hitched, her stomach twisting, but she refused to look away. "You’re lying."
Caroline raised a brow, tilting her head slightly. "Oh, sweetheart, you know I never lie. I just tell the truth people don’t want to hear."
Annie blinked rapidly, a sharp laugh bubbling up from her throat, but it sounded more like a sob. "You played with me," she murmured, her voice breaking. "Both of you—you took my feelings, my trust, and turned them into some kind of sick entertainment?"
Caroline shrugged, her gaze sweeping lazily over Annie’s face, taking in every flicker of emotion with satisfaction. "You’re overthinking it. It wasn’t that deep."
Annie let out a sharp, breathless laugh, her shoulders shaking. She stared at Caroline like she was seeing her for the first time. "Not that deep?" she repeated, voice laced with disbelief. Her throat tightened as she took a shaky step closer. "You want to know what’s deep? The way I felt when I saw you smile at me like I meant something. The way my heart fucking stopped when you touched me. The way I thought—for one second—that maybe I was special to you. Maybe I was different." Her voice cracked on the last word, and she clenched her jaw. "But I never was, was I?"
Caroline held her gaze, silent for a beat before letting out a soft, indulgent chuckle. "God, you’re adorable when you’re heartbroken."
Annie’s breathing grew uneven, her hands shaking as she wiped furiously at the tears streaking her face. She let out another humorless laugh, low and bitter. "You know what?" she whispered, stepping in even closer, so close that she could feel the warmth of Caroline’s breath. "I love you."
For the first time, Caroline’s smirk wavered, just slightly.
Annie’s voice was quiet but firm, her eyes locked onto Caroline’s. "I love you, and it pisses me off. I didn’t ask for this—I didn’t want you in my head, didn’t want you to be the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing before I sleep." Her breath came out unsteady as she cupped Caroline’s cheek, fingers pressing in just enough to keep her still. "It’s fucking annoying how much I care. No matter what you do, no matter how much I try to walk away, I still want you."
Her thumb grazed over Caroline’s smirk, frustration and longing tangled in her touch. "You’re a bad habit I can’t shake. And the worst part? I don’t even want to."
And then she kissed her.
Their lips crashed together, parting just enough for tongues to meet, sliding, curling, tasting. Annie’s fingers threaded into Caroline’s hair, tugging, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. Caroline’s hands roamed, gripping Annie’s waist, pulling her in until there was no space left between them. Tongues flicked, teased, exploring each other with heated urgency. Annie’s teeth grazed Caroline’s lower lip before sucking it between her own, her breath shuddering as Caroline responded, her hands slipping lower, fingertips pressing into Annie’s back.
Annie was the one to pull back first, breathless, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her lips were swollen, her body trembling, her mind a storm of contradictions. She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper but razor-sharp with betrayal. "I fucking hate you. And not in the ‘I’ll get over it’ way—I mean in the ‘I wish I never met you, wish I could rip you out of my memories, wish I could feel nothing when I look at you’ way." Her breath hitched, a fresh wave of anger twisting inside her. "You are the worst thing that has ever happened to me, and I swear to God, I will hate you for the rest of my life."
Caroline let out a soft, breathless laugh, eyes half-lidded, watching Annie like she had never been more entertained in her life.
Annie’s jaw tightened, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. "This? This is never leaving me. I won’t move on, I won’t forget, and I sure as hell won’t forgive you. You’ll be in my head forever, but not in the way you want."
Then she kissed her again, just as fiercely, one last taste of everything she wanted to destroy before she tore herself away completely.
She turned on her heel, storming toward the door, her fingers tightening around the handle.
"Hey, princess."
Annie froze. Her grip on the door tightened, her breath catching, but she didn’t turn around.
Caroline’s voice was smooth, dripping with satisfaction. "I love you too."
Annie’s shoulders tensed, her entire body taut with emotion as she turned her head just slightly, enough to glance at Caroline over her shoulder.
Caroline’s smirk returned, slow and knowing, her eyes gleaming with confidence. She tilted her head slightly, gaze locked onto Annie’s, amusement flickering beneath the surface as if she had already decided how this would end.
"Let’s not drag this out," she murmured, the corner of her mouth curving. "Dinner tomorrow? Try not to miss me too much till then."
Annie's breath hitched, her fingers tightening at her sides. For a fleeting second, she stayed—frozen, torn, consumed by everything Caroline was. Then, with a sharp inhale, she turned on her heel and walked out, refusing to look back, even as Caroline’s words lingered in the air like a promise she couldn’t shake.
Caroline’s smirk lingered, her gaze following Annie as she walked away. She wasn’t worried. Not even a little. Annie could run, could hate her, could swear this was the end—but Caroline knew better. She always did. The anger would fade, the pull would return, and until then, she wouldn’t stop. Wouldn’t stop pulling Annie back in, twisting the game in her favor, making sure that when Annie fell again, it would be for her—and only her.