Third-Person POV
“Yeah. With him. I walked in on them, and they weren’t just talking, Emily. They were kissing.”
Emily’s face paled. “Wait, what? She was with Finn?”
“I walked in on them,” Elordi muttered darkly, running a hand through his hair. “I should’ve known something was up when Finn kept pulling her away. But I didn’t expect that.”
Emily’s thoughts raced. Hanna kissing Finn? That didn’t make sense—everything Hanna had done was supposed to make Elordi notice her. She wanted Elordi. Why would she kiss Finn? She opened her mouth to ask, but from the corner of her eye, she saw Jacob moving across the room.
“Jacob!” Emily’s voice cracked as she realized where he was headed. Jacob had heard everything.
Jacob, who had been lingering near the drinks earlier, had overheard the whole exchange. His blood boiled at the thought of Finn, his best friend, messing around with his sister. He could hardly believe it. His vision tunneled as he pushed through the crowd, his sights locked on Finn, who was casually chatting with someone near the speakers, oblivious to the chaos brewing behind him.
Emily grabbed Elordi’s arm, her voice urgent. “Jacob heard you. He’s going after Finn.”
Elordi blinked, his jaw tensing. “Good,” he muttered under his breath, turning away. He didn’t care anymore. Hanna’s kiss with Finn was the final blow, and Elordi was done trying to figure it out.
But Emily wasn’t. “Elordi, wait,” she pleaded, tugging at his sleeve. “You don’t understand—this isn’t like Hanna. Something else is going on.”
He turned to face her, his expression cold. “I’m done, Emily. She made her choice.”
Inside, Jacob’s steps were heavy, each one charged with barely restrained fury. His eyes locked on Finn, and he shoved past a few people without so much as a glance.
“Hey!” Jacob barked as he closed the distance between them.
Finn turned, a confused smile still lingering on his face. “I’ve been looking for you, man—”
But Jacob’s fist flew before Finn could finish his sentence. The punch connected squarely with Finn’s jaw, sending him stumbling back into the table behind him. Drinks spilled everywhere as people nearby gasped in shock. Finn grabbed at his jaw, dazed, eyes wide with surprise.
“You bastard!” Jacob yelled, his voice thunderous, drawing everyone’s attention.
The room fell silent as the crowd parted, giving the two boys space, their faces tense with confusion and anticipation. Some had their phones out already, recording the scene. Finn wiped the blood from his lip, his eyes flashing with anger. “Jacob, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“You know exactly what’s wrong!” Jacob snapped, lunging at him again. “I told you not to mess with my sister!”
“Jacob, wait—” Finn barely dodged the next swing, throwing his hands up in defense. “It’s not what you think—”
“Save it,” Jacob growled, shoving him backward. “You think you can just get away with this?”
From across the room, Ciara’s eyes lit up at the sight of the chaos. With a wicked smile playing on her lips, she pulled out her phone and started recording. This was exactly the kind of drama she thrived on. As she filmed, her grin widened, capturing every second of the fight unfolding before her.
Emily, who had finally made her way back inside, tried to push through the crowd, her heart racing. She spotted Hanna near the staircase, her eyes wide with shock, watching her brother and Finn go at it.
Just as the tension hit its peak, and Finn braced himself for another hit, someone grabbed Hanna by the arm. It was Emily, pulling her back, away from the crowd.
“We need to talk,” Emily hissed, dragging Hanna toward the kitchen, where the noise of the party was muffled, but the intensity of the moment still burned between them.