“Can you believe Ciara managed to take down Hanna like that?” one of them had said, clearly impressed.
“Serves her right, thinking she could have it all,” another chimed in.
Jacob’s stomach had twisted, the full weight of what he’d just heard settling over him like a cold wave. When he finally spotted Ciara at her locker, he felt a surge of anger so intense that he barely recognized himself. Taking a deep breath, he approached her, his voice hard as he called her name.
“Ciara.”
She turned, her face lighting up for a split second before faltering at the sight of his stony expression. She quickly masked her surprise with a bright, innocent smile. “Hey, Jacob! What’s up?”
But Jacob wasn’t interested in small talk. He crossed his arms, his jaw tight as he struggled to keep his voice steady. “I know what you did, Ciara. I heard everything.”
Her smile slipped, a flicker of guilt flashing across her face before she quickly replaced it with a look of confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t pretend,” he snapped, his voice louder than he intended. “I know you told Marco about Hanna and Finn. You twisted things just to make her look bad, didn’t you?”
Ciara’s mouth opened and closed as she searched for words, her face paling. She took a shaky breath, her eyes narrowing defensively. “Jacob, I was just being honest. I thought you deserved to know what your sister was doing behind Marco’s back. I did it for you.”
“For me?” Jacob’s voice was thick with disbelief and anger. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Hanna’s life has been a nightmare since the dance! You didn’t ‘help’ me, Ciara. You did this because you couldn’t stand to see her happy.”
Ciara’s face twisted with hurt, and she took a step back, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “That’s not fair, Jacob. I only told Marco the truth. If Hanna didn’t want people to know, maybe she should’ve thought twice before going behind Marco’s back.”
Jacob clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm. “This was never about honesty. You took something personal—something you saw when she was vulnerable—and used it to hurt her. You knew exactly what you were doing.”
Her lips pressed into a tight line as she glared at him, her expression growing cold. “So, I’m the villain now, just because I told the truth? Maybe your sister should take responsibility for her actions instead of blaming me.”
Jacob shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping him. “You don’t get it, do you? Hanna’s not perfect—she’s made mistakes. But at least she’s honest about who she is. You pretended to be her friend just to tear her down.”
Ciara’s eyes flashed with anger, her voice rising as she struggled to keep control. “You think I wanted this, Jacob? I did everything for you! I tried to change, to be better. But no matter what I did, it was always about Hanna. She’s all anyone cares about, including you.”
Jacob’s gaze hardened, his voice turning cold. “You’re wrong. This isn’t about Hanna—it’s about you. You can’t let go of your jealousy long enough to see that you’re destroying everything good around you.”
Ciara’s face crumpled, her defenses slipping as she let out a shaky breath. “Jacob, please… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for things to go this far. I just… I didn’t want to lose you.”
But Jacob’s expression didn’t soften. He took a step back, shaking his head slowly, the pain clear in his eyes. “You already lost me, Ciara. I can’t be with someone who would hurt my sister just to get even. I thought you’d changed, but I was wrong.”
Her face went white, and she took a step forward, reaching out a trembling hand. “Jacob, please—don’t do this. I made a mistake. I’ll make it right, I swear.”
He looked at her hand, hesitating for a brief moment before dropping his gaze. “It’s too late, Ciara. You didn’t just hurt Hanna. You hurt me, too. And I can’t keep pretending that doesn’t matter.”
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone in the hallway, her hand falling limply to her side. The reality of what she’d done settled over her, a crushing weight that she hadn’t anticipated. She’d pushed too far, lost the one person who’d believed in her, and now she was left with nothing but the echo of her own betrayal.