When she walked into Jaceâs living room, I was a goner. My heart stopped for a moment, then started again, the same as it did for her all those years ago. Yeah, we made a pact. We were young and dumb. I didnât understand back then that if we made the pact that someone else would end up getting the girl.
It wasnât until she came to me and told me she wanted meâHunter Westâto be her first kiss that I realized the huge mistake weâd made. But it was too late. She was leaving.
âThe fuck?â Roman yells, jolting me out of my memories and back to the party. His fist is balled in Emersonâs tee, who holds his hands out in surrender.
âFuck, I was just asking. Because of the pact you were talking about, it sounds like Milaâs fair game, and I can ask her out.â
âNo,â all three of us yell at the same time.
Emersonâs eyes widen right before Roman throws him back against the couch. A girl screams as he lands beside her. I look over and notice itâs the girl who was all over me earlier. She peers up at me with those fake lashes, and I shake my head. I donât want her anymore. Not after seeing Mila.
Mila was going to be the end of me. I still want her, after all this time. But now Iâm also pissed. I need to know who was first. It makes sense that she would have kissed Jace last when she rode her bike home. But my house is the same distance away from her place as Romanâs but in opposite directions. She wouldâve had to ride past her area of town before going to the other. She came to me around lunch time. Would that have even been enough time to get to Romanâs, then get home and kiss Jace, then leave?
âI was first,â Jace growls at us as Britney comes up beside him, placing her hand on his arm. He spins on her, and her eyes widen.
âWhat does it matter, baby? I will be your last.â
And that was the wrong thing to say, obviously. Jace loses it. He shrugs her off and screams at everyone to leave. The party is over. When she tries to grab him again, he yells, âLeave, now.â
Nothing shuts a party down faster than finding out the girl youâve loved your whole life lied to you about your first kiss.
The music stops, and the sounds of cars and people leaving echo around us. The three of us donât speak until things are quiet outside.
Jace turns to me, then faces Roman. His jaw ticks as he takes a deep breath. âThis is why we have the pact. Did you see whatâs happened already? She played us all. She left for four years without a word, and in just a few minutes with her back in our lives, she had us all at each otherâs throats.â
Roman grumbles in agreement, and as much as I want to tell them both to fuck the pact, I know itâs the truth. It was just as Jace had said when we were ten. She would pick one, breaking us apart. Look at tonight, all that over a kiss. One little kiss, and we were fighting. Imagine how it would be if she did pick one of us.
These guys have been my best friends for so long. Theyâre my brothers, and I would do anything for them. Even tamp down and hide the feelings I still have for Mila. I wonât let her come between us. I need them as much as they need me.
All three of us place our right hands over each otherâs and call out loudly like we had many times as kids.
âThe pact still stands.â