ALEX’s POV

I couldn’t shake the haze from yesterday’s conversation as I woke up, the sun slanting through the guest room curtains like accusatory fingers. 

My body still hummed from the sounds I had overheard—Even after confessing my feelings, Ryan and Jake were tangled together late at night, their voices carrying just enough to paint pictures I couldn’t erase. 

It had been building all week: those stolen looks at Jake’s broad frame, the way his swim trunks hugged him yesterday by the pool, outlining everything I craved. 

And Ryan—my step-brother, the one I had fantasized about since we were teens sharing a bathroom mirror, brushing teeth while I snuck glances...