The faint hum of the bathroom’s exhaust fan filled the hallway, paired with the muffled sound of running water. I hesitated outside Devon's door, my fist hovering mid-air as I tried to summon the nerve to knock.

  I needed to tell him. I needed to tell him about Ethan—the truth about his role, his deal with the devs, and the way the code was supposed to end up with him instead of me. But every time I repyed the encounter with Ethan in my mind, heat crept up my neck, and my stomach churned with guilt.

  I shook my head. No distractions. Just tell him and get it over with.

  Knock. Knock.

  No answer.

  I pushed the door open slightly. Steam poured out, thick and warm, clouding the air. Devon’s room was moderately tidy for once—a half-made bed, a few stray clothes scattered on a chair, and his VR headset sitting on his desk, faint lights still glowing from the device.

  The sound of water cascading in the shower grew louder as I stepped inside.

  “Devon?” I called softly.

  No response.

  My eyes drifted toward the slightly ajar bathroom door, and without thinking, I stepped closer. Through the crack, I could see faint outlines—his silhouette blurred behind the foggy gss of the shower door. His toned form shifted as water streamed over him, droplets catching the dim light from above.

  And, of course, I looked down.

  Oh. Oh my god.

  Heat exploded across my face. My brain short-circuited, every rational thought evaporating with the steam around me. I spun around so fast I nearly tripped over a shoe by his door.

  “Whoa there, Ki. Didn’t expect company.”

  Devon’s amused voice cut through the steam like a knife, and I froze mid-step.

  I turned halfway, peeking over my shoulder. Devon had cracked open the gss door slightly, his damp hair sticking to his forehead, water droplets running down his sharp jawline and bare chest. A faint smirk curled at his lips as his bright blue eyes locked onto mine.

  “See something you like?” he teased, voice low and smooth.

  “I—uh—” My mouth opened and closed uselessly. Words? What were those again?

  His smirk deepened, and he raised an eyebrow. “You just gonna stand there turning into a tomato, or are you gonna come in? The water’s warm.”

  My brain short-circuited for the second time in under a minute. “W-What?! No! I was just—I need to tell you something important!”

  His smirk softened, his eyes glinting with something warmer, more sincere. “Kiera… come here.”

  I hesitated for only a moment before my feet started moving. The bathroom tiles were warm against my bare feet, the steam curling around me as I stepped inside. Devon pulled the shower door open wider, and before I could overthink it, I stepped under the spray of water with him; my bed clothes removed my body (by my hand or Devon's, I wasn't exactly sure).

  The water drenched me instantly, soaking my naked body. Devon was so close the space between us was almost nonexistent. His hands came up to rest gently on my waist, fingers curling slightly as he looked down at me.

  “Kiera…” His voice was soft, barely audible over the water. “Are you okay? I figured since our… threesome; you’d be used to seeing me… without much on.”

  I swallowed thickly, the weight of everything I wanted to tell him pressing against my chest. But how he looked at me, and his blue eyes searched mine with so much tenderness, unraveled every carefully constructed wall I’d built.

  “I… I just… it’s not that,” I started, but Devon leaned down, his forehead resting lightly against mine. His hands slid up my sides, fingers brushing over my wet skin. My breath hitched. He pulled me closer to his bare chest, where I could feel his chest against my stomach and his hard cock against my leg.

  I could feel my pussy lips throbbing. I wanted him again like that night we had.

  “Stop overthinking,” he whispered. “Just… be here with me right now.”

  And then he kissed me.

  His lips pressed firmly against mine, his arms wrapping around me, pulling me closer until there was no space between us. My hands slid up his chest, water pooling at my fingertips as I grabbed his shoulders. The kiss deepened, his mouth moving against mine with such urgency that it made my knees weak.

  Devon’s hand cupped my butt, his thumb brushing against my cheeks. When we finally broke apart, gasping for air, our foreheads stayed pressed together, water streaming down our faces.

  “Kiera, you mean the world to me…” he murmured, his voice rough around the edges. “I don’t care how complicated this all gets—I just… I need you to know that .”

  My chest tightened, and tears prickled at the edges of my eyes. I reached up, brushing damp hair away from his face as I whispered, “I love you too, Devon. I mean it. I… I really do.”

  He smiled—soft and genuine—and leaned in to press another kiss against my forehead. We stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other’s arms as the water cascaded around us.

  For that fleeting moment, the weight of the game, the code, and all the chaos faded into the background. There was only us—only this.

  Wrapped in one of Devon’s oversized towels, my hair damp and tangled, I sat cross-legged on his bed. Devon was sitting beside me, still shirtless, his wet hair sticking to his neck as he fiddled with a controller.

  “So,” he said after a long pause, gncing over at me. “What was it you wanted to tell me earlier?”

  The weight of Ethan crept back into my chest, making my stomach twist slightly. I took a deep breath, my fingers curling around the edge of the towel.

  “It’s about Ethan,” I started softly.

  Devon’s eyes darkened slightly, his easygoing expression fading into something more serious.

  I exhaled slowly. “He told me the truth about everything. The devs hired him, Devon. They hired him to infiltrate UNKNOWN. And… the code was supposed to go to him, not me.”

  Devon stared at me for a long moment, his jaw tightening. “And now he’s with us. Traveling with us. Watching us.”

  “He’s not our enemy,” I said quickly. “At least… He could have turned me in a dozen times by now. But he didn’t.”

  Devon leaned back against the headboard, running a hand through his damp hair. “This just got a whole lot messier.”

  “Yeah,” I said softly.

  We sat silently, the weight of everything hanging heavy between us. Eventually, Devon reached over, taking my hand in his and gently squeezing it.

  “And he just decided to tell you all of this?”

  I nodded, my heart swelled. Why couldn’t I tell him how I got that information about Ethan? I trusted Devon, and he would understand, so…

  “...Yeah, he just told me.”

  Devon nodded. “Alright. We’ll tell the others in-game tomorrow. Don’t worry; we’ll figure it out tomorrow.”

  The guilt in my stomach was like a sucking bck hole.