10. Alex
10
ALEX
B ianca's already waiting when Liam and I walk into the office. The door clicks shut behind me, sealing us in this tension-filled space. She stands, wringing her hands slightly, and the air is heavy, almost suffocating.
Bianca turns to face us, eyes wide and uncertain. Before either of us can say a word, she blurts out, "Look, I know it was weird seeing me and James together, and you made it pretty clear that it bothers you."
I raise a brow at her, but before I can say anything, she keeps going.
"But, it was just a one-time thing," Bianca continues, her voice rising. "Like I said, I ran into James at a bar that night. We talked, caught up, and... it just happened."
Liam crosses his arms and scoffs, the tension between us palpable. He’s not buying it. Hell, I’m not sure I do either. But before he can say more, I step in. "Okay, let’s say we believe you. What exactly are you proposing here?"
Bianca hesitates for a moment, then takes a deep breath.
"I want to work on this project with you guys without all this... drama. If sleeping with James is an issue, then let's even the playing field." She swallows hard and continues. "If it makes things easier... I'm open to whatever makes this less complicated."
The room falls silent as her words hang in the air. Liam’s eyes narrow as he studies her, clearly not convinced yet.
"So, you're suggesting what exactly?" I ask, trying to get a clearer picture of what she’s hinting at.
She bites her lip and glances between us, her hesitation palpable. "I'm saying... if it bothers you so much that I slept with James and not you two, then maybe we should spend a night together too..."
Liam and I exchange a glance, both of us fucking speechless at Bianca's proposal. My thoughts zigzag from disbelief to anger. What the hell is she thinking?
My mouth opens, ready to unleash a tirade, but then something clicks. I start to recognize this for what it is. A chance. An opportunity for some raw, unfiltered hate sex. A way to get back at her and James in one go.
There's a shift in the air, a current of unresolved tension ready to explode. This could be the perfect storm, a way to settle old scores and maybe, just maybe, find out if there’s still something worth salvaging beneath all the layers of hurt and anger.
I look over at Liam. We both know this is uncharted territory, but hell, maybe it’s exactly what we need. The tension between us has been suffocating. If this could help us move past it, then maybe it’s worth considering.
"Fuck," I mutter under my breath, then look back at Bianca. "Alright, Bia. We’ll do it. But on one condition."
Her brows raise with surprise and relief. "What condition?"
"There are no feelings, whatsoever " I say firmly, not breaking eye contact. "This is just sex, purely transactional. Got it?"
Bianca nods slowly, taking in my words. "Got it."
"Good," I add, just to make sure she understands. "We keep it simple, no strings attached. We clear?"
She nods again, a bit more confidently this time. "Crystal."
Liam steps forward. "You sure about this?" he asks me, though his eyes are on her.
"Yeah," I say, keeping my gaze steady on Bianca. "I’m sure."
"Fine," Liam says with a shrug.
Bianca’s shoulders relax a fraction as she looks between us, her eyes softening. "Thank you," she says softly, a hint of vulnerability in her voice.
I roll my eyes and grin, shaking my head. "Don’t thank us yet," I reply, my tone firm.
The three of us stand there, the silence stretching between us. The tension has shifted and fuck if I'm not ready to cut through it.
"Alright," I say since neither Liam or Bia seems to be racing to talk. I lean against the edge of the conference table. "Meet us at Liam's apartment tonight. I'll text you the address."
Bianca nods, relief flickering in her eyes. "Okay, I'll be there."
Liam's silence is louder than any words. He’s staring at Bianca like he's trying to read her mind, dissect every single motive. She shifts on her feet under his gaze, but she doesn’t back down.
As she turns to leave, I can’t help but let my eyes trail down her back. The sway of her hips stirs something deep inside me. This whole situation is fucked up, sure, but I'm fucking excited about what’s coming tonight.
My hands grip the edge of the conference table, lost in the memories of Bianca’s body against mine. Her skin, warm and inviting, the way she used to laugh, the way she’d look at me like I was her whole world. It’s all flooding back in a rush, making my head spin. The last time we were together, we were invincible. Or so I thought.
“Alex,” Liam’s voice slices through my thoughts like a knife. “This is a bad idea.”
I blink, shaking off the memories. “What?”
“This,” he gestures between us and the door Bianca just walked out of. “Letting her back into our lives like this. It’s a bad fucking idea.”
“Look, man,” I say, straightening up and crossing my arms. “I get it. But maybe this is what we need to finally get some closure.”
Liam scoffs, running a hand through his hair. “Closure? You think fucking her again is going to give us closure?”
“Why not?” I shrug. “We’re not talking about love here, Liam. Just sex. No strings attached.”
Liam’s eyes narrow as he steps closer to me. “And you think that’s going to work? You think we can just go back to being casual after everything?”
“It’s worth a shot,” I say firmly.
He shakes his head, exasperation clear on his face. “You’re fucking insane.”
“Maybe,” I admit with a smirk. “But you’re in this too now.”
Liam lets out a frustrated sigh and turns away from me, staring out the window. The city sprawls out below us, oblivious to the chaos inside this room.
“I can’t believe we’re even considering this,” he mutters.
I walk over to Liam, with a wild kind of excitement and something darker. Almost giddy, I clap him on the back.
“Don’t think about it too deeply, Liam,” I say, trying to lighten the mood. “At the very least, it’ll be fun.”
Liam's jaw tightens as he stares out the window, his fingers drumming against the sill. “This isn’t a fucking game, Alex,” he says, his voice low and edged with frustration.
His brow is furrowed and I already know he’s brooding over this whole situation. But for me? I can’t help the thrill I get at the thought of hate sex with Bianca. Punishing her for that bullshit all those years ago, for stirring up old feelings.
I roll my eyes, trying to keep things light. “Come on, man. It's not like we’re diving back into a relationship with her. We’re just blowing off some steam, having a bit of fun.”
He swivels to confront me, his icy blue gaze piercing through my attempt at levity. "And you really believe that's going to fix anything, Alex?" His tone is filled with skepticism, each syllable landing like a blow.
“It’ll help,” I insist, leaning a bit closer to emphasize my point. “We’re all adults here. We can handle it.”
Liam sighs and runs a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every movement. “I just don’t want things to get messy.”
“They’re already messy,” I point out, keeping my tone steady. " We might as well make the best of it.”
He glares at me, clearly not happy with my logic but unable to refute it. “Fine,” he mutters, his voice heavy with reluctance.
“Look,” I say, trying to be the voice of reason, “if it doesn’t work out, we’ll deal with it then. But right now, this is our chance to clear the air and maybe find some common ground again.”
Liam snorts, his skepticism almost palpable. “Clear the air? More like stir up a shitstorm.”
I can't help but grin at him. “Sometimes you’ve gotta weather the storm to see the sunshine, right? Besides, we’ve faced worse and come out stronger.”
He shakes his head, though a small smile tugs at his lips. “You’re a fucking idiot.”
“Maybe,” I admit with a chuckle.
We both fall silent for a moment, lost in our own thoughts. It's obvious that Liam isn’t thrilled about this arrangement, but at least it seems like he’s going along with it—for now.
“Alright then,” I say, clapping him on the back again. “Let’s make tonight one to remember.”
He nods, though his expression remains grim.
As we leave the office together, my thoughts flicker back to Bianca and what tonight might bring. The anticipation buzzes under my skin like an electric current.
Tonight's going to be interesting, that's for sure.