Jasper scrambled to push Rachel away. "Rachel, you''re drunk. I''m not Haynes, I''m Jasper."


    But Rachel clung to him, pressing desperate kisses against his cheek. "Haynes, how can you be so heartless? Are you really going to leave me? I didn''t mean for this to happen, I just love you too much... Please, don''t ignore me, I''m begging you."


    Sweat broke out on Jasper''s forehead as he tried to disentangle himself. "Rachel, please, I''m really not Haynes. Look at me just look! It''s Jasper."


    He liked Rachel-he couldn''t deny that. But there were lines you simply didn''t cross, and being with a friend''s wife was one of them, no matter how much he wanted tofort her. Even though Haynes himself had asked Jasper to look after Rachel, he had never intended to get this close. What if Haynes changed his mind one day? Then their friendship would be over for good.


    Jasper''s repeated rejections only made Rachel cry harder.


    She slid to the floor, her sobs wracking her body. Jasper tried tofort her, murmuring soft words, but nothing seemed to help. Seeing the woman he cared about in such pain twisted something inside him.


    He grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the table. "Rachel, I wish there was


    something I could do for you. All I can offer is to drink with you."


    He downed bottle after bottle, oblivious to the flicker of cold calction in Rachel''s eyes.


    Haynes, if you can''t be loyal to me, don''t me me for what happens next.


    The next morning.


    Jasper woke up with a splitting headache, rubbing his temples as he struggled to open his eyes. The room was unfamiliar. Where was he?


    Slowly, memories from the night before came rushing back-he''d been drinking with Rachel. Had he gotten that drunk?


    He turned his head and froze. Lying beside him was Rachel, fast asleep.


    This wasn''t the first time he''d drunk too much and ended up needing Rachel''s help getting home, but he''d never woken up in bed with her before.


    Maybe they''d both just had too much to drink and identally ended up here. Maybe nothing had happened.


    He clung to that hope-until he lifted the nket and realized he waspletely naked.


    Even the most na?ve person couldn''t convince themselves nothing had happened after that kind of night.


    Panic twisted his insides. He was about to slip out of bed and make a break for it when Rachel stirred awake.


    The second she saw him, she screamed.


    "Jasper! Why are you here? Last night...st night wasn''t Haynes?"


    She sat up, clutching the sheets to her chest, her bare shoulders marked with the undeniable evidence of their night together.


    Any hope Jasper had left crumbled to dust.


    “I..... I.....” He couldn''t meet her gaze. “I was drunk, Rachel. I''m so sorry..."


    Tears rolled down Rachel''s cheeks. "What am I supposed to do now? If Haynes


    finds out, he''ll never want me again."


    Jasper ran a hand through his


    mounting. “Look, if


    of us says anything, Hayn


    doesn''t have to know, right?


    Rachel''s voice was barely a whisper. "But I''m not good enough for him anymore."


    Seeing her on the verge of tears,


    Jasper''s guilt gnawed at him. He softened his tone. "Maybe... maybe you should be with me instead. Haynes asked me to look after you, after all..."


    Rachel wiped her eyes. "He hates me now. If we end up together, Haynes will never speak to you again."


    Jasper''s expression tightened with anxiety. "So what do we do?"


    He cared for Rachel, but the real


    reason he''d never dared make a


    move was because Haynes had


    always been there to bail him out of


    trouble He couldn''t stand the thought of losing that friendship over this.


    Rachel lowered her gaze, her longshes hiding the darkness in her eyes.