At that moment, Tanner notices Kyle's gaze shift over his shoulder, widening slightly. Tanner turns.
Jess stands in the doorway. His face is pale, drawn with exhaustion, but his expression is unreadable.
Tanner steps back, as if caught doing something wrong. The distance he suddenly puts between himself and Kyle stings.
For Kyle, it's a quiet blow. If they're in this together, if Tanner truly want the three of them to be together, then why does it feel like guilt?
"I... we were just trying to figure things out, what I found out." Tanner says, voice shaky, words clumsy.
Jess steps inside.
"It's true," Jess begins, his voice steady but quiet. "I never intended to give myself to Eryx because I recognized him from the start. He kept trying to get me to sleep with him, but I turned him down every time. I didn't suspect he had other plans when he asked me to go to the hospital after I kept complaining about my stomach.
