I’d picked one of the two boys I’d grown up with. Waking up, I saw the comments scrolling across my vision, a strange, spectral feed only I could see. 【Guess the side piece is finally awake. The screen’s been black all night. So much for the male lead being pure, sigh.】 【It’s fine, you guys. The main character has high standards. She only wants a guy who can go for an hour, minimum. The male leads have to practice on the side piece to get their stamina up.】 【Both of them have been ‘practicing’ on her for ages. Damn, she’s eating well. Wish I could sub in!】 【Her name’s Lane? More like the fast lane.】 I processed that for a moment. Then I nudged the man sleeping beside me. “Hey. Are you bad in bed?” His eyes fluttered open. “You only lasted, like, twenty minutes last night.” 1 After the screen went black again, the words started flooding the feed. 【OMG, she’s good. Got him right back into bed with one sentence. Can I please get cast for a couple of episodes?!】 【Let her have her moment. She’s going to lose it when both male leads ditch her for the Siren. They’ll be falling all over themselves for the real main character.】 I kicked Caleb’s back lightly with my foot. “I’m wiped. Carry me to the shower.” He caught my ankle, his voice a low growl. “Lane. Did you get there?” In the bathroom, the sound of the shower eventually faded. Caleb walked out, a vaguely apologetic look on his face. “Hey, Lane, something came up. I can’t give you a ride today.” The feed laughed. 【’Something came up,’ LOL. He’s running off to worship at the altar of the Siren, obviously.】 【And the side piece thinks she’s irresistible. He’s just finishing his warmup before heading to the main event. In a bit, he’ll be holding the main character’s face, kissing her like she’s the only woman on earth.】 【Wait, hold up. Didn’t his hand just touch the side piece’s foot?】 【OMG DOES SHE HAVE ATHLETE’S FOOT?! AHHHHH!!!】 The feed was screaming. I paused, halfway through pulling on my dress, and offered him a placid smile. “Go ahead. I can get home on my own.” I didn’t get it. We were two adults scratching an itch. Why did the disembodied voices of the internet think I’d “lose it”? Standing alone in front of the hotel, a new model Porsche, the color of a stormy sky, purred to a stop in front of me. A refined, almost severe face looked out. “Why are you calling me at this hour?” I smiled at him. “Missed you, I guess.” The feed shrieked. 【HOLY SHIT, ISN’T THAT THE MAIN CHARACTER’S UNATTAINABLE CRUSH?! WHAT IS HE DOING HERE!!!】 What they didn’t know was that I didn’t have two childhood best friends. I had three. Besides the other two, there was the man now driving with quiet focus beside me. Every summer and winter break of my childhood was spent with him. The time we’d had together was no less than with the others. The feed was in a frenzy. 【The Siren’s one true obsession is Grant! Every time she gets near him, she’s completely captivated by his presence! Why does Grant even know Lane?!】 【I can’t. I just scrolled ahead in the spoilers—the Siren can see Grant’s stats and he’s a NINE. That number! A NINE! AHHHH!】 I studied him. His hands, with their long, elegant fingers, rested on the steering wheel. The top button of his dress shirt was fastened, giving him an air of impeccable, restrained class. He was staring straight ahead, yet the tips of his ears were slowly turning a deep red. Behind us, a chorus of impatient horns began to blare. He seemed not to hear them, turning his head to look at me. “What is it, Lane?” I asked him, “Are you… a nine?” He looked almost disappointed. He put the car in gear with a soft sigh of resignation. “Lane, I’m twenty-seven.” The air conditioning was blasting. I looked away, grasping for something to say. “You’re not at the office. Why button your shirt up all the way? It’s so formal.” The consequences of an all-nighter were catching up to me. I slept it off, waking up to find it was already three in the afternoon. My phone was blown up with messages from Rhys. 【Lane, you busy?】 【Silas just rolled out a new tasting menu. Everything’s flown in fresh. Want to go tonight? My treat.】 I didn’t reply. The feed was back. 【Stupid side piece. She has no idea she’s just a pawn in the main characters’ game. She actually thinks both guys are into her.】 【Too bad. The two male leads don’t even know they have the exact same idea: find a practice partner who’s safe and they know well, all to get ready for the main character.】 【Heehee, and when they find out they’ve both been ‘practicing’ with the side piece, that’s when they’ll finally team up to practice with the Siren!】 【OMG! Can we fast forward? I can’t wait!】 【Girl, your thirsty is showing!】 【Whatever! This is the part! The side piece goes to the restaurant and runs into the main characters. She’ll run off crying, and that’s when Rhys makes his move and they have their big ‘practice’ session!】 My fingers paused over the screen. My phone rang. Hearing Rhys’s gentle voice, I let out a soft breath. “Rhys, give me a minute.” “I just need to do my makeup, okay?” Have you ever felt the air in a room turn to ice? Rhys was peeling a prawn for me when they arrived. Caleb, with her. Caleb placed her handbag on the chair beside him, its metal clasp making a soft, expensive click. The next second, our eyes met. All four of us. The feed erupted in a dense wall of text. 【Oh damn, is the legendary pissing contest about to start?!】 【The Siren is here! The two male leads can’t even see the side piece. Stupid girl, still trying to compete with the main character for Caleb’s attention.】 【I just want to tell her to stop trying. The Siren’s allure is something no man can resist. God, this author writes such perfect wish-fulfillment. This setup is everything!】 My gaze landed on the ‘main character’s’ face. I was just curious. What made a species I’d only ever read about in novels different from a regular person? Stella’s skin was luminous. Under the soft restaurant lighting, it seemed to glow. The ends of her wavy hair cascaded over her pale shoulders, exuding an effortless sensuality. I had to hand it to her. A main character like this was, objectively, a masterpiece. Luckily, knowing I couldn’t compete on hardware, I had gone with a clean, no-makeup makeup look. Her eyes met mine, and in them was a faint flicker of hostility that only another woman would recognize. “Rhys, and this is—?” Before Rhys could answer, I widened my eyes innocently. “Oh, me? I’m basically the little sister he never had.” The feed exploded. 【HOLY MOTHER, WHAT IS SHE DOING?! I thought this was a showdown! What is this saccharine, fake-ass response? I’m gonna puke!】 【Seriously, does she actually think she’s pretty or something?!】 Beneath the scrolling text, I saw Stella’s expression freeze for a fraction of a second. Three beats later, she produced a gentle, warm smile. “Oh, a little sister. Rhys hardly ever mentions you…” She paused, her tone playful. “Keeping you a secret. We should punish you for that.” I didn’t take the bait. I turned to Caleb. “Caleb, honey, are you on a date with your new girlfriend?” At the two adjacent tables, every face, except for mine, was a mask of complex emotions. Caleb frowned. “Lane, you’re taking this too far.” Caleb’s response was strategically vague. He hadn’t confirmed his relationship with Stella, but he hadn’t confirmed mine, either. He was leaving all his options open. Even the feed was buzzing that, according to the plot, Rhys was supposed to use this opportunity to get me into bed, and then Caleb would come back later to smooth things over, explaining his words meant nothing. But here’s the thing. There is no childhood friend more considerate than me. As the waiter approached, I tapped the table. “Excuse me? Could you push our tables together?” I pointed at Rhys and smiled brightly. “He’s paying.” The table merger went off without a hitch. My two childhood friends immediately focused all their attention on Stella. When the abalone appetizer arrived, it was cut into two perfect halves. Both men offered their plates to her. Stella looked up, catching my eye. Every gesture was laced with charm. “Rhys and Caleb are so sweet. But I can’t possibly eat all of this. Little sister, you can have the extra one.” I tilted my head, looking at her. “The extra abalone? No, I’ll pass. Someone’s picking me up later to get something else to eat.” Caleb froze, his hand hovering in mid-air. “Lane, stop with the passive-aggressive act.” Rhys’s brow furrowed as well. “Lane, can you just drop it and eat your dinner?” 【Ooh, the two male leads defending their queen! So hot! They know they still need the side piece to practice on later, but when the Siren is around, everything else comes second!】 【*’Someone’s picking me up to get something else to eat’ ~*】 【Who is she kidding? Both of her guys are right here, and they won’t even give her a second glance for the Siren’s sake. She’s bluffing about being picked up. How is she gonna walk this back?】 【Get ready for the side piece’s most epic moment of public humiliation.】 I dabbed my lips with a napkin. I smiled sweetly back at Rhys. “I’m afraid I can’t. “The person picking me up? He’s here.”
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