This story deals with betrayal, cheating, and infidelity. If that's not what you like, then you'll probably want to read a different story.
This is also the last chapter in the story of Ian and Jess and poor Kyle. It's also by far the longest—the story as a whole is around 70000 words, and this chapter accounts for almost a third of that. It took a while—real life gets in the way of hobbies like this sometimes—but it was nonetheless a blast to write. As always, I want to thank the woman who pitched the idea to me and whose input played a major role in its writing.
I might want to return to these characters in the future, as a sequel or perhaps to detail one of the interludes in Ian and Jess's relationship that hasn't yet been explored. But for now, this is it. I hope you enjoy.
*****
Two Weeks to Go: Kyle
With one exception, everything was perfect.
Kyle had made the dinner reservations and double-checked them. He'd bought some new clothes and a gift for Jess—a gold locket, with a small sapphire set in it, and a picture of the two of them inside. The picture was from their first date, when they'd stopped at a photo booth, and it depicted the two of them laughing with each other.
Kyle was finally getting some regular sleep now that Ian had all but moved out of the room next door. He hadn't left entirely; Kyle could still hear him during the day and some nights. He made a point, these days, to avoid Ian whenever he could, the memory of his humiliating attempt to fight the bigger, stronger man still fresh even two months after the event in question. But word had it that Ian had gotten a place off campus, with a woman—much to everyone's surprise, since Ian was just about the least monogamous man on campus.
At the end of the day, Kyle didn't care much where Ian was, as long as it was somewhere else. Now that he was sleeping well, he'd managed to start pulling his grades up, and even losing a bit of weight—he had to admit he'd let himself go during the time Ian had lived next door. Finally, he thought, things were getting better.
The only disappointment was his relationship with Jess. Kyle's abortive fight with Ian led to a long, screaming fight with Jess, and while she'd warmed back up to him somewhat since then she still seemed distant. He'd call, only to get a flat, neutral text message back half an hour later. When they went out she made excuses to end the evening early. Their only physical contact was the occasional quick kiss or chaste hug—although she'd let him go down on her once, and while he did his best she didn't seem satisfied by his performance and she never suggested an encore.
But all that was going to change. Their third anniversary was only two weeks away, and he wanted things to go off without a hitch. He'd apologize for his past mistakes and he'd show her that he could change, and that would be what reignited the fading spark of their relationship. He was sure of it. Kyle knew he'd let himself go, but now that Ian was out of their life things couldn't hope but improve.
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Two Weeks to Go: Jess
With one exception, everything was perfect.
When Ian had suggested that she leave Kyle for him, her heart had started to race and she broke out in a cold sweat. There was no doubt that Ian was a better match for her. Physically, of course, they fit together perfectly, and the sex was beyond phenomenal. But while their relationship had started out as purely sexual it had grown into something more. She enjoyed spending time with Ian, laughing with him, talking to him. When she curled up next to him after a night of vigorous fucking, she felt safe and secure, something that had always been missing with Kyle.
Still, abandoning Kyle wasn't an easy decision. He'd always been there for her, never been anything less than supportive. He was clueless in bed—and, frankly, in general, since he hadn't managed to figure out that Jess was cheating on him—but the fact that he was a terrible lover didn't invalidate the time they'd spent together or make it any less special.
Of course, while she was debating what to do, she kept fucking Ian. He'd gotten an apartment off campus, and most nights she found herself there, even when she told herself she was going to stay in or spend time with Kyle to give him a fair chance. He still had his dorm room, but he'd moved all his stuff out of the room and now it just had the school-issued furniture left behind. Ian told her he got the new place for them, and it seemed like he meant it; she had space in the closets and dressers and bathroom, all waiting for her to move in. He didn't press her for a decision; Ian just let her know that he'd made room for her and would wait for her decision.
Two weeks before her anniversary with Kyle, she was out jogging and found herself running past Ian's apartment. While it wasn't her plan, she stopped and went up. As he always did, Ian greeted her happily and before five minutes had passed she'd stripped out of her running shorts and sports bra and dragged Ian to the floor, where she rode him until they both climaxed. It was when they'd finished, while she straddled him, rocking her hips gently and enjoying the afterglow, that she made up her mind.
Leaning forward, she kissed Ian lightly on the lips and said, quietly, "I want to move in with you." That made Ian break into a wide grin, and he rolled over, trapping her underneath him, returning the kiss with substantially more ardor, his hips pumping again as he got going on round two. Something about her announcement got Ian especially excited, and he pounded her hard, there on the floor, mere minutes after their first encounter of the day.
This decision left Jess with no choice but to break things off with Kyle, once and for all. Some part of her took a dark and vicious pleasure in abusing him, and in witnessing Ian doing the same. She felt guilty, sometimes, for the way she'd violated Kyle's trust—but mostly what she felt was resentment, toward Kyle, for letting her waste her time with someone who was nowhere near her equal. Ian, for all his bad-boy swagger, cared for her, and he managed to show it without needing the grand displays that Kyle thought were so romantic.
That thought inspired Jess to concoct an especially evil plan. Jess knew that the way Ian had casually, almost effortlessly, dominated Kyle made her wet. Once she broke up with Kyle that might go away—so she wanted to make the breakup hurt. And what better way to do that than to reveal all, on their next special day, their anniversary?
She could imagine watching Kyle's face fall when she told him the truth, perhaps during dessert, and the image gave her a thrill. Jess knew that it was wrong, but she didn't care, and what's more she knew Ian would love the idea. The sex that would follow would undoubtedly be epic, earth-shattering, and that would make it worthwhile.
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Two Weeks to Go: Ian
Everything was perfect.
