HIRAM’S POV:I know I should have handled things with Juniper better. The weekend stretched out painfully, with every attempt to focus thwarted by her silence. Not one call answered, not a single message replied. It shouldn’t bother me this much, but it does. And now I’m pissed. I cannot tell whether she’s doing this to get under my skin or not, but she’s succeeding.Today’s Monday, and I’ve got her class first thing. As I pull into campus, I force a deep breath, trying to push back the growing storm of irritation gnawing at me, but it’s useless. I’m angry. Angry that she won’t give me the courtesy of a response, and, damn it, I don’t care if that makes me an ass. Maybe she’s right. I want her to listen, to follow my lead, and it kills me she’s slipping out of my control.Parking, I stride to the building trying to push away the ill feeling. But when I walk in, my jaw clenches. There she is, laughing softly with her attention absorbed by that red-haired kid from last week. The irritat
JUNIPER’S POV:Anyone who knows the history between Hiram and me would call me a fool. Here I am, aching for comfort from the very man who once looked me straight in the eyes and told me he wouldn’t care about me if I slept with him. He said it, and then he made sure to act on his word. And yet, despite all of it, I find myself craving his touch, his warmth—as if he’s the only one who can fill this hollow ache inside me.We humans seek comfort from those who’ve wounded us, as if only they can quiet the pain they caused. But I still don’t understand it. When Cillian cheated on me, I didn’t want his comfort; I wanted his absence. If I could erase him from my life, I would. But Hiram… with Hiram, it’s different. The thought of his comfort feels right, even when everything else about him tells me it shouldn’t.I stand for a few seconds in front of Hiram, and he says or does nothing but look me in the eye.“Sit,” he finally speaks, pointing at a seat in front of his desk, and I hesitate fo
Some days, the world seems to work in my favor; other days, it feels like it hates me. But today, for once, I feel lucky. Nala’s birthday landed on the weekend I had my fall out with June, but she was out of town. Honestly, it’s a relief. I couldn’t imagine standing there with all those thoughts still running wild in my head. She moved her birthday party today, which is so convenient for me.When I step into the club, the bass-heavy beat floods my senses, and neon lights pulse overhead, throwing colors across the crowd. I head toward the VIP section, and as soon as I push open the door, Alex’s voice rings out.“Look who finally decided to show up!” she calls, grinning as she waves at me.I’m instantly noticed, and heads turn in my direction.“About time, Hiram!” Jackson shouts from the corner, lifting his glass high in greeting.“Didn’t think you’d make it,” Mira adds with a playful smirk, nudging Nala beside her.Nala’s smiling, but something’s off. Her gaze lingers on me as if she’s
JUNIPER’S POV:Today seems odd. I didn’t find Hiram’s car in school today, and now classes are over, I cannot spot him on the halls either. Students are not discussing him as usual. The hall is quiet.“Is there something wrong?” Rhea asks, breaking the brain-racking moment I am having with my brain, trying to figure out why Hiram isn’t in school.“No... Nothing,” I say to her, and she scoffs, grabbing my hands.“Come on, June, I know something is bothering you. Did he say something to annoy you?” she asks, and I look at her, shaking my head.“Good, or he will get what’s coming to him,” she says as we make our way out of the school building.I look around the faculty building to see that his car is not there.“I don’t think he came to school,” I say out loud, and Rhea shoots me a look, raising a brow.“So it is about him,” she says, and I let out a sigh.“Fine, I am worried about him, because he is not in school. It is unlike him, and he didn’t call either,” I say, and she leans in to
HIRAM’S POV:Getting wasted is one of the top-tier things I live for. When I say wasted, I mean getting so high that the hangover doesn’t completely wear off until the evening of the next day. That’s where I’m at the moment.When I get enough rest, I throw my eyes open to see that Alex is gone. Lazily, I stretch my arms, tapping around the bed until my hand lands on my phone. I pick it up and bring it to my face to check the time.It’s six in the evening. There are missed call notifications, so I hurry to check them, but my expression falls when I see that none of them are from Juniper.I let out a sigh and push my feet out of bed. What did I expect from someone I told I didn’t want commitment? As I head to the bathroom to take a bath, I wonder if she thought about me, because she is all I have on my mind. About an hour ago, I could swear she was in this house—her scent clouded my mind.Once I’m done with the bath, I throw on my sweatpants and a shirt, then make my way downstairs to h
HIRAM’S POV:As I stop the car in the parking lot, Juniper opens the door and strides off without a second glance. I exhale sharply, stepping out and following her. She pushes the front door open without knocking and brushes past Winston. She quickens her pace down the hall.“June!” I call, but she doesn’t stop.I speed up, reaching for her hand and pulling her back to me, my arms wrapping around her waist to keep her from slipping away. She struggles against my grip, her hands pounding on my chest as though that could make me let go.“You know that isn’t doing anything, right?” I ask, looking down at her tiny figure, still struggling relentlessly. She scoffs and averts her gaze, clenching her jaw. “It was never my intention for you to see the paintings, and—”“So I wouldn’t find out you’re a creep who paints every woman he has sex with?” she snaps in a sharp tone. Her words are so off the mark that a short laugh escapes my lips, which makes her scowl.“What’s so funny?” she demands,
JUNIPER’S POVHiram’s hands catch mine, pulling it away from his collar. “I do not think you know what you are asking for, June.” His gaze doesn’t shift from mine as he says this. Of course, I don’t. I have only read books like this, where the girl gets punished for defiling orders, and I want to know what it feels like. So he is right—I am only curious. “I know,” I say as I run my hands down his body. “You are angry, and you want to punish me for it.” I try to put the words in his head while I continue trailing my hands down his body as he gazes at me. Before my hand can reach his crotch, he grabs it, spinning me around at once, allowing my back to come in contact with his chest. “Do not start what you cannot finish, June,” he says, causing bumps to sprout up my skin. I swallow hard at his words, but something in me wants to push further. “And what if I want to?” I whisper, and he scoffs in my ear. Before I can say another word, he hoists me over his shoulder. The
JUNIPER’S POV: It’s been a while since Hiram asked me to be his girlfriend, and it has been a bed of roses. Maybe it is because he is my first functional boyfriend, but he makes me feel special in ways I can’t explain. The only downside is that we have to pretend in school, and we are always on the lookout for familiar faces in the city too. He says he has it worse with me because of my friends like Gunther, but he has no clue how I have to restrain myself from smacking females in the hallway when they make sexual comments about him. Today, I went to sleep in Hiram’s arms. I had come down with a terrible fever like I do almost every month, and he insisted I sleep in his house. Everything is going fine until I wake up in the middle of the night with an ear-splitting headache. “Hiram,” I call out, but he doesn’t respond. This causes me to flip my eyes open to meet the bed bare and the room in total darkness. I groan, grabbing my head, which feels as though there are a hundred drumme
Hiram’s POVI shift into my human form the moment Cillian’s lifeless body hits the ground. I am in pain from the bullets that hit me, but I push it aside as my body heals slowly.My heart lurches at the sight of Juniper clutching her belly with her face twisted in pain.“June!” I rush to her side, dropping to my knees. My hands hover over her, unsure of where to touch first. She’s trembling, her breaths shallow and uneven.Her wide, tear-filled eyes meet mine.“Hiram,” she gasps. “The baby... the baby’s coming. He made me take pills. Too many...” Panic grips me, but I shove it down.This isn’t the time to lose contr
JUNIPER’S POV:I’m crammed between two burly men in the backseat of the SUV. The air inside the car reeks of cigarettes and sweat, making it hard to breathe. My heart pounds in my chest as I struggle hard against the man who has his hand covering my mouth, but he doesn’t let up. I bite his palm, causing him to yelp in pain and pull away from me.“You little—!” He grabs my hand, twisting it behind me, and the other man glares at me.“You’re going to regret this. My husband—he’s going to find you. And when he does, you’ll be sorry.” I try to sound confident, but the four of them let out a heart-draining chuckle.The man holding me snorts, his beady eyes narrowing as he glares at me.
HIRAM’S POV:My driver pulls up to the convention center in Boulder City, parking near a tree stripped bare by winter. The air bites a little—just cold enough to remind me it’s December. The streets are quiet except for a couple of locals strolling past. “Hang around, or you can come in with me,” I say to him as I look at the building in front of us.Above the entrance, a banner hangs: BOULDER CITY ART FESTIVAL 2024.I step out of my car, making my way towards the entrance. The moment I step inside, the chill fades, replaced by the hum of life and creativity. The place is packed with people, which makes it warm. There are conversations in the air, and the bright colors catch my attention.There are paintings, sculptures, and displays explodi
JUNIPER’S POV:“Will you at least drop me off at school before you go to your art, whatever?” I ask Hiram as I put on my jacket, staring at myself in the mirror.“Sure,” he says, leaning in to kiss my cheek.“I am so glad we’re in winter, and I get to wear these large jackets. I can slowly feel the baby fat creeping in.” He grabs my hand, pulling me away from the mirror.“That’s enough for today.” He wraps his arms around my waist. “You look more beautiful than ever, and there is no baby fat,” he says, then plants a brief kiss on my lips.I adjust his tie, patting his shoulder briefly.“You look so
HIRAM’S POV:“I have an art exhibition I would love to attend on Monday.” Juniper puts down her phone and glances up at me as I say this. “It’s just in Boulder City.”Her brows crease, and she focuses on her phone without saying a thing.“You won’t make a comment?” I ask, and she glares at me.“Yeah, my husband is going to abandon me for an art exhibition while I go to school pregnant and in pain.” The sarcasm in her tone makes me chuckle slightly, then I walk up to her, sitting on the bed.“It is just one day, and I will be back in the evening or the next morning. It will be as though I didn’t leave. Plus, Rhea is here to take care of you, and&hell
HIRAM’S POV:After dinner, June and I settle in her room while Rhea stays in the guest room. I expect her to follow the usual routine of staying up almost the entire night, keeping me awake too, but before I can tell, she is sleeping peacefully in my arms.I remain like that, watching the rise and fall of her chest with a gentle snore accompanying it. While she sleeps, I try to sleep too. I shut my eyes, patting her hair gently, but even as I close my eyes, I find it difficult to drift off to sleep.After a while, I push her head away gently, then I place it on the pillow, planting a kiss on her head before I stand up. My steps are quiet in order not to wake her. I leave the room, heading for the front door to get some fresh air, but the moment I step out of the hallway, I spot Milo sitting in the living room
Hiram:After minutes of driving, we get to Juniper’s mother’s house. It is a small house in town, which looks comfy. There is a compact car parked in front of it, and June’s mother is standing in front of the house. When we pull up, she rushes toward the car.Before I can open the door, Juniper gets it, rushing toward her mother.“Mum!” she exclaims, throwing her arms around her. Her mother pats her back slightly. Then I get out of the car, and Rhea follows. I grab our joint luggage while Rhea takes her bag.She looks almost the same as June, but her hair is black. They pull away, facing Rhea and me.“You already know Rhea,” June says, and Rhea waves at her.
HIRAM’S POV:“Hiram, the food’s too cold!”“Hiram, the food’s too hot!”“Hiram, it’s too sweet!”“Hiram, it’s too salty!”This has been June’s anthem this past week. I know mood swings are part of the pregnancy package, but I didn’t expect it to be this way. It’s like I can hardly breathe, and nothing is good enough for her. Sometimes I wish I could rip that baby out of her.Right now, she is fast asleep, and it is the best time for me with her. Watching her sleep peacefully like a baby and admiring her beauty, because once that eye opens, I’ll be running around the clock.
Hiram’s POV:Last night, June didn’t spend the night in my room. She came back home with Rhea, and they hung out the entire evening.“You know I’m beginning to think you love Rhea more than you love me,” I say to her as she sits in front of the mirror doing her hair.She looks at me through the mirror with a frown on her face.“Why would you say that?” she asks, and I walk up to her, bending slightly.“Maybe because you spent the entire evening with her, and slept in the guest room too,” I say, and she chuckles slightly.“So, you’re jealous of a woman?” she asks, then tilts her head slightly to face me. “You know what? Maybe I do love her better and we might have…”