[BRIAN] As I pushed open the door to my penthouse, my mind was in a tumultuous state. The images of Ava’s confession played on a loop in my head, and I couldn’t seem to shake them off. The woman I had started to care for, the one I had let my guard down for, was a liar. My chest tightened with ange
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, not quite sure what else to say. Georgina let out a sigh and sat across from me. She leaned forward, rubbing her temples, and spoke, “No, no, it’s fine. It’s probably for the best.” I had no idea what to say next. What did she mean when she said it was for the bes
[AVA] Sitting in the dimly lit corner of the quaint cafe, I couldn’t help but stare blankly at the steaming cup of coffee in front of me, lost in my own thoughts. Despite Sean’s long chatter about his new project at work and his failed attempt to come out to his parents, my mind kept wandering back
He chuckled lightly before his expression turned serious once more. “What I’m trying to say is, if you genuinely have feelings for him and are willing to do whatever it takes, then maybe it’s time to give him a little demonstration. Show him why he should be proud of everything you are and what he w
[BRIAN] I stood outside of Val’s bedroom, hesitant to enter. It had been months since I had last stepped foot in this room, but today something drew me here, something I couldn’t quite explain. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, revealing a flood of memories that hit me like a ton of br
I opened Val’s journal once again and stumbled upon another entry, this time written on the day before Christmas. I couldn’t help but smile. Val had written about Kian being a complete pain in the ass, running around the house and asking her about his present. She had mentioned how difficult it was
[AVA] My heart was pounding as I stood outside Brian’s penthouse, trying to gather the courage to ring the bell. I had been pacing back and forth for the last fifteen minutes, my hand hovering over the buzzer, but each time I tried to press it, a wave of anxiety washed over me, and I recoiled. I kn
My words hung in the air between us, heavy with emotion. I could feel Brian’s eyes on me, watching me with that intense gaze of his. I tried to keep my voice steady as I continued speaking, my pacing never slowing down. “I understand if you don’t feel the same way, or if you need time to process all
[AVA]“Nope! Still not picking up his phone,” Sean says, shaking his head, trying his damnedest to keep it together.I can’t blame him. If Brian walked out on me this way, I would freak out like hell. Fuck, I don’t even know what I would do. I would probably have a meltdown or something.Perhaps tha
[MAX]I’m ready to take a break and hand over the counter to Patrick when the rainbow girl walks into the café/diner, and the bell chimes over her head.Her eyes find mine in an instant, and I stop whatever I’m doing for reasons I don’t even want to know.“Hey!” She walks over to me, leans on the co
[AVA]“It’s a great idea,” I say to him, finally realizing that it’s never the gift that matters, it’s the intention. And Sean loves Aaron; he only wants the best for him.Sean looks so damn relieved, tears twinkling in his eyes.“Oh, thank God!” He chuckles, nervously running a hand through his dar
I chuckle. “I’d love that, but I’m not sure Aaron would appreciate being put on the spot.”“Don’t worry, I’ll work my magic,” Sean winks and heads toward the kitchen, leaving me alone in the living room.I wander over to the bookcase, running my fingers over the spines of Sean’s collection. He has a
[AVA]“Brian was right, this is a very bad idea,” I mumble to myself as I stand outside the apartment Sean and Aaron share. And yes, let me remind you this is the same apartment where Sean found Aaron furiously making out with his sister.And yes, I should not have thought about that because now the
[AVA]“I’ll miss you,” I say once Brian and I step into the elevator of his penthouse.Kian and Mason are already downstairs, waiting for us. But Brian, being Brian, needed a moment to “make it up” to me for the whole two weeks he would be absent.I’m excited for him. I swear, I am. And yet, when I
[BRIAN]Time for some honesty: I’m terrified of what I’m about to do.Rock/Mountain climbing, I’m not sure if I’m made for such stuff. I mean, sure, I love treks and long walks and boating and camping and driving and all that stuff but climbing a mountain? That sounds a little stretch, even for me.
We pull back and Brian glares at his twin brother, who in turn, winks at us, making sure we know he has only been kidding. “We are heading to the next store. Think you can take your make-out session on the go?”Brian flips him off and Mason laughs, walking away with Kian in tow.Kian looks over his
[AVA]“I can’t believe you agreed to this.”“Trust me, I can’t believe it either.”I chuckle, not able to help myself. I would have loved to see Brian climbing a mountain, but I can’t, and that makes me sad. But maybe I’ll have better luck next time. I just hope Brian will be as willing to take part