An hour later.
My phone vibrates next to me waking me u. I look towards the window and see that it's still dark outside. Who could be calling me right now?I lie back down and reach for my phone. I answer without looking at the name. It might be Tamrin. "I'm outside your house." Liam says and my eyes shot open at the sound of his voice. "All thoughts of sleep absolutely gone. "We need to talk." He says making me sit up. "No we don't." I say and he laughs."Yes we do." He says and then he pauses for a long time. My mind is screaming at me to end the call but once again I can't bring myself to act. I'm stuck and it feels like he's controlling me. "Come to the back, I'm waiting for you in the garden." He says and I groan. He's not listening to me. "I can't come out there. It's late." I say but I get out of bed. I put my slippers on and look out of the window. "I know it's late but we have tLiam's lips are inches away from mine, and I'm frozen in place, unsure of what to do. His hand is still on my neck, and I can feel his heartbeat through his fingertips. My mind is racing with thoughts of Presley, Tamrin, and the complicated web I'm about to weave.What would they say to me if they found out what I'm doing right now? I know what Presley would say."Liam, we can't do this," I whisper, but my voice lacks conviction. I want to do this, I know I shouldn't have these feelings but being here with him..."Why not?" he asks softly, his breath warm against my face. "I know you want to." He says and I blink a few times trying to find my words but I can't.Before I can respond, he closes the distance and kisses me. It's gentle at first, his lips barely brushing against mine, but then he deepens the kiss, and I find myself kissing him back. His other hand moves to my waist, pulling me closer. For a moment, everything else fades away&mdas
Monday morning...It was a terrible weekend. I could barely sleep because all I could think about was the kiss.The one that I had with Liam.Every time I closed my eyes I could feel his lips on mine. I could smell his cologne. I could feel his warmth on my skin."Celeste." My principal says as soon as I walk past his office. He signals for me to go to his office. I walk in behind him. "I wanted to talk to you about your progress." He says sitting at his desk, signalling for me to sit down."Okay." I say feeling a little anxious. What is this about?"I see that you've submitted about sixty per cent of the work required to get off probation." He says like it's a bad thing. I look at him confused. What's wrong with that?"Okay." I say again not sure what he expects me to say to that."I'm concerned that you might be pushing yourself too hard and.." He says and I frown. He stops talking because of the
The rest of the morning passes in a haze. I move through my classes like a ghost, barely paying attention to anything but the echoes of my conversation with the principal. His concern was unexpected, and it left me feeling oddly vulnerable. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.When the final bell rings, I hurry to my locker, eager to leave school behind. As I was gather my things, I spot Presley chatting animatedly with a group of girls down the hall. My stomach twists into knots. I just want to get home, finish my assignments, and maybe try to get some sleep.When I get out of the schoolyard the usual chaos is around me but it barely registers."Hey, Celeste!" A voice calls out, pulling me from my thoughts. I turn to see Travis the mystery guy from the darkness approaching, a wide grin on his face. "Need a ride home?" he asks pointing to his car in the parking lot. Liam is leaning on it, hands in his pockets looking at me.&
I fumble in my bag for my headphones, hands trembling as I finally pull them out. It’s not like I can avoid this situation, but I need something—anything—to help me escape from the awkwardness that’s suffocating the car. Slipping the earbuds in, I let the music flood my ears, a barrier between me and the world.The car hums along the road, the city lights flashing by in a blur of neon and streetlamps. I close my eyes, trying to lose myself in the lyrics, to push away the fact that I’m tr
"You're getting wet in this rain, come on" He says pulling me by the arm gently."I'm home," I repeat the sentence but it falls on deaf ears because he gently but firmly guides me into the yard. I feel my legs move. We take the same path I once took to his room at the back of the house a few weeks ago.I swear I'm trying to resist him but for the life of me it feel like he has more power than me."I know you need to get home but I just need a few minutes of your time." He says as he opens the door to the same room I saw him fuck Presley's brain out. I walk in and stare at the same bed he was naked in with her.He looks at me and then motions that I should go in. I take a few steps and walk in. I go all the way to the end of the room and sit on a chair."I really shouldn't be here, alone with you." I say when I finally find my voice."I won't hurt you." He says and I scoff at his statement. He does know who he is right? He forget that h
I stare at him in shock. Did he just ask me to be his girlfriend? He looks back at me as if waiting for me to say something but I don't know what to say to that."Liam, you and I can't..." I say and then I trail off when I feel his hands on my thighs. I look at them and then I look at him. "Why is it every time I say we can't do something you always do it. You don't listen to me. " I say as his hands slide all the way up to the waistband of my pants."I do listen to you." He says grabbing the waistband and sliding it down. He has so much strength that he lifts me up and pulls down my pants and underwear at the same time."No, you don't." I say feeling a light breeze on my skin. My brain is screaming at me to get up and leave before he does something to me I'll regret for the rest of my life but the rest of my body is not listening. I know I shouldn't but I can't move. "Then you'll stop this if you do listen to me." I say finally and h
A few hours ealierWe walk down this grimy alley, the kind that always smells like a mix of piss and regret, and I can’t shake thoughts of Celeste. I know, it's stupid to be thinking about a girl when you're about to handle business, but she's stuck in my head. our kiss is tsuck in my head. The feel of her lips on mine, I want more of that and then I want other things she'll never be willing to give me. But I want them anyway. It’s like she’s got a hold on me that I can’t break. But tonight, I’ve got to push all that aside."He's in there," Travis says, nodding toward this rundown warehouse at the end of the alley. The place looks like it ha bseen abandoned for years, windows boarded up, paint peeling off the walls. Perfect spot for scum like this dealer to hide out."You sure you wanna do this yourself?" Travis asks, his voice low. "I can take care of it."I shake my head. "No. This one's personal."T
The next day at lunchI'm lying on my back staring up at the long willow branches, trying to stop my brain from drifting to what happened between Liam and I yesterday.The flashbacks are too strong for me to ignore. He made me cum more than once. With each orgasm, it felt like I was losing my mind.If I let my mind wander long enough I can feel him kissing me."And your friend is so rude." Presley says her voice getting louder than it was a few seconds earlier. "Travis was nice enough to offer her a ride home yesterday and she acted so ungrateful." She says to Tamrin who is looking at me like I have three heads. I frown at her and she smiles mischievously.I'd hate to know what she's thinking right now.She loses her mind whenever my name is mentioned in the same sentence as a boy's name. The thought of me dating was too exciting for her. I wonder how mind-blown she would be if she knew what I did with Liam yest
The night is thick with shadows, and I stay hidden in plain sight, leaning casually against a streetlamp with a cigarette in hand. I’ve been watching her for over a month now. Celeste. She’s Liam’s weakness, though I doubt she even realizes it. She’s always surrounded by people, especially that annoying shadow of his—Nathan. Liam’s brother never leaves her side, like some overprotective lapdog. It’s irritating, but not unexpected. Liam plays his cards close, and Nathan is just another pawn in his meticulous game.Still, every pawn has its limits.Celeste is standing at the curb now, laughing at something Nathan said. The sound is soft, light, so painfully out of place in a world like ours. She has no idea the storm she’s standing in the middle of. She’s oblivious, a delicate flower in the middle of a battlefield. And I’ll admit—there’s something almost amusing about it.But it’s not am
The office feels too small, like the walls are closing in on me. I can’t sit still. Every step I take feels like I’m walking a tightrope, my mind racing with possibilities, each one darker than the last. Travis sits on the worn leather couch in the corner, his expression unreadable. He’s calm, the way he always is, but I know him well enough to see the tension in his jaw.“Liam,” he says, his voice measured. “You need to breathe. This isn’t helping.”I ignore him, my boots thudding against the floor as I pace. “How does this happen, Travis? A clean pickup. No cops. No outside eyes. And yet my product is gone, my guy’s in the hospital, and there’s a message waiting for me like it’s a damn game.”Travis leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You’re not going to figure it out by pacing holes into the floor. Sit down. Let’s think this through.”I st
The warehouse feels suffocating. The air is thick with tension, and every sound—footsteps, whispers, the scrape of crates being moved—grates on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. My fists are clenched so tightly my knuckles ache. Every cell in my body is screaming for release, for violence, for something to break.I sit at the edge of the makeshift desk, staring at nothing, replaying Eric’s words over and over in my head. They’re coming for more. They’re going to take everything from you. My empire is being chipped away, and all I can think about is how much I want to make whoever did this pay.A shuffle of hesitant footsteps behind me pulls me from my thoughts. I don’t turn around. “What?” I snap, my voice low but sharp enough to cut through the room.The kid—barely old enough to shave, one of the newer runners—steps forward. He’s holding a clipboard, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. &ldq
The warehouse is buzzing when I arrive, but it’s not the usual controlled chaos. It’s tense, electric. I can feel it in the air before I even step out of the car. Men are pacing, muttering, looking over their shoulders like shadows might suddenly turn into threats. The second I walk in, the room quiets, their eyes darting toward me like they’re waiting for an explosion.I don’t blame them. I’m furious.I move through the crowd, heading straight for the back office where I know Eric, one of my most reliable runners, is waiting. He shouldn’t even be here. From what I’ve been told, he barely made it out of the ambush alive. He should be in a hospital bed, getting stitches and painkillers. Instead, he’s slumped in a chair with his arm in a makeshift sling, his face pale and slick with sweat.“Eric,” I say, my voice sharper than I intended. “Tell me everything.”He winces as he shifts in the chair, his hand trembling as he runs it through his hair. “It—it was supposed to be a simple pick-u
The Ferris wheel's gentle hum fades behind us as we step off, and for a moment, everything feels calm, like the world’s giving us a break. Celeste’s laughter hangs in the air, Tamrin and Nathan’s chatter filling the space around us as we walk toward the food court. It’s a perfect night—just the four of us, blending into the crowd, no one looking twice at us, no one questioning who we are. For once, it feels like I can breathe.Then my phone buzzes, jolting me back to reality. I glance at the screen and feel my heart drop. The name flashing there is one I’ve dreaded seeing tonight. For a second, I think about ignoring it, letting it fade, but I know that’s not an option.“Be right back,” I say, stepping away from the table. I catch Nathan’s eyes as I move off to the side, and he gives me a slight nod. He knows better than to ask, but I can see the concern in his eyes.As I answer, the voice on the other
I stand at the cotton candy stand with Presley, the smell of spun sugar in the air, debating whether to get pink or blue. Presley leans into her choice, laughing, and I almost forget how tangled everything feels these days. I turn around to scan the crowd, hoping to spot a familiar face—anything to take my mind off everything with Tamrin and Celeste. Then I see them, a cluster of faces in the distance, laughing and close. My stomach drops.Tamrin is standing with Celeste, Nathan, and Liam. And they’re not just standing around, either—they look like they’re together, sharing that easy, familiar vibe you only have when you're close. My gasp is barely audible, but Presley catches it. She turns to look where I’m staring, her eyes narrowing as she sees the group for herself.“What the…? Tamrin?” Presley says, clearly stunned, her face hardening as she takes it all in. It’s like watching something surreal unfold. I can b
I catch sight of Tamrin the second Nathan calls her over, her face cautious, her eyes bouncing between Celeste and me. I force a polite smile as she approaches, but inside, I’m grinding my teeth. Her showing up means we’re back to pretending—like everything between Celeste and me is just casual, like she’s not the only person on my mind right now. I know Celeste feels it too; the forced smile she gives Tamrin is too practiced, too stiff. The whole scene feels like a well-rehearsed lie, and I hate it.Without saying a word, I start walking toward the Ferris wheel, letting my steps make my frustration known. It’s high up there, away from prying eyes and hushed whispers, a place where maybe, for a few moments, we don’t have to act. I dig into my pocket, pull out a few crumpled bills, and pay the attendant for a cab big enough for all of us. I glance back, calling them over.They gather around, and as we settle into the cabin, it’s
The carnival’s music and laughter fill the air, but my focus is entirely on the two figures in the distance—Celeste and Liam, standing by one of the game booths, his arm just brushing hers as they both laugh. My heart pounds as I watch them, each laugh of theirs twisting something in me. Sadie’s words flood back: Maybe we judged her too harshly… Maybe we’re wrong about all of this. It feels like a thorn in my side, nagging at me as I linger on the edge of the crowd.They’re close, too close. The way Liam’s looking at her, even from here, I can feel the intensity. I can’t stop the thought from creeping in—what if they really are together? I can’t shake it, and it’s eating me alive. Suddenly, I realize I need to talk to her, to find some kind of answer in her face, some way to know the truth without jumping to conclusions. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll apologize. I push my way through the crowd, my feet carrying
The sun’s just about to dip below the horizon, casting this deep orange light over everything as we step onto the carnival grounds. It’s cool, that kind of perfect evening breeze coming off the ocean. The sound of waves rolling up the shore blends with the laughter and music around us. I glance over at Celeste and see her smiling, her hair catching the last bit of daylight, and for a moment, I feel… content. Peaceful, even.Nathan is already pulling ahead, grinning like a kid on holiday, dragging us toward the game booths. There’s a lightness to the whole scene that feels rare these days. It’s almost surreal.“Come on, Liam,” Celeste teases, looking over her shoulder at me. “Let’s see if you’re any good at carnival games or if it’s all talk.”I laugh and pull her gently toward the shooting game booth, waving a couple of tickets to the guy behind the counter. “Think you’re up for a real challenge?” I ask, raising an eyebrow as I hand her a plastic rifle.C