OrchardMy hand hung limp in hers. I suddenly felt so cold that I took a step back.“I feel... I don’t know, somehow I’m just jobless,” she nervously chuckled and looked away. “But it’s not your fault. I’m just—I guess—overly critical about things that I shouldn’t be.” She lifted a hand to tuck a stray tendril of dark hair behind her ear. Suddenly, she looked down at her phone.“So, is the dinner with your father still going to happen? I mean, I don’t know. Maybe you should talk to him or something. He didn’t exactly seem too happy after the whole incident. But only if you want to talk about it,” she said. “I’m not trying to insert myself.”“It’s fine,” I said. “I do want to see Dad. I have a few things I want to tell him.”“It’s only if you want to,” I added, reaching for her hand once more. Instead, she took a step forward, walking ahead of me.“Then let’s go get ready,” she said, briefly turning back towards me with a smile. The woman didn’t know what she was doing, I thought to m
Orchard’s PovOh, great, I thought to myself. She was angry. Everyone was angry. I never used to have issues with my temper. Or maybe I did, but only after she showed up. When I realized Dad couldn’t keep his thing in his pants.“Oh, it’s not that simple,” Mom had explained over and over again.“Explain it to me,” I’d said.“You’re too young for that. If you find out the truth… well, even if you eventually understand, what are you going to do with that?” Mom puffed out a plume of smoke in my face, the stench of tobacco filling the air. Her voice had gone hard and hoarse—a far cry from how she used to sound when she was much younger, the mom I remembered. Mom was different, and even when I was barely 17, I could already see the distance between her and Dad, and I despised it more than ever.“Then tell me what’s wrong,” I said. “Tell me how I can make things better. Is it my fault?”Mom puffed out another plume of smoke. “So what if it is? What are you going to do about it? Run away? Y
Iris*Get a hold of yourself, get a grip, Iris. You’re not a slut.**Oh, the man was beautiful,* I thought, as I watched the planes and ridges of his muscular body. Unable to help myself, I reached for his nipples, circling my fingers around them, enjoying the way he shuddered and smiled. Then he pulled down his sweatpants and kicked them off, revealing his rigid member pointing in my direction, almost as if to say hello.“Well, hello to you too,” I thought with a small smile. It didn’t quite quell the nervousness I felt, the sudden self-consciousness that seemed to take over my mind, making me feel naturally shy. Just as he pulled the tie from the front of my bathrobe, I raised my hands to cover myself.“Don’t do that,” he said in a soft voice, reaching for my hands to gently pry them apart, revealing my breasts to him. “Don’t ever do that. Don’t hide yourself from me. I want to see you.”He leaned down until his face was just inches away from mine again, his breath fanning my face.
Tiffany I made sure the black scarf covered most of my face, and if that was not enough, the massive Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses on my nose ought to do something. And if that was not enough, then the huge hat on my head ought to do something. And if, of course, that was not enough, then the face mask that covered half of my face ought to keep me as incognito as possible. Unfortunately, the police officer in charge of visitations was not having it."I'm going to need your face if I'm going to identify you."I pulled off my hat, kept the scarf, and pulled down the face mask before smiling brightly at her in a way that was much similar to the passport photo I took for my driver's license. "You're good," the police officer said, clearing me for the visit. She picked up one of those old landline phones, pressed a few numbers, and waited for a moment, tapping her terrible nails on the table.It was bad, I thought to myself. A part of me genuinely wanted to help her with a manicure, but peop
Iris…I woke up to the sound of Orchard’s voice.I knew it was him without opening my eyes but I couldn't tell what he was saying.My brain felt foggy and weird, and I was hurting everywhere, especially my hips, head and hand.I laid in silence for as I waited for my brain to boot.Orchard was anything but gentleman like, last night m. He made me cum so many times, I couldn’t believe it was possible to have multiple orgasms in such a short span of time.After a few minutes, I could decipher another sound, like a beep, coming at intervals.It sounded sort of like an alarm clock.I could also hear Orchard clearly."...I’ve told you, I have tons of important stuff to attend to today, I won’t be coming to work."He mumbled some other words, but I was too tired to decipher the rest of the things he said.I fell asleep again, and the next time I opened my eyes, I saw Orchard sitting by my bedside with a towel draped around his waist. He held my hand, but was careful not to wake me.The bee
Dave They said I had an ego the size of the ocean, but that’s not what I thought. A man had to do everything necessary to make a name for himself, and I, clearly being the first son of my father, was no exception. The company was simply the beginning—at least of what my father trusted me with. According to him, he would give me more, but it wasn’t enough. Which was why I favored the underground. Currently, I sat staring at the signature green-colored poker table. The dealer had already dealt the cards. The four extra people playing with me had already laid their chips. I smiled and then suddenly remembered that I had to keep my poker face on, ensuring they didn’t see it. “All in,” I said, shoving all the chips I had—only about $30,000 worth—into the middle of the table, knowing I had it in the bag. Roger was the first to plop down his cards, a rather dejected look in his eyes. One by one, the rest of them followed, showing their hands. Of course, in the end, I was the clear w
Dave"Just come out and say it," I mumbled, finding it rather difficult to cool the curiosity that rose inside me. I hated being put on the spot, and this was a prime example. “He talked. He spoke to the detective, okay? They interrogated him, and he talked. He opened his mouth and spilled all the secrets. I don’t know what it is—I couldn’t stick around to find out—but I know it’s bad enough,” she said with a smirk. “Fuck,” I muttered, balling my hands into fists, deciding I was done being here and that outside was better off. “Where are you going?” “You might not seem to understand this,” I said. “Maybe you’ve had your head in the clouds too much.” I brushed her hand off me. “That doesn’t explain anything!” she said, yelling after me. “You’re literally running from your problems! Can we talk about this?” “No,” I said, grabbing the door handle and walking outside. *** There was a quiet little bar quite far from home. It was a place where no one knew who I was. A place
Iris’ PovI glanced up from where I was sitting on the bed, tucking my legs beneath me. He answered quickly, speaking in an unfamiliar tone with the person on the line.Whoever the person was, they had to be important, cause Orchard rarely smiled, and when he did, it had to be for something important or someone.I watched his closely, paying attention to his body language and facial expression. I could tell the conversation had shifted from a light one to a deep one, but I had no idea who could put Orchard on his toes and still make him feel relieved.I tried not to eavesdrop, but his soft chuckle pulled my attention. Orchard wasn’t the type to laugh freely. It was rare, and when it happened, it felt special, like a gift meant only for those closest to him. Hearing it now, directed at someone else, made me feel… off.I looked down at my hands, picking at my nails as the sound of his laughter filled the room. I told myself it was nothing, that I was being ridiculous. But that tiny, gna
OrchardIris made the most adorable pregnant woman ever. Maybe it was just my sentiment—I would always believe that. Maybe it was still my sentiment to want her to have another baby just because she made the most adorable pregnant woman ever. And perhaps those sentiments couldn’t be shared with her. But when it always came down to the delivery room, I found myself pacing. "It’s a normal reaction," the nurses said. "It’s normal," they said eventually. "Why don’t you come hold her hand?" the half-face-covered nurse stretched out a hand. "Are you okay?" I whispered in her ear. "Oh yeah, I’m amazing," she mumbled. "But sure, if we want to make this mountain out of a molehill, we can. Besides, I already requested an epidural," she rolled her eyes at me. "Maybe you’re just being dramatic," she waved me off. Maybe I was. Maybe I was just shy. After all, it wasn’t every day a man got to witness this perfect being born. "Okay, I feel something," she gripped my hand. The secon
Orchard Nothing, except the mild silence of the humidifier beside my bed, the steady beeping of the heart monitor, and, of course, the gentle hum of the air conditioner, filled the room. Aside from having to convince my wife—well, I wasn’t sure what we were now, but we surely were something—convincing her to go home, take a shower, get dressed, and look prettier the day after was more than enough. The same could apply to Mom. Partly, it was because of the text message I had received from Dad. “Is it all right if I come see you?” he had texted earlier. “Me telling you no isn’t going to change your mind, so why bother?” I texted back. And, as they say, speak of the devil, and he shall appear. An hour later, Dad walked into my hospital room as though he owned the place—which was mildly accurate. He was one of those with the largest holdings in the hospital. Or, well, he had some of the largest holdings in the hospital. While he didn’t own it specifically, neither did I, but he d
IrisHarold couldn’t be fast enough. Or maybe it was the fact that the speed limit was simply too slow, and Harold was dancing just at the edge. Either way, I kept pounding my heel against the floor of the car while biting my lips, and it seemed the buildings were moving apart too slowly. “I’m going as fast as I can, Mrs. Hector,” Harold said, and turned towards the rearview mirror, his eyes darting towards me. “I’m driving as fast as I can,” he said again, his eyes meeting mine this time. “We’ll be there soon.” His eyes crinkled at the edges, smiling at me. He offered little comfort, I thought to myself, as my face strangely cracked into a small smile. “Thank you,” I said, letting out a huff of air and pulling my fingers together, trying to calm them from the shaking earlier. Who’d have thought talking to the stepmother who effectively bullied you your whole life would cause some form of shakiness? Eventually, we reached the hospital in one piece—mostly. I bolted straight u
IrisPerhaps it was not just me but the entire court, but everyone seemed to let out a breath of relief. I caught sight of Karen sitting somewhere at the back of the room.Simply, I got sight of her because I was jittery, my eyes darting all over the place.Perhaps I was so eager to keep my eyes off Dave that I simply couldn’t look at the person—the wicked person—he had become. He was so unrecognizable.He was not the man I had known all my life; he was not the man I had fallen in love with. No. Buried far from those things were the sweet smiles he had given me when I was younger and the messages of conviction. *"You’re the only woman I could ever marry,"* he had said. Well, perhaps that part was true. I was the only one he married—but probably not the only one he could love. No. His love went to other places; his love had a knack for doing that, going to various places. But none of that mattered for the children. At least that chapter was closed. I raised my eyes to the prose
Iris’ Pov I got the call from the police station. They told me Dave wanted to see me. I didn’t want to go. After everything he’d done, why would I? But then, Orchard’s mum, Halle, said she’d come with me. I needed her support, so I agreed.When we got to the station, my hands were shaking. Halle held my arm gently, and we walked in together. They led us to the room where Dave was sitting. “Iris,” he said, “you came.”I didn’t sit down. I just looked at him, feeling all the anger rise inside me. “You better pray Orchard wakes up,” I said, “if she doesn’t, you’ll regret ever knowing me.”Dave smirked. “I don’t care what happens to me. If Orchard dies, I’m justified.”I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Justified? For what? Before I could say anything else, Halle held me.“There’s no use talking to a man like him,” he’s lost his mind. Let’s go, Iris.”Just as we turned to leave, a cop walked into the room. He had a file in his hand and a serious look on his face.“We found new evide
Iris’ PovI sat in the cold, hard chair outside the operating room, my breaths were shallow and uneven. It felt like I had been holding my breath the entire time.Orchard was in there, fighting for his life. The doctors had rushed him in as soon as we arrived at the hospital, I wanted to believe he would make it, but the blood, there had been so much blood. I couldn’t stop seeing it.My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I joined them together, pressing them tightly against my lap, trying to steady them, but it didn’t work. My clothes still smelled like blood and sweat, and I hated it.“Iris,” a soft voice said beside me.I looked up to see Orchard’s mother. I had called her as soon as I arrived. She placed a hand on my shoulder.“He’s strong,” she said, though her voice cracked. “He’s going to make it.”I nodded, but I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t find any words.The hallway was too quiet, the kind of silence that only made things worse. Every time the doors to the operating room swung open,
Dave’s PovThe sound of the gunshot still rang in my ears as I stumbled back, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps. The scene before me felt surreal, like something out of a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. Orchard was on the floor, blood spreading around him like a dark, growing shadow. Iris knelt beside him, screaming his name, her hands pressed desperately against his chest as if she could stop the life from slipping out of him.“Orchard! Stay with me! Please!” she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. Her voice was filled with panic, raw and heart-wrenching.And I just stood there, frozen. My hand was still gripping the gun, my knuckles white. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. All I could do was stare at the chaos I had caused.What have I done?The question repeated over and over in my mind, but I couldn’t find an answer. I hadn’t planned for this to happen, not like this. I just wanted to scare them, to make them pay attention, to make her listen to me. But now… now it was
Iris’ Pov The gun pressed against my head was a constant reminder of how close I was to disaster. I could see the anger in Dave’s eyes, the wild, unpredictable rage that told me he wasn’t bluffing. He was mad enough to do anything. The memory of the day he shot my stepsister, suddenly hit me. The look on his face then was the same as now. No hesitation, no regret. Just pure fury.I knew better than to argue with him. If I made one wrong move, one wrong word, this could end horribly. I forced myself to take a shaky breath, trying to calm the panic that threatened to overwhelm me.“Dave,”please, let’s not do this. Name your price. Whatever you want, we’ll do it. Just… just let us go.”For a moment, he didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, his grip on the gun tightening and loosening, like he was considering his options.Then he laughed, a bitter, hollow sound that made my stomach twist. “Name my price?” he said mockingly. “It’s too late for that, Iris. Don’t you get it? There’s n
Iris’ Pov My body stirred, waking me from a restless dream. At first, I didn’t understand why I woke up, but then I felt a familiar discomfort in my stomach.I sighed quietly and got out of bed, careful not to wake Orchard. The room was dark, lit only by the faint light of the moon that filtered through the curtains. I paused for a moment, listening to his steady breathing, and then padded softly toward the bathroom.The bathroom tiles were cold under my bare feet, and I shivered slightly as I finished and washed my hands. I thought I would just crawl back into bed and try to sleep again, but as I stepped out of the bathroom, I realized how dry my throat felt. My mouth felt like sandpaper, and my lips were cracked.“I need some water,” I murmured to myself, my voice barely above a whisper.The thought of going downstairs in the middle of the night wasn’t appealing, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I didn’t quench my thirst. So, I turned toward the stairs, walking as quietly