Tristan left the door and settled on the bench, his gaze fixed on Aiden, who stood a few feet away with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable."You should sit down. If you keep standing like that, you might end up too tired to play in tomorrow's game." Tristan gestured gently to the empty spot beside him.Aiden didn’t move, only staring back at Tristan. For a moment, it looked like he wouldn’t give in. But after a long silence, he let out a sigh and slowly walked over, dropping onto the bench beside Tristan.They sat in silence, the air thick with awkwardness and tension. Aiden wasn't sure if he should start a conversation, and Tristan, too, didn’t know where to begin. But a question had been weighing on Tristan's mind for some time. Finally, he took a deep breath and broke the silence."Why do you hate her?" he asked, glancing at Aiden. "My mom, I mean."Aiden let out a slow, bitter sigh, his expression still unreadable as he fixed his gaze on a distant point. He went quiet for
Coach Williams walked into the dorm, immediately noticing it was empty. Just as he began to wonder where everyone was, the door swung open, and Kai and Troy entered first, followed by the rest of the team.“Any sign of Aiden?” the coach asked as they walked in.“He didn’t sleep here last night,” Colby explained. “He told us he’d be out for a while but never came back. We’ve been searching for him, but we still can’t find him.”The coach ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think of where Aiden might be. Time was running out. There were only minutes before the game, and they couldn’t afford to waste any more.“You know what? Let’s split up and search the area. He might have gotten lost,” the coach ordered. The players nodded and immediately began to head out, starting their search.---“Tristan, where the hell are you?” Faustino muttered aloud, clearly frustrated. He placed his hands on his hips and let out a long sigh. He’d just woken up and realized Tristan was nowhere to be fo
The moment was abruptly interrupted when Colby walked in, his brow furrowing at the scene before him."What’s—""Nothing. He was just whispering something to me," Troy quickly explained, stepping away from Eric, who wore a satisfied, unbothered grin."What do you need?" Troy asked, clearing his throat, while Colby raised an eyebrow but chose to let it go."The game’s about to start. Hurry up."Without another word, Troy grabbed his shoes and followed Colby out of the room, leaving Eric behind with a smug smile on his face.****Colby and Troy ran into Aiden on their way to the court, and the three of them continued together. But before they could go far, a familiar voice called out to Aiden.Colby and Troy continued on their path to the indoor court, leaving Aiden behind. Aiden stopped, turning to see Tristan approaching. He was alone this time, without the usual crowd of people around him which Aiden often referred to them as Tristan’s “flies.”Their eyes met, and for a moment, every
The game was over, but the crowd was still cheering loudly. Troy walked over to Aiden, helping and guiding him to the clinic to bandage his sprained ankle, his face etched with worry. Finding the clinic wasn’t hard, as staff were stationed to direct them. Aiden let out a loud wince as Troy helped him onto the examination table. He winced again, adjusting his leg in an attempt to ease the pain. "The nurse isn’t here," Troy muttered, glancing around the empty room. With a sigh, he went to grab the first aid kit from the counter. Seeing what Troy was planning, Aiden quickly shook his head."Seriously, I’m fine," Aiden insisted, pulling his leg back to keep Troy from touching it.Troy frowned, clearly unconvinced. "Stop being stubborn, Aiden," he said firmly, trying again, but Aiden jerked his leg away once more. Determined, Troy opened the first aid kit, pulling out a tube of ointment and a roll of bandages. "This isn’t up for debate. Stop being difficult and give me your leg
Aiden’s heart nearly stopped. He snapped his head toward Kai, eyes wide with panic. "What?" he stammered. How on earth had Kai figured it out? Kai chuckled at Aiden’s reaction, pulling his phone up to his face. The sound effects from the game he’d started playing filled the brief silence. "Actually," Kai began, his tone casual, "it all started to click a few days ago. His sudden kindness toward you, and you... well, acting all soft and awkward whenever he’s around. It's not hard to connect the dots." Aiden’s face turned crimson, his pulse racing. "I thought I was overthinking it at first," Kai continued, briefly glancing at Aiden before focusing back on his phone. "But with that expression on your face... yeah, I guessed right." Kai smirked knowingly, while Aiden sat frozen, his throat dry. He’d been caught—completely undeniably caught. Arghhh! Damn it! He hated that he was so speechless, unable to deny a single word Kai had said. "I..." he began, but Kai cut him off with
The school bell had rung minutes ago, but Aiden remained seated, hoping Tristan wouldn’t come looking for him. For the past week, he had ignored Tristan’s calls, texts, and casual attempts to talk. He didn’t fully understand why he was acting this way. Part of him had expected Tristan to address the incident with Catherine, but no such conversation came. Instead, all Tristan seemed to care about since they returned from the game was studying, and it irritated Aiden to no end."I hate him so much," he muttered under his breath, though he knew the words were a lie. With a heavy sigh, he rested his head against the desk, attempting to close his eyes. But then, he caught sight of a familiar figure, forcing his eyes to snap open again.Sure enough, there was Tristan, walking toward him with the same determination he’d shown for the past few days. Aiden groaned internally. He’d gotten good at ignoring Tristan; slipping out of class the moment Tristan showed up, but today it seemed escape wa
It was closing time, and the sun had already set by the time Aiden and Tristan began their walk back to the dorm. The air was cool, and the distant sounds of students chatting filled the campus. The earlier tension between them had melted away, replaced by an easy silence. Aiden stole occasional glances at Tristan, who walked beside him with his hands in his pockets and a relaxed posture, making it impossible for Aiden to stay irritated. Neither of them spoke much, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. When they reached their dorm, the night passed uneventfully until they decided to study together. They sat at the desk, textbooks and notes spread between them. Tristan leaned forward, explaining a concept with his usual calm confidence. Aiden tried to listen, but his focus wasn’t on the words. His eyes kept drifting to Tristan’s face—the sharp jawline, the long lashes, the way his lips moved, the slight furrow of his brows as he concentrated. Aiden’s heart raced. The urge t
Aiden pushed the door open and stepped into the house, letting it swing shut behind him. He dropped his bag on the couch and ran a hand through his hair, clearly exhausted. Andrew, his father, sat at the dining table with a newspaper in hand. He glanced up at the sound of the door closing, then folded the paper neatly and set it aside when he noticed it was Aiden who had come in. "You're home?" his dad asked, glancing briefly toward the door for any sign of Tristan. Seeing none, he turned his attention back to Aiden. "Did you come home alone?" he asked, his tone calm but curious. Aiden rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Yeah. My so-called 'older brother' is on his way," he replied, his voice filled with sarcasm as he made his way toward the stairs.Andrew raised an eyebrow at the comment, watching his son’s retreating back. For a moment, he considered pressing for more information but decided against it. Were the two boys starting to get along, or was this just another one of Aiden’s s
Aiden sat at the edge of the bed while Tristan perched on the reading table, both engulfed in silence, unsure of what to say. Tristan kept glancing at his phone, waiting for a call or text from his aunt to confirm her arrival, but nothing came. They had been away from home since morning, yet there was no news. "I'm worried, Tristan," Aiden muttered, breaking the silence and catching Tristan's attention. "I am too," Tristan admitted. "But I believe it will be okay." "What if Mom is still against it?" Aiden asked, his voice tinged with unease. Tristan looked up at him, his expression firm. "If that’s the case, I’ll have no choice but to go against her," he said quietly, placing his phone down. Just then, his phone buzzed. He picked it up to see his aunt's name flashing on the screen. Quickly, he swiped to answer. "Anything?" he asked, his voice tight with anticipation. "I'm sorry," his aunt replied, her voice apologetic. Tristan exhaled deeply, and Aiden immediately knew w
Brittany stepped out of her car and walked toward them, her face a mix of confusion and disbelief. Tristan and Aiden turned abruptly, startled by her sudden appearance.“Mom,” they both called out in unison, their voices filled with nervousness.“What was that?” Brittany asked, raising an eyebrow as her piercing gaze shifted between the two of them.“Mom... I can explain. Can we go inside first?” Tristan asked cautiously, reaching for her hand, but Brittany pulled away.“I can walk on my own,” Brittany said curtly as the boys stepped aside to let her enter.“Do you think she saw us?” Aiden asked in a hushed tone.“I don’t know,” Tristan replied, his voice low. “But even if she did, I’ll have to explain. I’ve always known this day would come.”“Tristan…” Aiden said softly, his concern evident.“Don’t worry,” Tristan reassured him, offering a faint smile. “I’ll handle it. She’s my mom, after all.”The two followed her into the house, their steps heavy with apprehension.Inside, Brittany
Aiden started walking toward them, ready to confront Tristan, but his steps faltered, and he paused. Balling his fist, he turned back toward the cab."Take me back," he muttered, slipping into the cab quietly as it drove off.Meanwhile, Tristan had no idea Aiden had been there. After Lisa pulled away from the hug, she waved at him. Tristan nodded and made his way into his apartment.He took a bath, made himself something to eat, and then settled onto his bed. Grabbing his phone, he decided to call Aiden.Work had been hectic, and he hadn’t had much time to talk to Aiden lately. He felt guilty but couldn’t help it.He tapped Aiden’s name and called, but Aiden didn’t pick up."It’s barely 8 p.m. Is he already asleep?" Tristan wondered, dialing the number again, but still, no answer. He decided to send a text instead."I’m just getting home. Call me when you see this. It’s been a while since we spoke, and I miss you." Tristan sent the message, then, before he knew it, his phone slipped f
Eric finally managed to pull Jarvis away from the edge of the rooftop, breathing heavily as relief washed over him. Before he could scold Jarvis again, he found himself enveloped in a tight hug. "Eric... I still love you, honestly," Jarvis whispered, his voice trembling as he clung to Eric. For a moment, Eric stood still, his hands hovering awkwardly before he gently pushed Jarvis away. He stared at him, searching for the right words. "Look, Jarvis," Eric began, his tone calm yet firm, "it’s been four, five months since we ended things. You need to take it like that because I don’t love you. Not anymore."Jarvis opened his mouth to respond, but Eric didn’t let him. "I already have someone I’m stupidly in love with. It’s time you let go of these... feelings you still have for me, because it’s not going to work." Eric’s gaze softened slightly, but his words were unwavering. "I love my boyfriend more than anything, Jarvis. So it’s time to wake up and stop being delusional about m
Eric turned to look at Troy again, taking his hand as they walked back into his room. "Why are we going back inside?" Troy asked, curious. "To grab this." Eric lifted a jacket from the wardrobe, slipping it on before pulling out another for Troy. He helped him into it with ease. Troy smiled, inhaling the addictive scent that clung to Eric's jacket. Taking Eric's outstretched hand, they left the room together once more. "So, what plans do you have tonight?" Troy asked, breaking the silence. "I'm spending time with you," Eric replied smoothly. "Now that Dad seems okay with us dating, I’m not wasting any more time. You don’t know how hard it’s been holding myself back.” He gave a sly wink, making Troy chuckle and roll his eyes playfully.They made their way to the door, ready to leave the house, when it suddenly swung open. Lucian stepped inside, dressed in a stiff, formal suit that looked entirely out of place on him.Eric pressed his lips together, trying hard not to laugh.
When Tristan finally broke the kiss, his voice was raw with emotion. "I can’t do this anymore, Aiden... Let’s go back to how we used to be."Aiden stared at him, emotions swirling like a storm he could no longer contain. Without a word, he grabbed Tristan by the collar and kissed him again, this time with more intensity, more desperation. Minutes later, he abruptly pulled away, stepping back as his breath came in ragged gasps. His face shifted, the vulnerability vanishing as a cold, unreadable expression slipped into place. "So?" Tristan asked softly, his voice uncertain. "So?" Aiden chuckled, obviously annoyed. "Who the hell do you think you are, deciding when to leave and when to come back?" "I..." Tristan began, but his gaze dropped, and the words faltered on his tongue. "You don’t get to do this," Aiden snapped, his voice sharp and filled with hurt. "You can’t just walk away and then show up like nothing happened. You don’t get to mess with my head like this.""I was wro
Every day, Aiden tried to convince himself that everything was fine—at least on the outside. But deep down, he was struggling. He knew he was lying to himself. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about Tristan. It was frustrating because he had done everything he could to block Tristan out. But every time he walked into their home, the urge to confront him was there—to ask him to at least reconsider, to talk about… them. Yet, Aiden always held back. He didn’t know if it was pride, fear, or just pure exhaustion, but he never acted on it. Instead, he forced himself to stay busy and resist the temptation.That evening, distraction came in the form of basketball with his friends. The court was alive with energy as they ran and competed. The cool air didn’t bother them as the game kept them warm. Troy wasn’t around; he had gone to visit Eric. Supposedly, Eric had invited him over, and Troy had agreed, which gave the others plenty of reasons to tease him nonstop."You g
The dim lights of the bar flickered as Aiden slumped against the counter, his eyes red and swollen like he'd been crying the whole day. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke, matching the storm inside him. He exhaled shakily, the cigarette between his fingers trembling as he brought it to his lips. The bitter taste mixed with the burn of the whiskey he had been drinking for hours. His friends—Kai, Sam, Jefferson, Colby, and Troy stood nearby, watching him with worried eyes. They hadn’t seen Aiden like this in a long time.“This is bad,” Colby muttered, glancing at Jefferson. “We can’t let him keep going like this. He might die at this rate or worse, end up with lung cancer.”Before they could intervene, Aiden let out a loud laugh, his voice thick with pain. His friends froze.“Tristan’s a jerk, and I hate him,” he laughed, his words slurred and uneven. “You heard me, right? He’s a complete jerk!”He slammed his glass down on the counter, startling the bart
"We should break up, Aiden. Let's end this here."The words hit Aiden like a punch to the chest. He blinked rapidly, trying to process them. It was sudden; he wasn’t actually prepared for this. He swallowed hard as his eyes grew weak and heavy. With all his strength, he stared up at Tristan."Why?" he muttered, his voice shaky. "Is it because of the rumors? Because of the gossip? I swear I can handle it. I’ll...""It’s not just the rumors," Tristan cut in, his tone firmer now. "It’s about my mom. About your dad. What are they going to think when they find out? My mom might go crazy. This isn’t just about us anymore, Aiden. It’s bigger than that.""But…" Aiden began, his voice breaking, but Tristan stood up, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. "I don’t want to put my mom in a position where she feels embarrassed looking at me. And I don't want your dad to feel I betrayed him" Tristan said, his expression strained as he avoided Aiden’s gaze.Aiden’s heart dropped. Desperatio