Maybe he was hallucinating. After all, Nina's mother threw a rather heavy vase at him earlier today, and the shit hurt like hell. Yep, that's probably it. How else could Ryder be here, in this house? Definitely, a hallucination.Yet the hallucination spoke when she met his eyes. "Oh... hi."Jeremy paled in an instant.Holy fucking shit, what is going on!!! Did Jake tell her who he is? But then why would he leave her alone downstairs while he played with Leah upstairs? That doesn't make any sense!Besides... she wasn't here when I came..."Hi." He answered awkwardly. "What..." his voice came out hoarse, and he had to clear his throat before continuing. "What are you doing here?"Ryder snorted, completely oblivious to Jeremy's panic. She didn't try to hide her dissatisfaction when she answered. "I got dragged into a math competition. I'm here to get some mock exams from Aiden. It won't take long.""Oh." Jeremy nodded.So Aiden brought her here?WHY?For fuck's sake, why? If she sees Jak
Jake ran to the bathroom and slammed the door hard. His knees went weak, falling on the floor with a loud thump, but his brain couldn't register the pain in his body. It was too busy trying to process the pain in his heart that was painfully beating against his chest.After throwing up what he ate in the morning, finally, the tears he had fought back, washed his face and the voice that had stuck in his throat came out in whimpers.Why? Why like this? Why did she have to find out like this? Why did Aiden tell her that? Why? Just why?!Ryder recognized him, that's for sure. She recognized his voice back in the bookstore twice. It was impossible not to do so again this time. Would she hate him? Hate him for being Aiden's brother... for being such a failure? For being so weak in the past? He was still weak...Anxiously overthinking, Jake started to attack his wrists once more, and when he wasn't scratching the wrists, he was biting on his nails, chewing on his lips.Was she disappointed?
The voice was low and tender, but it broke the silence of the night and echoed in Jake's head, giving birth to a bone-shaking fear that overwhelmed his entire soul, almost making him fall apart. He finally noticed Ryder sitting on the swing seat, hugging her knees. He unconsciously tensed and took a step back, but his back hit the fence. Maybe it was because he didn't expect Ryder to be out here or maybe it was because of the thoughts and speculations that felt as if a hand was squeezing his heart, but his knees went soft, and Jake fell on the ground.His teeth bit deep in his lip, but tears welled up in his eyes and flowed down his cheeks involuntarily. For a moment it was as if they were back on the first night they met.One girl.One boy.One staring.One crying.Both frozen in time.Both looking at each other in disbelief.And just like back then, the crying young man broke the silence with the same two words."I'm sorry."Ryder felt her chest tighten. Her heart hurt with every he
Truth be told Ryder was quite shocked when she heard Midnight's voice in Aiden's house. She was even more shocked when she saw that Midnight's voice came from Aiden's brother. EVEN MORE SHOCKING WAS THE FACT THAT SHE GOT TO SEE HER MIDNIGHT HALF NAKED!He looked so adorably hot, Ryder was lost for words.Her Midnight was so handsome >w
In the morning, Jake was the first to wake up. His eyes opened halfway as he stared in confusion in front of him. He still felt tired both in body and soul, which was a pretty familiar state to him. However, this was the first time, despite the tiredness, he felt rather calm and warm. He was still trying to fully wake himself up to understand why things were different this time when something on his head moved.In a daze, he realized it was a hand stroking his hair. His heart fluttered, and Jake looked up to meet the owner of the hand only to see two cognac eyes looking at him sleepily."Morning," Ryder muttered. The hand that was resting on Jake's back lifted and reached out for her phone. It was four in the morning, and it was still dark outside, but the light in the room was left on.Jake was convinced he was dreaming. How else could he be in such a situation if it wasn't a dream? He was lying down in a bed with Ry, his Ry holding him tightly, stroking his hair. The first thing he
When Jake walked into the house, two grown-ass men jumped on him, hundreds of questions thrown at him in rapid fire. One grabbed his face looking for any wounds, looking at his eyes that had turned red from all the crying, and the other checked his wrists in fear that this time instead of scratching them to the point they bled, he had started cutting them."Do you know how scared I was?""Where did you go?""Why did you leave?""Are you okay?""Does it feel uncomfortable anywhere?""Does anything hurt?""Do you need to go to the hospital?"Jake barely had time to answer any of those questions and kept shaking his head to tell these two that he was fine, but the questions didn't come to an end.At least not until Mathew and Jeremy saw Jake smiling.The moment they noticed that he looked genuinely happy, they almost lost it, terror making their minds go blank.It's over. He has turned silly.Mathew started crying on the spot. "His brain died. Oh God, my poor precious son! It is all my f
Jake smiled and put the phone back in his pocket. He lifted his head right in time to see Ryder running to him with a wide smile on her face. The girl he has liked and loved for so long threw herself in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck tight. The happiness this simple thing brought was unexplainable."Did you miss me that much?" Jake chuckled when Ryder's cold nose was buried in his neck.Ryder nodded. "I have been a third wheel for half the day. I was miserable."She pulled back and saw Jake's smiling face. That smile made her unable to breathe. Her heart beat faster against her chest as if trying to leap out. That handsome face was his should never have a sad expression on. Should never be washed by tears. Her Jake was so handsome when smiling. Lethally handsome.Being stared at by those cognac eyes, Jake wanted to bow his head and kiss her, but just as he was about to do so, his plans were ruined by a roar coming from behind Ryder."RYDER QUIN! YOU EXPLAIN TO ME... now..
"Where are you now?""I'm behind the house. Are you coming down, or should I come up?""You come up. I'm not done packing yet."That word again... Packing...Jake frowned when he heard it.Several months after the two of them got together, after spring and summer came and went, and when September was finally here, his Ry would leave for college. She was majoring in mechatronic engineering and would leave tomorrow. The place was only a few hours away from here, but Ryder wanted to live on the campus because it was more convenient, but that meant that he couldn't see her as often as he used to.He breathed out a heavy sigh and jumped over the fence.A lot happened during these months. Ryder introduced him to her parents, and she also met his father. She eventually found out that Jake was a writer... that writer... The cold war with Aiden gradually died out... Even though things were still a bit awkward between Jake and him, it was better than they had been before. Aiden even apologized
Jake, who was with one foot in dreamland, snapped his eyes open, fully awake now.Didn't we drop this topic?Why did it come back to haunt me?"It's really nothing. Now sleep. You have to go to work tomorrow."But Ryder wouldn't let it go this time. "But he looked like he wanted to tell me something.""You know my dad. He always talks nonsense.""But you threatened him and then you blushed when I asked you about it, so it's not nothing or nonsense as you claim it to be. Even now, you're rubbing your fingertips. You do that every time you're nervous or thinking about something. So what is it?"Jake groaned. "Why do you always pull this Sherlock Holmes thing on me every time I don't want to tell you something?"Ryder smiled and turned around to face him. The dim moonlight entered the room, and she could vaguely see Jake's face in the darkness. This made her feel like she was back to four years ago when she was close to him but couldn't see his face. No matter how much she tried to reach
4 years laterJake had no idea where his father took it, but Mathew was going through a baby fever lately and wouldn't stop nagging Jake about it. He would suddenly drop by Jake's apartment and follow him around asking for babies. He would suddenly pop out of nowhere when Jake was book shopping, and shove books about how to conceive a baby in his hand. One moment Jake was looking at a cover with dragons on it, and the next one the titles "It starts with the Egg", "The Fertility Diet", "The Trying Game", "Making Babies" and more, almost blinded him.Mathew wouldn't be stopped at anything.He was dead set on it. He needed grandchildren at any cost."I want grandkids, Jake!""Dad, I'm not even married.""Make me a grandfather, Jake!""Go ask Aiden.""But he's still in college. He has to study.""Ryder has to study too!""But she graduated this year."Jake took a deep breath to calm himself down before looking at his father again. Mathew looked like a child begging to go to Disneyland, bu
2 years agoEver since Ryder changed schools, she came to find out that being alone isn't actually that bad. She could read all she wanted with nobody interrupting her, and she could concentrate more in class. She also came to find out that she didn't actually mind it. Being alone... Ryder slowly started to like it, even though sometimes it was too lonesome.Yet a certain someone who suddenly got an interest in her wouldn't let her be alone no matter what. Apparently, this crazy punk named Jasmine had set her mind on adopting her.Ryder just couldn't understand how the mind of this girl worked. Still, the more time she spent with her, the more Ryder got used to her... The more she got to like her. Even though it took quite a while for Ryder to trust Jasmine, the two of them became friends and would spend a lot of time together.Ryder still liked being alone, but she also found out that occasionally spending time with so
"Where are you now?""I'm behind the house. Are you coming down, or should I come up?""You come up. I'm not done packing yet."That word again... Packing...Jake frowned when he heard it.Several months after the two of them got together, after spring and summer came and went, and when September was finally here, his Ry would leave for college. She was majoring in mechatronic engineering and would leave tomorrow. The place was only a few hours away from here, but Ryder wanted to live on the campus because it was more convenient, but that meant that he couldn't see her as often as he used to.He breathed out a heavy sigh and jumped over the fence.A lot happened during these months. Ryder introduced him to her parents, and she also met his father. She eventually found out that Jake was a writer... that writer... The cold war with Aiden gradually died out... Even though things were still a bit awkward between Jake and him, it was better than they had been before. Aiden even apologized
Jake smiled and put the phone back in his pocket. He lifted his head right in time to see Ryder running to him with a wide smile on her face. The girl he has liked and loved for so long threw herself in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck tight. The happiness this simple thing brought was unexplainable."Did you miss me that much?" Jake chuckled when Ryder's cold nose was buried in his neck.Ryder nodded. "I have been a third wheel for half the day. I was miserable."She pulled back and saw Jake's smiling face. That smile made her unable to breathe. Her heart beat faster against her chest as if trying to leap out. That handsome face was his should never have a sad expression on. Should never be washed by tears. Her Jake was so handsome when smiling. Lethally handsome.Being stared at by those cognac eyes, Jake wanted to bow his head and kiss her, but just as he was about to do so, his plans were ruined by a roar coming from behind Ryder."RYDER QUIN! YOU EXPLAIN TO ME... now..
When Jake walked into the house, two grown-ass men jumped on him, hundreds of questions thrown at him in rapid fire. One grabbed his face looking for any wounds, looking at his eyes that had turned red from all the crying, and the other checked his wrists in fear that this time instead of scratching them to the point they bled, he had started cutting them."Do you know how scared I was?""Where did you go?""Why did you leave?""Are you okay?""Does it feel uncomfortable anywhere?""Does anything hurt?""Do you need to go to the hospital?"Jake barely had time to answer any of those questions and kept shaking his head to tell these two that he was fine, but the questions didn't come to an end.At least not until Mathew and Jeremy saw Jake smiling.The moment they noticed that he looked genuinely happy, they almost lost it, terror making their minds go blank.It's over. He has turned silly.Mathew started crying on the spot. "His brain died. Oh God, my poor precious son! It is all my f
In the morning, Jake was the first to wake up. His eyes opened halfway as he stared in confusion in front of him. He still felt tired both in body and soul, which was a pretty familiar state to him. However, this was the first time, despite the tiredness, he felt rather calm and warm. He was still trying to fully wake himself up to understand why things were different this time when something on his head moved.In a daze, he realized it was a hand stroking his hair. His heart fluttered, and Jake looked up to meet the owner of the hand only to see two cognac eyes looking at him sleepily."Morning," Ryder muttered. The hand that was resting on Jake's back lifted and reached out for her phone. It was four in the morning, and it was still dark outside, but the light in the room was left on.Jake was convinced he was dreaming. How else could he be in such a situation if it wasn't a dream? He was lying down in a bed with Ry, his Ry holding him tightly, stroking his hair. The first thing he
Truth be told Ryder was quite shocked when she heard Midnight's voice in Aiden's house. She was even more shocked when she saw that Midnight's voice came from Aiden's brother. EVEN MORE SHOCKING WAS THE FACT THAT SHE GOT TO SEE HER MIDNIGHT HALF NAKED!He looked so adorably hot, Ryder was lost for words.Her Midnight was so handsome >w
The voice was low and tender, but it broke the silence of the night and echoed in Jake's head, giving birth to a bone-shaking fear that overwhelmed his entire soul, almost making him fall apart. He finally noticed Ryder sitting on the swing seat, hugging her knees. He unconsciously tensed and took a step back, but his back hit the fence. Maybe it was because he didn't expect Ryder to be out here or maybe it was because of the thoughts and speculations that felt as if a hand was squeezing his heart, but his knees went soft, and Jake fell on the ground.His teeth bit deep in his lip, but tears welled up in his eyes and flowed down his cheeks involuntarily. For a moment it was as if they were back on the first night they met.One girl.One boy.One staring.One crying.Both frozen in time.Both looking at each other in disbelief.And just like back then, the crying young man broke the silence with the same two words."I'm sorry."Ryder felt her chest tighten. Her heart hurt with every he