The fairy lights covered the night sky of our stable, casting warm pools of gold over the arriving guests. I was happy with how things turned out, even though it wasn't the type of party I wanted to throw for Ian and Harry. In the crowd, I could spot only a few young faces, everyone else was double my age. I knew Ian and Harry had hardly met four or five of Dad's guests before. No one could have said it was a birthday party for two young boys turning twenty because it looked nothing like that. From music to decor, everything around me screamed corporate and formal. Even the conversations around me were about stocks and shares, while others tried to make contacts. Laughter and murmurs wove through the air, blending with the faint rustle of tree branches and the clink of champagne glasses. To everyone else, the party must seem flawless—another perfectly orchestrated event by Dad, a gleaming display of prestige and power. But all I could feel was the dull thud of unease in my
“Hey,” Kat’s smooth voice broke through the weight of my thoughts. Soft and concerned, her words slipped around me like a gentle breeze. “What are you—” “Thank you everyone for coming today,” Dad announced from where he was near the cocktail bar, surrounded by his friends. “I can't be more happy than I'm right now. I've such amazing sons and two of them are turning a year older, and I can't imagine anything better than what we have right now.” A cheer erupted from the crowd and I could see from the corner of my eyes that Ian was doing his best to disappear in the shadow. He knew they would be called in front anytime now, and it looked like he was preparing himself for that. “He is really enjoying it,” Leo commented, looking around, trying to find someone. “Thank you,” he then turned towards Kat's mom and planted a kiss on her cheeks. “Amd we will be cutting the cake soon, but till then, enjoy the party.” The song changed and a live band came to perform, it was one of dad's
I saw Diego standing near the entrance with a small bag in his hand as I tried not to look at the people checking me out. He had a tense smile on his lips and looked lost, I almost laughed seeing him looking for me. He pulled his phone out and stepped to the side, hiding away from the stolen glances he received from ladies near him. He looked sharp in the blue suit he was wearing and had his hair slicked back. My phone started to ring and I realised he was calling me. I was about to pick up the call when he looked in my direction, and our eyes met, I waved my hand, and with a faint smile, he walked towards me. He had a little jump in his steps that he was trying to hide, but when he looked at me completely, his jaw was on the grass. All the nervousness due to being in an event like that and the unease from before was gone. His eyes sparkled and I felt Caspian turning towards him. “Wow,” he said, mesmerized as he looked up and down. Weirdly, with Diego, I didn't feel creeped out li
“A surprise?” I nodded my head, forcing a small smile. “Yeah, a surprise for you and Harry. Come with us and I promise you, it will be better than this.” He laughed, “Anything in this world is going to be better than this.” Dev looked down to lock eyes with Ian and, in a soft, love-filled voice, said, “I am sorry for not doing anything and letting you go through all of this; let me and the others show how much we love you.” “Y-you don't have to show me anything, I know,” Ian took a shaky breath and nodded before wrapping his arms around Dev. Just then, Caspian and Lucas appeared with Harry in tow. They were laughing about something, but when they noticed Dev and Ian, they stopped. A veil of confusion covered their faces as they tried to figure out what happened. “What’s going on?” Harry’s brow furrowed, and his eyes flickered between us. “Are you okay?” “Yeah, it was Alaric, forget about him,” Ian said, pulling away from Dev and then turned towards the others. “Did they
I already knew about the surprise party; Harry did too. The way Kat, Dev and others had tried to be subtle, sneaking around and exchanging knowing glances, was almost comical. Leo couldn't be sneaky, even if it cost him his life. I heard him speaking about the surprise on the phone more than once, while Harry guessed it seeing the way others interacted with each other. Both me and Harry figured it out days ago, but neither of us said a word to anyone. Pretending not to know felt easier than watching their faces fall, realizing all their hard work would go to waste. They wanted the day to be special—for us. Despite everything—the strained dinner conversations and the silences that cut sharper than words—we didn’t want to ruin it for them. We didn’t want to ruin their mood and take away the one thing they thought would make our day special. They were already going against Dad by planning the surprise. As we walked toward the boathouse, the air was still dense due to the argument
The music from the sound system thumped gently in the background, blending with the laughter and chatter that floated through the cool, soothing air of Lake Willow.The fairy lights strung along the trees cast a warm, golden glow across the boathouse and the surrounding clearing. Everything was perfect, in a way I hadn’t expected it to be. But then again, it wasn’t the beautiful decorations or the tasty cake that made the night special. It was the people—my brothers, my family—finally feeling like they had a place to just be.I watched Harry moving through the dance floor, surrounded by his friends, with joy in his eyes. He was laughing; his arms were flailing in a carefree rhythm that made me smile despite the fear of what Dad might do tomorrow, eating away my brain cells. If he decided to throw us out, I had to take care of my brothers and provide them with necessities. To most of their cards, Dad still had access, and he could freeze their account whenever he wanted; thankfully,
Caspian’s hand was warm as he took mine in his own and led me through the creeping shadows of the forest. The branches of the trees above us whispered secrets to each other. And our only companion in that dark night was the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the branches that swayed under the spell of the wind. The sounds of the birthday party faded behind us; the hum of voices and the music became a distant murmur that we couldn't hear anymore. I felt a strange sense of anticipation, like we were sneaking away to a place that existed just for the two of us. He stopped in front of a large oak that stood tall near their house. Its branches stretched in all directions, and the trunk was so wide that it would require at least seven people standing hand in hand to fully encircle it. The bark of the tree was rough and weathered, telling stories of countless seasons that had passed. A ladder was nailed into it, and it disappeared into the darkness above. Caspian’s lips curled
My eyes fluttered open slowly, and I saw the sunlight streaming through the balcony in my bedroom. I groaned tiredly, my whole body was heavy with exhaustion from the previous night. For a brief, disoriented moment, I wondered if it had all been a dream—the party, the argument, the fight, the tension hanging so thick in the air it almost made me feel suffocation. My heart lurched as a thought shot through my mind. Caspian. ‘Is he still here?’ I questioned myself and turned my head quickly, scanning the room for any sign of him. The bed beside me was empty. No lingering warmth, no trace of his presence anywhere. I once again melted under the covers as a wave of relief washed over me. Though it mingled with a strange, inexplicable disappointment. I wasn’t sure which emotion was stronger; the relief of not being caught with him or the disappointment of not waking up in his arms. I touched my lips, remembering the way he kissed me in the tree house. His hands tenderly played with my
“She wouldn't play with Dad like that, would she?” His question made me uncomfortable because Mom was doing exactly that. She was with Derek because of his money and she claimed he knew that too and was fine with it, but I didn't know if I could pass that information to Leo or not. Whatever agreement they had was between them, and I believed it wasn't my place to share that with his sons. Thus, I hid the truth but didn't tell him lies about Mom either. “I don't know her enough to comment about that. She hasn't been around much and you know she dated a lot of men between my Dad and yours.” “Still, she's your mother,” Leo tried to pull out any information, it was understandable that he was worried about Derek. “You must know something.” “I know that she's not the most responsible person on the planet, and didn't care about her daughter for years,” I said, remembering how I wanted to leave with her when Dad and her divorced. “Apart from that, she's just a stranger to me. I guarant
“Leo likes Kat's friend, and we just had a little disagreement about it,” Derek explained to Mom while she came to stand behind him. He was still sitting on the stool idly tracing a pattern on the marble top while trying to gather his thoughts. He looked older that morning, weighed down by the events that took place the night before. His brows were furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyes were fixed somewhere far beyond the kitchen. “Oh! you didn't tell me about him?” Mom turned to look at Leo with curled lips. “Wait, is he the guy you've been texting recently.” Leo looked away, embarrassed. “And you told me it was someone from the class.”“You knew about it, yet didn't tell me anything?” Derek said suddenly and his voice carried that heavy, parental mix of frustration and concern. Though he didn't sound angry. “You should have told me earlier.”“I wasn't sure about it myself. Besides, I thought he was someone Kat was interested in,” she said, turning to look at me. “I
“Actually, Dad, I like Diego.” “No, you don't!” Derek almost laughed as he said those words. “You are too young to understand love.” “I'm an adult, and I'm talking about liking him and not being in love with him.” Leo walked to give Caspian a side hug and stood by his side instead of looking at Derek while he spoke. “I can do what I want.”“You don't have my permission to date some random guy you picked from the roads.” The kitchen felt like a pressure cooker, the air around us suddenly became too thick for comfort. I could feel it—the tension that hung between everyone, and how each breath sounded heavier than the last.I was standing by the island, pretending to look at the coffee mugs lined up on the shelf, but my mind was a swirl of thoughts. I could feel the shift, the quiet unease. Something was wrong, and it wasn’t just the way Derek responded to Leo, but something else was going on. I didn't know what it was, but I could feel it in my bones. The moment had been creeping u
My eyes fluttered open slowly, and I saw the sunlight streaming through the balcony in my bedroom. I groaned tiredly, my whole body was heavy with exhaustion from the previous night. For a brief, disoriented moment, I wondered if it had all been a dream—the party, the argument, the fight, the tension hanging so thick in the air it almost made me feel suffocation. My heart lurched as a thought shot through my mind. Caspian. ‘Is he still here?’ I questioned myself and turned my head quickly, scanning the room for any sign of him. The bed beside me was empty. No lingering warmth, no trace of his presence anywhere. I once again melted under the covers as a wave of relief washed over me. Though it mingled with a strange, inexplicable disappointment. I wasn’t sure which emotion was stronger; the relief of not being caught with him or the disappointment of not waking up in his arms. I touched my lips, remembering the way he kissed me in the tree house. His hands tenderly played with my
Caspian’s hand was warm as he took mine in his own and led me through the creeping shadows of the forest. The branches of the trees above us whispered secrets to each other. And our only companion in that dark night was the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the branches that swayed under the spell of the wind. The sounds of the birthday party faded behind us; the hum of voices and the music became a distant murmur that we couldn't hear anymore. I felt a strange sense of anticipation, like we were sneaking away to a place that existed just for the two of us. He stopped in front of a large oak that stood tall near their house. Its branches stretched in all directions, and the trunk was so wide that it would require at least seven people standing hand in hand to fully encircle it. The bark of the tree was rough and weathered, telling stories of countless seasons that had passed. A ladder was nailed into it, and it disappeared into the darkness above. Caspian’s lips curled
The music from the sound system thumped gently in the background, blending with the laughter and chatter that floated through the cool, soothing air of Lake Willow.The fairy lights strung along the trees cast a warm, golden glow across the boathouse and the surrounding clearing. Everything was perfect, in a way I hadn’t expected it to be. But then again, it wasn’t the beautiful decorations or the tasty cake that made the night special. It was the people—my brothers, my family—finally feeling like they had a place to just be.I watched Harry moving through the dance floor, surrounded by his friends, with joy in his eyes. He was laughing; his arms were flailing in a carefree rhythm that made me smile despite the fear of what Dad might do tomorrow, eating away my brain cells. If he decided to throw us out, I had to take care of my brothers and provide them with necessities. To most of their cards, Dad still had access, and he could freeze their account whenever he wanted; thankfully,
I already knew about the surprise party; Harry did too. The way Kat, Dev and others had tried to be subtle, sneaking around and exchanging knowing glances, was almost comical. Leo couldn't be sneaky, even if it cost him his life. I heard him speaking about the surprise on the phone more than once, while Harry guessed it seeing the way others interacted with each other. Both me and Harry figured it out days ago, but neither of us said a word to anyone. Pretending not to know felt easier than watching their faces fall, realizing all their hard work would go to waste. They wanted the day to be special—for us. Despite everything—the strained dinner conversations and the silences that cut sharper than words—we didn’t want to ruin it for them. We didn’t want to ruin their mood and take away the one thing they thought would make our day special. They were already going against Dad by planning the surprise. As we walked toward the boathouse, the air was still dense due to the argument
“A surprise?” I nodded my head, forcing a small smile. “Yeah, a surprise for you and Harry. Come with us and I promise you, it will be better than this.” He laughed, “Anything in this world is going to be better than this.” Dev looked down to lock eyes with Ian and, in a soft, love-filled voice, said, “I am sorry for not doing anything and letting you go through all of this; let me and the others show how much we love you.” “Y-you don't have to show me anything, I know,” Ian took a shaky breath and nodded before wrapping his arms around Dev. Just then, Caspian and Lucas appeared with Harry in tow. They were laughing about something, but when they noticed Dev and Ian, they stopped. A veil of confusion covered their faces as they tried to figure out what happened. “What’s going on?” Harry’s brow furrowed, and his eyes flickered between us. “Are you okay?” “Yeah, it was Alaric, forget about him,” Ian said, pulling away from Dev and then turned towards the others. “Did they
I saw Diego standing near the entrance with a small bag in his hand as I tried not to look at the people checking me out. He had a tense smile on his lips and looked lost, I almost laughed seeing him looking for me. He pulled his phone out and stepped to the side, hiding away from the stolen glances he received from ladies near him. He looked sharp in the blue suit he was wearing and had his hair slicked back. My phone started to ring and I realised he was calling me. I was about to pick up the call when he looked in my direction, and our eyes met, I waved my hand, and with a faint smile, he walked towards me. He had a little jump in his steps that he was trying to hide, but when he looked at me completely, his jaw was on the grass. All the nervousness due to being in an event like that and the unease from before was gone. His eyes sparkled and I felt Caspian turning towards him. “Wow,” he said, mesmerized as he looked up and down. Weirdly, with Diego, I didn't feel creeped out li