As breakfast wrapped up, the tension in the room lingered like a dark cloud. Caspian had returned to his usual self, teasing Neel while Dev avoided looking at me altogether. But it was Lucas who had me on edge. He didn’t say much after his quiet request to talk, and now, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in his head. I tried to act normal, helping Caspian finish plating the food, but my mind was racing. I glanced at Lucas again, his eyes following me with a seriousness that I wasn’t used to. Something was definitely off. Once the kitchen cleared, Lucas stepped closer, his voice low but firm. “Let’s go. We need to talk.” His tone sent a shiver down my spine. This wasn’t the playful Lucas who had always been so lighthearted with me. This was someone else—someone serious, maybe even angry. I followed him down the hallway, my stomach twisting with every step. He led me into the room before the entrance hall, the one in which I'd only seen Ian playing video games. Ho
I couldn’t breathe. Lucas’s words circled in my head, spinning faster and faster, creating a storm of confusion, pain, and anger. Caspian—the one who had shown me a side of myself I hadn’t even known existed—was using me. Using me to hurt his brother. I couldn’t process it. It was as if everything I thought I understood about my place in this family, my relationships with the brothers, had just crumbled beneath my feet. And worse? I had let it happen. My eyes blurred with tears as I sat there, sinking deeper into the beanbag. My entire body felt like it was imploding, my heart twisting and pounding in my chest, squeezing tighter with each breath. I tried to make sense of it and tried to rationalize why Caspian would do something so cruel. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t. Caspian wasn't the man Lucas was trying to paint him to be. Lucas’s presence loomed over me, and I knew he was watching, waiting for me to say something—anything—but I couldn’t find the words. It wa
The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. Caspian stood just inside my room, his eyes locked on mine, unreadable. He always had that way about him—calm and composed, like nothing could touch him. But now?Now, there was something more. Something deeper, lurking beneath the surface, and I couldn’t tell if it was anger, guilt, or something else entirely.I couldn't read him yet. Things would have been much easier if I could just read him.“Kat,” he said softly, his voice breaking through the thick silence in the room. “What is going on? What did you and Lucas talk about?”The calmness in his tone was almost unsettling. I had expected him to be colder, to deny what Lucas had told me—or worse, confirm it with the kind of casual cruelty that Lucas had warned me about. But instead, Caspian just stood there, like he wasn’t sure what was going on. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but my heart was pounding in my chest. I clenched my fists and decided that I couldn
Neel’s text vibrated through my phone, snapping me out of my thoughts as I stared blankly at the ceiling. My body still felt heavy, weighed down by the emotional rollercoaster of the morning. Caspian and Lucas—both had a different story about themself and the other person. I was still trying to make sense of it all. To think over all the things to understand who was right. I grabbed my phone and glanced at the message.Neel: Leaving for college. Do you need a ride?I checked the time and sighed. I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten. Shaking off the lingering confusion from the morning’s conversation with Caspian, I shot back a quick reply.Me: Yeah, I’m almost ready. Give me two minutes.I tossed my phone onto the bed and headed straight for the bathroom. Splashing cold water on my face, I stared at my reflection. My skin looked pale, and my eyes were still puffy from all the crying. I grabbed some concealer, patting it under my eyes to hide the puffiness, and swiped on a bit of
Standing outside the university building, I found myself reaching for my phone, half-tempted to call Camilia. Part of me wanted to spill everything about last night and the morning—the mess with Caspian, Lucas, and how I’d been caught in their complicated history. Camilia would have understood; she always knew how to make things feel simpler, somehow. But just as quickly as the idea came, I pushed it away. I realised that it wouldn't be fair to dump another issue on her, especially when I didn’t even know how to put my feelings into words. Sighing, I tucked my phone back into the bag and headed to my next class of the day: Art. It was an elective, something I’d chosen on a whim, and the walk there felt like the perfect distraction. The art building was on the far side of campus, half-hidden by a row of tall trees, almost like it was its own little world. By the time I reached the door, I could already feel some of the tension easing. Art and Literature had that effect on
“Okay everyone, we will stop here today,” the professor said looking around the room. “We will continue again in the next class. Write your student ID at the bottom of your canvas and leave it here.” “We can't take it home?” O.G. questioned, cleaning his fingers with tissue paper. “I kind of like what I've created, might sell it online.” The class laughed, I couldn't stop myself either at the bluntness with which he said that. His painting was also nothing special, it looked like what most of us have created, but the colour contrast made it stand out among the others. It was very bright and fluid, with definite black strokes. It looked beautiful. “Not today,” the professor answered. She came to look at his painting and looked impressed. “They need to dry. I'll put them away safely when they are dried. You all can leave.” Everyone started collecting the materials they had brought to put back on the shelves. Neel took pictures of both of our canvases despite my protest
“No, you can't hold yourself responsible for what others feel. That's stupid, Kat.” The words hung in the air between us, and for a long moment, Dev just looked at me, his expression open, soft. There was a kind of gentleness in his gaze, a patience that made me feel like something scratched my heart. For all the times I had been pulled in one direction or another swept up in Lucas’s magnetism or Caspian’s quiet intimidation, here was Dev—solid and steady, a place where I didn’t have to choose sides or overthink what he was feeling. “How can you be so understanding about it?” I finally asked, almost in awe. “It’s like… nothing fazes you. I don't think I've met someone like you before in my life.” He smiled, but it was a faint, almost sad sort of smile. “It’s not that I’m unshakeable, Kat. But sometimes, I think we get so wrapped up in the noises in our head that we forget to see what’s right in front of us.” “I don't think I could ever be like that,” I accepted because I
I glanced over at him, seeing the quiet wisdom in his expression, the gentle way he moved through the world without letting the noise in his head consume him. There was something calming about watching Dev work. Every movement was deliberate and steady, as though he’d found some peace in the simplicity of planting seeds and getting his hands dirty. He didn’t need the drama or intensity; he didn’t need anything other than what was right in front of him. “Maybe you’re right,” I said, pressing another seedling into the earth. “I’ve been so caught up in trying to figure everyone out that I forgot to think about what I actually want. It’s like… I keep getting wrapped up in all the things I don’t know, all the things I’m trying to understand about other people, but I haven’t stopped to listen to myself.” Dev paused, glancing over at me with a hint of a smile. “And what is it you want, Miss Katherine?” I smiled at the way he ended his sentence. It was like a therapist talking with t
“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