The late afternoon slipped into the evening as we returned to the house, a comfortable quiet settling between us after the ride. Caspian’s hand brushed mine briefly as we stepped into the entryway, and I felt the familiar thrill run through me. It was a soft touch, barely there, but enough to stir up the unsteady mix of emotions that had been simmering under the surface since the park. Just as we were about to head further inside, I spotted Dev on the staircase, a curious look on his face as he glanced between the two of us. He leaned casually against the railing, looking as if he’d been waiting for us. “Back from the stables, I see,” Dev said, his voice light but with an undercurrent of amusement. “How was it? Get enough of the great outdoors?” Caspian shot him a look, his expression calm. “Let’s just say Midnight enjoyed herself.” “Good timing then,” Dev said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Neel and Leo are in the kitchen experimenting. You’re just in time to witness
The night air wrapped around us, cool and gentle, as Caspian and I strolled down the quiet garden path, a soft breeze rustling through the trees in the forest in front of us. He walked beside me, his hands tucked into his pockets, gaze fixed ahead. The silence between us stretched out, comfortable yet charged with a quiet energy that seemed to hum in the air around us. After a few moments, Caspian broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m glad you came to talk to me today,” he murmured, his eyes never leaving the path ahead. “I was going crazy, building up different scenarios in my head of what might happen next between us.” A smile tugged at my lips as I looked over at him, realizing I wasn’t the only one who’d been tangled up in endless scenarios. “It was what I needed too, honestly,” I replied, my voice soft. “I’m not saying I’m ready to believe everything just yet, not until I talk with Lucas. But I’m glad we cleared the air, even if a little.” He s
It was about half an hour past midnight. I sat on the bed, anxiously checking the time on my phone, which read 12:36 AM. I had been waiting for Caspian since midnight, and each passing minute felt like an eternity. The excitement that had filled me earlier began to wane, replaced by a growing sense of unease. ‘Why hasn’t he arrived yet?’ ‘Had something come up?’ ‘Did he change his mind?’ I was hugging my knees to my chest, feeling the delicate lace of my outfit brush against my skin, a reminder of the special night I had planned. I wanted a good fuck to forget about all of my problems and confusion, and also to move forward with Caspian. I stopped myself from calling him on his phone and back on the mattress, slowly trailing my fingers over the stomach. My thoughts faded into the passionate kiss we shared in the secret room below his office, and it became hard for me to keep my fingers from crossing the waistband of my panties. I was wet just thinking about Caspian. I imagine
“Go on then, master, I'm all yours to love and abuse tonight.” I don't know what came over me when I said it, but the darkness in Caspian's eyes made me wary. The words affected him in a way that was still foreign to me. Yet, I can see the hunger in his eyes, for me. He rubbed his fingers over the fabric of my lingerie, an impressed smile on his lips as he stared me up and down. He didn't say anything, just kept his gaze fixated on me and that made me shiver. I looked away, not being able to hold eye contact with him anymore. “Look back at me, Kat. I want to see your beautiful face,” he slurred before leaning for a peck on my cheeks and then my lips when I turned my face. “I want you to save tonight as a treasured memory for the future.” My cheeks turned red from embarrassment and my chest started to burn with want. I wanted his hand around me, his chest touching my breasts and his soft lips on mine, so I locked my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. “Caspian, I am
The next morning dawned soft and quiet. The early light filtered through the blinds in my room, casting warm slats across the walls. For a moment, I stayed curled in bed, the silence almost comforting, but the lingering threads of the event from the night before tugged at me, pulling me back into the whirlwind of emotions still left. Caspian was tender when he slid inside me and started moving, softly with careful pushes. He talked to me till he climaxed, asking me about my feelings and what he was going to do next. It felt weird at first, but soon I understood he was being cautious to make sure our first time wasn't a painful memory. I reached my hand to where he slept and I could still smell him on that part of the bed. After dragging myself out of bed and throwing on a simple outfit, I made my way downstairs to grab a quick breakfast before heading to campus. The kitchen was quiet—only Dev sat at the table, flipping through a thick medical textbook, his face lit by a soft
Standing just outside the main building, I glanced at my phone, trying to book a cab for the ride home. The afternoon sun was fading, leaving a soft glow that made everything seem quieter than usual. After a few taps, though, my screen flashed the dreaded ‘No drivers available in the area. Please refresh’ text. I sighed, wondering if I’d be stuck waiting longer than I’d planned. I turned my internet and once again opened the app, hoping for another result. “Katherine?” I heard someone call my name from behind. I turned to see Diego approaching, his easy smile softening the usual spark in his eyes. “Everything alright?” he asked, looking from me to my phone with mild concern. “Oh, yeah,” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant. “Just booking a cab to get home. It’s being a little stubborn.” He tilted his head, considering, before offering, “I could give you a ride if you’d like. My car’s just over in the lot.” His offer was generous, and I was grateful, but part of me hesitated. I
“Please, Kat, tell me if he likes guys.” “Why do you care?” I opened the main door and waited for him to come. “Aren't you with the golden boy of the town?” He stood in front of me instead of going inside. “No, Elias and me, we are more of friends. I like his company, and that guy was hot. I like hot guys.” “Wha... that's... I don't think you can say that.” I pushed him inside the house and walked behind him. “I can, it's not racist or anything,” he countered and I was at a loss of words. “I-I... you know what, forget it.” Leo laughed as we made our way through the entrance hall. The room was unexpectedly crowded—the whole family was gathered there rather than in the family room for the first time. Caspian and Dev were talking in low voices, their heads close together, clearly immersed in whatever Derek had recently told them about the upcoming party. “Welcome, you two; take a seat,” Dev said when his eyes landed on us. I nodded and went towards Neel who was l
I went to my room after that, not knowing how to feel about my mom coming back. It was such a relief to be with her family, still not be with her. I started to like the new living arrangement, but I knew after she's back it would start to go down. She had a tendency to control my life, to make me whatever version of her she had in her mind. I stopped questioning that a long time away and tried playing friendly whenever she visited me in Texas, which wasn't much, and I liked it that way. Grandma was an additional support to the whole thing, and she was always on my side, against Mom. She knew Mom, inside and out, and that was a huge plus point whenever there was an argument about me being moody or rebellious. Grandma would bring things from her past and that would shut her up. I missed her in moments like that. Stepping inside the room, I locked the door and pulled out the black pair of jeans I was wearing. They were too tight and made my thighs itch the whole day. I pulled a p
“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