The late afternoon sun filtered through the balcony, casting a golden glow across Lucas's bedroom. My body was still flushed from the heat of the moment, lying next to him, our breaths evening out in unison. For a brief moment, there was nothing but the sound of our breathing, and I let myself sink into the strange comfort of his presence. But the weight of reality was creeping back in, like a cold draft sneaking under the door. Lucas turned to me, his hand brushing lightly against my arm. “You’re quiet.” I forced a small smile. “Just... thinking about some stuff.” He chuckled, propping himself up on his elbow. “Thinking about what, exactly? Your dominance was pretty sexy.” His teasing tone made me smile for real this time, but beneath the surface, I felt something gnawing at me. It was easier to say I was exploring, but the guilt that followed couldn’t be ignored because I was still hiding everything from them. The web I was weaving was getting messier by the day, and I didn’
Three days passed. Three long days of me trying to keep my distance from both Dev and Caspian. With Dev, it was easy enough—he had been distant, his coldness mirroring my own need to step back. We exchanged only polite nods, barely speaking beyond the necessities. The tension between us felt like a wall neither of us was ready to break through. Caspian, on the other hand, wasn’t the type to be ignored. Every day, he’d tried to talk to me, finding reasons to strike up conversations, randomly, but I always managed to slip away. A quick excuse, a task that urgently needed attention, or sometimes just walking away before he had a chance to say anything more. It worked—sort of. But I could feel his growing frustration with each passing day. He wanted me to directly answer him, and I had no direct answer for him. It didn’t help that the rest of the house had noticed. Neel had asked about Dev the day before, his eyes concerned as he tried to nudge me into talking. I had skillfully ch
I walked through the entrance of the college building, the hum of students and distant chatter filling the air. The cool air-conditioned atmosphere was a sharp contrast to the warmth of the sun outside, and I instantly felt a bit more awake. My sneakers squeaked against the smooth floor as I made my way through the spacious hallways, grateful for the map they mailed along with the syllabus. Without it, I’d probably end up wandering aimlessly through this labyrinth. The buildings were big and the campus bigger. I couldn't believe Derek's family founded such an institute. Heading up to the second floor for my first class, Biology I, I couldn’t help the knot of nerves in my stomach. New faces, new subjects—it was all so overwhelming. When I finally found my classroom, I paused, taking a deep breath to calm myself. ‘It’s just the first day. You’ve got this.’ I told myself before pushing open the door. I was greeted by an almost-empty room. Only one person sat towards the front,
Neel dropped me off near the entrance of the park on his motorcycle.“Leo isn't around. Should I wait?” he questioned as I handed him the helmet.“No, I'm fine. You don't have to wait. You can go,” I said, noticing his hesitation. He still looked unsure, so I added, “I'll be fine, Neel. I'm not a child.”“Alright, alright.” He nodded his head and started the engine, his motorcycle rumbling as he pulled away.I watched him go and sighed in relief, pulling out my phone and dialing Leo’s number.“Hey, beautiful,” Leo replied, his voice bright and cheerful.“Hey, I'm at the entrance of the park. Where are you?” I looked inside the park, thinking he would be there.“You're looking the wrong way. I’m at the café across the street,” Leo answered, amusement in his tone. “I’m waving at you from the window.”I looked up and spotted him through the café’s window, grinning and waving energetically. Putting the phone back in my pocket, I crossed the road, careful to avoid the late afternoon traffi
As we sprinted through the streets, the world around us blurred into a series of fading storefronts, the colors of signs and windows mixing into a strange, disjointed mosaic. My heart pounded in my chest, not just from the running but from the adrenaline still buzzing through me. Leo’s hand was clasped tightly in mine as we dodged around pedestrians, the sound of his quickened breaths matching mine. My mind was racing, replaying every moment of that confrontation with his bullies. Though, I wasn't afraid of what might happen to me but more worried about Leo and what he must be going through everyday. They were in his high school, so it wasn't a reach to think they must be bullying him everyday, about his clothes and makeup. The park finally came into view, its rusted iron entrance like a safe haven in the chaos. Without slowing down, we dashed through, the gravel crunching beneath our feet as we veered past the lake, the water shimmering in the setting sun. The thin woods on the
The walk back home felt heavier than usual. Leo had confided everything, and the weight of his words pressed on my chest, making it hard to focus on anything else. My stomach knotted tighter with each step toward the house, as the looming conversation ahead took shape in my mind. I dreaded it—not because of what I had to say, but because I knew how they’d react. Leo had been quiet after spilling his heart, his usual cheerfulness dulled by the sour taste in his mouth. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, head down, a slight frown on his lips. When we finally reached the door, he gave me a small, tired smile before slipping inside without a word. I watched him as he trudged upstairs to his room, each step slow and deliberate. He needed time to process everything, and honestly, so did I, but I didn't have that time. I needed to tell his brothers so that they could do something to protect him. I paused at the threshold, taking a deep breath before stepping into the family room. T
I stepped into Caspian's office, the door clicking softly behind me as he closed it. The office felt colder than usual as I stood by his desk, pretending to focus on the framed photograph of Derek and all the seven brothers on the wall.I shifted on my feet, waiting for him to speak because I couldn't dare to turn around to look at him. My heart pounded louder than my thoughts as my eyes found the wooden panel behind which the secret door was, and I wondered if the others knew about it. My thoughts stopped and I tried not to move when I sensed him standing behind me, his presence undeniable, consuming the space. I was used to his intensity by now, but this was different. The air between us was charged, electric, and I could feel the shift in him—more commanding, more determined.“I lied,” he finally said, his voice low but firm, an edge to it that made my pulse race. “There isn’t anything about your college that I needed to talk about.”My stomach flipped when his warm breath touched
As I left Caspian’s office, my head was a mix of adrenaline and questions. I wasn’t unhappy with what had happened—far from it. I had wanted that kiss, the heat, the rush that came with him. But the idea of giving up control, of letting him dominate me in ways I hadn’t even thought about, was where the uncertainty crept in. ‘Could I really do that? Could I trust him enough to let go completely?’ I asked myself as I walked down the hallway, trying to ground myself, my fingers trailing lightly against the cool wall.It was different between me and Lucas because I was the one taking charge. I knew where the line was and how far I could press him for my pleasure. I knew when to stop, and the biggest fear in my head was what if Caspian didn't know when to stop. Lucas was much stronger than me, if I pushed him too much he could have thrown me away anytime he wanted, but I couldn't do the same with Caspian. He was probably ten times stronger than me. I found my way to the kitchen, my thr
“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