As I walked down the hospital corridor, a sense of determination steadied my nerves. I didn’t want the visit to be one where I felt pushed aside by Harry’s constant presence, his critical gaze always lingering, silently disapproving. I was determined to see dad on my own terms. Carrying the bag of food I and Margaret had carefully prepared, I focused on keeping my smile bright and my emotions in check.As I approached dad’s room, however, my hope wavered. Through the small window in the door, I could see Harry seated by his bedside, leaning forward, speaking with him in that familiar, smug tone. And the moment he saw me walk in, his eyes darkened, and his face soured, the easy warmth he’d worn melting into a look of irritation.“Hey, sweetheart!” Dad greeted me with a wide smile, one that softened the lines of age on his face. For him, I pushed away the anger brewing inside my heart and plastered on my best happy face as I walked further into the room. But Harry’s gaze was relentles
The drive back from the hospital blurred together in a tapestry of passing cars and shops, the city an indifferent witness to my tangled emotions. I’d always craved peace, a quiet kind of calm that I could never seem to hold onto when Harry was around. Even as the familiar streets drifted by, I felt a distance growing—between me, the life I’d known, and the perfect family I had dreamt about for years. Leaving dad behind had been even harder than I’d imagined. But staying? Staying had felt impossible.Weirdly, the thoughts I started to have on my way back mirrored the ones from almost a decade ago when I was leaving London. The parallels in my thoughts were too obvious to forget or ignore. That day confirmed that dad was never going to leave Harry, no matter what he did. By the time Simon pulled up to the mansion, exhaustion draped over me like a shroud. The house was quiet, almost too quiet, as I unlocked the door and stepped inside. The usual comfort of my room, the familiar scen
The next morning, I made my way downstairs, dreading every step I took because I could hear my grandma from the living room, yelling at Margaret because the tea was too hot. I didn't get enough time to think about leaving because I woke up to a text from Simon saying they decided to come earlier and he was on his way to pick them up from the airport. By the time I brushed my teeth and took a bath, they were home. I had no other choice but to face them. As I reached the living room, I spotted my grandparents seated stiffly on the couch, sipping tea in silence, their faces set in the usual stern expressions they wore like armour. Margaret was by the window, hands folded in front of her, watching the scene unfold with the air of someone hoping to keep peace but knowing it was a lost cause. “Good morning, Katherine,” my grandmother said crisply, glancing at her watch before giving me a long, disapproving look as I entered the room. “We were beginning to think you’d never join u
Two days had passed since I landed in the States, and my mind was still spinning from the whirlwind of changes surrounding me. Thoughts of my dad floated through my mind like leaves caught in a gentle breeze. The brothers tried to talk to me about it, but I shut them down nicely, telling them that I didn't want to talk about it. Lucas was the only one who insisted I tell him what happened multiple times, but stopped when he realised I wasn't ready to share it yet. For the most part of it ,things were back to normal. We are together while discussing some random topics. Dev was extra kind and warm, always taking care of me, while Caspian once again started to put distance between us. I tried talking to him, but it didn't work. He always had something important to be taken care of when I tried to talk to him. Others noticed that and told me not to think about it much because it was common for him to act like that sometimes. They told me that he would be back to his normal self i
“I just wanted to come close to you.” His voice echoed in my ears, low and unexpected. For a moment, I thought he might be joking, but his warmth against my back told a different story. Even after he slid the bridle off the horse, he remained close, his chest pressed against me. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, trying to steady the rush of emotions heating my skin and the fire burning in my chest. ‘I like Lucas,’ I reminded myself firmly, but as his hands moved slowly, settling on my waist, that reminder began to blur. The thoughts of Lucas drifted away, replaced by an undeniable pull toward the man behind me. I hesitated, letting the silence between us thicken. My fingers fumbled with the stall door, securing it. I watched it for a while, not responding to his hand on my waist. Harry waited behind me, not forcing me, giving me a choice. His touch lingered at the edge of tension, and I could feel the unspoken question at his fingertips: Will you let this happen? He wanted m
The house was buzzing with conversation as I slipped through the front door. The warmth from inside wrapped around me, a stark contrast to the cooling night air outside. The evening had settled in, casting a gentle glow across the walls from the lamps scattered around the room. Harry headed upstairs, muttering something about needing a shower, while I found myself drawn toward the faint sound of Dev’s voice coming from the family room. I knew others would be there too, so I fixed my hair and taking a steady breath, I followed his voice down the hallway. I let my fingers brush over the cool, polished wooden art piece on the wall, looking at the entertainment room. Ian was in there, watching Umbrella Academy and somehow it made sense that he would be watching a show like that. Sensing my presence he turned back and looked at me in confusion. “I was just passing and saw you inside. Don't mind me,” I said, trying not to make him uncomfortable. He shook his head and gave me a l
The house felt quieter after we moved to the kitchen, the evening's events trailing behind me like the whispers of an unfinished conversation. Caspian and I found ourselves side by side, bumping our shoulders playfully as we worked. The warm lights cast a golden glow over the countertops. Dev stood at the far end, arranging ingredients for some side dishes he was preparing. I focused on chopping vegetables, the rhythmic sound of the knife against the cutting board calming my mind, but every once in a while, my gaze flickered toward Caspian. There was something about the way he moved—his confident, fluid motions as he prepared the sauce, the ease with which he commanded the space—that sent a thrill through me. I tried to shake it off, focusing instead on the task at hand, but it was hard to ignore the tension that simmered just beneath the surface. “Stop looking at me and move your hand faster,” Caspian said, breaking the silence. His voice was casual, but there was a softne
The soft hum of the elevator echoed in the quiet, steady and rhythmic, but it did nothing to calm the storm swirling inside me. My heart pounded so loud in my chest that I was sure Caspian could hear it. The tension between us had built up all night, simmering just beneath the surface, and now, as the elevator descended, I couldn’t help but start to panic. ‘Am I ready for this?’ I shifted on my feet, glancing at Caspian beside me. He stood tall, his expression unreadable but calm, like he already knew what was going to happen. Like he knew me better than I knew myself. That thought sent a thrill through me, though I couldn't differentiate if it was out of excitement or fear. “If you're not ready, we can go back and forget this,” he had said, his voice softer than I expected. The offer hung in the air like a lifeline, but I had shaken my head. ‘There is no turning back. I am the one who told him that I would tonight.’ I reminded myself and kissed his upper arms for some rea
“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