*WARNING DEPICTIONS OF ABUSE*MILESSlap!The sharp sting of my mother's hand exploded against my cheek, a searing burn that faded into a dull ache almost immediately."What did you say?" Her voice was so low it seemed to echo from the depths of hell itself.I swallowed hard and turned to face her. Her fair skin was flushed in anger, almost matching the fiery intensity of her dyed strawberry-blonde hair. Petite but built like an athlete, she ran four miles every morning to keep that perfect figure—smooth, flawless, and utterly unattainable. Soft blue eyes, a delicate nose, and full pink lips were set on a pale, heart-shaped face. At least, that was the picture she presented when she wasn’t seething.When she lost control, though, her beauty twisted into something feral—lips curled back to reveal bared teeth and eyes wild with fury.I looked at myself and saw nothing like her. I towered over her by at least a foot, with olive skin and long, straight black hair that cascaded down to my a
MILESThe house was on the nicer side of town, which meant three damn bus rides for me—my wallet reeling with every stop. It would’ve been two, but I had to pause and patch up my knees first. They’d busted open when I fell, and bloody knees aren’t exactly party accessories. Gauze patches looked ugly, but at least they were better than a face full of blood.I trudged from the bus stop, walking at least two miles to reach the mansion at the given address. An uneasy feeling gnawed at me as I approached the place—a sprawling mansion that could’ve easily been a fucking castle with its imposing brick wall. I couldn’t fathom how Kenzie managed to get into a party at a place like this. Hanging out with a bunch of rich pricks in an ancient 1800s home? That wasn’t my scene. I pulled out my phone to text Kenzie that there was absolutely no way I was attending this party.Maybe I could make it to the diner and work a shift. They were open 24 hours a day—so I could let Sandra go home to her babies
MILESSomething was wrong with me. It was as if my body buzzed with an uncontrollable desire to be near him, while every fiber of my being screamed, “Don’t do it!”I clenched my hand reflexively, then pulled it back as if it burned. Kenzie tugged on my arm, her voice soft but laced with worry."Are you sure you want to do this?"I met her eyes, trying to steady the racing beat of my heart. I nodded and gently patted her hand. "Absolutely."She stepped back, giving me room. Then, as if on cue, Dominic—his golden eyes smoldering in the low light—stepped forward. The moment he leaned toward me, my breath hitched; his scent, a heady mix of sandalwood and bourbon, enveloped me. I even heard the crinkle of paper and saw him pocket my forty dollars, as if sealing our dangerous pact with a silent, mischievous gesture.At the pool table, the guy named Marcus—always ready with a challenge—called out, "Shall we flip a coin?"I raised a hand. "No, he can go first."The room erupted in whistles an
*WARNING DEPICTION OF PANIC ATTACK*MILESI stumbled through the mansion’s endless corridors, each step heavier than the last. My head was a battlefield of chaos, the torment different—inside me. I needed to be alone, so I tried every door until I found an empty bathroom. Once inside, I locked the door and leaned against the cool tile. The room was vast and sterile—a temporary sanctuary from the judgment of the world outside.I forced myself toward the large mirror on a lone wall. My body trembled as I turned, expecting to see the latest map of bruises and splatters: large, vivid circles of purple, green, and red. And there they were, a cruel mosaic I’d tried so hard to hide.A gasp tore from my lips. Everyone had seen them—maybe even people from school. Panic surged, raw and familiar. I swallowed hard, trying desperately to muffle the rising terror. I couldn’t let anyone see me like this. I didn’t want anyone to know I was weak."Don't forget, Miles, you're nothing."My mother's voice
MILESWARNING: EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENTHis honey-coated eyes cut to mine, dark with a question. A hesitation. A hesitation I didn’t want.I needed him to want this. I needed him to take me apart, to drown me in something hotter than this constant emptiness. I needed an escape from my mind, a distraction from the crushing weight of reality.A single moment passed before he crashed his lips into mine like a storm on a rampage. He tasted like beer and cinnamon, rough and raw against my tongue, and suddenly, nothing had ever tasted better.This kiss wasn’t sweet. It wasn’t gentle. It was primal. It was hunger.His hands roamed my body, sliding down my curves before gripping my ass, yanking me forward, forcing me to meet the hard length pressing through his jeans. A moan escaped my lips before I could stop it, and he swallowed it whole, dragging his teeth along my bottom lip, sucking until it was sore.I reached between us, palming him over the denim, feeling just how thick he was.Fuck.A
MILESMy eyes snapped open.A pounding headache greeted me, followed by the sharp sting of dehydration clawing at my throat. Light filtered through green-tinted windows, casting eerie shadows across the room and making my temples throb in protest.Heat.Soft puffs of air fanned across the top of my head, warm and steady.Wait.I stiffened.I fucking didn’t…Heart racing, I swallowed hard and slowly—ever so fucking slowly—lifted my head, dreading what I would see.The first thing I noticed was the broad chest beneath my palm, rising and falling in a steady rhythm. My fingers involuntarily traced along the hard muscle, then drifted upward, brushing over the sharp edge of a jawline dusted with light stubble.His eyebrows were perfect—dark, thick, and slightly furrowed even in sleep. His complexion was lighter than mine, kissed by the sun, his deep brown hair a tousled mess over the pillow.For a second—just a second—I was struck by how fucking beautiful he was.And then reality hit me lik
MILESShopping with my mother was fucking exhausting.Every second in her presence was a carefully choreographed performance—fake smiles, forced laughter, and the ever-present threat of a sharp slap behind closed doors if I dared step out of line. She played the doting mother, whispering sweet endearments while digging her nails into my arm, just deep enough to leave marks.By the time we made it home from picking out dresses, stopping at the salon (which she hated because the stylist dared to call me naturally beautiful), and buying shoes, I was running on fumes. My stomach twisted with hunger, and I had to clench my jaw to stop it from growling like a wild animal. I hadn't eaten since my shift at the diner, and that was... fuck. When even was that?As much as I hated this night, dinner couldn't come fast enough.For once, I was looking forward to something.I kept my head down as we drove through the nicer part of town, pressing my fingers into my thighs to distract myself from the g
MILES Damn it. Dominic Black was still as handsome as he was yesterday, and seeing him now in crisp black slacks and a white dress shirt, his sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal his forearms, made my stomach twist with something I wasn’t willing to name. Worse, he was the spitting image of his father. Which meant my mother and I had the same fucking taste. I forced myself to focus on my plate, stabbing at my vegetables while my mind raced with panic. My mouth told me the food was buttery, smooth, practically melting on my tongue. My brain said it tasted like sandpaper. I had royally fucked up. He kept glancing at me. I could feel it. The weight of his stare burned into my skin, making me itch, making me want to shrink in my chair. He was probably wondering what the hell happened last night just as much as I was. But somehow, it felt like he was blaming me. Like I had orchestrated this whole thing. Like I wanted to wake up in the same bed as him, tangled in plants I
MILESThe first thing I noticed was how empty my arm felt.For weeks, the IV had been a part of me, a tether keeping me here. But now, as Nurse Hilda carefully slid it from my skin, I was free."You’re all set, sugar," she said, her warm hands smoothing over my arm, gentle in a way that made something tighten in my chest.I had gotten used to her voice—her presence. Hilda was the only reason my mother didn’t have more time alone with me. Every visit, every lingering moment where Candice might have tried to poke and prod at my weakness, Hilda would swoop in, checking vitals, fluffing pillows, telling long-winded stories about her family.And I had let her.Because I knew what she was doing.And I liked her for it.She smiled as she set aside the IV. "I sure will miss those gorgeous eyes of yours, sweetheart. You remind me of my brother, you know. He’s got dark hair too."I blinked.A strange pull tightened in my gut, something like a whisper of familiarity. "Oh?"Hilda’s grin was all s
MILESDid this happen to all survivors?Did they wake up feeling like a new person? Like they’d been reborn?I thought maybe I’d be disappointed.The surprise?I wasn’t disappointed at all.I was relieved.Opening my eyes, seeing everyone… it made me so relieved.At first, I didn’t know why. But then my mother hugged me.Tears streamed down her face like she was glad I had made it. Like she wouldn’t have known what to do without me.And maybe that much was true.But I wasn’t going to be her punching bag anymore. I wanted to be something else to her. Something much closer to her heart than she had ever allowed me to be.I was going to be her pain.I was going to be her suffering.But most of all…I was going to be her weakness.---"You fucking bitch!"Kenzie’s voice snapped through the air like a gunshot.She took a shuddering breath, setting down the cup of coffee that I guessed had been for me before she crossed the room, murder in her eyes."I want to fucking hate you right now," s
*WARNING METAPHORICAL DEATH OF SELF* VIOLENCE*MILESI was weightless.Calm.Still.And I think I loved it.I floated on something endless, something vast. No light, no dark. Just quiet. I was neither here nor there. No pain, no burden, no fear.I just... existed.And that was all I had ever wanted—to simply be.But the thought alone woke something inside me, something long tired of staying quiet.A sharp tug behind my navel knocked the breath from my lungs.I gasped—only to find I had no lungs, no air to take in, no body to feel the pull of gravity.Then—Pain.The sensation of falling hit me all at once, a rush of sound and wind slamming into me before I landed on my back in a green field. The impact sent a dull ache through my bones, a feeling so jarring after that endless nothingness that I barely registered the voice—"Fucking finally."I jolted upright.And I saw—Me.But not me.She was everything I wasn’t. Everything I had never been.Her long black hair cascaded down her back
*WARNING MENTION OF SUICIDE* DOM "Oh my god... someone just jumped!" No. It wasn’t her. It couldn’t be her. A voice somewhere—distant, muffled—"A suicide?" I didn’t know who said it, but I didn’t fucking care. I was already moving. Running. Running toward her. Running to jump in after her. "Dom!" Hands grabbed me, pulling me back, and I nearly ripped them to shreds. Couldn’t they see? Couldn’t they fucking see? Miles was in the water. She was drowning. And I wasn’t there. I fought. I fought like hell. Marcus. I could hear his voice—his shouting—but it wasn’t reaching me. Because nothing was. Nothing except the weight in my chest. Crushing my ribs. Suffocating me. My legs shook and my mind spun. And for the first time in my life— I was fucking terrified. What if she didn’t make it out? What if this was it? What if I had to watch the ocean devour her? What if I never saw her again? What if I lost her? Fuck. I--I couldn't lose her. Marcus had to pin m
*WARNING! READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED* *SUICIDE ATTEMPT/TALK OF SUICIDE* MILES "You should just fucking die already. No one wants you. Oh and, don't call him again." I didn’t even hang up. I just dropped the phone and took step after step forward. It landed with a soft thud behind me, but I didn’t turn back. Didn’t reach for it. It didn’t matter anymore. My body was still moving, still breathing, still aching. But my mind? That had already given up. I couldn't tell the difference between pain and nothingness anymore—maybe they were the same. Maybe I was just too tired to care. My foot dragged against the gravel on the road to the Cliffs. I was supposed to meet the guys at the party to watch the ocean storm and hit the highest cliffside. I was supposed to be having a good time and finally let myself...be. But of course, not if my mother had anything to do with it. Tanya's words hit home. "You should just fucking die already." The words coiled around my throat, venomous, unsha
*WARNING: SUICIDE ATTEMPT**READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED* DOM Something was wrong. I had been feeling it all night. The way my phone burned in my pocket. The way my gut twisted every time I checked my screen and saw nothing. No messages. No calls. No Miles. I had tried. Three times. Three fucking times, and she hadn’t answered. Marcus was already knee-deep in some girl’s attention, laughing, drinking, having a good time. But even he noticed. "Dude," he called over, watching me check my phone again. "She probably just fell asleep or some shit." I forced a half-smirk, pocketing my phone before I squeezed the back of my neck. "Yeah. Maybe." I didn’t believe it. Not even Marcus believed it because the bastard was dead wrong if he thought I hadn't caught him checking his phone as well. I knew Miles. She didn’t just disappear. Not like this. Not without a fucking reason. "Dom." The voice was too close, too familiar, and I already knew who it was before I turned. Tanya. Fucki
*WARNING VIOLENCE AND ABUSE * MILES My mother had been watching me all morning. Not in the usual way. Not with irritation. Not with thinly veiled disgust like she always did when I so much as existed in her space. No, this was different. She was calculating. I could feel it in the way she lingered in doorways, in the way her eyes flicked toward me at breakfast, in the way she adjusted her rings, twisting them around her fingers like she was thinking. Plotting. I had half a mind to ask her what the hell she was up to, but instead, I let her wait. Let her decide how she was going to approach me. And then when she finally did? I nearly laughed. "Miles, come with me." It was demand but it lacked her usual bite. Maverick had left early this morning on a business trip so it was a surprise she wanted to be near me at all. I arched a brow, barely glancing up from my book. "Excuse me?" She sighed as if I were the most difficult person in the world, then crossed her arms,
DOM I wasn’t getting enough of her. That was the problem. Miles had been right there—in the house, in the hallways, at the dinner table—but it wasn’t enough. Not anymore. She had been keeping her distance, not too much, not enough to be obvious, but just enough to make me ache. To make me want more. And I couldn’t have more. Not like I wanted. Not with my father watching. Maverick had been more observant lately. Not just with me, but with everyone. I noticed it at dinner. The way his eyes tracked conversations, the way his fork hovered mid-air as he listened. The way he watched Miles. She had been more talkative. Not forced, not in the way that would make anyone suspicious, but in a way that felt natural. Like she had finally settled into her place at this table. And my father? He had noticed. Not in a bad way. If anything, he seemed pleased. It made sense—he liked her, actually liked her. She was sharp. Smart. She could hold a conversation and keep up with him, somethin
MILESThe venue was grand.Too grand.Every inch of it reeked of wealth—chandeliers dripping in crystal, tables lined in pristine white linen, golden accents catching the light at just the right angles to remind everyone just how much money had been poured into this production.And that’s exactly what it was. A production. A show for the people. For Maverick Black. For the perfect Valentine-Black union.I was supposed to be impressed. Supposed to stand in awe of the splendor.But I couldn’t bring myself to care.Because the real performance was happening off-stage between me and her.Candice was watching me. Not with open suspicion, but with patience. Like she was waiting to see what I would do next. I knew she had noticed. Knew she felt the shift.She just wasn’t sure why it had happened.Not yet.She waited until we were alone.The moment the men were out of earshot, pulled away by the wedding coordinator, Candice’s heels clicked sharply against the marble as she stepped closer."Do