MILES "I can't believe this!" My mother stormed into the dining area Friday evening, her phone shaking in her hand. Dominic and I had just finished being fitted for our wedding attire for tomorrow and were now waiting for dinner. "It's going to rain!" she sobbed, her voice shrill with disbelief. "Our venue is outside! We can't get married in the rain!" I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. "Oh honey," Maverick said, already up and moving toward her, his touch gentle as he smoothed his hands over her arms. "We can just move the wedding inside. The Ballroom Plaza has a beautiful venue with an elegant touch." My mother began to cry into his chest, but I knew it wasn’t real devastation. It was frustration that things weren’t going exactly how she wanted. It was pride wounded. I didn’t even bother hiding my smirk. Until Dominic bumped my shoulder. I shot him a glare, and he subtly shook his head, his eyes saying be nice. I mouthed, What? He narrowed his g
MILES Marcus was away for the weekend. He had texted me several times Saturday morning, apologizing for not being here to "keep an eye on me." I called him immediately. "Hello?" He sounded surprised. "Marcus." "Yes?" "It is not your job to protect me." There was silence for a beat. I could practically hear him debating whether to argue. I honestly didn’t know how to feel about him knowing everything. He tried not to show it, but I could see the way he looked at my mother—with empty smiles and eyes full of restrained indignation. It reminded me of Kenzie. The first time Kenzie found out, I had to threaten never speaking to her again. I almost lost her over it. She had been livid, ready to fight, ready to expose everything—but she didn’t. Not because she forgave my mother, but because I told her she’d lose me if she did. I wasn’t protecting my mother. I was protecting myself. I had no idea how far my mother would go. And now, Marcus was toeing the same dangerous lin
DOM Miles seemed nervous. That was new. She sat on the island, her back straight, her fingers subtly picking at her nails while I iced her shoulder. She never fidgeted. She never hesitated when she wanted something. But now? She wouldn’t even look at me. I stood between her legs, resting one hand next to her hip. I was definitely this close on purpose, but she still didn’t meet my eyes. Instead, she turned her head away, baring her throat to me. The sight made my mouth dry. Made my fingers twitch against the ice pack. It was fucking killing me. I wanted to bury my face there, in that perfect dip between her neck and shoulder. Wanted to bite, to mark her. I could see the goosebumps rising on her arms, the way her pulse fluttered too fast. She felt this. I exhaled slowly. "Are you mad?" She still didn't look at me. "Why would I be mad?" I studied her, watching the way she still wouldn’t meet my gaze. "Did I tease you too much?" I asked, dropping the ice pack to the counter. S
*WARNING EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT * MILES "I need you." A shiver rolled down my spine at the sound of his voice—low, rough, barely restrained. His hands rested firm on my thighs, his fingers skimming the hem of my shirt like he was trying to stop himself from tearing it off. I swallowed, my pulse hammering against my ribs. "Is this what you brought me in here for?" My voice was steady, but I knew he could hear the breathlessness creeping in. "Got a library fantasy you need to live out?" Dom exhaled a slow chuckle, his thumbs stroking soft circles against my inner thighs. "No." His lips brushed my temple, and his hands inched higher. "I figured you'd like it. But now?" His mouth moved lower, grazing the shell of my ear. "Now I want something else." I clenched my thighs around his hands, the heat pooling between them unbearable. "And what's that?" His breath ghosted against my skin. "I want you to read to me." I blinked. "What?" "Pick up your book." He leaned
DOM Marcus knew something. MARCUS: Stay around lil sis this weekend, hm? That was a strange request. First my dad, and now Marcus? I mean, I was already planning to be with Miles this entire weekend. Our parents wouldn’t be back until Tuesday, so I planned to get well acquainted with her. Were my intentions entirely pure? No. Absolutely not. I was going to try and fuck her in as many places in the manor as I could. DOM: Why? I had to figure out what he knew. Marcus wasn’t one to hide things from me—but that didn’t mean he couldn’t. He was a master at keeping secrets, only revealing them when it suited him. MARCUS: Just don’t leave her alone with those love birds. She told me their PDA is gross. Our parents? Strange. DOM: They’re gone until Tuesday. MARCUS: Oh… then just watch over her, will ya? I frowned at the screen. Was he… falling for her? I almost scoffed. The idea was absurd. He knew we were fucking. But then again… that’s all we were doing, wasn’t i
DOM Miles was getting fucked up. Like, real fucked up. Just twenty minutes ago, she was ready to leave. Now she was in the middle of a beer pong tournament, completely wrecking everyone, but also getting shit-faced in the process. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. I should have told her I didn’t want to come. Why the fuck did I agree to this? ‘Because you’re turning into a kiss-ass,’ my own brain mocked. ‘Oh, fuck you.’ Another deep sigh. She had me arguing with myself now. Miles swayed on her feet, her lazy smile making her look both adorable and wildly reckless. Her gray eyes were glazed over, and her movements were a little too loose. It had only been twenty fucking minutes. Her friend Kenzie threw me a smug, knowing glance as she wrapped an arm around Miles' shoulders. I frowned. Then—the cherry on top. Kenzie kissed her on the cheek. Miles—drunk as fuck—held her kissed cheek like it was something sacred, her face lighting up before she grabbed Kenzie's chin
MILES "Something is telling me I shouldn't tell you," I teased, my voice thick with playful mischief. Dominic stepped closer, drawn in like a moth to my flame. "I can keep a secret." I dragged my fingers over the silky-soft comforter, shifting on the bed as I watched Dom. He stood by the door like a man barely keeping himself from running for his life. It made me smile. I was tipsy—floaty, warm—but my mind was clear enough to see how he reacted to me. How he always reacted to me. I was in control here. And I liked it. He had just asked me what I thought about him. Dangerous question. He should know better. I rolled onto my stomach, propping my chin up with my hand, letting my eyes rake over him like he was something delicious I was starving for. Which he was. "When I think about you?" I hummed, pressing my lips together like I had to consider it. Dom’s jaw ticked. He ran a hand down his face, exhaling through his nose like he already regretted asking. Good
MILES It was so damn hot. And heavy. Something was on top of me. My eyes popped open, and I groaned as the throbbing in my skull made itself known. A muffled, "Not yet," was heard above my head. What the fuck? My first thought was Oh no, did I bring some guy home? Panic crept up my spine. Dom would kill me. No—Maverick would be disappointed, which was somehow worse. And my mother? She would annihilate me. I wiggled my arms free from my blanket—only to realize I was trapped under a very warm, very muscular arm. My heart nearly stopped. Slowly, I turned my head and—Oh. Relief flooded me. It was Dominic. His sleeping face was unfairly gorgeous, his dark lashes casting shadows over his cheekbones, his full lips slightly parted, hair messy and soft. But there was something else—something I couldn't ignore. His brows were drawn together, like he was still frowning in his sleep. I reached up before I could stop myself and pressed a gentle finger between them, massaging the little
MILES Maybe I thought I would be prepared to return to university. Maybe I believed that after everything, walking these halls would be easy. I had decided to go despite myself, just to prove a point. That I wasn’t weak. But that weakness crawled out from the dirt I buried it in as soon as I entered my first class. I had spent the morning in the library, hidden in the quiet while Dom and Marcus were at practice. It was the first time in weeks I had been truly alone—no watchful eyes, no questions, no hovering hands. Just silence. Then, I left. And as soon as I walked—no, limped—into my first class, the whispers started. You would think the stares were because of the brace on my ankle, the sling keeping my shoulder in place. But no. It was because Dominic Black had his hand on my waist, his grip steady as he helped me to my seat. "Who the hell is she?" Someone whispered. "Why does she seem so close to three of the hottest guys in school?" "She’s probably fucking them." "No,
DOM I felt like a fucking puppy. Following Miles around like gum on her ass. If she went to her room, I hung out in the hall. If she went to the library, that’s where you’d find me. And now? Now, I was leaning against the wall outside her bedroom door at four in the damn morning on a Monday. Fucking ridiculous. She had insisted on going back to school. Much to my—and my father’s—dismay. “Miles,” I’d said, already knowing I was wasting my breath, “you don’t need to—” “I’ve rested long enough, Dominic.” I hadn’t even argued. Not really. Because fuck, it felt good to hear her say my name. She was here. She was breathing. She could have whatever she wanted. As long as she wanted. Even if it meant standing here, waiting for her stubborn ass to open the door— The lock clicked, and Miles stepped out, limping. I let her get three steps before I reached behind me and revealed the wheelchair. She stopped. Looked at it. Then at me. Yeah, she was pissed. “Yeah, n
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,