Oh snap! He admitted it! But what to do, what to do... xoxo
MILES What did it mean to like someone? That question gnawed at my mind like an itch I couldn't scratch. I tried to pay attention. To really pay attention. I watched how I felt when I looked at him, how my body reacted when he got close. I listened to my own thoughts, the way they screamed at me when Dominic held me throughout the night. The way my heart jumped when his golden-honey eyes locked onto mine. What did it mean? I liked Kenzie. I loved Kenzie. More than anyone, maybe. But she didn’t make my heart race like it was about to burst. She didn’t make my skin burn at the brush of her hand. Marcus? He was handsome. Witty. Someone I could trust. I could see how someone could fall for him. But he didn’t do it for me like Dom did. And that terrified me. This whole weekend had been something else. I wasn’t sure when I’d started watching him so closely, but now? It felt like my eyes were always searching for him. My body gravitated toward him without thinking. Even
DOM I was having a good day. I was. The morning was good. Practice was refreshing. Even class had been interesting. Everything was fine. Until I saw Miles sitting with that fuck-face from the other day, smiling and laughing like they were on a fucking date. My whole body locked up. Something sharp curled in my chest, something that made my stomach twist, my jaw tighten. She looked happy. Too happy. And it wasn’t because of me. I shouldn’t have been this pissed. I shouldn’t have cared this much. She wasn’t my girlfriend. She didn’t belong to me. She would never belong to me. Our parents were getting married soon. We’d all be a family. Eventually, I’d move on, find myself a nice, normal girlfriend. Maybe get married, have kids, grow the fuck up. And maybe Miles— No. No. I couldn’t even picture it. Couldn’t picture someone else touching her, making her laugh like that. It made my skin fucking crawl. I should have looked away. Should have just let
MILES "Can we join you?" Both Kenny and I looked up to find Marcus—smirking—and Dominic, standing across the table. My chest fluttered, and before I could stop myself, I smiled. At Dom. The second I did, his tense posture loosened, just slightly. Like he’d been waiting for me to look at him. But then I remembered we weren’t alone. I panicked, shifting my attention to Kenny, whose smile had dropped for half a second before he covered it up with easy indifference. He was leaving it up to me. Ever the people pleaser. I nodded. "Sure, sit down. Did you guys eat already?" Marcus slid into the seat across from Kenny, grinning like he was about to ruin someone’s day. Dom sat across from me. Arms crossed. Jaw tight. Not saying a fucking word. "Yes, we finished already," Marcus answered smoothly. Then, with an innocent tilt of his head—"You should eat, Miles. Looks like you've barely touched your food." That fake sweetness? That wasn’t for me. That was for Dominic.
MILES "I'll go see what's wrong with him," I said, grabbing my bag and tray. "See you after practice, Marcy. Later, KenKen." I felt Kenny’s eyes on me as I walked away, felt Marcus’s knowing smirk burning into the back of my head. But I didn’t turn back. I dumped my tray and stepped outside, gulping in the crisp, fresh air. I needed it. There were too many eyes in that cafeteria. Too many whispers. And then there was Dominic. Storming off like that. I searched for him, scanning the crowd for his broad shoulders, his black shirt. Nothing. So I headed toward the field. The hallway leading there was quiet, the hum of campus life fading behind me. And that’s when it hit me. Why am I chasing after him? It wasn’t like we were anything real. It wasn’t like I should even care if he was upset. Except… Except I did care. And I didn’t like that. I didn’t like the way the thought of him shutting me out made my stomach knot. Because I wasn’t supposed to feel th
*WARNING SEXUAL CONTENT * DOM She had no idea what she was asking for. Or maybe she did. Miles was playing a dangerous fucking game. She thought if she made this just about pleasure, she could keep herself safe. That if she played the game just right, she wouldn’t get burned. Too late. I leaned in, close enough that my lips brushed against hers, but I didn’t kiss her. Not yet. "Take what I want?" I whispered. My hands braced against the wall, caging her in. Daring her to run. She didn’t. Her chin lifted defiantly, though her breath hitched. I smirked. "I don’t think you could handle everything I want." Something flickered in her eyes. Hesitation. Maybe even fear. And for just a second, she faltered. Her fingers clutched at the hem of her shirt, gripping the fabric tight, like she needed to hold onto something. Like she wanted to cover herself. Fuck. I had pushed too hard. Regret punched through me, swift and sharp, but before I could say anything, she
MILES His confessions made my skin blaze. Something deep inside my chest was unlocking, that painful pinch that made me breathless trying to consume me. He talked like he thought about me all day. Like he could imagine nothing more than to be buried inside me. The earnest tone in his voice had fear clawing its way up my throat, but the sensations of his movements made my mind go blank as I came. "Mine." I would have frozen up if I wasn't coming so hard against his bulge. I almost thought I was imagining things. I didn’t even have time to be embarrassed that all it took to get me off was a little dry humping. But I had heard it, and it was all that occupied my mind. I guess he hadn’t realized what he said since he didn’t stop his movements until my climax was over. "Mine." The word circled my brain even as he gently put me on my feet, kissing along my neck in sweet, soft pecks, holding me tight. Even as he cupped my cheeks in his hands to kiss me softly on the lips. "Mine."
MILES I tried my best to avoid Dominic for the rest of the day. We usually didn’t run into each other for classes. He didn’t seem to mind it either, which was better for me. I couldn’t be bothered to glance at him as he picked me up from the library after practice, and he couldn’t be bothered to say a single word to me on the way home. It would have been a nice, quiet ride if not for Marcus’s need to ask too many damn questions. "The hell? You guys fighting already?" Marcus flicked a fry at me from the passenger seat. "It hasn’t even been that long since you finally got along." I said nothing. Just kept my eyes glued to the window. Dominic’s grip on the wheel tightened, but he didn’t speak either. Good. I needed space. I needed air. Because I couldn't stop hearing his words. "Just forget all those things I said. I was in the heat of the moment. It didn’t mean anything." I wanted to believe him. I needed to. But the memory of his touch, his voice, the way he looked at me—none
MILES Marcus came to get me for dinner. I wasn’t hungry—not in the slightest—but I knew Maverick would be expecting me. He made it a personal mission to ensure I ate. If he noticed the way my mother looked at me in disdain, he didn’t let on. "Come on, Miles. The fight couldn’t have been that bad." Marcus walked beside me down the stairs. The fight? No, it wasn’t a fight at all. A fight I could handle. Yelling, anger, slamming doors—I could deal with all of that. But this? This was different. It was quiet. Unspoken. This was him making it clear. It was me realizing I cared too much. "It wasn’t," I finally answered. "We simply made our... situations clear." Marcus made a noise low in his throat, something close to a scoff, but I could hear the undertone of frustration. "What a fucking idiot," he muttered under his breath. I didn’t ask who he meant. Then, softer—"Are you okay?" My first instinct was to say yes. That was always my answer. "I’m fine." Or maybe, "Yeah
KENNY Miles acted like nothing had happened. Like she hadn’t unraveled in my arms. Like she hadn’t called my name with my hands on her skin, my mouth against her throat. Like she hadn’t begged me to make her feel something. And fine. I could play along. But I wasn’t stupid. The way her fingers hesitated sometimes when she reached for something. The way her gaze flickered, just for a second, when I got too close. The way her lips parted when I made her laugh, like she had almost forgotten she could. She hadn’t forgotten. I could tell my the way her cheeks would flush when my hand brushed hers. She was pretending. And I let her. I still made her coffee the way she liked it. I still teased her when she got flustered. I still called her Mimi, just to see the corner of her mouth twitch in that almost smile. She never pulled away. Never put space between us. But I knew where the line was. And I never crossed it. Until today. I was behind the counter at the diner, wipi
*WARNING EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT* KENNY "You can't take it from me," she whispered. Her voice curled around my ribs. Tangled in my lungs. "But you can give me something else." My throat bobbed. “Miles—” “Something to feel.” And there went my self-control. Miles barely had time to breathe before my hands were on her—gripping her waist, yanking her against me. My mouth crashed against hers, and she took it. Took everything I gave like she had been starving for it. A low moan hummed from her throat, vibrating against my lips, and fuck—I was already gone. I had wanted to kiss her for days. Wanted to feel her. Wanted to take away her pain. Her fingers slipped into my hair, nails scraping my scalp, pulling, tugging, making me groan into her mouth. “Kenny,” she breathed, and I felt it. Felt her heat. Her desperation. The way she arched into me like she wanted to climb inside me, crawl under my skin and stay there. I grabbed her thigh, hoisting it up, pressing my k
KENNY Her eyes were hauntingly beautiful. A storm in a purple sky. Lavenders on a cloudy day. Such beautiful damn eyes. If only they held a little bit of light in them. I remembered the first time she walked into the diner. It was late afternoon, the kind of heat that clung to your skin like a second layer. I thought she was a customer at first, so I grabbed a menu and made my way over, only for her to throw her hands up, a nice coral blush tinting her ears. “Oh, I don’t have any money,” she said, biting her lip. “I saw the help wanted sign and wanted to apply.” Her hair was windblown, strands sticking to her forehead from sweat, and she smelled like the sun… and honey. It wasn’t perfume—just her. Fresh, a little wild, like she had been running through an open field before stepping in. I should’ve said something. Anything. Instead, my brain short-circuited as I followed a single bead of sweat trailing down her freckled cheek, over the curve of her jaw, disappearing beneath the
MILESDominic met my stare with something unreadable in his golden eyes. Even as I pulled him closer, still, he held back."Scared?" I dared, knowing he liked a good challenge.But instead of that knowing smirk—the one with those delicious dimples—he inhaled through his nose and gently pulled my hand from his shirt. He stepped back until he was leaning on the nearby bookshelf.I had expected him to come stomping into the library like a storm barely leashed, dragging his rage with him. I had expected his sharp tongue, his impatient sighs, his suffocating protectiveness that had only gotten worse since I woke up in the hospital.What I hadn’t expected… was this.Silence.Now, he stood in front of me, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, jaw tight, eyes stormy. I had chosen the farthest, most secluded corner of the library to eat my lunch, but of course, he found me anyway.Of course, he did.I swallowed my last bite of an apple and leaned back against my chair, resting my good a
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