▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥Her skin was soft against mine, damp and warm. Her arms wrapped around my torso like she wasn’t afraid to hold a man broken in too many places. The steam clouded the bathroom, wrapping us in our own quiet world—like maybe if we stayed in here long enough, the pain wouldn’t be able to find us.Vanessa held me while the water washed over us, my body weak and trembling from everything it had endured today—physically and emotionally. But somehow, with her here, I didn’t feel like I was sinking anymore. I felt tethered.Her lips pressed softly to my temple, lingering. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. Her presence alone steadied the storm inside me more than any words ever could.I leaned back just enough to look into her eyes. There was something in her expression—something kind and complicated. A sadness I understood too well.My thumb brushed her cheek, her wet hair sticking to her skin. “I like to pretend I’m some emotionally grown man who can say what
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I should have said something. Anything.But I didn’t.Instead, I kissed him like a coward—soft, slow, and silent. I gave him tenderness when he offered me something raw and real, something I wasn’t ready to touch. Because the truth is, I wanted to say yes.God, I wanted to say yes.Yes, I’ll stay.Yes, I want this.Yes, I want you.But that yes felt like betrayal. Of who I was. Of everything I told myself I’d never do. Because girls like me didn’t uproot their lives for a man, especially not for a man in a town like Dusty Creek. I wasn’t built for this place. I didn’t belong in second living rooms or in tight-knit packs where secrets wrapped themselves in family drama and storm winds.This was Laia’s story. She chose love and ended up with heartbreak and death. And I wasn’t about to follow in those same footsteps, no matter how safe Colton’s arms felt. But was it right to judge Colton based on the mistakes of others?No, right?So I lay beside him in the
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★The storm had passed by morning, leaving behind a silence that felt almost unnatural. The house was still, the wind no longer howling outside. It was as though the earth itself was holding its breath, waiting for the next turn in the story. I hadn’t slept much—how could I? After everything, the weight of last night pressing down on me, I couldn’t quite shut my mind off. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the soft breathing of Colton beside me.When I finally gave up on sleep, I slid out of bed as quietly as I could, not wanting to disturb him. The house was empty and quiet, with only the distant sounds of rainwater dripping off the roof. I made my way to the bathroom, brushing my teeth in front of the mirror, my reflection tired and worn. My thoughts were a tangled mess of grief, guilt, and confusion. But none of it was mine. I wasn’t the one who had lost Laia. I liked her. I wish I had gotten to know her more. I wish I’d said something a
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 The scent of coffee still lingered in the air, but Vanessa was already gone.I heard the door shut behind her, the car pulling out of the driveway, and I didn’t let myself watch her go for long. I looked at her through the window, but it was like i couldn’t really see her. I went back to the kitchen and got to work, distracting my hands with breakfast. Eggs. Bacon. Toast. Anything that would make the house smell like comfort, like something solid. Something I could control.The silence pressed down on me like a weight I couldn’t shrug off. Every sound—the clink of the pan, the soft sizzle of oil—seemed too loud, too sharp in the stillness. This house had been full of noise just yesterday. Voices, arguments, grief, betrayal. Now it just felt... hollow.My hands moved on autopilot, flipping bacon, scrambling eggs, buttering toast. I didn’t want to think. I didn’t want to feel. Because if I did, I’d go to that dark place where Laia was gone, where Darcy was cold i
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★The engine sputtered, letting out a high-pitched whine before descending into a series of jarring clunks, each one louder and more ominous than the last. A metallic scraping sound joined the cacophony, like nails on a chalkboard, before the car gave one final, wheezing groan. The momentum ebbed, and with a reluctant shudder, it jerked to a halt, silence settling like a heavy curtain in the aftermath of the mechanical chaos.“HOLY FUCKING SHIT! WHY NOW? WHY THE FUCK NOW?!” I yelled, banging my head on the steering wheel over and over again. The honking sound didn’t even stop me from freaking out. I’m not even near this stupid godforsaken town. And this piece of crap has given up on me. I hate THIS!Okay, you might need some backstory to understand why I’m freaking out. This is all the fault of my estranged mother. Two days ago she sent me a letter. In these modern times, she sent me a fucking letter. After twenty years of pure silence, after running out on
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★“What is this?” Lionel asked as he picked up the piece of paper I’d thrown away. Shit. He looked at me after unruffling it up, and reading through it. “why is she writing to you? From dusty creek?”Yeah, creek. Right. Is that even a place? Is it like a small venue in New York? Hmm.“I don’t know. I just got the letter. I don’t know why she hasn’t reached out in twenty years. Okay, what am I supposed to do?”Ezra growled, “Do what you always do when you don’t want to entertain bullshit. She doesn’t get to see you. She never called, never even bothered to check in to see how Dad was doing. no. You can’t go.”normally, this would be a given. I hate my mother. But I have to admit that what she did reroute my brain. Our family was perfect, and she ruined it. However, I can’t seem to feel that bubbling hate right now. I truly want to know. My therapist- yes, I have one. When you key an old lady’s car at sixteen, call her a dying floozy, punch her grandson, and
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 She’s beautiful. No, I’m sorry, beautiful doesn’t even cover it. This woman is the most stunning female I have ever come across. Dark skin that practically glows under the sunlight, smooth and rich like the earth itself. Her black hair falls in waves, catching the light like silk, and every inch of her body tells a story. She’s curvy, with just enough softness to make me want to reach out and hold her, and there's a confidence in the way she carries herself that makes my chest tighten.Her red strapless shirt hugs her like it was made for her, showing off the natural swell of her chest, and that brown flurry skirt… damn, it moves just right when she shifts, teasing me with every single movement. Her brown boots with heels make her legs go on for days, and I can already imagine how perfect they’d look tangled up with mine.She’s not just pretty, she’s got that raw kind of beauty, the kind that makes everything else around her fade into the background. I can’t lo
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I’m not sure I’ve ever been on a bed more comfortable than this. I wore Colton’s shirt to sleep, his bar soap smelt like actual daises, and the house reeked of hand made, I built it myself nonsense. God, I feel like throwing a tantrum. This stranger gave me a ride when I was stranded, and a place in his home, I could have been a serial killer. I sat up straight and exhaled.I could try to be less of a bitch. Hopefully, I’m not here for long, and I can meet with my mother and then head home. To where life truly is. Not on a farm, in a place that shouldn’t be on the map.Getting out of bed, I walked towards the window in time to see the sunrise. My god.... it’s beautiful. Wow. I can get the same view, from my penthouse. Only with less grass. Still pretty though.I’m just not a connect-with-nature kind of girl. Which reminds me, my charger is also in one of those bags that I left. God, my brothers must be losing their minds. I have to hurry. Get a bath, get
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 The scent of coffee still lingered in the air, but Vanessa was already gone.I heard the door shut behind her, the car pulling out of the driveway, and I didn’t let myself watch her go for long. I looked at her through the window, but it was like i couldn’t really see her. I went back to the kitchen and got to work, distracting my hands with breakfast. Eggs. Bacon. Toast. Anything that would make the house smell like comfort, like something solid. Something I could control.The silence pressed down on me like a weight I couldn’t shrug off. Every sound—the clink of the pan, the soft sizzle of oil—seemed too loud, too sharp in the stillness. This house had been full of noise just yesterday. Voices, arguments, grief, betrayal. Now it just felt... hollow.My hands moved on autopilot, flipping bacon, scrambling eggs, buttering toast. I didn’t want to think. I didn’t want to feel. Because if I did, I’d go to that dark place where Laia was gone, where Darcy was cold i
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★The storm had passed by morning, leaving behind a silence that felt almost unnatural. The house was still, the wind no longer howling outside. It was as though the earth itself was holding its breath, waiting for the next turn in the story. I hadn’t slept much—how could I? After everything, the weight of last night pressing down on me, I couldn’t quite shut my mind off. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the soft breathing of Colton beside me.When I finally gave up on sleep, I slid out of bed as quietly as I could, not wanting to disturb him. The house was empty and quiet, with only the distant sounds of rainwater dripping off the roof. I made my way to the bathroom, brushing my teeth in front of the mirror, my reflection tired and worn. My thoughts were a tangled mess of grief, guilt, and confusion. But none of it was mine. I wasn’t the one who had lost Laia. I liked her. I wish I had gotten to know her more. I wish I’d said something a
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I should have said something. Anything.But I didn’t.Instead, I kissed him like a coward—soft, slow, and silent. I gave him tenderness when he offered me something raw and real, something I wasn’t ready to touch. Because the truth is, I wanted to say yes.God, I wanted to say yes.Yes, I’ll stay.Yes, I want this.Yes, I want you.But that yes felt like betrayal. Of who I was. Of everything I told myself I’d never do. Because girls like me didn’t uproot their lives for a man, especially not for a man in a town like Dusty Creek. I wasn’t built for this place. I didn’t belong in second living rooms or in tight-knit packs where secrets wrapped themselves in family drama and storm winds.This was Laia’s story. She chose love and ended up with heartbreak and death. And I wasn’t about to follow in those same footsteps, no matter how safe Colton’s arms felt. But was it right to judge Colton based on the mistakes of others?No, right?So I lay beside him in the
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥Her skin was soft against mine, damp and warm. Her arms wrapped around my torso like she wasn’t afraid to hold a man broken in too many places. The steam clouded the bathroom, wrapping us in our own quiet world—like maybe if we stayed in here long enough, the pain wouldn’t be able to find us.Vanessa held me while the water washed over us, my body weak and trembling from everything it had endured today—physically and emotionally. But somehow, with her here, I didn’t feel like I was sinking anymore. I felt tethered.Her lips pressed softly to my temple, lingering. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. Her presence alone steadied the storm inside me more than any words ever could.I leaned back just enough to look into her eyes. There was something in her expression—something kind and complicated. A sadness I understood too well.My thumb brushed her cheek, her wet hair sticking to her skin. “I like to pretend I’m some emotionally grown man who can say what
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 The house was too quiet.Even with the storm raging outside, it still felt like everything inside had gone still—like time had frozen in grief. No one was speaking. No one was eating. Dad was seated in the corner chair with his head in his hands, Curtis silently pacing near the window, eyes locked on the rain. Ross was curled up on the stairs with Catia who had returned back after Curtis took her up, holding her as she slept in exhaustion. Ashley hadn’t spoken since Laia was carried in, and Samson… no one even knew where he went.Laia was gone.And with her, something in all of us had gone too.I was soaked through, my clothes clinging to my body, my hands still trembling from how tightly I’d held her. I couldn’t feel the chill of the house, not really. Not with the way my chest ached, my head pounded, and every breath felt like I was inhaling splinters.I sat there beside her body on the couch, unmoving. I hadn’t spoken since they pulled me away from her body.
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥There’s nothing more heartbreaking than losing a close friend.I didn’t let myself process Darcy’s murder. Not really. I locked that part of myself up because I thought I had to. I was sick so it made it quite easy for me to ignore most of it. Then I found out Reeves was dead too—killed alongside Darcy like they were nothing but pawns in someone else's sick game. And something in my head just… stopped working right. Like grief jammed the gears, all I could do was focus on the next step, the next threat.The next phase was to hear her plans out. This singular was proving to be the worst possible day. When the door was thrown open, I was appalled. I thought for a second, with my heart jammed into my throat that Vanessa was going to leave in this horrendous storm and get herself hurt so I yanked her back and into me. Then when I turned her around to berate her for being reckless her expression filled me with fear.“I saw her,” she whispered. “Laia. She’s on the ca
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★Abel and his family… well, Colton’s entire family ended up settling into the house by nightfall. The rain hadn’t let up, in fact, it had gotten worse—loud sheets of it slapping against the windows, wind howling like it had its own voice, and thunder rolling in like a warning drum. We were all grateful the bodies had already been sent out to the city; the last thing we needed was death sitting with us inside the house.It was clear we weren’t going anywhere tonight. We were trapped. And it wasn’t just the weather that had everyone uneasy—it was each other.With everyone scattered around the house, the air had that heavy feel. Everyone was present, but no one felt here. I could tell—everyone was dealing with their own mess.Samson looked hollow, like his mind was a thousand miles away as he sank into the second living room couch—yeah, Colton had a second living room. This house kept revealing itself in new corners and corridors I hadn’t noticed before. Did
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I stayed on Colton’s lap, his hands still resting on my thighs, grounding me while my world tilted dangerously out of balance. The screen of my phone glowed in the dim room, his father’s name taking up the whole display. My heart stuttered. This was it. The call we’d been waiting for all day.I took a breath, one that felt like it had to fill more than just my lungs—it had to brace my soul. Then I hit answer.“Abel, give it to me straight.”The sound that met me was heavy. Abel’s sigh carried so much weight, I felt it settle in my bones before he even spoke.“Reeves is dead too. Him and Darcy.” His voice was low, grim. “We’ll need a coroner to confirm, but my instincts are screaming they died at the same time. Whoever called you wasn’t Reeves.”My stomach sank violently. Like someone had just cut a rope and I was plummeting down a dark well. Cold crept over my skin.“You can’t be serious?” My voice cracked. A whisper, hoarse and too small to match the sto
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I was disappointed by the news I’d gotten. Frustrated. Drained. It was like every lead we chased only circled us right back to the starting line, like some cruel loop we couldn’t escape. The more we uncovered, the more tangled everything became. And now, with Oliver’s call settling heavily on my chest and Abel still silent, I couldn’t stop thinking about Darcy’s blood staining the floor, about the message she died trying to deliver.It was all too much.I glanced over at Colton. He was lying back, his head tilted toward the ceiling, one arm draped lazily over his stomach. His eyes were half-closed, fever still riding him, but he looked better—less pale than this morning. There was a softness to his expression now, a certain peace he only seemed to wear when he wasn’t trying to carry the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.Maybe I could give him something else to focus on. Maybe I could give myself a break from everything, too. Just for a few minu