MAISIEThe weight of his words made it hard to breathe. The pregnancy of this moment - this revelation… felt unbearable, like watching death approach in slow motion.Each syllable of his words was a sharp reminder of my deception."I even asked you directly if he was mine." Jason's chest heaved with emotion. "You looked me in the eyes and denied it every single time."He straightened his shoulders, authority radiating from his stance. "You will tell him everything in one sitting, or I will do it myself!""I won't tell him anything, and neither will you! Do you honestly think he'll be overjoyed by this revelation?" My voice emerged hoarse but determined.Jason didn’t spare me a glance. "Not immediately. His operation comes first. Once he's physically recovered, you'll tell him everything." His lips curved into a bitter smile. "And I suspect he won't want to stay with you after that."The implication of his words sent ice through my veins.Will he take my son away? The mere thought was
MAISIE"He'll come back, just give it time." The words felt hollow against the weight of my despair.The reassurance did little to ease the ache in my chest, but I desperately needed to believe it. Like a mantra, I repeated it silently, trying to convince myself that this numbness wouldn't last forever, that somewhere beneath the pain, my heart still remembered how to feel something other than this crushing emptiness.The digital clock on my nightstand blinked 2:47 AM. I squeezed my eyes shut, not from exhaustion but from a desperate need to escape my thoughts.The silk pillowcase beneath my cheek had long since grown damp with silent tears, and sleep remained elusive, dancing just beyond my grasp while memories played on endless loop behind my closed lids.Two hours stretched into an eternity as I lay there like a prisoner to my own mind. This thinking disease - this endless spiral of thoughts had no cure, no respite, no moment of peace.Even if blessed unconsciousness found me, I kn
MAISIEI lowered my hands from my tear-stained face, hardly daring to believe he was really there.He stood a few steps from the pool's edge, one hand tucked casually in his pocket while the other held his signature black jacket.His usually warm features had hardened into something cold and distant and his concern seemed more performative than genuine.Anger flared unexpectedly in me. "Everyone pretends to care while none of you actually do. You're just like the rest of them!"I pulled myself from the pool. My flip-flops dangled limply from my fingers as I moved past Jason, determined to escape his presence and the suffocating weight of this moment."Even if the whole world stops caring, even if the stars fall from the sky, don't you dare forget what happened!"His words froze me mid-stride.The audacity of his statement sent a surge of disbelief through my body, making my already cold, wet skin feel even more chilled. How could he possibly think that something so profound, so life-al
MAISIETwo versions of myself waged a merciless war inside me. One screamed with uncontrollable rage that threatened to tear me apart, the other dissolving into hysterical tears, terrified of the consequences my past actions had brought down around us."You're his father, I know that." Tears glazed my eyes. "But it's too late to claim him now, too late to rewrite history."My voice cracked. "I spent my youth working endless shifts at dead-end jobs to give him everything he needed. Sleepless nights pacing the floor until dawn when he fell sick, the constant worry about school fees, about whether I could afford new shoes when he outgrew his old ones..." My voice caught in my throat. "I lived like a woman possessed yet determined to give him the best version of me. Even when I was running on empty, even when I could barely keep my eyes open between shifts."My words seemed to bounce off Jason like they weighed nothing. In fact, they only darkened his expression further. The shadows under
MAISIEI felt like I was staring down a dead-end road hours ago, my future locked behind closed doors. I had been faced with only two choices: One meant clinging to my son and letting go of the man I loved. The other meant taking my son and walking away, alone.I chose the lesser of two heartbreaks. I couldn’t bring myself to forget him even now. I had tried to hate him and convinced myself I had succeeded. I built walls of resentment, stacked bricks of anger. Yet they crumbled the second I heard his voice.What kind of fool returns to the flame after being burned? Is it an extraordinary ability to forgive... or just a poor memory?He once told me we were alike in our tenderness. Maybe we were alike in our thoughts, too.Memories of his outlined face flashed across my mind. The arch of his eyebrows. The way his hair falls into place. Every detail of his features… I committed them all to memory with precision.A liar would say life doesn't depend on a person. Because the absence of one
MAISIEDon and I went down to the beach later that afternoon. We never did build that sandcastle, deciding instead to dig a hole big enough for me to lie in. It was a ridiculous idea, but he helped anyway, scooping sand aside until I could bury my limbs beneath the cool earth.It was easier to let my mind drift here, away from the conversation at the restaurant. But the guilt still gnawed at me.I hated that I had let things unfold this way. I wanted to change his way of thinking, to make him see the truth without hurting him. But how do you explain something so painful to someone with the heart of a child?A lump formed in my throat."Don," Jason’s voice broke the moment. "I need to talk to you. Come with me to the tennis court."Don didn’t move at first. He stared at Jason, searching his face for a reason, for an excuse to refuse. Then he sighed a little and got up, wiping the sand off his clothes.He turned to me, his eyes asking if I wanted him to go.I nodded, giving him the reas
MAISIE“Watch your mouth!” Karina's chest heaved with barely contained fury.Then something shifted in her expression. Instead of storming off as I expected, she sank down beside me on the sand. The tension between us crackled like static before a storm, but neither of us moved.The waves crashed rhythmically against the shore, providing a soothing counterpoint to the chaos of emotions swirling between us.I watched her from the corner of my eye, still processing the shocking revelation about the drugging incident. My mind kept replaying that night, seeing it through this new, horrifying lens. Until recently, Dame had told me Karina didn't love Jason, nor did he love her. I'd foolishly assumed my jealousy had painted her in darker colors than she deserved. Now, that assumption felt like ashes in my mouth, bitter and choking."You know, I envy your son so much," Karina whispered."What?" The unexpected comment yanked me from my dark thoughts. Of all the things I'd expected her to say,
MAISIEI found myself studying her profile, noting how young she looked without her usual armor of sophistication and spite.Karina turned toward the sea, her profile etched against the setting sun. The ocean breeze tousled her hair, making her seem more human, more vulnerable."I thought proving them wrong would make them trust me." Her voice carried over the gentle crash of waves. "But I've learned that hoping too much only leads to misery. Excessive expectations are a poison that kills you slowly."My heart clenched at her words. They echoed my own experiences with family expectations, the constant struggle to prove yourself worthy of love that should have been unconditional.The raw humanity of the moment struck me. How alike we were in our pain, despite everything else that divided us."What do you think I should do?" Karina's question hung in the salt-laden air.I began brushing sand from my clothes, taking a moment to gather my thoughts. "The sacrifices you make at the expense
MAISIEI wiped away the tear that had rolled down my cheek and turned off the microphone. Looking up, I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself.Being an emotional person with so many feelings can be absolute torture sometimes.I gasped when the door suddenly opened only to sigh with relief upon seeing Jason standing there.My coat hung casually over one shoulder, my bag dangling from his hand."Are you done?" I asked, walking toward him."I finished seconds before you spoke on the microphone," he admitted. "I was listening to your words while I was in the corridor."Mentally reviewing everything I'd just said, I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me. Damn the alcohol for loosening my tongue!"Did I say too much?" I asked, my cheeks warming.Jason lifted my coat, holding it open for me to slip my arms through."No," he said softly. "And you know what? I won't hate him even if he despises me to my core. I'll protect him and always stand by his side, even against his will. I'll
MAISIE"I’ve learned to control myself even more when you're with me," Jason murmured, turning his chair to face the computer.His fingers resumed their effortless dance across the keyboard, yet his thoughts were nowhere near the screen. "It feels like my soul is constantly on the verge of escaping, rushing toward you. No matter how much I look at you, it never feels like enough. I memorize the way you move, the way you sit in stillness. Every little detail of you pulls me in, and my heart beats in sync with your smile."He exhaled softly. "I love you so deeply, so fiercely, that I have to hold myself back. Because if I don’t… I might lose myself entirely."If I had to name what we shared, I'd call it a safe relationship. I'd found myself in the hands of a man who saw beyond my physical form, who cherished the essence of who I was.In this era dominated by cravings and instant gratification, the worst thing that could happen would be surrendering to those shallow expectations and beco
MAISIEJason propped his chin in one hand while his fingers danced across the keyboard."Outrageously beautiful!" He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.I placed my foot on one arm of his chair and pulled my hair back with deliberate slowness. The silky strands slipped through my fingers as I held his gaze."Doesn't my outrageous beauty make you feel anything?" My voice came out huskier than intended, betraying my nervousness."Something like what?" He threw his weight on the back of his chair and placed his warm hand on my leg.His touch sent electricity through my skin, making it difficult to maintain my composure.I bit my lower lip, hesitating for several seconds while gathering my courage. The office suddenly felt too warm, too intimate."Jason... do I not excite you?" The words tumbled out before I could reconsider.His eyebrows rose slightly as he began stroking my leg with gentle, circular motions.My heart hammered against my ribs, and confusion clouded my thoughts."Do
MAISIE"What about Don?" Jason quirked an eyebrow, sliding his hands into his pockets elegantly.The realization hit me. Don! How could I forget?I slumped back into my seat dramatically, resting my forehead on the cool surface of the table."I really wanted to go with you," I mumbled, frustration evident in my voice. Something inside me yearned to be near him, like a magnetic pull I couldn't explain or resist.Miriam's gentle hand patted my head. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help you get what you want?"I lifted my head, confusion written across my face. "What do you mean?""The audio equipment is rented for today only," Miriam explained, leaning closer with a conspiratorial gleam. "I need to return everything before ten tonight. I'll tell Don he needs to help me because Nathan has a headache. We'll take our time, maybe drive around a bit before I drop him off. You just need to be back before we return.""I don't have a headache!" Nathan protested.Miriam shot him a wa
MAISIEThe atmosphere between the two tables instantly chilled.Klay stood up, his posture rigid with barely contained anger."Follow me!" he commanded Dame:But Dame merely smiled provocatively. "Why?"Her defiance visibly increased his anger. He fixed her with a penetrating stare and said through clenched teeth, "Why?...""Should I care about your anger?" she challenged, lifting her chin.I swallowed nervously, watching the tension escalate between them. I'd never seen this side of their relationship before."Shut your fucking mouth and stand up fast!" Klay growled. His usual composure was completely shattered.Dame matched his intensity with a withering glare. "Stop cursing! You're not the only one who can do that, you ugly motherfucker!"Professor Hunt placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Wait, Dame... calm down."Klay's gaze zeroed in on the professor's hand like a laser sight. "Get your hand off her!"I looked at Miriam nervously, and she returned the same anxious glance.The
MAISIEI stopped at the door of Nathan's office when I got there. I peered in and saw Jason deeply absorbed in going over some papers, his face furrowed.I knocked softly on the doorframe and adopted a playfully formal tone. "Will you let me in, Principal Harding?" I teased, referencing his serious demeanor.He looked up with his expression immediately softening into a smile. "Come in."I stepped inside before closing the door behind me with a gentle click.Making my way across the room, I settled into the chair across from him while he returned his attention to the papers in his hands."I got you a surprise!" I announced, holding up the plate with a flourish."Surprise, is it a piece of cake?" he replied without looking up, though I could detect a hint of amusement in his voice.I raised my index finger dramatically as if making an important point. "Wrong, it's not just any cake... it's chocolate cake!"His eyes remained fixed on the documents before him. "No, thank you."Disappointm
MAISIEJason stopped briefly to get a bottle of wine on the way to Nathan's place. I was astonished by the label when he came back to the car and gave it to me."You didn't have to!" I exclaimed, examining the expensive bottle."It's not in my nature to arrive empty-handed, butterfly."When we arrived at Nathan's place, I carefully balanced both gifts in my arms as we got out of the car. Even from outside, I could hear Miriam's voice through speakers singing the birthday song.She had mentioned planning something special, but knowing Miriam, I expected something much wilder than whatever was happening here.We made our way directly to the back garden, where the celebration was taking place. As soon as Miriam spotted us, she set down her microphone on the table where Nathan sat and jogged over to greet us.She looked stunning in a modern black dress that showed off her legs with her hair pulled back in a ponytail.The garden around us was beautifully decorated in white, creating an atm
MAISIEJason didn't follow—perhaps he knew better than to try.I tried to concentrate on wrapping Nathan's present that had finally arrived, but my hands were shaking too much to fold neatly or tie the right ribbons.The sound of an ambulance arriving next door kept drawing my attention away from my task. The sirens wailed, cutting through the evening quiet like a harsh reminder of what had just transpired.I'm not saying Jared didn't deserve consequences for his actions. He had caused immeasurable pain with his interference in our lives yet did he deserve to be injured badly enough to need emergency medical attention?The question troubled me, even as I struggled with ribbon and tape that refused to cooperate with my shaking fingers."Stop giving people second chances they don't deserve, Maisie. It's maturity to accept that no good can come from some people!" Jason's words echoed in my mind.Perhaps he was right. Perhaps no good could ever come from Jared. However, the violence I'd w
MAISIEMy heart pounded against my ribs as I followed them. I knew what was coming: violence, pain, and more fuel for the cycle of hatred that seemed inescapable between these brothers.I hurried down the path to Jason's house, my footsteps quick but hesitant. The front door stood open, swinging slightly in the evening breeze, and I could hear crashes coming from inside. Furniture being overturned, glass breaking.I paused at the threshold with my hand gripping the doorframe. Did I really want to witness this?A particularly loud shatter from the living room made my decision for me. I stepped inside, drawn by concern despite my better judgment.The scene that greeted me was chaos. Jason stood in the center of his once-pristine living room, unwinding his silk tie from around his bloodied knuckles. His breathing was measured but heavy, like a predator conserving energy between attacks.The white shirt beneath his suit jacket was now spattered with crimson droplets."All my troubles bega