Lilly POVHe pouts, grabbing his phone again, typing quickly before holding it up for me to read.If I can’t even do that, what use am I? I may as well stay locked in the bedroom alone until I can fucking move on my own.The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart clenches, and I lean closer, whispering, “Callum...”His head shakes violently, cutting me off. “W-want n-n-no-nor—” His voice rises in a raw scream, his fists pounding against the sofa in sheer frustration. He snatches the phone again, typing furiously before shoving it toward me.I just want things to be normal. Something normal, even for a moment. I don’t feel like me.The message rips through me, the raw honesty in his words slicing deeper than any blade could. His eyes meet mine, and I see it—he’s lost, grasping for something, anything to make him feel whole again.I want to argue, to tell him he’s not useless, that it’s okay to need time, but the desperation in his gaze keeps me silent. He doesn’t just want norm
Callum’s POVI didn’t want to wake her. Hell, I don’t even want to admit I need help. Asking for help feels worse than falling—worse than the constant reminder that I’m not the man I used to be. I thought I’d be fine. I was slow, yes, but I managed three steps. Three goddamn steps before my legs gave out, and I hit the floor hard, my pride shattering with me.The humiliation burns hotter than the pain. Crawling to the bathroom feels like the better option, anything to avoid calling for help. I push against the cold floor, my arms trembling, my breaths coming in short, sharp bursts. My entire body protests as I force myself to sit up. Sweat trickles down my temple, and just as I’m about to try again, the door opens.Dante steps in, his sharp gaze landing on me immediately. “You good?” he asks, his tone carrying a mix of concern and exasperation.I nod, though the answer is obvious. Good? How the fuck can I be good?He lets out a long, heavy sigh, stepping closer. “Stop being a stubborn
Callum POVThe words on the screen feel like a weight pressing down on me, but I finish and hand it to him.I was hurt, locked her in the bedroom, and said something stupid. I was grasping at anything to make her understand how I felt. I didn’t mean it, though. There’s no fucking comparison between her working and me sleeping with Sasha. I screwed up.Dante reads it, his expression shifting from irritation to reluctant understanding. “Then tell her,” he says firmly, handing the phone back. “Make her aware of that. She can’t know what you’re thinking unless you say it—however you have to. And Callum...” He pauses, his tone softening slightly. “If you need help, ask for it. And for God’s sake, use the walking frame so you’re not falling and making things worse. No more stupid stunts.”His words hang in the air, heavy and unrelenting. I nod again, but the frustration and self-loathing in my chest refuse to ease. He’s right, but it doesn’t make any of this easier. I glance at the phone, t
Lilly POVI find Luna downstairs, a place I’ve grown to hate. The air feels thick with judgment, the women looking at me as if they’re waiting for me to spill my guts about everything. But I can’t. I won’t. Callum would hate it if they knew—if they whispered behind his back about how broken he is, how he can barely talk or walk. He’s already drowning in his own shame. Adding to it would be cruel.I catch Luna’s eye and wave her over. She smiles gently, wrapping me in a warm hug. “Can we go somewhere private?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. She nods without hesitation, leading me to the office.Once inside, we sit down, the heavy door closing out the rest of the world.“I figured you’d still be with Callum,” she says, tilting her head curiously.I let out a shaky breath. “No. He pushed me out,” I admit, the words feeling like a confession. “He fell, and when I tried to help, he refused. He wouldn’t let me stay, either. The more I was there, the more frustrated he got, so I lef
Lilly POVAn idea sparks, bold and impulsive. My hands move to unfasten his trousers, my fingers working deftly until they’re undone. His breath hitches, and as I wrap my hand around his cock, a low groan escapes him, rough and guttural.“Lil-ly,” he groans, his voice thick with need, his head falling back as his eyes close. The sound of his voice sends a thrill through me, and I move down, kneeling between his legs. My tongue drags slowly along the length of him, teasing, savoring the moment.I glance up at him, my lips curving into a smirk. “Here’s the deal, Callum,” I say, my tone playful yet firm. “You have to say what you want. Harder, deeper, slower, faster. Use your words, or I stay at this maddeningly slow, teasing pace.”To emphasize my point, I drag my tongue along his cock again, moving torturously slowly. He groans, his hand tangling into my hair, pulling me closer, but I resist, holding my ground.“Words,” I remind him with a smirk, my voice light but laced with challenge
Callum POVIt’s been a week since I got home. A week confined to this apartment, not stepping foot outside. A week of Lilly trying to fix me. I’m not an idiot—I know what she’s doing. She’s using sex, pleasure, and intimacy to relax me, to make speaking easier. And it works, it really does, but it also feels... wrong somehow.Not that I’m complaining. I can talk now—not as smoothly as before, not as fast, but enough. I don’t need the damn phone to communicate anymore. Lilly’s been incredible, staying by my side after all the shit I put her through. After everything I’ve done, I don’t deserve her patience or her love.Honestly, I deserve to be left here to figure it out alone, to struggle with every step, every word, every damn thing. But I can walk now, at least a little. It’s not much, but it’s enough that she doesn’t have to help me to the bathroom anymore, and that feels like a small victory.“When do you plan to see her?” Dante asks, sitting across from me with a glass of whiskey
Callum POV Dante sighs, shaking his head. “Well, if you’d taken the time to look into him, you’d have known the place you killed him was his house. Zeke and Andrew still lived there, Callum. You’re all from the same damn area. And somehow, here you are—connected to Sasha and Lilly. It’s... weirdly fucked up.”Is it? My mind spins as I think back. “You said you had told Sasha about me, before she came, that you had a guy to work with you—that guy being me. Maybe she suspected something?”Dante shrugs, leaning back in his chair. “For all we know, Sasha’s been going from place to place trying to track you down. After everything she pulled, I wouldn’t put it past her. Maybe her showing up here wasn’t a coincidence at all.”The thought sits heavy in my chest. If Sasha orchestrated all of this, even indirectly, it twists everything in ways I’m not ready to untangle.“You’ll never know,” Dante says finally, pulling me from my thoughts. “Focus on Lilly now. You’ve got her scan next week, rig
Lilly POVWhen we step into the apartment, the low murmur of voices greets us. Callum’s grip on my hand is firm—too firm. At first glance, it might look like he’s holding on for support to walk, but I know better. It’s desperation, plain and simple. His fingers dig into mine like he’s holding on for dear life.As we round the corner, Luna is sitting with Nevina. She smiles warmly and waves at us. Nevina, noticing the movement, turns toward us, her dark eyes assessing. They’re sharp, curious, and far older than they should be for a ten-year-old.“I’ll give you guys some space,” Luna says, rising gracefully to her feet. I nod at her, thankful for the gesture. She’s been spending a lot of time with Nevina, and it shows. Little Bear is curled up beside Nevina, fast asleep, and the scene feels oddly domestic, almost surreal.Callum doesn’t move, doesn’t say a word. He’s frozen, his body tense and his eyes flickering around the room like he’s searching for an escape route. I squeeze his han
Jace POVAs the waves of pleasure slowly subside, our bodies remain tangled, our breaths uneven, heavy with the remnants of what we just shared. My fingers trace over her cheek, brushing damp strands of hair from her face, and I shift just enough to look at her. Her lips are parted, her pupils still blown wide, the aftershocks making her shudder beneath me.“How was that?” My voice is quiet, teasing, but laced with something deeper, something I’m not ready to acknowledge.A lazy, satisfied smile spreads across her lips as she blinks up at me, still lost in the haze. “Everything I wanted…” Her voice is soft, drowsy, and she buries her face against my chest, sighing in contentment.I exhale slowly, reaching up to unhook the restraints, my hands careful as I rub gentle circles over her wrists where the cuffs have left faint marks. She doesn’t move much, her body spent, boneless, completely relaxed against me.
Jace POVHer hands remain bound behind her, wrists secured in the soft leather restraints as my fingers continue their slow, deliberate exploration of her skin. Every inch of her is hypersensitive, every touch making her shudder beneath me. My lips follow the path my hands create, dragging heat in their wake as I kiss my way down her body, my tongue teasing the delicate curve of her hip. I have no concrete plan, only the intention of pushing her deeper into subspace, giving her mind the escape it craves.I bite down on the soft flesh of her inner thigh, and she gasps, her hips jerking instinctively toward me. The sound is addictive, a quiet plea wrapped in pleasure. Reaching behind her, I unfasten the restraints only to secure them above her head, forcing her arms up and keeping her open for me. Her breath is uneven, her body trembling with anticipation, and when my mouth moves lower, when my tongue strokes over her, she lets out a strangled moan that
Serena POVI hit the bag over and over, each impact sending a shockwave through my body. My breaths come in ragged gasps. I don’t even know what I’m angry at anymore, Dale, his father, Jace, myself. It all blends together in one endless scream inside my head.“Fuck you,” I hiss under my breath, but I don’t even know who I’m saying it to.Jace watches me, silent. He doesn’t try to stop me. He doesn’t try to tell me to slow down. He just lets me burn it off.When my arms shake and my legs feel weak, I finally stop. My breath is ragged, sweat clinging to my skin, and I brace myself against the bag, pressing my forehead to the cool surface.Jace steps closer, his voice quieter now. “Feel better?”I don’t answer right away. My body still feels like it’s running on high voltage, but the energy is different now. The desperation, the unbearable itch, it’s dulled.&l
Serena POVThe bedroom walls feel like they’re closing in on me, suffocating, even when Jace is there. He’s been letting me out, but only when he’s around, like he doesn’t trust me. Maybe he’s right not to. I don’t even trust myself right now.My skin crawls, my body restless, my thoughts moving too fast for me to catch. One second, I feel like I need to run, to escape, to do something—anything—but then it shifts, and I crash, exhaustion pressing me down like a weight.I hate this. I hate feeling like I’m not in control. It's been a week, I thought by now I would be fine, but I'm not.I pace back and forth across the room, my hands shaking as I rake them through my hair. Jace is sitting in the chair near the door, watching me with that same patient expression he’s had since all of this started. Like he’s waiting for me to snap.“Stop looking at me like that,&rd
Jace POVI head down the hall, my heartbeat picking up the closer I get to the room she’s in. When I push open the door, she’s still on the bed, legs crossed, fingers tugging at a loose thread on the blanket.She looks up, her expression unreadable. “Hey,” she murmurs.Stepping inside, I shut the door behind me. “You good?”She shrugs, glancing away. “I guess.”I walk closer, dropping into the chair beside the bed. “You ate?”She nods. “Rich made sure of it.”Of course, he did.Silence stretches between us, thick and weighted, until she finally speaks again. “Why are you here, Jace?”I meet her gaze, holding it steady. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”Standing, I watch her curl into herself, arms wrapped tight around her legs like she’s trying to disappear. She looks so damn small like this, so fucking frag
Jace POVThe exhaustion is like a weight pressing down on me, my body begging for rest, but my mind refuses to slow down. I’ve been working for hours, handling everything at the club, but it’s impossible to focus when all I can think about is her.I haven’t heard a damn thing from Rich since I left Serena with him. No updates, no messages. It’s not like I expected play-by-plays of everything happening in that room, but silence? It doesn’t sit right with me, so I need to check on her.Taking the elevator up, I roll my shoulders, trying to shake off the tension. As soon as the doors slide open, I step into my apartment, my attention immediately pulled toward the bedroom door. Then I hear it, laughter, Serena is laughing.It’s soft at first, then louder, full of something I haven’t heard in years. Pure, genuine happiness. It stops me in my tracks. My chest tightens, and for a moment, I just stand the
Serena POVRich doesn’t push, just watches as I drift back into memories.“When we were kids, we did everything together,” I say, a small smile tugging at my lips. “He’d come over, and we’d build forts out of blankets in my living room. We used to sneak out at night and go to the lake, just to sit by the water and talk. Sometimes we’d dare each other to do stupid things, like climb onto the roof of my house or steal candy from the corner store.”Rich chuckles. “He ever get caught?”I laugh, shaking my head. “No. I always did, though. He was too damn good at talking his way out of trouble.”Rich smirks. “He still is.”I nod, my smile fading slightly. “It was easy back then. He was always there, always... Jace. No complications, and no mess.”“But now?” Rich prompts.I sigh, pushing my plate away. “Now I don’t k
Serena POVRich runs a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. “Serena, he set you up. He made you the monster so you wouldn’t ever question what really happened, and if you did? He had Dale right there, feeding you those pills, keeping your head foggy enough that you’d never put the pieces together.”My stomach lurches. “The pills…” My voice trails off as realization starts to sink in.“Yeah,” Rich nods, his expression grim. “Makes me wonder how long they’ve been keeping you doped up. How long they’ve made you believe you were just crazy instead of realizing what they did to you.”I press a hand to my forehead, feeling like my skull is splitting open. “No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “I would’ve known. I would’ve remembered.”“Would you?” Rich’s voice is gentle now, but the weight behind his words i
Serena POVI wake up groggy, my body heavy, my mind wrapped in a thick fog. My limbs feel sluggish, my skin too tight, too sensitive.How long has it been? Panic creeps in as I blink around the dimly lit room, trying to piece things together. My throat is dry, my mouth like sandpaper. Something feels wrong.“Jace?” My voice cracks, barely more than a whisper. I swallow hard and try again, louder this time. “Jace!”I hear footsteps followed by the door creaking open, and Rich stands in the doorway, leaning against the frame, watching me.He lifts his hands, slow and easy, like he’s dealing with a wild animal. He steps inside, holding out a glass of water. “Easy there, trouble. Just me.”I don’t move. My heart pounds, and paranoia twists in my gut. Jace isn’t here. Where is Jace? “Where’s Jace?” I ask.Rich just smiles like I didn’t just snap at him. “Tr