Chapter 4: Competition?
Kai’s P.O.V
“Wow.” Devon gave the three of us a once over as he leaned back in his seat with a smirk. “The three of you sure look wonderful this fine morning.”
Three consecutive groans came from three different people but for three completely different reasons.
Joshua, the red-headed player of our group who got spotted the most because of his unusual hair color, gave Devon the middle finger as he laid his head back down on his desk. “Fuck you, man! I nearly had a heart attack! And this is what I come back to?”
Apparently, the woman who he went home with last night was barely eighteen and had a Lieutenant for a father. So it was safe to say…he spent the rest of the night running away from cops and ultimately getting away with a ‘polite’ warning as to never set foot near his daughter again ‘or else’…well, I’m sure none of us would like to know how that sentence ended.
As for Cole, he was lying on his desk with his head in his hands, still recovering from his killer hangover. I didn’t know if his bleached blonde hair was in disarray because he had been pulling at it all this time, or he had forgotten to brush it this morning due to the hangover.
And last but not the least…there was red eyed and sleep deprived, moi.
“I’d totally do you…if you let me.”
After my gay roommate had been so kind as to make that joke before snoring his way to dawn…I had lost my will to sleep because:
I did not find it funny at all.
I did not find it funny at fucking all.
He was joking…right?
“Hey De,” Cole turned to Devon, looking at him up and down with narrowed eyes. “How come you don’t look the slightest bit hung-over? You drank a lot of whisky last night.”
“It wasn’t all that much and I went home and got a good few hours of sleep last night.” Devon shrugged. “I even took notes in class for you guys. So if you want to copy my notes…buy me lunch.”
All of us groaned at the same time before placing our head back on top of the desk.
If there was anything we feared about Devon…it was the fact that the man had a bottomless pit and could eat an entire horse without blinking. And the fact that he had an incredible body to match his six feet four height was like rubbing salt to the injury.
But in his defence, he was the boxing club president and has won several medals in his school and college competitions. The fact that our group had a major fan following on F******k and several fan pages dedicated to each of us, was partially thanks to Devon posting shirtless workout selfies in the gym and sometimes daring us to do the same.
“Fine.” Cole and Josh said at the same time. “Whatever!”
“I took notes.” I told them before I looked down at my notebook and groaned yet again. “I think.”
Fuck! Since when did my handwriting become unrecognizable even to myself? Being sleep deprived wasn’t as cute as movies made them out to be. My vision was hazy and it felt like I could pass out at any time. If it wasn’t for the five shots of espresso in my coffee this morning, I’d probably be asleep already. But now, I just couldn’t stop shaking my legs.
“Fine, fine!” Devon sighed. “I’ll take pity on you three, just for today. Let’s go get lunch already. I’m hungry.”
“When aren’t you?” Joshua asked as he got up from his seat, as did the others…before all of them turned toward me. “You coming?”
“Yeah…” I sighed, getting up as well.
“I’d totally do you…if you let me.”
Fuck! Why did his words keep reverberating inside my head like some kind of stuck tape-recorder?
“What do you guys want for lunch? McDonalds or Subway?” Joshua yawned as we got into the elevator to get to the ground floor, making us all yawn in sync before giving him death glares.
“Nah! I’m fine with whatever they have in the cafeteria.” Cole waved away any suggestions of going out to have lunch, even though our next class was at 2PM.
“Wait a minute,” I frowned at him. “You just gave up on going to McDonalds! What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Fuck you idiots!” He cursed. “Did you forget what day it is?”
“Start of our third year?” I said along with Devon who muttered, “First day of new class?”
“Exactly!” Cole shook his head. “And that means what?”
The four of us gave each other weird looks before it finally clicked.
“Shit! Freshmen!”
“And fresh new girls!” Cole sang like a creep as the elevator doors opened and he all but skipped out of it. “Let’s get to the cafeteria before all the good ones are taken!”
“Is he seriously talking about women like they’re some kind of livestock?” I narrowed my eyes at his blonde head, hoping he would actually slip and fall on his face for once. If only he had this much enthusiasm when it came to group projects rather than leaving it all to the rest of us to finish…
“Well…he does have a point though.” Joshua, freshly heartbroken after last night, followed behind Cole as Devon and I walked at a slower pace, not wanting others to associate us with the two fools skipping ahead.
The cafeteria was crowded as usual, with students from other faculties joining in, especially those who didn’t have class at this time of the day. So it wasn’t a surprise to see a huge crowd considering the influx of the freshmen and their new admirers. It was however…extremely surprising when Cole suddenly slapped at my shoulders and Devon came to stand in front of me as if to shield my view.
“What the hell?” I looked at Cole incredulously while rubbing at my shoulders. “What’s wrong with the two of you? Get moving or all the seats will be gone!”
“Well…” Devon hesitated, but Cole shoved him out of the way.
“Oh, shut it!” Cole snorted. “Kai’s been over Ruby for ages. There’s no way she’s getting any reaction from him.”
“Huh?” Confused, I looked around as to what my friends were talking about, but with Devon still in my way…I didn’t think I would find out if he just kept standing there.
“Fine!” Devon sighed, finally stepping aside. “But I gotta warn you…I think you got competition.”
I was still confused as to what they were talking about…until my eyes finally met hazel orbs from across the room and I understood what was going on.
Ruby was sitting on top of a freshman, with her arms around his nape. Her expression was unreadable and yet, they were close enough that it seemed like they were about to kiss…and the man she was sitting on top of…was none other than Night Winters.
Competition was the furthest thing on my mind as I continued to meet Night’s eyes from across the room; my blue orbs narrowed in on his innocent hazel ones.
But what surprised me the most at that instant was the fact that the only question on my mind at that moment wasn’t about Ruby or how she ended up on his lap. Rather it was…
He told me he was gay…did he lie?
Chapter 5: More than a Tease Night’s P.O.V “Holy shit! The guy from the club?” Trey, one of my best friend’s, gave me a wide eyed look as he almost spit out his coffee. “Eat with your mouth closed for god’s sake!” Tanya, Trey’s girlfriend and the only girl in our gang, used her hand to shut his jaw while giving him a disgusted look. To be fair, she had way more testosterone than any of the boys in our group and the fact that all of us feared her was a testament to just how tomboyish she was…if the fact about her being on the women’s boxing team wasn’t clear enough. Which was Landon and I had been flabbergasted when Trey had announced that he was dating Tanya. But that was two years ago. Now, the two of them were pretty inseparable…although watching the two of them together sometimes felt like watching a bunny tagging behind a lioness… “So? How did he take it?” Landon seemed concerned as he narrowed his grey eyes, leaning forward in his seat as if that would let him get the scoo
Chapter 6: Taken or Not?Night’s P.O.V“What ‘taken’?” Kai scowled at his friend before bringing up his hand to smack the back of his head. “Ruby and I broke up ages ago! Stop making up stupid gossip just for fun!”I released the breath that I didn’t even realize I was holding.Fuck! What was wrong with me? Yes, the guy was attractive…but it didn’t matter if he was taken or not! I hated commitments myself.“Hey! Don’t insult me in front of the freshmeat!” The blonde guy rubbed the back of his head while pouting.Kai shook his head before turning to face me. “This is Night Winters, one of the freshmen in Communication Arts and my new roommate.” He turned to face the blonde guy. “He’s also the one who helped me get your drunken ass back to your dorm last night.”“Shit!” He stopped rubbing his head to turn towards me. “Now that’s embarrassing! I’m Cole Harvard by the way. Third year Economics major.”Third year? Now that’s something I wasn’t expecting.When I had seen Kai leave the build
Chapter 7: Campus HotshotsNight’s P.O.V“Guys…not again!” Kai groaned from next to me as he looked at the two girls with narrowed eyes.“Seriously,” Devon’s tone was just as sour. “By now it feels like you guys are just running our fan club.”“Well, we are,” the dark haired girl answered in all seriousness. “But that’s just a side business and its non-profit.”“Oh?” Cole smirked. “Your pants haven’t caught fire yet? Non-profit my ass! You guys sell our photos to the girls on campus for a large amount. I’ve had my people spy on you.”“Really? That confident?” The dark haired girl grinned and leaned closer to Cole. “You really shouldn’t trust your source, Cole, because your so-called spy? She’s the one who got your pool pictures to us in the first place.”“Fucking hell!” Cole yelled in exasperation. “My sister’s working for you guys?”“More like with us.” Yin flipped her hair back with a shrug. “We’re partners.”“Shit!”“Um…” I nudged Kai with my elbow. “What exactly is going on in her
Chapter 8: Breaking the IceKai’s P.O.VTo call…or not to call…wasn’t that the question?I sat frowning at the sleeping figure on the opposite bed, meanwhile waiting for the security to deliver my DoorDash order as I kept shaking my legs in agitation. I was lowkey hoping that the sound of the knocking would wake him up, so I wouldn’t have to, but with my luck…that didn’t happen.The security knocked only once and that too in such a ‘polite’ manner that it was hard for even me to catch the sound. Sighing, I got up from my bed and accepted the package before setting up the breakfast on the little table we had to the side of the dorm room that acted as the ‘living’ area and got out two plates.Finally, I went over to Night’s bed and placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly so I could wake him up.“Night.” I called out to him, keeping my voice low so I don’t wake him up suddenly. “It’s time to wake up.”“Ughhh…mom…five more minutesss…” He groaned in a soft voice, pulling the co
Chapter 9: Unknown Troubles Kai’s P.O.V “So? The freshmen really managed to drag us into their group party?” Devon sighed, swirling the whiskey inside the glass. “But I gotta admit…the bar’s pretty lit.” “Who cares about the bar? The drinks are free and the chicks are hot!” Cole smirked as he waved at a pretty girl at the bar, who waved back at Cole shyly. “I think I’m gonna go buy her a drink.” “Sure.” I shook my head. “And I’m pretty sure that’s her girlfriend right next to her…the one giving you the evil eye.” That had Cole’s eyes widening until they looked like saucers. He shook his head, rubbed his eyes…and then looked at the woman once again…only to find the dark haired biker woman next to her pull her in for one hot, steamy make out session. “Holy shit!” Cole’s jaw dropped to the floor as he observed the couple before his eyes roamed around the entire room once more. “We’re at a freaking gay bar!” “That’s why I said it’s pretty lit,” Devon smirked at our poor friend. “Th
Chapter 10: Deeper wounds Kai’s P.O.V Author’s Note: Proceed with caution; this chapter might have a few trigger warnings. I closed the door the our dorm, locking it shut before making my way over to the fridge and getting out two ice packs. “Hmm.” Walking over to Night’s bed, I handed him one of the packs before taking a seat next to him and placing the ice to my cheek, wincing a bit when the sting came from out of nowhere. It hadn't hurt when I had gotten that punch, probably because I had been too preoccupied with punching the life out of that fucker. “Good thing Landon got Devon to help us in time.” I sighed, trying to break the ice between us. Night had been unusually quiet since the whole incident. Landon and Devon had taken the other kid home first, who…as we had found out later, wasn’t even out of high school yet. But we were glad that he and his friend were both safe, at least for now. As for what will happen in the future…we had no clue. Hopefully the kids got their le
Chapter 11: Crossing the Lines Kai’s P.O.V His lips were soft…softer than I had anticipated a man’s lips to be. My first experience in kissing a man…why I was doing this…I didn’t know… I was trying to comfort him the first time…right? To let him know that I understood the shit he’d been through and that I didn’t judge him for who he was or what he’d been through. I shouldn’t be bothered by the kiss, right? I was straight…I didn’t…I shouldn’t be affected by the softness of his lips…or the taste of alcohol that still clung to it…but then…why was my heart hammering against my ribcage like a drum? Why did I find myself pressing my hands to his cheeks to pull his face closer? There was a second’s interval as Night moved his lips away from mine to kiss my cheek tenderly, before kissing his way down my neck in a soft, slow motion, leaving a trail of tiny kisses down the line of my jaw. “Kai…” his voice was a breathless purr against my neck as he clamped his lips on to the side of the
Chapter 12: Bickering Like Kids Kai’s P.O.V I ducked behind the sofa, looking left and right to see if the coast was clear before aiming for my next target. The table towards the center of the room was a bit too low, so if someone came down the staircase…shit! If someone came down the staircase, they’d be able to see me anyway. The sofas were all white and I was wearing a bright red shirt! ‘Think Kai, think!’ I told myself as I looked around once again before turning back to look at the engraved wooden door that I had just come in through. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea? Oh, what was I thinking? ‘Maybe’? It was a fucking horrible idea to be sneaking around at 1 AM like a bloody thief in my own bloody house! However…the last thing I wanted was for either my mom or my dad to find me. As if having a bruised cheek and forehead wasn’t enough, but if either of my parents saw my like this right now and figured out that I had been in a fight…I’m sure I’d be leaving with more bruises
Chapter 115: A Glimpse into the FutureKai’s P.O.V“You went to play gold with Mr. Williams?” Night folded his arms across his chest, his frown deepening with every passing second. “The School principal?”“Come on, babe, it was just a stupid game!” I sighed, rubbing at my temples. “I didn’t even score and stood off to the side listening to him talk about charity and stuff!”“You know what he’s like, Kai! How could you?” He snapped, his temper flaring.And to add insult to injury, Kelly rounded the corner at that moment, her backpack slung over her shoulders as she picked up an apple from the fruit basket on the table. “Also…word has it that he targets hot DILF’s, especially married ones.” She added with a smug smile.“Kelly! What the hell!” I snapped at my seventeen year old daughter, who simply shrugged and stood to the side, munching on her apple. “You’re just making this worse!”“I’m just saying what the mom’s are saying.” She shrugged again.“And how, pray tell, do you know what a
Chapter 114: AlwaysKai’s P.O.VSix years later…The beach stretched out before us in endless waves of sapphire and teal, the soft rush of the tide a soothing soundtrack to the most important day of our lives.We had chosen Night’s father’s beach house in Florida as the venue—an idyllic spot with sprawling, sun-kissed sand and a gentle breeze that carried the salt of the sea.A pathway of white rose petals led from the entrance of the beach house to the altar, which was an artful arch made of intertwined driftwood, adorned with clusters of white lilies and ivy.Delicate strings of fairy lights were wrapped around nearby palm trees, and lanterns hung at varying heights, swaying gently with the breeze as they caught the late afternoon sunlight, creating a warm golden glow.A canopy of sheer white fabric fluttered above rows of white wooden chairs, draped with ribbons of blue and green that mirrored the colors of the ocean.Guests filled the seats, familiar faces and old friends from col
Chapter 113: A Post-Engagement Treat Kai’s P.O.VThe last of our friends were starting to head out, their faces lit up with tired but content smiles, like they’d just had a blast. It had been a good celebration, and I could tell they were happy for us.First, Cole stepped up, his tall frame looming in the doorway as he flashed us his usual wide grin. "You two really knocked it out of the park with this place," he said, throwing an arm around Night’s shoulder and giving him a playful nudge. "I’m glad you guys are starting fresh. Don’t mess it up, alright?"Night rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face said he wasn’t actually annoyed. "We’ll try not to, Cole.""Good. Well, I’ll leave you to it. Don’t go getting into too much trouble now." He gave us a mock salute before stepping out the door, waving as he disappeared into the hallway. Landon, with his usual goofy grin, was holding Devon’s hand like he couldn’t quite bring himself to let go. "This night was awesome, guys," he said,
Chapter 112: This Is HomeKai’s P.O.VA few days later, we drove to the condo unit that Jonathan had previously bought for Night to live in, so he could live off-campus and stop sharing a room with me. The same condo that I had visited several months ago, when I had still been fighting with myself over where my heart truly belonged.But now… now we were here together with his parents’ blessing, and we were here not because of Night’s obligation to this family and their business, but because we were free to use this as we wished.And we wanted to.The condo that my sister had helped me get previously may have been cheap, but it was tiny and not enough room to have sleepovers and host our friends. But this one was definitely bigger and brighter. Perfect for me and Night.Tonight the condo was filled with the kind of warmth and noise that made the walls feel more alive than mere brick and plaster. Laughter bounced from one corner to another as our friends, our found family, filled the sp
Chapter 111: Just Me and HimKai’s P.O.VHow foolish had I been? The whole time, I was thinking that the only lives that would be affected by the revelation would be mine and Night’s.I didn't stop to think about the consequences it would have on their family. I had been so… selfish.I didn't even consider that Night might end up feeling horrible because of the things that I had brought to light.What if things turned out badly? What if Night ended up hating me? I couldn't help the wave of relief that washed over me as I watched their family embrace each other. Thank God it didn't turn out that way.I may have acted rashly and opened wounds that I shouldn't have opened, but at least, in the end, it all worked out to be in their favor.I guess it was mostly thanks to Jonathan finally having his senses return. If he had been too stubborn to see his faults, we probably would be having a very different scenario now.Still, I felt horrible for my own actions. I felt like a child who could
Chapter 110: Once A House, Now A HomeNight’s P.O.VWhen I turned to look at my mother, I had this undeniable feeling that our family was going to crumble. There was no other way to go about it—what was the right way of proceeding with your life when you suddenly find out that the man of your family turned out to have never loved you at all? That instead he had someone else occupying his heart, whether he admitted it or not?Thinking about it that way made me realize something else as well, the other side as to why my father had kept the truth. Just like Rosalie had said during her earlier fit, why would any woman want to waste her life being married to a gay man who could never love her the way she wants to be loved and never need her physically in the way that she wants to be needed?My father hadn't held back on the truth not only because of his troubled past, but because he was holding this family together…because he didn’t want me to grow up with only one parent, facing prejudice
Chapter 109: A New PerspectiveNight’s P.O.VI stared at him, letting myself absorb what he had just said. Part of me felt sorry for him; the incident with Matthias must have changed him so much that he turned his worldview around in a complete 180.But the other half was angry at myself for feeling pity for him. Angry at him, because I had deserved better than how he had treated me.“You of all people should know better than anyone that being gay isn’t some kind of disease,” I spat, “or a hobby that you can expect me to give up and move on when it’s no longer of any interest to me. You got angry at Kai when he told you that you never truly loved anyone in your life. How would you feel if I said the same thing and told you that what you and Matthias had wasn’t real? That it wasn’t valid because he wasn’t a woman?”He didn’t say anything, but from the way he looked at me I knew he was listening intently to what I was saying. Finally—when was the last time he did so? I couldn’t recall.
Chapter 108: Stray from the PathNight’s P.O.VI felt my eyes go wide, the room spinning out of focus around me as my father’s words echoed in the back of my mind.My breath caught in his throat, rendering me mute. I didn’t know what to think, what to say. To be honest, I felt quite numb, as though the floor has fallen out from beneath me and I was in a free fall, not knowing when I was going to land or if I was even going to land at all.The sharp thud of my mother dropping to the floor beside my father jolted me back to the room; her face was pale, eyes wide and vacant, mirroring the confusion I felt.The name—Matthias—was stuck on repeat in my head like a broken tape recorder. ‘Matthias, Matthias. Your father is just like you…’Just like me.The man who had always stood tall and indomitable now sat crumpled, broken by memories that seem more powerful than anything I could have imagined. I just couldn’t fathom, couldn’t grasp the fact that what he had just said was actually the trut
Chapter 107: Just Like YouKai’s P.O.VTaking advantage of the stunned expression on his face, I pushed him back as I released his hand, watching him stumble backwards.“And for the record,” I continued when I realized that Jonathan was too stunned to speak, “I’ll have you know that I haven’t ruined anything. This was bound to happen eventually, because you are a hypocrite for not only forgetting Matthias but also for turning against your own heart.”The words just gushed out of my mouth, faster than I could think things through. I didn’t stop to wonder whether I was saying the right things. Maybe I wasn’t. But it didn’t matter to me, because right now, all that I wanted to do was hurt him, just as badly as he had hurt Night.“Maybe you moved on so quickly because you are a selfish bastard who has never truly loved anyone in your life,” I spat, my temper getting the best of me.“That’s enough,” Night’s mother started to say, but I drowned her out, my words spilling out in an angry rus