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 scoop first. “Was he being homophobic?”
“Nope. Just openly curious.” I shook my head…although his comment on me not having washed my hand almost made me snort out my own coffee. Seriously? I do have to give him points for originality though. That’s probably the first time someone had been concerned about this particular fact.
And yes…for those who are curious…I did wash them.
However, when I remembered my little slip of tongue later on…I really did wish the ground could just swallow me whole!
“I’d totally do you…if you let me.”
Seriously, Night? Why the fuck did I have to sound so damn horny? To think I had a one-night stand not too long ago!
But when I had come out of the bathroom and found Kai in front of his closet with nothing but shorts on…it had made my stomach drop.
The man had a nice body. Thick thighs and nice biceps, but what had gotten me turned on in an instant was that smooth back with that light golden skin devoid of any imperfections. I’d never known I had a thing for men’s backs until I saw Kai’s and now I’m curious. What would it have felt like to run my hands down that silky smooth skin?
“Oye!” Tanya’s annoyed voice came to my ears as she snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Stop with that day dreaming stare you horny hoe!”
“Normally, I’d take insult, but she’s right.” Landon mused as he flipped his long black hair away from his eyes. “You’re acting creepy. He’s your roommate now. Behave.”
“So?” I smirked. “What if he’s my roommate? What if I can get him to like me?”
“And what if he’s straight?” Trey asked nervously. “That can make things awkward between the two of you…and you’d have to go back to living with your family.”
“Shit!” I hadn't thought about that, had I?
I could do anything but going back to my family? Hell no! I’d rather starve to death!
“Wow…I can’t believe I’m still friends with you horn-dogs.” Tanya sighed as she got up from her seat. “I’m leaving. I have class in ten minutes.”
“See you.” We all said in chorus as she left the group to get back to her faculty.
Out of everyone in the group, she was the only one who got into Med school while being on the boxing club at the same time. So it was a running joke among us that she simply got into Med School to increase her body count. After all, someone’s gotta treat the people she beats up during her club practice sessions.
“Oh…dang!”
Turning towards Landon at the sound of his low murmur, Trey and I both found him grinning ear to ear at something behind me.
“What?” I asked frowning, but then I noticed the same stupid grin on Trey’s face as well. “Are either of you gonna tell me anything or do I have to beat it out of you?”
“H.O.T.” Landon said with a dreamy sigh. “That’s the only warning you get.”
I think I was beginning to understand exactly what was about to happen but before I could get up and make a run for it…a tiny hand with perfectly manicured pink nails landed on my shoulders, halting my escape plan. Fuck!
Here we go again…for the thousandth time today.
“Hey there,” the girl came closer, placing her elbow on my shoulder as she leaned in. “Is this seat taken?”
I looked up at her wearily. She was pretty with long blonde hair and bright pink highlights on a small, heart shaped face and icy blue eyes. Even her outfit was all pink with a bright pink faux fur jacket over a light pink tank top and denim shorts for some much needed break from all the pink. If Tanya was here, she would’ve called her a human highlighter…and I’d have to agree. The pink was a bit too bright.
“Ooohh!” Trey and Landon’s voice came from the other side of the table, but I knew they were just pulling my leg. “Look at him. First day at Uni and he’s Mr. Popular already!”
“No.” I moved my bag aside so she could take a seat there…but instead, I found her plopping herself down on my lap, surprising everyone around me…and making me feel more than a bit uncomfortable.
“And your number?” She whispered seductively, wrapping her arms loosely around my neck. “Can I have that as well?”
Suddenly, I felt this tingling on my nape as the tiny hairs came to stand in attention. It was like getting sucked in like a magnet. I looked up from the face of the woman sitting on my lap…and met eyes of searing blue from across the room.
When I’d told him that I’d do him… I had just been teasing him for fun…then why was I suddenly getting this strange tingling feeling in the pit of my stomach now? And why did my heart suddenly thrash against my ribcage in fear of him misunderstanding the situation?
Quickly, I turned to face the girl once again, who was eagerly waiting for me to answer her question. However, instead of being too direct, I decided for a different approach, since she looked like she could be our senior and I didn’t want to get into trouble on my very first day.
“Unfortunately…that’s reserved for special people only.” I told her with a smile, removing her hands from around my neck.
“Oh?” However…she didn’t seem like the giving up kind. “I can become that special person for you…if you want.”
Looks like direct approach it was.
“I doubt that.” I brought my face closer to hers, making her believe that I was flirting with her…before giving her the final blow. “But if you have a brother who’s just as cute as you…I’d love to have his number instead.”
Realization finally dawned in her eyes as they widened just the slightest and she was springing out of my lap like her ass was on fire. From the other side of the table, I could see the boys look at me with shocked expressions before Landon politely offered her his number.
However, that just angered her even more as she grit her teeth and balled her hands into fists. Without another word, she turned to leave but halted mid-step.
At first I thought she was going to say something ignorant or stupid at having just been turned down, but what she said next had me snapping my head up to meet eyes of searing blue.
“Kai…it’s not what it looks like!”
“Really Ruby?” Three other boys stood beside him, and the blonde one that I had helped take to the dorm last night was the one who leaned forward with a smirk on his face. “Because it just looked like you were getting really comfortable on his lap.”
“Why? Is there a problem if I was?”
Wow!
Landon, Trey and I looked at each other before turning back to Kai and his gang. Did this Ruby girl just use me to try and make Kai jealous? Fucking hell!
“Oooohh!” The guy to Kai’s left with dark red hair scoffed. “Are you trying to pick up the fresh-meat or were you trying to get Kai jealous?”
“Ugh!” Ruby yelled in frustration as she stomped her foot before she pushed past the boys and left the cafeteria, making the seniors turn to our group next.
“So…?” The same blonde guy now smirked down at us. “Mind telling us why you just went after our friend’s girl?”
‘Friend’s girl’? Shit!
Why hadn't I thought about the fact that Kai might already be taken when I was teasing him?
But looking at him now, with his midnight black hair falling over his forehead as he narrowed his blue eyes at me…why did it suddenly feel more than a tease when I had told him about sleeping with him last night?
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 13: We Kissed Kai’s P.O.V “You know you’re acting awfully suspicious, right?” Cole gave me a narrowed eyed look from over his coffee cup. “What happened to the bad boy of H University? The guy who dated left, right and centre without so much as caring if he was dating two women at the same time?” “And what’s so suspicious about taking a break?” I scoffed, turning away from him to look outside at the college grounds. “We got two more years to figure our shit out before we need to start making a living. The real world isn’t all fun and games or keeping tabs on how many notches we have on our bedpost.” “Ouch! What a low blow.” Cole rubbed a hand over his chest dramatically, making me roll my eyes. “Did your father give you a warning or something?” “My sister just became a resident at Alberta Medicave,” I told him grumpily. “The whole family will be holding a huge feast this weekend, to celebrate her finally getting her dream job. While I’ll be reminded, once again, of just wh
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