Chapter 64: Only When You’re ReadyKai’s P.O.VWe were still hosting the housewarming party as we had planned, despite the underlying tension between Night and I.It all started right after the pool date that night and now, I can see that he seemed stiff whenever I talked to him or when he looked at me. I guess Night hadn't really expected that I would hide my sexual orientation from my parents or the fact that I was dating a guy.In all honestly, I thought he would understand the fear most since he too had to deal with biases from his own parents for a decade. But sometimes, I guess love makes us irrational.However, despite the glaring rift between us, I insisted that we pushed through with the housewarming party. After all our preparations, I wouldn’t let a little bit of strain get in the way of it.Our friends had been dying to see the new place and it was a great opportunity to unwind and spend quality time with our friends, something we hadn't been able to do a lot recently.Bes
Chapter 65: Housewarming PartyKai’s P.O.VLandon and Devon were the first to arrive, followed by Trey and Tanya. They all seemed excited as they entered, looking around the tiny apartment as they took in every detail. I knew it wasn’t our own house and that, in the near future, when I actually did own a house of my own, I was going to make it exactly how Night wanted it to be, but still…having our friends appreciate the house meant a lot to both me and Night.“We got you alcohol.” Devon handed me the bottle that he had brought with him. “My dad got it from Italy a few years back and I never got a chance to open it. But I guess tonight is the perfect occasion.”“Thanks, Dev.” I patted him on the back, accepting the gift. “It’s really nice. Let me get the proper glasses. Red cups won’t do this justice.”Later, Cole and Josh arrived at the same time, bringing even more snacks and cheap booze. However, as soon as Cole saw the condo, he let out a low whistle as he turned towards me, “Dude
Chapter 66: Party CrasherKai’s P.O.VFor a few seconds, I stood there dumbfounded as I blinked at Ruby, wondering if she was a fragment of my imagination, or if I had a good too many drinks that I was now hallucinating.But as she looked me up and down, scoffing, I could tell that I wasn’t, in fact…hallucinating.Then she walked past me, bumping against my shoulder as she said, “I heard you moved out of your dorm and hosting a housewarming party.”I turned to her, just as the whole room fell into pin-drop silence, all of us probably wondering the same thing that I was: How the fuck did she get here?“Why didn’t you invite me, Kai?” she asked, looking up at me through her thick fake lashes as she tried to blink pretty. “How is that fair?”I spun around to look at Saya, who was still standing by the door, waiting for me to usher her in—a stark difference from the bitch who barged her way in. “What the hell happened?” I demanded in a whisper. “How the hell did Ruby end up with you?”I t
Chapter 67: Let Me Handle ItKai’s P.O.VI regained control of my body as I watched Ruby’s form fall to the ground, and she didn’t move afterwards, telling us that she was indeed out cold.On instinct, my eyes immediately searched for Night and I rushed to him to see if he was okay, as I skipped over Ruby’s fallen form.The rest of our friends went to where Tanya stood over Ruby when she said, “Help me tie this bitch up.”“Are you okay?” I asked Night, looking him up and down as I tried to find any visible injuries other than his cheek. “Did you get hit by any glass shards or anything?” I inspected the cut on his cheek from when Ruby had slapped him. “Fuck that bitch! She left scratches. Does it still hurt?”“Stupid,” Night shook his head as he held onto my hand. “I should be asking you that question. You were closer to Ruby there when she went ballistic. Are you alright?”I sighed in relief. “I am, don’t worry, and I’m glad you are, too.” I took Night over to the bed to have a seat a
Chapter 68: Keeping PromisesNight’s P.O.VRuby finally fled the house not long after seeing whatever ace Tanya and Saya had up their sleeves. The rest of us breathed sighs of relief now that the worst was over.“Wow, that was crazy,” Cole sighed as he plopped back down onto the mattresses. “You two were amazing, Tanya and Saya. What on earth did you even do to her when you kicked us outside?”“That’s a secret,” Saya smirked at him, keeping her emotions well hidden, as the rest of the guys frowned before eventually thought of giving up.I actually had a vague idea of what had happened once I saw Ruby’s reaction to the photo, but I was still curious…so I pulled Tanya aside by the kitchen, and asked her that question myself.Tanya merely shrugged. “You don’t need to worry or know about that,” she told me. “I was only helping out a friend.”“Even if that friend is really curious about what you did to help him?” I joked.“Yes,” Tanya laughed. “Even so.” Then her face turned serious, and I
Chapter 69: My BoyfriendKai’s P.O.VAt that point everyone else had already finished washing up, and they were all settling down into the mattresses, getting ready to have some downtime. But the doorbell brought everyone back onto their feet as we all looked at each other in shock and worry.“Wh-what now?” Saya stuttered out, looking at everyone around her with fear in her eyes. “Who could it be past midnight?”“Did you two invite someone else?” Devon asked me. “Or order some pizza? Something that can tell us that the devil didn’t return with the cops or something?”I shook my head, “No. We didn’t order anything…and no one else was invited.”“Fuck! Does that mean…Ruby really brought the cops with her?” Cole asked nervously.Tanya shook her head—finally, the first show of confidence. “No; not possible. She wouldn’t do that after the stuff we pulled.” She exchanged a look with Saya, who agreed with her.“Well, standing here waiting around for someone to figure it out isn’t gonna do shi
Chapter 70: Putting An EndKai’s P.O.VI felt my heart thunder in my chest as I looked at Kia, waiting for her reaction. After all this time hesitating and fearing what might happen when I finally came out to my family…I had finally told my sister the truth…And it felt so fucking liberating…Night’s fingers tightened around mine, and I could tell that he was scared…scared about the consequences, the repercussions, just like he had to face from his own parents. But for now, I knew that even if my sister wasn’t very open to the idea of me being in a relationship with a man…she would still understand.However, when Kia’s lips stretched in a smile, I couldn’t help but feel a bit flabbergasted at her expression. “It’s alright, Kai. I knew.”“You knew?” My jaw all but dropped to the floor. “But how?”Kia shrugged again, pursing her lips. “I mean, I wasn’t sure if you two were actually dating or just fooling around,” she clarified. “I just knew something was going on between you two, and th
Chapter 71: I Would NeverKai’s P.O.VI tried my best to listen to Kia as she narrated her struggles with Rick, but I was too angry to focus on the details. All I knew was that he hit her; he was trying to force himself on my sister to get his way, and when he hadn't been able to do that…he had hit my sister.And that was unforgivable.I was overly aware of Night sitting still behind me, the tension in the air palpable. He also resented Rick for what he did to my sister, even though he had never met the guy, and from the way he clenched and unclenched his hands, I knew he was wondering if it was okay to hold my sister’s hand in comfort, or if it would be overstepping her boundaries.I wanted to tell him that it was fine, and that she wouldn’t mind, but I was trying to focus on controlling my own rage to say anything.The overwhelming sense of guilt that I had been feeling all this time finally took root, paralyzing me on the spot. I watched as my sister’s eyes watered, and she closed
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