Chapter 94: The Only Thing That CountsKai’s P.O.V‘Stunned’ would be an understatement to describe how shocked I felt seeing those pictures. But I wasn’t angry, no. I just felt…genuinely surprised. It was a strange tingling feeling that travelled through my entire body and constricted my heart.I was walking back to the office before I knew it, the magazine in my hand, opened to that spread of Night and I.Tina and Yin had been the ones behind the making of this magazine, and it appeared that they made an unexpected ‘Favorite Ship’ section that featured us two, along with a few other couples, but they hardly got as much space as us. This wasn’t in the initial plans I sent them, so it was obviously something that they had come up with on their own.They saw me approach, and with one glance at my hand, they knew immediately what I was going to ask them about. But before I could even open my mouth to speak, Tina and Yin quickly rushed over to my side.“Kai! So sorry you had to find out
Chapter 95: The Concerns of A FriendLandon’s P.O.VWhen Devon and I got to the venue, there was already a significant number of people in the audience. In fact, the auditorium was already almost full, with a small crowd gathering at the sides, which were probably people who had been unable to get their tickets.Scanning the area, we took our respective seats along with our other friends, Cole, Josh, Tanya and Trey. The air was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. Everywhere I looked, there were people holding magazines, flipping through the pages and pointing enthusiastically at the pictures.The lights on the stage were blinding and there was a hum of chatter echoing off the high ceilings. People were leaning forward in their seats, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the stage that seemed like it was made for an international contest rather than a school-wide pageant. A long runway extended from the center toward the audience, and in the background, a large LED screen di
Chapter 96: No IntentionsNight’s P.O.VAs soon as I entered the green room, I felt my body freeze on the spot, a shiver running down my spine. I took one sweep of the room and found Kai in one corner, sitting in front of a booth towards the back. It was like there was a magnetic force around him, pulling me in as soon as I was within his vicinity.Just like that, I felt my heart thunder in my ribs, threatening to break out of my chest. He wasn’t doing anything—just sitting there in front of one of the mirrors meant to be used by the contestants, not even facing me. But I felt him. His presence was so strong that my eyes were drawn to him automatically, like a moth to the flames.He sat still, his presence relaxed but commanding, like he owned the space. There was something in the stillness around him, a gravity that seemed to pull at everyone in the room, even though no one dared to acknowledge it. I tried to look away, but it was impossible.It was like he had anchored the entire at
Chapter 97: The Final RoundKai’s P.O.VThe lights dimmed, and the room fell into an expectant hush. I could feel the energy shift, the excitement building, and then—boom—the stage exploded with a burst of light and sound. Music blared through the speakers, and the crowd erupted into cheers. The pageant had officially begun.I stood just offstage, heart pounding beneath the now-heavy fabric of my clothes, trying to steady my breath. The dazzling display of lights and colors flooded my senses. I scanned the audience as the first contestants made their way onto the stage, but I couldn’t really see anything through the bright lights. The crowd roared, feeding into the electric atmosphere, and my stomach twisted with a mix of nerves and some excitement.As the curtain lifted for my turn, I stepped into the spotlight, the sound of applause washing over me like a wave. My heart raced, not just from the performance ahead, but from the gnawing awareness that he was on the same stage as I was.
Chapter 98: The Surprise SegmentKai’s P.O.VThe lights dimmed for a moment as all the couples finished their final walk in the runway, and my heart raced as I waited for the hosts to begin, expecting the usual routine; another round of runway walks with our pairs in our formal wear. But then, out of nowhere, Zach stepped forward with an unexpected grin."Alright, everyone," he said, his voice booming through the mic. "I know we’ve had a lot of surprises tonight, but we’ve got one more for you!"Zach continued, his tone playful but with a hint of seriousness. "Earlier, many of you had the chance to vote on our website for your favorite couples—that’s right, couples!—from the pageant. And now, those pairs are going to have a special moment right here on the runway!"The audience erupted, their cheers crashing over me like a tidal wave. The sound was deafening, so loud I felt it in my chest, the floor practically vibrating beneath my feet. I winced, nearly covering my ears, but I didn’t
Chapter 99: The Confirmation I NeedKai’s P.O.VThe moment my lips met his, the cheers around us seemed to amplify, swelling like a wave that crashed over the entire room.It was as if the audience had been waiting for such a dramatic moment all along, and their reaction was electric. Shouts and whistles erupted from every corner, and as Night pulled away hastily, I could feel the collective energy of hundreds of people bearing down on us, like the sheer force of their excitement might actually lift us off the stage. It made me kind of giddy.Somewhere in the back, I heard a group chanting Night’s name, voices growing louder and louder as others joined in.The applause was deafening, echoing off the walls, each clap adding to the heartbeat of the room. It was a frenzy—a crowd totally caught up in the moment, swept up by the drama and thrill of the unexpected.But amidst all that noise, the front row was an island of silence, stark and unmoving. Night’s parents watched, their faces ten
Chapter 100: A Million Unanswered QuestionsKai’s P.O.VAs the door swung open, Night instinctively shifted behind me, clutching the back of my jacket, his fingers gripping tightly.It was difficult to see my Night, who was supposed to be the cheerful, unapologetic boy that I had come to love and adore, being reduced to a trembling shadow in the face of his unforgiving father.His father strode in, his gaze cold and severe. Behind him were Rosalie’s parents, their faces tight with disapproval, and finally, Rosalie herself, eyes spitting fire as she took in our stance.Mr. Clearwater’s expression turned sharp as he looked at Night’s father. “Jonathan,” he said in a low, cutting voice, “why is this… man still around your son? I thought you’d taken care of the problem.”Before the douchebag Jonathan could respond, I stepped forward, squaring my shoulders and meeting Mr. Clearwater’s icy glare. “This isn’t a ‘problem’ that’s going to go away,” I said, my voice steady and loud enough to le
Chapter 101: The Very First FailureKai’s P.O.VWe returned home in heavy silence. The drive back felt longer than usual, the air thick with tension. Once we pulled into the driveway, my mother let out a tired sigh, glancing back at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read.“Kai, you should get some rest,” she said softly, reaching out to give my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. My sister, Kia, shot me a sympathetic look before they both headed upstairs, no doubt eager to shake off the evening’s tension and get changed for the night ahead.As the sound of their footsteps faded, I lingered in the quiet of the living room, staring down at my hands. The memory of Night’s face, the look in his eyes just before they pulled him away, haunted me. Everything felt surreal, like a dream I couldn’t wake up from.But that was not all that was haunting me. Jonathan’s face when he saw my father… the way his icy mask dropped… What in the world happened between them?As soon as Kia and Mom disappea
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