SageFor three days, he was nowhere.No calls. No texts. No class.Nothing.I was beginning to lose my mind so much that he was all I thought of whenever I closed my eyes.I asked myself if he was okay, if he needed someone by his side.I told myself I wouldn’t care. That I shouldn’t care. That I didn’t need to see him.But my body betrayed me the second I stepped onto campus that morning.It was the fourth day.And there he was.I saw him standing near the entrance of the lecture hall, talking to a student. He was laughing, his head tilted back slightly, his hands moving in animated gestures as if he had no worries in the world.Like he hadn’t just disappeared. Like he hadn’t ignored me for days.Like I didn’t exist.Did I mean so little to him that he would just ignore me comfortably? Erase me from every aspect of his life and just show up like nothing ever happened?I stood there, frozen, watching the easy way he clapped the guy on the back before turning to head toward his office.
SageI stood there, my back pressed against the door, staring at the empty space where the professor had just been. His footsteps had barely faded when the weight of his words settled on me. "I could never be with anyone that hated me."My chest tightened. His words echoed like a broken record in my head. I couldn't move. My limbs felt heavy, like I was frozen in time. He was gone. I had been such a fool. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think straight, couldn’t... fix this. The door slammed behind him with such finality that it felt like it had shattered something inside me.It felt like the end.It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We were supposed to be more than this. I wanted us to be more. But I had pushed too hard. I was the one who fucked up.The professor was gone, and it felt like my world had come crashing down around me. I wanted to scream, to throw something, to break something. Instead, I stood there in silence, a sick feeling churning in my gut. How did I get here? How di
SageI didn’t take Kaiden’s advice.Why the hell should I?He wasn’t an expert on relationships. Hell, he wasn’t even in one. It was easy for him to sit there and tell me to move on like this wasn’t eating me alive, like I could just flip a switch and suddenly not care. But I did care. Too much. And it was killing me.The professor had succeeded in erasing me from his life.Anytime I tried to speak to him, he walked away or ignored me like I was nothing more than a rash in his life.It hurt.I watched from a distance as he went about his day, speaking to everyone except me. I saw him laughing with students, exchanging easy words with colleagues, his life untouched by the wreckage he left me in. It was humiliating. It was painful.I couldn’t do it anymore.I couldn’t keep going to class and pretending like I was okay when I hadn’t slept properly in days. When every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was him walking away, slamming the door in my face like I was nothing. Like we were nothi
SageI didn’t think. I couldn’t think.The second he disappeared into his room, something in me snapped.I stormed after him, my anger burning hot and unchecked. I shoved the door open without knocking, barely registering the surprised look on his face before my fists connected with his chest.Again. And again.I hit him, my hands landing with no real force, but he didn’t stop me. He didn’t flinch, didn’t push me away. He just stood there. Taking it.That only made me angrier.“Why are you doing this to me?!” My voice broke, my throat burning from the sheer force of my emotions. Tears streamed down my face, and I hated it. Hated how weak I felt, how desperate I had become.He made me this way.He still didn’t say anything, just stood there while I pounded weakly at his chest. I wasn’t even trying to hurt him, I just wanted something. A reaction. Anything to prove that this wasn’t as easy for him as he made it seem.But he gave me nothing.I let out a broken sob and, before I could sto
SageI got the message just as I was leaving campus."Come see me. Wear something good."It wasn’t much, it was just a simple text. But my heart nearly leapt out of my chest.For three days, I had waited, my phone sitting untouched, willing myself not to text him first. I told myself that if he wanted me, really wanted me, then he would have to be the one to make the next move.And now he had.A slow smile crept onto my face as I read the message again, barely resisting the urge to do a ridiculous little happy dance in the middle of the hallway.I wasn’t naive enough to believe everything was fixed just because of one dinner and one text. But it was a step in the right direction. My direction. And I wasn’t about to let it slip through my fingers.After I went home to my place that night, I cringed at the thought of what I did. I snuck to his house, made dinner like a psychopath and hit him. It only dawned on me that I didn’t act appropriately and if I were him, I wouldn’t want to see
SageI had spent hours picking the perfect outfit. I wanted to look good, no, I wanted to look stunning. If the professor was asking me to see him and had specifically told me to wear something nice, then I needed to make an impression.You would think I was a girl getting ready for her first prom date. I was so excited and anxious at the same time because I had no idea what he was planning or what we were doing.But still, I didn’t want to disappoint him by not dressing up to standard.When I finally settled on a sleek black shirt with matching slacks that hugged my body just right, I took one last glance in the mirror, smoothed down my hair, and grabbed my jacket. My hands were trembling slightly as I walked out the door.By the time I arrived at his house, my heart was practically hammering against my ribs.I knocked, and within seconds, he opened the door.He was already dressed, looking effortlessly perfect as always. His crisp white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his da
SageLondon was the best experience I have ever gotten. I was grinning and blushing till we were ready to go home.Seeing the private plane waiting for us even after the three days we spent here was even more exciting.By the time we got back home, I was already half-asleep in the car. The long hours of travel, the excitement, and the emotional rollercoaster had drained every bit of energy from my body. I barely registered when the professor unbuckled my seatbelt and lifted me into his arms.I might have stirred slightly, but exhaustion pulled me right back under.The next thing I knew, I was in his bed. His scent surrounded me and it comforted me. I didn't move. I couldn't.I was jet-lagged, and my body refused to cooperate.I felt the warmth of his arms as he settled in beside me, pulling me close. His fingers traced soothing circles on my back, and I melted into him, letting sleep consume me once more.When I woke up, the bed beside me was empty.The absence of his warmth made me f
SageIt was a pretty intrusive question but I didn’t know what else to ask. I had no choice.That woman came here and disrupted the little peace I had. So I had to wonder how he put up with her because a minute in her presence and I was already drained.I looked up at him expectantly, He exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. "I don't want to talk about it, Sage."I crossed my arms, studying him. His shoulders were tense, his jaw locked in frustration. But I wasn’t going to let this go. Not when I had just found out he had been married, and not when his ex-wife had walked into his house like she still belonged there.Said all kinds of things to me and obviously changed his mood."River," I said softly, sitting across from him. "I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I need to understand. I don’t want to be blindsided like that again."He ran a hand through his dark hair, his eyes avoiding mine.“I just…” he started, but he stopped himself, shaking his head.“You just wha
KaidenI woke up to Sage curled into my left side, his breath slow and even, chest rising rhythmically. On my right, the professor was tangled in the sheets, his arm thrown casually across my waist like he’d always belonged there.For the first time in weeks, I didn’t wake up panicked or empty. I woke up extremely happy and content. It’s been a while I felt like this and I like to go ahead and say that I wanted this to last forever.We went at it all night like rabbits, holding each other and whispering sweet nothings. Everything I needed from them, they gave me. The affection and loving I desperately missed was given to me in excess.The professor and I talked afterwards, we just spoke about how happy I was that all of this was behind me. Of course, what Micheal said to me in court really bothered me but there was nothing I could do about it.I could stay and keep looking over my shoulder or I could move on from this. Ethan has gotten his justice and so have I.I looked down at my me
Sage He ripped his cock from my mouth and pushed me so I was laying down, he straddled my face and lodged his cock far inside my throat.I gagged again, tears forming at the corner of my lips while he thrust even more deeply. He was holding my face at an uncomfortable angle to keep fucking my mouth.In. Out. In. Out. Kaiden had no mercy on me, huffing his pleasure, but then his dick pulled out, and I was left with an emptiness in my mouth, so aroused I wanted to hump the nearest pillow."Enough of the foreplay," the professor whispered, I managed to look up at him and his eyes were glazed with pleasure.He was boring a hole in my ass and before my lust soaked mind could consider what that meant, he had rolled me over.Forcing my pants to my knees before bending me on all fours. If I thought I had been hot before, I was burning up like I had been set on fire now.My mouth still ached from Kaiden’s onslaught but I hardly knew that this was going to be easy when I felt the professor rub
Sage I grabbed Kaiden by the wrist, but didn't squeeze, and instead rubbed my thumb over his vein. “Are you sure about this? This isn’t why we came here,” I tried to plead with him one more time. I didn’t want him to be pushed into this but Kaiden shushed me by thrusting his tongue deep inside my mouth, a moan slipped out of my mouth. “I want this with you,” he said. My heart fluttered for all the wrong reasons. This was wrong on so many levels. We only came to comfort him and keep him company. None of this was planned. My lips were too dry to speak, but I was hypnotized by the intensity in his dark eyes, So I leaned forward and left a gentle kiss on his chin as my consent. His eyes were like hot tunnels, inviting me closer but before I could move, the professor stood and approached us with slow, deliberate steps. “How is it going to be? Think you can handle both of us at the same time?” He took off his shirt while asking the question, my mouth watered instantly and you wou
SageI couldn’t fathom the kind of anger that took over me. It killed me to see the pretty boy threading freely on my territory, especially after he knew that the professor and I were involved.I thought coming here would put my mind at ease but it did the opposite. I glared even harder at the intern, trying to gauge his audacity at even looking at the professor.He smirked at me when he noticed me glaring and I moved forward without even realizing it.The professor pulled me away from the intern with a gentle grip, his chuckle got to my ears and I paused,Was he seriously laughing right now? This was in no way funny."Sage," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice, "I must admit, seeing you throw a punch on my behalf was...unexpected. But this is a workplace and you should behave yourself.”“Behave myself?” I rubbed my knuckles, still throbbing from the impact. "He was crossing boundaries. I couldn't just stand there. I told you he wanted you, standing so close to you to whisper so
A few days before Kaiden saw Sage with the intern….Sage I was at home when the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find an intern standing there, holding a manila envelope."Hey," he said, flashing a smile. "I have some documents for the professor."I raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't you have just emailed them or sent a fax?"He shrugged. "I didn't mind coming over. Thought it would be nice to deliver them in person."He was good-looking, with a confident demeanor that bordered on smugness. As he handed me the envelope, he lingered a bit too long, his eyes scanning the interior of the house."Is the professor in?" he asked, peering past me."He's out at the moment," I replied, stepping slightly to block his view.He nodded, then leaned against the doorframe. "So, how long have you been working with him?""A while," I said cautiously."Must be interesting," he mused. "He's quite the character."I could sense where this was going. "Just so you know, we're dating."He blinked, m
Kaiden He hesitated and I turned to look at him, pausing my steps. “I know this is probably a bad time but I remember we talked about going on a date. Let me take you out,” Is he for real? I literally just got back from the hospital and he wants me to go out with him? “I can’t go out on a date right now,” I told him as I eased back onto the couch, I winced from the soreness of my ribs. “Not until all of this is behind me.” He gave me a look that was a mix of disappointment and understanding. “I figured you’d say that. I had to try.” I offered him a faint smile. “I appreciate it, I do. It’s not about you, I just… I need to breathe. This whole thing is making me think I am too reckless. Raines leaned back in the chair across from me, elbows resting on his knees. “I get it. Trauma doesn’t go away because you wish it gone. But I want you to know, I’m not walking away. Michael’s going to answer for what he did, Kaiden.” “I remembered,” I said quietly. He looked up. I
KaidenThe hospital discharged me just before noon the next day, but my body still felt like a patchwork of bruises, it felt heavy and sore from the trauma. I kept thinking of the river, of how close I’d come to dying, of how the professor must have felt seeing me drown. I don’t even know how he got shot but I was feeling really bad because of how I treated him. I didn’t expect anyone to be waiting outside. But when the nurse wheeled me through the double doors, I spotted them immediately and a smile flickered on my face.Sage stood by the car, arms crossed, trying to mask his worry. Detective Raines leaned against the hood, one ankle crossed over the other, his black coat dancing slightly in the wind. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes flicked straight to mine and softened.“Hey, sleeping beauty,” he greeted, stepping forward to open the door.I offered a dry smile. “You always flirt with your victims?”“Only the ones who survive attempted murder,” he said, giving me a wi
SageI stood in the hallway of the hospital with my fingers clenched into fists in my pockets as I stared at the door to Kaiden’s room. The nurse had just told me where to find him. Room 48. I hesitated for a few seconds before finally reaching out to open the door.The first thing I saw was the professor.His arm was bandaged, blood still faintly spotting the edges of the gauze. He was standing near Kaiden’s bed, tense, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like he might snap it.Kaiden was lying in bed with an IV in his arm, looked pale, too pale for my liking and still somehow managed to be angry. He was frantic, his voice rising every second like he was desperate.“Call Raines. Call the detective, I need to speak to him, he should be here. Just call him, please!”The professor didn’t even look at me when I walked in. His undivided attention was entirely focused on Kaiden, his eyes burning dark with fury and something else…that looks like pain. What was he pained for? Was he mad
Kaiden It was a huge mistake. A big one but still, I wanted to do it. The moment I stepped out into the night, the air felt heavier. Colder. But I couldn’t sit still any longer. I knew it was dangerous. Hell, everything I’d done lately screamed recklessness. But there was something clawing at the inside of my chest. some knowing that didn’t feel like paranoia anymore. It felt like purpose. The second the detective left for his house, I planed it. Ethan’s mother was in a coma. And that wasn’t a coincidence. That was a message. So I took the back alleys. Wore a hoodie pulled low over my head. No car, just my sneakers hitting pavement and wet leaves as I walked the six blocks to her place. I knew I had maybe fifteen minutes. Less, if someone was already watching. There is a high chance that after their hit, they were looking to finish the job. I crept around the side of the house, careful not to trigger the motion light that flickered near the trash cans. The window I’d seen in