SageIt was a date.Not just any date, but our date. One that I had been looking forward to all week. We have spoken about it since Valarie was fired, but school and work kept us busy.Today, he had finally invited me out, and this time, I refused to be late. I arrived at the restaurant before him, which was a rare occurrence considering how often he was the one waiting for me. The restaurant was upscale, perched on a rooftop that overlooked the city skyline. It was stunning, the golden glow of the setting sun casting long shadows over the glass railings, the city stretching endlessly beneath us.When he arrived, he gave me a smile, the kind that made my stomach tighten just a little. Dressed in his usual suit, he looked every bit the composed, confident man I had come to know.I was the one sweating bullets because I was afraid someone would catch us.“I see you beat me here,” he remarked, pulling out his chair and settling in across from me.I smirked. “For once.”A waiter came by t
KaidenWhen I made the decision to follow Sage, I didn’t expect to find him on a date, and definitely not with that bastard.I also didn’t expect to overhear him talking to some old flame, reminiscing about a love I never even knew existed.The Ethan guy looked at him like Sage walked the moon for him, which made me wonder if that’s how I looked at him.The Sage I knew had always been into women. Or at least, that’s what he claimed. He had never been comfortable enough to explore beyond what society expected of him, beyond the limitations he had built for himself.I had to manipulate him to fuck him.And yet, there he was, standing with a man who spoke of their past love so openly, so naturally, like it had always been an undeniable fact.It made me feel like a fucking fool. I had been the one manipulated all this time.Like I didn’t know my own best friend.I watched him leave without looking back with his shoulders tense and his steps showing his anger. The moment he disappeared fr
KaidenI didn’t know when I nodded. It was like my body made the decision before my brain could catch up. One moment, I was staring at him, caught in some hazy mix of resentment and something I wasn’t ready to name. The next, his fingers wrapped around my wrist and he was pulling me up from my seat.My legs followed numbly. I let him lead me out of the restaurant, through the dimly lit parking lot, and to his car. The night air was crisp, sobering in the way that only reminded me how much I’d been drinking.The soft click of the passenger door opening barely registered until he guided me inside. He crouched slightly, reaching across me to buckle the seatbelt, the scent of his cologne wrapping around me. It made my stomach clench with desire and longing. For someone other than Sage.I couldn’t remember the last time someone had tucked me in. Buckled me up. Taken care of me.It had always been me taking care of everything. Even when I was spiraling. Even when I was breaking, I had to
Kaiden I don’t know how we got to his house or how I ended up in his bed but the night was a blur and what I had was the memory. *** The sound of the door shutting was what alerted me that we were inside, he grabbed me by the back of my throat and brought our lips together. Like a mellowed kitten, I allowed myself to be controlled by a more dominant male. A moan escaped my throat and I closed my eyes as his tongue thrust into my mouth. He ripped my clothes from my body and dropped me on the bed, a yelp left my lips but I was on him. My nose was rubbing on his bulge as I struggled to free his cock. The professor had the nerve to laugh when he saw how I rubbed on him like a depressed kitten. God, he smelled so good. My felt warm and funny. He was teasing me and like a sucker, I was falling for it. He took off his clothes and turned me so I laying on my back, legs spread like a loser. I was far too gone to care about how stupid I looked in front of him. His hips moved
KaidenI was surprised the words left my lips, he didn’t strike me as the type of person who took defiance well.I was so afraid he would spank me for talking back at him, I don’t know why my body reacted to the thought of him spanking me.My cock was now hard.I looked at him, expecting him to react negatively to my words, but he just grinned.“The claws are back, huh?I opened my mouth to defend myself but he shocked me even more.""Better get started then." With another of his cocky grins, he leaned in and wrapped his lips around my cock."Holy fuck, shit," I gasped.The wet heat of his mouth was incredible, and the little groan of pleasure he let out nearly sent me over the edge.My back arched and I struggled to get my bearings a bit. He was making it hard to do so, seeing as his lips worked wonders on me.My cock was big too, just that he was bigger. I was in awe of his cock. I didn’t have the time to admire it when I was blowing him by the road side but right now, with the litt
SageI paced my apartment, phone clutched in my hand, eyes darting between the screen and the window like staring at the night sky would somehow make my messages go through.Nothing.Every call went straight to voicemail. Every text remained unread.Either he was avoiding me or he was so busy but I would bet good money on the latter.And I had no one to blame but myself.I disrespected him by leaving without a word, without even a proper excuse. Just stormed off, letting my anger and frustration dictate my actions. I knew better than that, I wasn’t some impulsive kid who threw tantrums. But God, I had been so mad.Not even at the professor.At Kaiden. At Ethan.The two of them had collaborated to make my evening miserable. Especially Kaiden, where does he get off calling me a liar.He is the one who had manipulated me, he was just mad that I also did it to him. It doesn’t even help that I left him behind with the professor.He must have said a lot to him behind my back, another desper
KaidenI woke up alone.At first, I thought maybe I was still dreaming. That the warmth, the scent, the feel of last night had been nothing but a cruel trick of my subconscious.But the ache in my body and the faint scent of cologne on the sheets told me otherwise.I blinked up at the ceiling, my heart thudding against my ribs as the weight of what I had done settled in.I had slept with him.With the professor.With Sage’s professor.I sat up abruptly, running a hand down my face. What the fuck was I thinking?What had I been trying to prove? That I could get under his skin? That I could mark my place in Sage’s life in some twisted, backward way?It was fucked up because I felt like I was closer to him now. Now that we have slept with the same man, then maybe he would see how inlove with him I am.I scrubbed a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. The worst part was, I didn’t even regret it.Not the way I should have.I spotted his shirt on the floor and pulled it over my head befo
KaidenNeither of us spoke.Then the front door opened again.We both turned at the same time, just as the professor stepped inside.His eyes flicked between us, taking in the situation and then, he shook his head. As if this entire mess was nothing more than an inconvenience to him.Like we haven’t been discovered, we broke Sage’s heart. He didn’t say a word as he dropped his keys onto the counter and toed off his shoes, moving around the space like this was just another ordinary evening.Sage, however, wasn’t having it.“You have nothing to say for yourself?” The professor barely spared him a glance. “Nope.”Sage’s eyes widened. “Are you serious right now?”The professor sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, I could say something, but I have a feeling you have a lot more to say than I do.”His jaw tightened. “Unbelievable.”I stood there, stiff, hands clenched at my sides. I wanted to say something to diffuse the situation but my tongue felt heavy in my mouth.Sage let out
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 KaidenHe 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 met his eyes.
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
Kaiden Dinner was quiet.Sage and I sat on opposite ends of the couch, plates balanced on our laps, the TV playing some crime documentary neither of us was really watching. I picked at the pasta I'd made, appetite long gone, but I ate anyway, because if I didn’t, Sage would worry, and I didn’t want to give him more reason to.He hadn’t said much since our talk earlier. About wanting both me and the professor.And I… I didn’t know what to say in return.Was it selfish to want clarity when he’d been nothing but honest? Or was I the coward for not knowing what I truly wanted?I pushed those thoughts aside when there was a knock at the door.I tensed.Sage looked up too, alert, his eyes darting toward the door as if bullets might fly through it next.I rose slowly, setting my plate down on the coffee table and walking toward the door without flipping the lock just yet.“Who is it?” I asked.“It’s Raines.”Detective.I exhaled in relief and opened the door.Raines stepped in, looking slig
KaidenSage kept quiet.I didn’t need him to say anything right now. I was still drummed up from the adrenaline coursing through my body. I figured out when she sent me away that she was hiding something.I felt something hit the back of my car.“What the fuck?” Sage yelled.I barely had time to register the first shot before the second cracked through the air.Another loud bang echoed, and this time it hit closer, metal screeched, glass shattered, and instinct took over."Down!" I shouted again, throwing my arm across Sage as bullets rained from behind. He ducked, his eyes wide and panicked, his breath ragged.The back windshield exploded into a hailstorm of glass shards, sparkling as they scattered across the seats and floor. I didn’t stop to think about shit, I shoved the gear into drive and slammed on the gas.The car jolted forward, tires screeching as another shot pierced the rearview mirror. We were being chased. Or hunted.I saw the glint of a barrel from a dark sedan parked o
SageThe address Kaiden sent me didn’t look familiar. I even had to double-check it on the map before setting out. A quiet residential street with modest houses lined side by side, trimmed hedges, and the occasional child’s bicycle parked out front, it didn’t look like anywhere we’d ever hung out. Definitely not our usual vibe. Still, it was Kaiden. And for reasons I still didn’t fully understand, I trusted him.I mean I did call his enemies to beat him up but Kaiden wouldn’t do that to me.I pulled up to the curb and saw him leaning against a dull silver sedan, arms folded, eyes scanning the street like he was waiting for something more than just me.I wrinkled my nose in distaste as I stared at his car, what in the heavens was that? That wasn’t his usual car.“This is where you wanted to meet?” I asked, stepping out of my car and walking toward him. “Looks like we’re about to interrupt someone’s family dinner.”He nodded once, his gaze sharp. “Yeah. That’s the point.”I raised an e
KaidenWhen I woke up, the sunlight was already spilling across the living room floor. My neck ached from the weird angle my head had been resting on, and when I shifted slightly, I realized why, River was curled against me, both of us tangled on the couch, our legs overlapping. His arm was still loosely draped over my waist, and for a second, I just lay there, taking in the quiet moment.It was strange, waking up like this. Peaceful. Natural. My body didn’t feel tense for once, like it usually did when I woke up alone in the echo of my own thoughts. Instead, I felt…warm. Not from the blanket. From him.He had stayed with me all night. We talked and got to know each other. There was nothing sexual about it even though I had been tipsy. He had been the perfect gentleman and had broken the ice with me.As soon as I moved, River stirred. His eyes blinked open slowly, landing on me, and then a lazy smile pulled at his lips.“You drool in your sleep,” I said, voice hoarse with morning.“I