Novels by Gem

Brandon’s POV“Us?” Cameron repeated, and the way he said the word made it sound unfamiliar, like it was something he had never understood before even though I knew it used to define everything between us.“Yes, us,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady even though my chest felt tight with fear, because I knew that if I allowed myself to fall apart now then there would be nothing left holding him here with me.“That term implies a connection,” he said slowly, his tone still controlled but no longer immediate, as though he was actually thinking about what I had said instead of dismissing it without consideration. “I do not currently possess evidence of such a connection.”“That is because someone took it from you,” I replied quickly, refusing to let the moment slip away. “It is not because it never existed.”“That is a possibility,” he said, and the fact that he even acknowledged that made something in me lift slightly, because a possibility meant doubt, and doubt meant he was not

Brandon’s POV“Say it again,” Cameron said, his voice unsteady in a way I had never heard before, like every word was slipping through something he could not fully control.“I love you,” I said immediately, without hesitation, without thinking, because there was nothing to think about anymore except keeping him here.“Again,” he said.“I love you,” I repeated, louder this time, firmer, like I could force it to stay inside him if I said it enough times.Wilson let out a quiet breath behind me. “Okay, this is intense, but I support it, please continue,” he said nervously.“Again,” Cameron said.“I love you,” I said, my voice starting to shake now.“I am trying to hold onto it,” he said, his words slower, strained, like something was pulling them away even as he spoke them.“Then don’t let it go,” I said quickly. “Just focus on me, focus on my voice.”“I am,” he said, but he winced slightly, his expression tightening. “But it is… fading.”“No, no, no,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s not

Cameron’s POVSomething was wrong.Not in the way it had been before, when everything inside me was too controlled, too precise, too… empty.This was different.This felt unstable.“Something is coming,” I said again, my voice quieter now, but more certain.Brandon didn’t let go of my hand.“Okay,” he said, his tone steady even though I could feel the tension in his grip, “then we face it together.”“No,” I replied immediately.He frowned.“No?” he repeated. “What do you mean no?”I shook my head slightly, trying to process what I was feeling, what I was remembering, what was trying to surface all at once.“This is not external,” I said. “It is internal.”Wilson made a small, panicked sound behind us.“I do not like internal problems,” he said. “External problems can be avoided. Internal problems sound like breakdowns.”Irene stepped closer.“What kind of internal?” she asked. “Memory? Programming? Physical response?”“Yes,” I said.“That is not helpful,” she replied.“I am aware,” I

Brandon’s POVFor a moment, nobody moved.Not me.Not Cameron.Not even the wind felt real anymore.Everything was just… suspended.“You saw that, right?” Wilson whispered from behind me. “Please tell me I did not imagine that because I am emotionally invested now.”“I saw it,” Irene said quietly. “He’s breaking through.”I did not respond.Because I was too focused on Cameron.On his hand.On the way it had moved toward me and then stopped, like something inside him was fighting itself.“Don’t pull away,” I said softly.“I am not pulling away,” Cameron replied, but his voice still had that controlled edge, like he was trying to hold onto something slipping.“You almost did,” I said.“That was conflict,” he said.“Good,” I replied. “Then keep fighting it.”Kade’s voice came again, calm but different now.“Emotional override is increasing,” he said. “This is not supposed to happen at this rate.”I turned my head slightly.“Then maybe your system isn’t as perfect as you think,” I said.

Cameron’s POVThe moment I took the step forward, everything inside me shifted again, like something deep in the system had briefly misfired.Not broken.Not gone.Just… interrupted.“You moved,” Brandon said immediately, his voice sharp with disbelief and hope at the same time.“I did not complete the previous instruction set,” I replied.Wilson let out a loud breath.“I don’t know why that sounds more concerning than reassuring,” he said. “But it does.”Kade’s voice came from behind Brandon, calm as always.“The failsafe is destabilizing,” he said.Brandon turned slightly, not taking his eyes off me.“Then fix it,” he said.“I cannot,” Kade replied.Brandon scoffed.“You keep saying that like it’s helpful,” he said. “It’s not.”“It is factual,” Kade answered.Brandon looked back at me.“Cameron,” he said again, slower this time, “talk to me.”I processed the request.Language response: stable.Output: clear.“I am talking to you,” I said.“No,” he replied immediately. “You’re answer

Brandon’s POV“Failsafe?”The word did not sit right in my chest. It felt wrong the second it left Kade’s mouth, like something sharp pressed against my ribs from the inside.“What failsafe?” I repeated, louder this time.Kade did not look at me.He was still watching Cameron.Always Cameron.“You don’t remember that part yet,” he said calmly.I stepped in front of Cameron again without thinking, my hand tightening around his wrist.“Then you’re going to explain it,” I said, my voice steady even though everything inside me was not.Kade tilted his head slightly.“It’s not my job to explain,” he said. “It’s my job to observe.”“That’s not happening,” I snapped. “You don’t get to drop something like that and then act mysterious about it.”Wilson nodded aggressively.“Yes, exactly. This is not a movie. You cannot just say ‘failsafe’ and then refuse to elaborate. That is extremely unfair.”Irene shot him a look.“Now is not the time,” she said.“It is absolutely the time,” he argued. “We

Epilogue Brandon’s POV(The Wedding)The sun had never looked this soft before. It wasn’t harsh or blinding — just golden, like it knew today wasn’t meant for anything loud. The breeze carried the scent of roses and vanilla, and somewhere behind me, Erica was quietly tearing up even though she’d sworn she wouldn’t.I stood there at the altar, palms damp, heart hammering like it was trying to break free from my chest.Cameron was late. Not by much, but just enough to make my nerves short-circuit.Hilda leaned in from her seat, grinning. “Relax, pretty boy. He’s coming. You know he wouldn’t miss this.”I tried to smile, but my voice came out shaky. “If he doesn’t show, I’m marrying you instead.”Erica snorted, resting her head on Hilda’s shoulder. “Sorry, babe. She’s taken.”And right then, I saw him.Cameron walked out from the garden path, wearing a light gray suit that fit him perfectly. His hair was a little messy, like he’d tried to fix it and gave up halfway, and the sunlight cau

Cameron’s POVIt had been two weeks since everything went down. Two weeks since Drake was finally locked up and life started to feel… breathable again.The world had quieted. Brandon was smiling more, laughing again, though I could still see the shadow behind his eyes sometimes — the kind you only get after surviving something too heavy for your heart.But tonight, I wanted to change that.I’d spent the entire day planning. Nothing fancy, nothing dramatic — just something us. Because the first time I’d proposed… everything around it got poisoned. Drake had twisted it, used it. This time, I wanted it to be ours again.No cameras. No manipulation. Just me and him.The sky was painted in warm orange streaks when I parked outside the old lakeside park. Brandon loved this place. It was where we’d had our first fight and our first real “I love you.” The water shimmered like melted gold, the air calm except for the rustle of the trees.He climbed out of the car, squinting at the sunset. “You

Brandon POVIt’s crazy how fast things can change.One week ago, our lives were chaos — flashing sirens, screaming, and Drake’s twisted smirk burned into my memory. Now? The house was quiet again. Peaceful, even. My parents were back to drinking morning coffee on the porch, pretending like their son hadn’t just been caught in a nightmare.And Cameron… he was still healing.Every morning he’d walk into class wearing that same navy hoodie, the one with the tiny tear on the sleeve. He’d pretend he was fine, answer questions like nothing happened, but I could tell. The way his fingers tapped against his notebook. The way he sometimes zoned out mid-conversation. The way he looked at the window like he was waiting for something bad to happen again.I got it.Because I was waiting too.But life didn’t stop. Exams were back. Assignments stacked up again. Everyone else had already moved on — except us.Friday came, and I found Cameron sitting at the bleachers behind the school gym. His hoodie

Cameron POVEverything was noise and motion.The alarm screamed through the house, echoing off the walls and into my skull. My pulse hammered in time with it. Brandon was still grappling with Drake, both of them sliding across the floor, the rain slamming harder against the windows like it was trying to drown out the chaos inside.“Bran—get back!” I shouted, but he didn’t. He never did when it came to protecting me.The blinking light under the table flashed faster. Red. Urgent.I dropped to my knees, ripping away the tablecloth, and froze. A crudely wired device sat on the floor, timer flickering in uneven numbers. My stomach twisted. “He set a bomb.”Drake laughed from across the room, voice hoarse but still mocking. “Told you I’d make you choose.”Brandon slammed him into the ground again, pinning his arm. “You’re done, Drake! You hear me?”Drake grinned through split lips. “Not yet.”My hands shook as I studied the wires. I didn’t know how to defuse bombs—I wasn’t some movie hero—

Brandon’s POVThe night felt heavier than usual. Every street we passed on the drive home looked blurred through the rain, like the whole city was trying to wash itself clean but couldn’t. Cameron hadn’t said a word the entire ride. His hands stayed clenched on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road like if he blinked, everything would fall apart.I wanted to say something—anything—to make it better. But what do you say after your stepbrother basically threatens your life, vanishes, and calls the cops on you? There wasn’t a guidebook for that.“Cam,” I said softly. “You’re shaking.”He didn’t answer. Just kept driving, headlights slicing through the mist. “I just want to get home,” he muttered finally. “Just home.”So I didn’t push. I let him have the silence.When we finally pulled up to my house, everything felt… off. The porch light was on, but the front door was wide open, creaking slightly in the wind. That was the first sign. The second was the stillness—the kind that didn’t

Brandon’s POV)The air was cold enough to bite. I could see my breath fog up the car window as Cameron killed the engine, his jaw locked tight like he was about to walk into a war. The streetlights buzzed above us, throwing pale light over puddles and cracked pavement. Somewhere in the distance, thunder grumbled like a warning.I didn’t say anything at first. My fingers were gripping the seatbelt too tight, like if I let go, I might lose it. The message Drake had sent earlier still burned in my head — ONE HOUR. OR I COME TO YOU. It didn’t sound like a bluff.“So this is it?” I finally said, my voice coming out rougher than I meant. “We’re just… going in?”Cameron didn’t look at me. His eyes were glued to the rearview mirror, scanning the shadows. “We’re not running anymore.”I swallowed. “Cam, this isn’t like before. You said he was dangerous—”“I know,” he snapped, too fast. Then softer, “I know. But he’s not going to stop. If we wait, he’ll find us anyway.”I studied him. His knuckl