Novel-novel oleh Gem

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

Cameron’s POVI don’t know why my hands wouldn’t stop shaking.Like, genuinely shaking.I thought seeing Brandon on those bleachers after school would calm me down, help me breathe, maybe even give me back a piece of the sanity I’d lost overnight. But instead… it felt like staring straight into a storm and realizing it was my own feelings tearing me apart.And now I was in my room, pacing like a crazy person, dragging my fingers through my hair until it hurt.Everything felt loud.My heartbeat.My thoughts.The stupid echo of his voice saying, “I won’t stop fighting for you.”God. Why did that make my chest hurt even more?My phone buzzed on the table. I froze. I didn’t move for a whole five seconds before I finally reached for it, half-expecting Brandon, half-hoping it wasn’t, because I honestly didn’t know if my heart could take more.But it wasn’t him.It was Drake.Drake: “We’re still talking tonight, right?”My stomach twisted.Talking? No. Arguing? More accurate. Because I wasn’

Brandon’s POVI didn’t sleep.Like—not even a little.I spent the whole night sitting on the edge of my bed, elbows on my knees, staring at the stupid wall like it was going to suddenly explain how everything went so wrong so fast. Cameron’s face kept replaying in my mind—the shock, the betrayal, the way he looked at me like I was suddenly someone he didn’t even know.I swear my chest physically hurt.My phone stayed on the nightstand. I kept glancing at it every five seconds, hoping for even one text from him.Nothing.Not a “goodnight.”Not a “don’t talk to me.”Not even a blocked notification.Just silence.The kind that eats you alive.By morning, I felt like I’d aged 10 years. I skipped breakfast, threw on a hoodie, and practically dragged myself to school because even though my brain told me to act normal, my heart was like: nope, we’re dying today.When I walked into the hallway, people were loud, laughing, bumping into each other. Everything felt too bright and too fast. My he

Cameron’s POV If someone had told me this morning that my night would end with Brandon holding my hand and willingly walking into my room again, I would’ve laughed. Or panicked. Or both. But right now?Right now the world felt quiet.Too quiet.We stepped inside, and the door clicked shut behind us. My room looked the same—notes everywhere, hoodie on the chair, blankets half-folded—but something in the air felt… off. Like the universe was holding its breath.Brandon didn’t seem to notice. He walked to my bed, sat down, and smiled at me. “You okay?”“I think so.”“You think so?” he teased gently.I sat beside him. “I didn’t expect today to do… all that.”“Me neither,” he laughed softly. “But I’m not complaining.”He leaned forward like he wanted to kiss me again—then my phone buzzed.Once.Twice.Then again, buzzing so aggressively it shook the entire desk.I frowned. “Who the hell—”Brandon’s expression changed instantly. “Cameron. Don’t check it.”“Why?”“Just—” he reached for my ha

Brandon’s POV I swear waiting for someone during an exam should count as a sport.Because the amount of pacing I did outside that hall? Olympic level. Gold medal–worthy. Record breaking. I probably walked a full marathon in the thirty minutes since Cameron sat down to write.I tried sitting on a bench—lasted two minutes.I tried scrolling through Instagram—didn’t make it past one Reel.I tried breathing exercises—felt stupid.My stomach was basically doing backflips because all I could think was:Please let him be okay.Please let him not freak out.Please let him remember everything from last night.Especially the part where I told him he wasn’t alone anymore.God, I hope he believed me.I looked up when the exam hall door clanked open a crack, and students started spilling out. Some looked dead inside. Some looked like they wanted to sue the lecturer personally. A few were celebrating like they just won the lottery.But no Cameron yet.Then I saw him.He stepped out slowly, blinkin

Cameron’s POV I woke up before my alarm.Which is weird, because normally I’d need like three alarms and a threat from God himself to drag me out of bed. But something about today felt different. Lighter. Calmer. Maybe it was because Brandon fell asleep on my shoulder last night after “helping me study”—which was really just him telling me I was smart every five minutes—but still.I hadn’t meant for him to stay the night. He didn’t mean to either. We were supposed to study. That was the plan. But then we kissed and talked and kissed again and the next thing I knew, he was out cold, half on my pillow, half on my chest, breathing like someone who trusted me.I didn’t want to move him.So I didn’t.Now he was lying beside me, stretched out like he owned the entire bed. His curls were squished to one side, his mouth slightly open, and his hand was still loosely holding mine.I stared at him for way too long.Don’t judge me.It’s his fault for looking peaceful and stupidly attractive at t

Brandon’s POVIf someone had told me two months ago that I’d be spending my Friday night watching Cameron pace a dorm room like a stressed-out cat, I would’ve laughed. Or at least pretended to. But here I was, half-sitting, half-sliding down the side of his bed while he muttered something about “stoichiometric ratios” like they personally offended him.He didn’t even notice me watching him.Which, honestly, was rude. I am very watchable.“Babe,” I finally said, tapping my pen against my notebook. “You’ve walked that same circle around your room like—ten times now. My eyes are starting to follow you like a tennis match.”Cameron stopped pacing only long enough to glare at me. “Brandon. If I don’t pass this midterm, I swear—”“You’ll what?” I leaned back on his pillow and smirked. “Break up with me? Impossible. You like me too much.”He rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched. That tiny almost-smile was my favorite thing in the entire universe. “You’re not helping.”“I’m t