Novels by The ink duo.

The house felt very different the next few days. It became…quieter. But not in the usual type of way.This one had a whole lot of…weight to it. Like something was sitting between all of us, we knew, and acted like it didn’t exist.I barely saw her. And when I eventually did, she kept it brief. Short answers, no eye contact, always moving.But it wasn’t distance, it was control.Forced and tight control. And I could already see it slipping.It happened in the afternoon.Dad was home. That alone should’ve been enough to stop anything.But it wasn’t.I walked into the kitchen and stopped.Steph was by the counter, slicing something. The window was open, light pouring in, catching the side of her face.She didn’t look up when I entered.“I thought you went out” I said.“I did” she replied. “I came back.”Her reply was flat…careful.I leaned against the counter, watching her.“You’ve been avoiding me”“No I haven’t”“Yes…you have!”She sighed, setting the knife down a little harder than ne

Chapter 3. “Aiden” The sound of my own name felt heavier than it should’ve. My father stood in the hallway with a suitcase in one hand and his jumper in another. His eyes all tired like he hadn’t slept for nights. For a moment I just stared at him, trying to figure out why he was back…now…of all times. “Dad” I finally let out in a slow drag. “You’re…back”He nodded once. “I bet you didn’t expect to see me this early, did you?”I shook my head. My heart pounding so loud in my chest I felt like he could hear it. Every thought of Steph, her skin against mine, the awkward silence from that morning, every door upstairs now felt like a crime scene I couldn’t hide. “Where’s Steph” he asked as he glanced towards the hallway. That question landed on him like a bomb. “She’s in her room…” “…I guess” I added, trying to sound not-too-certain. “I tried calling you both, you didn't pick up”“I was asleep” I lied immediately. “I…I don’t know about Steph though”He frowned. “She didn’t come up

Chapter 2. The next morning I woke up to the smell of breakfast. My bed all made up and my room was mess-free. I got out of bed…trying to understand what the fuck was going on, why my bed was laid, why my cum-soaked pants were in the wash, and most importantly…why I didn’t wake up to her next to me. I dragged myself out of bed and walked towards the kitchen, following the smell of breakfast. Steph was obviously the one cooking up something, but for the first time ever…she wasnt wearing her usual big tee and micro shorts combo, she was more…covered up. Like she was trying to hide the same body I was literally in yesterday. I walked up to the counter “uhm…hi Steph”“Oh hi Aiden, I was just making breakfast” she said almost immediately. She then took out a plate and handed it to me quickly. Like she was trying to avoid eye contact. I took the plate from her, our fingers brushing for a second longer than it should’ve. Immediately, she flinched. Like she’d just touch fire or something

Chapter 1. Every house had its own usual sound and scent. Either it had this sweet welcoming aura or the opposite. Mine was the exact opposite. The house was always quiet and cold. And now with my dad gone on another business trip, the only sounds I hear are sounds of Steph’s heels clicking in the hallways, walking around the house…unsure of where she belonged. “She was never meant to feel like this.” That’s what I told myself everytime I saw her, leaning on the kitchen counter, wearing one of his shirts like it’d fill the void he always left whenever he went on business trips. And even when he was home, most times he let work consume his time. She was always polite to me…careful…like she was aware of the line and was determined to not cross it. My father was always out more than he was home. He was gone weeks at a time, leaving the house empty. Leaving Steph alone to wander around the house drowned in his big tees and her thoughts. And I watched. I hated myself at first

Chapter 2. The next morning, Nessa woke up smiling, expecting to see Jayden next her. Her eyes widened when she noticed…he was gone. She hadn’t had enough time to process it before she got a text from her ex, Dre. “Hi baby”He heart flipped in her chest. Sweat dropped down her forehead. She didn’t know what to do, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to reply then for a moment she dropped her phone, looked at the bed she was sitting in, the empty space next to her made her chest tingle…After then, She picked up her phone and impulsively replied his text “hiii”He replied almost immediately, “are you free tonight?” “Why?” she replied coldly as though she wasn’t drunk because of him last night. “I wanna take you out..” he replied. She smiled a little before replying him “Who said I was free?”“I know you are love” he texted back immediately with a smirk emoji. Nessa fell back on her bed and hugged her phone on her chest. “Oh how I missed this feeling” she mumbled to herself. She stare

Chapter 1. Jayden pulled Nessa into her bedroom, the party music still echoing in the background. He noticed she had been drinking a little ttoo much…wayy more usual so he pulled her aside. “Heartbreak isn’t an excuse to be this drunk and messed up at a party” he said to her as he guided her to the bed. “Uhm…yeah it is, I loved him” she said sluggishly…her eyes all thin from the alcohol. He gently guided her to the bathroom sink “okay, let it all out” he said as he pulled her hair away from her face giving her enough space to throw up. He splashed some water on her face and helped her rinse her mouth. “There you go, all cleaned up” he smiled at her before guiding her back to the bed. Nessa fell back into the bed. “Still weak?” Jayden asked. “Mhm-hm” she mumbled…too weak to even talk. “Be right back, don’t die on me” he teased. He then left the room and came back shortly after with a glass of lemonade in his hands. He sat on the edge of the bed, next to Nessa who was laid on bed