Nobela ni Moreof_biits

Evan's POV;Blake didn’t look back at me as he led me toward the bedroom. He didn’t need to, his grip on my wrist said everything.The air was tense, his grip felt firm and certain as he continued to pull me toward what we both knew we needed.My pulse hammered in my ears, my knees felt unsteady, my breath came in gasps.It felt like the air around us had thickened, alive with heat and awareness. The moment the bedroom door clicked shut behind us, Blake turned, and his mouth immediately found mine.The kiss hit me like a warm shock.This time it was hungry, it wasn’t rushed or messy. It was deep… deliberate… like he’d been holding back for far too long.His hands cupped my face, slid into my hair and back down to my neck.I grabbed fistfuls of his t-shirt as he walked me backward toward the bed, each step slow, controlled, like he wanted to savor my reaction.And God, he got one.I literally shivered in anticipation.My body leaned into him on instinct, every inch of me wanting more.

Evan's POV;I woke up to warmth. Not the annoying kind that makes you sweat and gets your clothes all sticky. It was a safe tethered warmth that made it almost impossible to open my eyes. My eyelids felt heavy and when I finally cracked them open the room was dark, I blinked against the darkness, and realized I wasn’t alone.Blake was there. Beside me.His chest rose and fell steadily, his arm draped lazily over my waist. I couldn’t move without waking him, so I stayed still for a long moment, tracing the outline of his face with a fingertip. The curve of his jaw, the soft dip beneath his cheekbone, the slope of his nose, every detail so familiar, yet so surprising.I turned my head just enough to glance at the glowing red numbers of the digital clock: 2:00 a.m.A sigh escaped me. This…. him, being here like this…. was everything my heart had been craving without me realizing it.Our legs were a mess under the covers like a lazy knot and I didn’t have the heart or desire to untangle

Evan’s POV;The drive back was quiet at first, the kind of silence that wasn’t awkward, just heavy with everything amazing that had happened during the day. The sunset spilled through the windshield in streaks of gold and pink, blurring over the edges of Blake’s profile.My hair was still damp from sweat, my legs still half-dead, but I didn’t care. I was leaning against the window, half-smiling to myself, when I heard his voice.“You hungry?”I turned my head lazily. “I could eat… but that would mean moving, which I currently can’t.”He glanced at me, one corner of his mouth lifting. “You can move enough to eat cookies.”That got my attention. “Cookies?”His smile deepened slightly, eyes on the road. “Yeah. I was thinking of baking some tonight. You should come over. I’ll make you dinner first, something simple and then we can bake.”I blinked. “Damn… you cook?”“Occasionally.”“Wow. You hike, you carry me down a mountain, you bake, you cook…” I raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you’r

Evan's POV;During the descent down the trail, I was pretty sure my legs had been replaced with wet noodles. Every step felt like my thighs were screaming at me, and the rocks underfoot weren’t helping either. The backpack, once my proud survival kit, now felt like a personal vendetta against my spine.I stopped, pressing my palms into my thighs as I leaned forward. “Blake,” I wheezed dramatically, “I can’t feel my legs. I think they divorced me.”He slowed, glancing over his shoulder with that maddeningly calm expression, like he’d just stepped out of a yoga retreat instead of hiking down a mountain. His shirt clung to him with the faintest sheen of sweat, and his hair was pushed back messily from the climb. He looked annoyingly composed.“You’re fine,” he said with a small smile, offering his hand. “It’s not that much farther.”“Not that much farther?!” I gasped, straightening slowly. “You said that twenty minutes ago. Do you realize how many times you’ve said that? At this point

Evan's POV;The trail started off deceptively easy… wide gravel path, sun filtering through the trees, cool breeze ruffled my hair and birds chirping like we’d wandered into some enchanted Disney forest.I could almost pretend this was going to be easy.Almost.My thighs began protesting ten minutes in.“Okay,” I said, tugging on the straps of the small backpack. “Be honest with me, Blake. How far do we actually have to go before I achieve enlightenment or whatever people hike for?”Blake, walking a step ahead, turned his head with a faint smile, calm as ever, like his lungs weren’t burning at all. “We just started.”I groaned and dragged a hand down my face. “Wrong answer.”That earned me a chuckle. He adjusted his pack higher on his shoulders and slowed his pace, just a little, like he thought I wouldn’t notice.“You can set the speed,” he said. “I don’t mind.”“Oh, so you’re just going to stroll behind me while I wheeze my way up a mountain? Cute.”“Considerate and protective,” he

Evan's POV;The second the words Breakneck Ridge left Blake’s mouth, I sat up straighter in the passenger seat like he’d just told me we were headed to a crime scene. “I’m sorry, what?”The engine hummed, sunlight flickering through the windshield, Blake’s profile lit up in soft gold as his mouth twitched like he was suppressing a laugh.“That’s the name of the trail.”I turned in my seat to stare at him, clutching my neon backpack like a life vest. “That doesn’t sound like a trail, that sounds like my obituary. You’re seriously taking me somewhere that sounds like the setting of my death certificate?”This time, he did laugh. A warm, easy laugh that filled the car. “It’s not as dramatic as it sounds. People hike there all the time.”“Yeah, well people jump out of planes too. Doesn’t mean I should.” I waved a hand, wide-eyed. “That place is for people with great health insurance and you know it.”I sighed. “Breaking my neck on a hike is going to be a painful death, Blake.”His lips

Julian’s POV; Monday came too early but this time, it didn’t feel like a punishment.I woke up unusually… fine. No headaches or even pain and bruising from practice.I had even stopped replaying the drunken kiss and the confused look in Asher’s eyes.I was done with that. Like for real though.Over it, like it never happened.Or at least that’s what I told myself as I stepped into my jeans, tugged a hoodie over my head, and checked myself in the mirror twice.“New week, no chaos,” I muttered.I had only two classes today and no practice. Damn, this Monday is actually looking kind of sus.A little too stress free.My classes went smoothly and I didn’t think about Asher once. Not even when someone walked by wearing the same cologne as him.Okay….. I thought about him a little. But not enough to derail me.By the time I stepped out of my last class, it was noon and I was starving. I’d skipped breakfast just because.I was booking an Uber when I saw Gabrielle leaning against the hallw

Julian’s POV;The first thing I heard was the sound of slow, uneven breathing beside me.For a split second I was half awake and confused, I forgot who it belonged to. Then the memories from last night hit me.Beside me,his arm was thrown over his face, mouth slightly open, hair a messy halo against my pillow. The sunlight spilled through my curtains and made the whole scene feel too intimate.My heart gave this stupid, unhelpful ache.Last night replayed like a glitching reel, his flushed grin, his wrist wrapped around me and pulling me down, the words he’d slurred before kissing me. You’re so pretty.I swallowed hard, every nerve in me felt like it was buzzing.And immediately after kissing me, he was gone. Not gone as in gone, but gone as in out. As in completely unconscious.I sat up slowly, my shirt twisted, his jacket still on the chair. For a moment I just stared at it, his jacket that had somehow started everything.When I finally stood, I did it quietly, like sneaking out

Julian's POV:By the time Gabrielle and I got back to my apartment after the game, she was already rummaging through her tote bag like a raccoon in a dumpster while mentioning how firm my ass looks in my jeans.“Ugh…. I think I left my boob tape,” she muttered, tossing out her camera, a notebook, lip gloss, and something that looked suspiciously like a half-eaten granola bar.“You realize you live ten minutes away, right?” I said, leaning against the counter. “You could just walk back to your dorm and grab it.”She looked up, scandalized. “Now, why would I do that…. Besides, I have to start my makeup….. we don’t have time to go back.” She pulled out a burgundy halter neck top like she’d found treasure. “Okok, I can figure out a way to make this work. Can you get me some water?.”“Right,” I sighed. “Just hurry up.”“Shut up.” She shimmied toward the bathroom, waving a finger. “You’re changing too.”I flung a bottle of water towards her which she surprisingly caught. “Uh, no? I’m fine.

Julian’s POV;When Asher dropped me off that night, I could’ve screamed.Actually scratch that, I did scream.A muted one though… straight into my palm.The second his Jeep disappeared down the street, I pressed my hands over my mouth like that would somehow keep the ridiculous grin from spreading and let that scream out.My insides felt like melted marshmallows.I leaned against my front door, still clutching the leftover cup of froyo in one hand like it was proof that the night actually happened.I was in trouble. Not a mild one.I kicked off my shoes, dropped my bag on the couch, and plopped down beside it before I peeled off my jacket…. his jacket…. and immediately hating how cold the air felt without it. It still smelled faintly like him: that mix of coffee and something expensive I could never afford. I low-key felt like sniffing it but I told myself I wasn’t going to.But I’ve also come to the realization that I have no self respect when it comes to liking someone sooooo….. I

Julian’s POV;I don’t know what I was expecting when Asher said “froyo,” but I definitely wasn’t expecting my mouth to give a positive response nor did I expect him to lead me toward his black Jeep like we were in a damn movie scene. The parking lot lights made the car gleam faintly with a mix of shadows and golden streaks, and the night air felt colder than I expected it to.Asher walked a step ahead of me, keys spinning around his finger, glancing back to make sure I was following. I tried not to overthink it.Um… tried being the key word.When he reached the passenger door, he opened it like some sort of heir from a Hallmark movie.I stared at him. “Are you being serious right now?”His lips quirked. “What? I’m being polite.”I gave him a look that could’ve melted ice. “I have arms, you know.”That earned a low chuckle. He raised both hands like he was surrendering. “Alright, alright. You win.”I slid into the seat on my own, muttering something about medieval chivalry under my br

Julian’s POV:The week before the hockey match was a slow blend of ice, stress, and coffee. The figure skating team had ramped up practice, double sessions, choreography polish and my psych minor decided that now was a great time to give me three essays and a reading list the size of a fucking dictionary.I mostly spent my mornings on the ice and running to my next class. My evenings were spent trying to write a paper on the understanding of grief and its effects on one’s mind. I knew it was due but I still hadn’t gotten through the first page.That says a lot for someone who would know a lot about grief.Gabrielle apologized for the cafeteria incident the very next day…. I probably shouldn’t have stormed off like that.I’m a bit of a drama queen, aren’t I? I told her it was fine though… I genuinely just wanted to pretend it never happened so I can move on with my life.Back to my misery, I have to get this paper done and the library picked today to be full. Of course it did.Ever