MasukMy five and a half hour flight to New York was set to leave at 6 PM, meaning that Felix and I left his apartment at four. I was only taking one big suitcase back home and was leaving the rest behind in my rented room. After all, I'd be back in just three weeks. Apart from clothes, I was taking a few paintings I had done throughout the semester to show my parents how hard I worked. I felt the obligation to prove to them that my art degrees weren't a waste of time.Felix insisted on parking instead of just dropping me off. We both knew he couldn't accompany me inside and risk being spotted by any student flying back home like I was. We'd have to say goodbye in the car.It were instances like this that made me absolutely hate hiding. It felt unfair. I wanted a proper goodbye at the gate, to be kissed and hugged among the other parting couples.We were silent at first as Felix took the keys off the ignition. Technically, we were already taking a risk by being in the parking lot for longer
However, it pained me to have to hide my new relationship from my mom. I wanted to tell her how happy I was, how Felix treated me and made me feel. She definitely picked up on my low mood and asked me what was going on, to which all I could say was that I missed my friends from Durham.Being away from Felix wasn't the only reason why I was feeling disheartened. I spoke to him on the phone in secret whenever I went to the supermarket or took a stroll in Central Park alone, and he always sounded a little sad. I didn't ask him what he was feeling or what was the matter. I knew he was sad because we couldn't spend such a special time of year together. Selfishly, my heart fluttered by him being so affected by our separation."Have your parents noticed anything?" I asked on one of my walks."What do you mean?" He asked through the phone."Oh, you know, my parents are always asking me why I'm so down in the dumps... I always make something up though."He was silent at first, taking a deep br
"Felix, will you help me set the table?" asked Mrs. Kent. "Use the red napkins, they're in that drawer. Oh, actually, the green ones look better. Be careful with the centerpiece, it took me hours to arrange the flowers."Even though Mrs. Kent was a woman in her sixties, she couldn't sit still and was always working around the house. Considering that Christmas was her favorite holiday, it was no surprise she wanted to include me in everything the family did—and that meant house chores.I could hardly complain though. Kent was outside picking leaves from the driveway in the rain. I'd much rather set the table than be at the mercy of the elements.Mr. and Mrs. Kent treated us like we were still teenagers, but I didn't mind it. I still saw them the same way I did when I was a boy, so naturally, even though I was almost thirty, they still saw and treated me like a young man.I treated them with as much respect as I did back then, although I had grown much more comfortable around them in th
This act of defiance stirred something in me. Suddenly, I yanked his hair down, turning his face towards me, his neck at an uncomfortable angle."Then be a good man for fuck's sake!" I growled between gritted teeth, tugging at his roots. "A good fucking man!"I said nothing as I realized the severity of my aggression. Felix immediately fell quiet and stopped moving. My mouth was so close to his I thought of kissing him, but held back."Yes." He whispered, his voice laden with pain, sweat dripping down his neck. "I want to be a good man."Something profound changed in that moment. He sounded as if he was about to cry, like he was in pain, the honesty in his words crystal clear."Are you gonna be a good man?" I asked softly, letting go of his hair."Yes, I want to be a good man." He sighed, his breathing still shallow and alarming. He sounded as desperate as a man pleading for his life. "I want to be a good man for you."I almost broke down with his words. It took all the strength I had
I woke up to the soft ringing of my phone coming from downstairs. Blair, who was laying beside me curled up in a ball, didn't move a muscle. I genuinely thought about just leaving the phone ringing, but my impatience to turn it off made me get up. I made as little noise as possible as I got up from bed and walked downstairs. Since we hadn't closed any windows in the living area, I was bombarded with sunlight. The cabin looked even more beautiful when illuminated by the winter sun. I picked up the phone, knowing exactly who it."Hey Kent." I groaned. I was still so sleepy."Happy birthday bro!" He shouted. I pulled the phone away from my ear. "Twenty nine never looked so good!""Thanks, but you could have called later... Do you know what time it is?""Just be glad I didn't call you last night at midnight. I assumed you'd be a little busy."I rolled my eyes. Now that he knew I was seeing someone, he didn't waste an opportunity to mention it and put me on the spot. Classic Kent."And you
I took a drag of my cigarette and looked out the window. "She expected things from me. She wanted me to dress a certain way. I had to be at all her soccer games, no matter what. I couldn't talk to other girls. I had to kiss her every morning. I couldn't argue with her in public... This all seemed very reasonable to me at the time, so I didn't question her. I liked that she expected things from me. It made me feel like we were in a solid, committed relationship where you have to compromise sometimes."Tears welled in my eyes. "Before I knew it, her demands became more extreme. She didn't want me to hang out with my friends, so I cut ties. She had to know my phone passcode, I couldn't go out without her, she had to know where I was at all times. Yet still, I loved her. On top of that, one day I overheard my dad talking to hers about how our wedding would be perfect, how they wouldn't spare a dime.""Oh Blair..." Felix uttered, his eyes filled with pain. He could already tell this wasn't
Light slammed into my eyes, harsh as the guards dragged me out of the cell.My wrists stung where the leather had been knotted; my muscles trembled from hunger and grief and the aftershock of standing when I no longer trusted my legs but the ruthless guards didn't care. They shoved me down a corrid
"Nobody runs from me, mate."His eyes gleamed in the dimness and a shiver ran down straight to my spine. I took an involuntary step back. The movement was small, but he noticed. Of course he did. Predators always notice prey that twitches.“Don’t,” he said coldly. “Don’t make this harder than it al
Aurora's POVThe heavy clang of the dungeon gate echoed like a death knell, reverberating through my bones long after the guards' footsteps faded. The sound sealed me in, cutting me off from the last thread of light that had slipped through the corridor behind me. My breath caught, my pulse racing
The prison cart jolted forward on its final stretch toward the castle, the iron wheels groaning against the stones. I sat shackled inside a cage, wrists and ankles bruised from the cold bite of chains. My dress, the one I had worn as a bride only hours ago was now dirtied and torn, smeared with swe







