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Chapter 54: Waiting
Last Updated:
2025-05-12 20:27:49
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Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 62: A Harmless Prank
Reed's POV I paused just outside Lux’s door, my hand hovering in midair like I was about to knock, though I didn’t. My chest tightened, my heartbeat suddenly picking up like I’d just taken off in a sprint. I wasn’t ready to face her and lie. I despised every aspect of this twisted version of the truth I had created to protect Kairos.But what made me sickest was having to implicate myself. Admitting that one of my friends drugged Lux while attempting to drug me did not absolve me. It meant I was the one who introduced her to a world where slipping something into a drink was considered a harmless prank. It was my fault for putting her in a situation where she could have been seriously hurt.But I was doing it for the greater good. So I’d carry it through. Then my mind wandered back to our time in Alec's room—the way she looked at me, the taste of her lips that lingered like a wildfire I could not put out. I’d replayed it a hundred times when I got home.The way she sighed into me. The
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 61: Life on Land
Lake's POV“Lux!” I dashed after her, my socks slipping on the hardwood as I rounded the corner into her room, but she did not stop. She slammed the door shut just before I reached it, but it wasn’t locked. So I pushed it open and found her pacing, both hands tangled in her hair, breathing fast and shallow like she couldn’t get enough air.“He’s not human,” she choked out before I could speak. “Lake, he’s not—he has a tail. I saw it. You were right—oh my God, you were right!” I froze in the doorway for a moment, my heart sinking at her terrified expression, before taking a cautious step forward.“Lux, what are you talking about?”She whipped around to face me, eyes wide, trembling. “Kairos! He—he has a tail. A tail, Lake. Like a fish. Like a, what the hell even is he?!” My throat tightened, and every fiber of my being wanted to reach for her, calm her down, and then explain who Kairos was and how he had not hurt me and would never hurt her but I couldn't. I had to protect him and doin
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 60: A Tail Situation
Lake's POVI was startled awake by a slightest shift beneath me, my eyes snapping open as the sensation of movement registered. It took me a moment to realize where I was, the scent of bath salts clinging to the steam in the air... and Kairos's arms wrapped around me. I had fallen asleep in the tub with him.My skin felt pruney as hell, and I knew I had to look it, so I raised my hand out of the water, but my fingers were not wrinkled. “That’s the first,” I muttered, shifting slightly and looking up at Kairos, my voice coming out hoarse while he smiled.“I didn’t mean to pass out on you.” His smile spread as he brushed his thumb across my arm. “It’s okay.” And I let out a breath, returning the smile. “We should probably get out. I’m starving.”I hadn’t eaten since waking up in the hospital. Between the trauma and the adrenaline, food had not even entered my mind. But now it hit me all at once, and my stomach churned, craving something solid.We got out of the tub and dried off, and I
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 59: Feelings
Third-party POVAlec barely waited for the gates to finish sliding open before driving into the driveway. Gravel crunched beneath his tires as he parked crookedly in front of Reed's house, cutting the engine abruptly. He slammed the door behind him and dashed to the front door, without bothering to knock.The door was unlocked.His footsteps echoed on the marble floors as he walked straight to the stairs, two at a time. Approaching Reed's bedroom, he raised his fist to knock but paused. The door was not completely shut.Alec hesitated for only a second before pushing it open. But except for the faint light that filtered through the curtains, the room was pitch black. The bed was perfectly made, with no rumpled sheets or out-of-place pillows, indicating that it had been used the night before.He turned back out and began searching the rest of the house, whispering Reed's name. The kitchen and the living room were both empty. The house was massive, and he could not search it all; only t
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 58: Fair Game
Lake's POV Kairos's words hung in the air, and I could feel them soaking into my skin and lodging deep in my chest. “Please don’t leave me.” His voice cracked at the end, and his eyes misted with emotion as he pleaded with me without pride or armor.I stared at him, my heart racing faster than it had ever been, faster even than when I was drowning, before my body moved on its own and leaned in toward the boy I loved, the one who had left an entire kingdom for me.Everything fell silent the instant our lips met. The anxiety and the hypothetical thoughts—gone. There was only the warmth of his lips on mine, the soft tremble in his breath, and the desperate way I gripped his collar as if I could melt into him and never come apart.How could I ever abandon him? How could I have thought I could?Pulling back, I was out of breath, and our heads leaned together as I whispered, "I want out of here." He smiled faintly. "Me too. I didn’t bring my car, though; I need to call Reed.”He added that
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 57: Confessions
Lake's POV “What makes you say that?” I asked Alec after he admitted that he was in love with Lux but worried that he had already ruined his chances with her, even though I was almost sure I understood what he meant.He ignored her after they slept together, which hurt Lux and could make anything he tried difficult. He told me what happened, and I asked him why he did it. He said he didn't think he was ready and told himself maybe he was trippin'... that because Lux was my friend, he had convinced himself somehow that things should be different with her.I could already see how scared he was, and I had told myself when he confessed his feelings that I would no longer give him the earful I had intended to give him about hurting Lux. But I couldn't help myself when he mentioned how he pushed her away.I told him how much his actions hurt Lux and how they pissed me off because I expected him to do his things far away and not target people close to me. He admitted he was wrong and apolog
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 56: Fear
Lake's POVMy eyes were still fixed on Alec, my heart racing, when Kairos spoke next to me, prompting me to turn back to him. “I’ll be outside,” he softly said, swinging his legs off the bed, but then he did something that made me freeze in place.He leaned down and pecked the side of my head as if he wanted to clear up any confusion Alec may have had about the situation, and I froze for the second time. My gaze met his, and he smiled, his eyes screaming the answer to the question that echoed in my head as a result of his actions: was this him coming out?He walked out, and as he passed Alec, my gaze shifted to Alec, who still had a look I could not put into words; perhaps the closest description would be... surprise? I swallowed hard and couldn't find my voice for a moment.I told Kairos hours ago that I didn't care who knew about us, and I meant it, but Alec was my cousin; he was my family, and no matter what everyone else thought, no matter how I could still live my truth even if h
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 55: Damage Control
Reed's POVThe question hung in the air, and Alec did not say anything else but stared at me as I looked down to collect my thoughts. I knew this moment was coming, and I tried to prepare for it while wandering through the mall, half-asleep. But now that the moment had arrived, it was still difficult to lie to my best friend.I rubbed the back of my neck and exhaled. "We went for a swim after the game," I explained slowly. "Lake, Kairos, Lux, Darian, and myself."Alec kept staring at me, and I hesitated, dreading what would come next. But then I remembered the consequences of Lux going around telling people Kairos had a tail and realized I needed to control the situation, even if it meant throwing myself under the bus."I put a little something in Lux's drink," I said quietly. “Back when we were watching the game. Just something mild. I only wanted her to relax but it made her hallucinate." Alec's eyes widened, and his entire body tightened like a loaded spring. "What?" I couldn’t mee
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 54: Waiting
Reed's POVReturning from the mall, I found Kairos freshly showered, back in his place at Lake’s side, looking a little more composed than before. He turned when I entered, and I walked over to him, handing him his aeruna first. "And then I got these," I explained, passing him the gift bag.He opened the bag and took out each item one by one: an insulated tumbler, a puzzle book, a massage ball, and a hot-cold gel pack to relieve some of the tension I knew Lake would be feeling when he woke up. I had no idea what to get when I got there, so I chose these because I knew Lake could use the gel after the trauma his body experienced.Kairos stared at them, not saying much, and I could tell from the look on his face that nothing made sense to him. To him, it was probably like purchasing toys and cups, which were useless human trinkets. Things that did not actually heal."I know they appear silly," I gently told him, "but believe me, these are good. Lake will like them. He will appreciate th
