[SEAN]Have you ever experienced a deep sense of helplessness? A feeling of desperately wanting something, but being unable to pursue it out of fear of hurting the people you love most? These situations are all too familiar in my life. I have become the epitome of sacrificing my own happiness for the sake of others’ comfort. As the eldest child, my family expects nothing short of perfection from me.Anything less, and I am deemed a failure in my father’s eyes. Anything more, and I’m burdened with the immense pressure to maintain my own success. It often feels like I’m being squeezed from all sides. If I don’t take action to help myself, I fear I’ll suffocate in my own loneliness and perish.I don’t understand how some people manage to remain happy no matter what. They don’t care about others’ opinions of them. They are unfazed when their parents act unreasonably, solely interested in molding them into a certain image—as if they were mere pets or show ponies, meant to be trained and gr
[BRIAN]I know I made the right decision, although my emotions try to convince me otherwise.Kissing Ava was wrong, and fucking her was even worse.What the hell was I thinking? How did I let my attraction to her cloud my judgment, especially considering she’s half my age, my late daughter’s best friend, and the daughter of my mentor?You can’t just forget something like that, can you? It’s the only thing that should have mattered, and I should never have allowed myself to forget it. Those facts should have been permanently etched in my mind, engraved in my thoughts, and if possible, tattooed on my damn soul.But none of those damn facts stopped me from touching her inappropriately, from indulging in the kisses we shared, or from obsessing over her every waking moment since then.I swear, Ava has consumed my thoughts for the past month. She’s been like a goddamn brain-eating slug, doing nothing but wreaking havoc in my head.I thought spending a month in Australia would clear my mind.
[AVA] “Listen up, sweetie,” mom says, grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers. “I’m your mom, and all I want is what’s best for you. Is that so hard to believe?” I’m dying to respond: yes, that’s exactly what I think. But instead, I let out a sigh and prop my elbow on the table. “Mom, what’s on your mind?” I had only been in the kitchen for a mere five minutes when mom turned into a protective mama bear. Actually, it’s the perfect timing for her to butter me up, considering dad is out for his morning walks and Max is still asleep in the backroom, which is just a fancy name for our small storage space. The ache of nostalgia hits me hard when I think about our old home, which was at least fifty times the size of this tiny apartment. Our bathroom alone could fit this entire room, and our backyard overlooked a breathtaking lake. We even had our own landing space for the private jet nearby. But that’s all in the past now, and I know I need to let go of those memories instead of h
[AVA] A jolt of icy anticipation shoots through me as the door to Brian’s office swings open. Sharon wastes no time, forcefully shutting the door before I can even step further into the room. I don’t know what her problem is, but she’s seriously starting to get under my skin. Then again, the only reason I dared to show her a bit of attitude earlier was because I had a hunch that Brian must have personally instructed her to fetch me. Otherwise, she would have sent someone else or, worse, just asked the receptionist to send me up. But none of that happened. I can’t help but wonder what Brian said to her to put her on such a tense edge. Did he threaten to fire her or something? I scoff, doubting that would ever happen. Why would he go to such lengths for me? I mean, who am I to him? Just a nobody, clearly. Just a regret. But as much of a jerk as she’s been to me from day one, I don’t want her to suffer the consequences. I know firsthand what it’s like to fall from grace and land in
[BRIAN]I didn’t know what to say.Hell, I didn’t know what to think.Honestly, my thoughts were a jumbled mess, completely scattered. I couldn't make sense of it all. It felt like my mind was being pulled in different directions, unable to keep up with the complexity of the situation."Wait, are you telling me you already knew about Sean?" I asked, struggling to comprehend why she would choose to date someone who wasn't even attracted to women. I mean, how did that even work?I needed to do something, anything, to distract myself from this overwhelming mess. Restlessly, I began pacing the room, desperately trying to grasp the reality of what was unfolding before me.Meanwhile, Ava fidgeted with her fingers, avoiding eye contact, resembling a guilty child caught red-handed. "It's... it's complicated," she finally admitted, and I couldn't help but scoff at her response."Complicated?" I paused in my pacing, giving Ava an irritated look as my frustration escalated. "Yeah, no kidding."A
[AVA]I watched as he rushed out of the office, his words still echoing in my mind.Kian was hurt. I didn’t know what to do or how to feel. My heart was racing, my mind consumed with worry. But there was no time to think, was there?I quickly grabbed my bag and ran after Brian.When I caught up with him outside, he was already in his car, engine roaring to life. I hesitated for a moment before opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat. “Let me come with you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.He looked at me for a moment, his expression unreadable. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Ava,” he said finally, his voice tense, as he gripped the steering wheel as if his life depended on it.“I have to know that he’s okay,” I replied, my own voice shaking. “Please. Let me be there for him.”He let out a heavy sigh, his hand running through his hair in frustration, probably wondering if reasoning with me was even worth the effort. I knew I could be stubborn at times, but i
[AVA]The quietness of the room felt suffocating, almost too heavy to bear. The only sound was the gentle beeping of the machines, marking each heartbeat and breath of Kian. I took a seat beside his bed, feeling the weight of exhaustion creeping up my spine. Brian sat across from me, looking stoic and silent, lost in his own thoughts.Sean came in and joined us, his eyes bloodshot and his face haggard. We sat in a solemn silence, each lost in our own thoughts about Kian’s condition. Sean and Brian discussed his state in hushed tones, occasionally glancing at Kian. I couldn’t help but feel a lump in my throat as I watched Kian’s chest rise and fall steadily, the machines beeping a reassuring rhythm.Time seemed to stretch on endlessly, and I found myself staring at Kian’s still form, willing him to wake up. But the medication had rendered him unconscious, and we could only wait and hope for him to come back to us.Max arrived about half an hour after Sean did. He sat next to Kian, and
[AVA]“I think I’m gonna do it,” Sean said, his voice firm and resolute. I could see the determination in his eyes and knew he was serious about coming out to his dad.I couldn’t help but feel excited for him. “Are you serious? What happened to needing more time?”Sean shrugged, absentmindedly tapping the straw in his virgin mojito. “I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. And if someone like Brian is okay with me being gay, then maybe Dad will be too. They’re friends and have known each other for a long time. Who knows, maybe they’ve rubbed off on each other, and Dad won’t be the hard nut to crack that I’ve always imagined him to be.”I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride for him. Coming out to his dad was a huge step, and I knew it would take a lot of courage. But at the same time, I couldn’t shake the nagging worry that lingered in the back of my mind. What if his dad didn’t take it well? What if their relationship was irreparably damaged?Despite my reservation