MasukZAYDEN My heart stuttered and froze. Oh no. He looks pissed enough to kill.I've never seen him look so volatile and at the edge of combustion in the past. His jaw was tight with tension, eyes dark, one palm gripping the sheets, the other digging into my waist as he glared at me His piercing glance immediately left me flustered.I hastened to get up, but the hand on the waist pushed me back down.“Answer me!!”“No no no.” I stammered. My face turned red with embarrassment. Why do I keep doing this? Something heavy and resembling disappointment clouded his face. “You're not gay?”“I…”“Then why did you kiss me?”I looked away, avoiding his eyes. Shame made every nerve in my body scream ‘run’ at me. But his firm hand on my waist ensured it was impossible.“I…I've never dated men. This is the first time…” the words trailed off. Technically, it wasn't the first time I would be kissing a man if you factor in Ronan.However, it was the first time I genuinely wanted to do it of my own fr
ZAYDENFor two whole minutes, he stayed silent. Then he slowly looked at my face.The light was dim, yet I could see every one of his features clearly. Sharply defined, his eyes bright like liquid gold.“Kid, you're playing with fire.”I chuckled, and a strange bout of boldness seared into me. “You were the one making tall promises and vast vows. Be careful what you say. You never know what others truly want.”His eyes moved all over my face and stopped at my lips. I watched him swallow and take a deep breath, the look of agony on his face confusing me.He relaxed back against the pillow and faced the ceiling, finally tearing his gaze away from mine with great effort. “Zayden, what do you want me to buy as a parting gift? I won't ask again.”“If I can have anything…” I whispered, using my good arm to support myself until I was half-leaning up, staring at him.Like this, our faces were only a few inches apart.He slowly inclined his head towards me, a slight furrow forming between his
ZAYDEN I felt him cover my body with his and chuckle, bringing his lips close to my ear.“Didn't you say we were both men? Why then were you tensed up?”My lips twitched. That bastard. He's teasing me. I heard him giggle and fall to the side, carefully avoiding my arm.“Relax, silly. You're still young. Way too young.” He whispered.My eyes narrowed. Too young? For what?I rolled my eyes and adjusted my body till I was lying on my back. I slowly exhaled, trying to adjust myself to a more comfortable position.A few meters away from me, Leslie lay, his breathing steady and silent. “Zayden,” he suddenly whispered. I inclined my head slightly towards him. “Mmm…”“I will be leaving tomorrow.”The small smile on my face dissipated, alongside the casual ease with which I relaxed back on the bed. “What?” I stuttered, my heart suddenly weighing heavier than lead. I suddenly didn't feel as relaxed as I thought and a wave of sadness hit my heart.His words were way too soft, but I heard ea
ZAYDEN My heart dropped to the very pits of my belly the moment I heard him. “Co…complications?” I stuttered, face turning pale with horror. “Relax. Who am I?” He chuckled, arrogant and confident. “It's just a little error due to your little incident a while ago. Scratched the newly formed Callus and some nerves close by. I will handle it.” I slowly exhaled, relief crashing hard into my mind. “You can handle it?” He flicked my nose playfully. “Of course…” His eyes twinkled with mischief. A rare expression to see on his face. “You have to be ready to endure a bit…” He let his words trail off and gestured with his fingers. “A bit of pain. Look forward to it.” He chuckled darkly and my blood froze in my veins. “The pain will wake you up and teach you to be careful.” Memories of the previous therapy sessions flitted through my mind causing me to shudder. It had been so agonising I almost didn't make it. That kind of bone crushing terror, I truly did not have the energy or incl
ZAYDEN Cold sweat broke out on my skin as I waited, each second dragging out longer than the last. “Relax. Even if it's broken, I can still fix it up. You will only need to stay in bed longer than you should have.” If his words had been intended to be reassuring, it failed woefully. If anything it made me more anxious, laying out everything I could lose and prying apart all that was at stake. Time was the most expensive luxury to me at the moment. I didn't have any to waste in bed. Ten days could have already cost me more than I could afford to sacrifice. I couldn't do it for another day. No, I couldn't afford one more minute than was already necessary. The big match is only two weeks away If I'm in bed unable to move, I would have let Damon and Ronan win. That would be the worst kind of loss ever. “I don't want it to be broken. I would lose my spot in the professional leagues.” I whispered. I froze the moment the words were out. The tearful vulnerability in my tone fr
ZAYDEN “Look into it for me. Expedite the results.” Leslie’s low whispers were the first thing I heard the moment I approached the door. My brows furrowed, eyes narrowing slightly. What did he want to investigate? I shrugged. It was probably one of his numerous VIP patients. Expedite the results probably meant test results. Snooping around wasn't respectful. So I pushed the door open and walked in. I had a towel wrapped around my head, dressed in a beige colored robe that stopped just below my knees. It wasn't much, but the night was a bit warm. If I got cold later, I will just pull up the duvet. Leslie slipped the phone back into his pocket. “You're here.” I humped out an answer and sat down on the bed. Silently, he pulled open the drawer and retrieved the hair dryer. I froze up, finding myself incapable of breathing properly. I mean…I was so rude to him a while ago. I was so ungrateful despite his sacrifices. Shouldn't he be fuming? He slowly unwrapped the towel from m
ZAYDENAlthough the driver was moving the taxi as fast as he could, it felt like he wasn't moving fast enough. Tinkers corner. Goodness. How could my brother have fallen so deeply into the abyss without my notice? What kind of elder brother was I? I ran a finger through my hair and exhaled, fists
ZAYDENIt was seven twenty in the evening when the taxi dropped me before the luxury suburban building that was supposed to be home but had felt like a prison for the longest time. Gated community. Two-storey grey building. Manicured lawn. Outdoor backyard kitchen I never seemed to remember ever
ZAYDENMy jaw locked. The room turned stifling, air too thick to breathe, my heart hammering against my ribs like it wanted out. My thoughts frayed at the edges, vision swimming at the corners. Ronan’s eyes gleamed, vicious satisfaction naked in them. His hand slid up my spine, slow and deliberate
ZAYDENOne hour at the gym, and another ten minutes at the school sports facility did nothing to loosen the knots in both my shoulder muscles and chest. It felt like something heavy was crushing me from the inside.It didn’t matter. I had to shove it down and enter the rink. Today was the internal







