His Book club

Kael's POV My family has not been the best but in the eyes of the people, we are the perfect family. The members of the Palmer family are the best because of the strong facade we put on.As you can see, my father is a maniac. My mom, despite her power in society, is just the powerless wife of the richest man. Then me, their only son, the puppet he hoped I'd be. He wants to arrange my life, he wants me to live according to his script but not anymore. As soon as my father stormed out, I rushed to my mother at the doorway. She was shaken by our argument."Are you okay?" I asked, eyes scanning her for any sign of distress or bruises, trembling hands or anything that could show if my father had touched her."I'm fine, Kael," she said gently.“Are you sure? Did he touch you?” I asked, my hands trembling more than I intended.She pushed my hands away, not in an aggressive way. It is her way of telling me not to worry about her. “He didn't touch me, Kael.”I let out a breath I hadn’t realiz

Arian's pov The rain was coming down harder and heavier than I expected. I knew better than to drive in this weather, but I thought maybe I could face my trauma by confronting my fears. Now I realize it was a bad idea, especially with this crappy car I own, which decided to die right in the middle of the highway.I stood there like an idiot, trying to stop passing vehicles. But no one was going to stop for a soaking-wet guy with a dead car and no umbrella.I was starting to lose hope when a dark blue Mercedes pulled up beside me. The window slid down, and I heard his voice, smooth and masculine.“Trouble in paradise?”I think time paused. I mean it actually paused and everything around me meant nothing when I saw him. His messy long hair and his perfectly shaped eyebrows. I nearly asked him if he had done them professionally. And his eyes were gray and sharp. Then my eyes moved to his nose. It was rigid, and a little arrogant. The kind of nose that could turn someone on just by brea

Arian's pov The moment I stepped onto campus, I felt preying eyes on me. They were everywhere around me, crawling up my spine like cold fingers. Students whispered in corners. Some stopped walking altogether to look at me well. Others didn’t bother hiding their disgust. One guy even scoffed as he walked past, shaking his head like I was some pathetic joke.I wanted to disappear. Only if the ground could open and swallow me whole. My feet could barely hold me up but I kept moving forward like they were detached from the rest of my body. Every step pushed me closer to judgmental gazes. But what can I do? I didn't even do what they accused me of. I didn't steal anything. “Arian!”I turned my head and saw April storming down the walkway, her wild pink curls bouncing behind her and her brows pulled together in a straight line. She looked like she hadn’t slept either.The moment she reached me, she grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side. “Where have you been?” she asked. She didn't

Arian's pov I didn’t know I was crying. Not until I felt the tears roll down my chin, warm against my skin. Words can't explain how I was feeling. I felt embarrassed, ashamed and lost. People looked at me in a different way. I was used to being different but this situation was totally different. Their gazes were judging me, accusing me of something I didn't do. I thought about it over and over again. Who could’ve done this to me? Who hated me enough to frame me? Who would have found joy in destroying everything I’d worked so hard for?And the answer was no one. There's no one on my mind. I had no enemies. I didn’t fight with anyone. I didn’t compete or cause drama. I kept to myself, focused on school, on books, on keeping the scholarship that was the only thread holding my future together.So why me? Why would anyone do this to me?I dropped my head, staring at the cracked pavement beneath my shoes. I wiped my face, pretending everything would be fine, but I know it won't be fine.

Arian’s pov Kael really has the nerve to talk to me about help. Why would I even let him help me? He thinks his hot body would make me fall for his tricks. I snorted as I walked to the book club meeting room. As I entered, the heavy silence washed over me. The room was quieter than usual. Not the cozy kind of quiet that happened when everyone was deep in a book. This was different. It was thick with tension and uncomfortable to bear. It is the kind of silence that makes you hyper-aware of every breath, every glance, every whisper you weren’t supposed to hear.I stood at the front of the room, the same room I’d decorated, cleaned, and fought to preserve when no one cared about it. The posters I’d hung were still there. The shelves I’d labeled still held our books. But the energy that was once there had shifted.Neither their eyes nor attitude carried the energy we had. I took a breath, my heart pounding as all eyes were on me. I could feel the weight of their judgement down in my gu