Hunter
I came to the club straight after work, but I couldn’t sit still in my office, couldn’t sleep in my own damn bed either. The walls were closing in on me. My chest felt tight, restless.
“Hunter, what’s wrong? You’re not even dancing tonight?” Sam asked, pouring whiskey into a glass and shoving it toward me.
I clinked his glass halfheartedly and downed mine in one brutal swallow. The burn didn’t even scratch the surface of what I was feeling.
Edd laughed, leaning back in his chair like the smug bastard he was. “Looks like your toy finally left, huh? That’s why you’re sulking like a kicked puppy.”
“Yeah, your prec
ChrisThe phone rang three times. I stared at the screen, but I didn’t pick up.There was nothing left to say. Nothing left between us.At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.But the truth? The moment I heard his voice after more than a week, my chest betrayed me. My heart—stone dead for days—suddenly raced like it had been waiting for him all along.“Chris, your coffee.”Asher’s voice pulled me back. He placed a steaming cup on the table beside me, his hand holding one for himself.“Thanks,” I murmured, forcing myself to smile.Asher had been helping me prep for the entrance tests. We were the same age, born the same month—just a few days apart. My aunt always bragged about his grades, how sharp he was. And it was true. He was brilliant. Steady. Safe.“I’m done.” I slid the answer sheet toward him.His eyes scanned it quickly. “You shouldn’t be nervous. You did great.”Relief trickled through me. I’d been dreading the college’s mid-term entrance exams.“Your math is solid. Were
HunterI came to the club straight after work, but I couldn’t sit still in my office, couldn’t sleep in my own damn bed either. The walls were closing in on me. My chest felt tight, restless.“Hunter, what’s wrong? You’re not even dancing tonight?” Sam asked, pouring whiskey into a glass and shoving it toward me.I clinked his glass halfheartedly and downed mine in one brutal swallow. The burn didn’t even scratch the surface of what I was feeling.Edd laughed, leaning back in his chair like the smug bastard he was. “Looks like your toy finally left, huh? That’s why you’re sulking like a kicked puppy.”“Yeah, your prec
ChristinaThe admission process was finally done. Papers signed, forms filled, reality sealed. Now came the real part—finding a place to live.“Asher, I’ll manage on my own. Don’t worry,” I said, clutching my bag tighter than I needed to.He gave me that easy smile, the kind that always made him look like he wasn’t taking life seriously. “It’s okay, Chris. Honestly, I was bored at home. You’re doing me a favor.”We pulled up to a neighborhood lined with identical houses, the kind that all smelled faintly of detergent and desperation.“You’ll find plenty of shared rooms here,” Asher said, scanning the street.I slipped inside one of the hostels while he waited outside—it was girls-only. The corridor buzzed with chatter, perfume, and the faint sizzle of a straightener from someone’s room.The first room I checked had three beds. A girl with ink crawling down her arm popped her gum loudly. “Newcomer… wow,” she drawled, sizing me up like I was fresh meat.Next to her, a cheerful blonde pe
HunterAfter Alina’s after-party, I stumbled home drunk. My head was pounding, my shirt half-buttoned. The clock screamed dinner time, but I couldn’t care less.“Is this any hour to come home?” Dad’s voice boomed the second I stepped inside. His face was flushed with rage. “You should have been here. Do you even know about Chris—”“Carter, please.” Melania’s soft plea cut him off. She rushed to me, pressing a hand to my arm as though I were still her little boy. “Hunter, go to your room. I’ll send you some hangover soup.”Her eyes were gentle, but I didn’t hear her. My gaze was darting across the dining room, searching. Christina’s chair was empty.Without a word, I walked upstairs.Hot water splashed against my skin in the shower, but it didn’t wash away the hollowness gnawing at me. By the time I stepped out, a steaming bowl of soup sat on the table. I grabbed it, stared for a second, then poured it straight into the trash.At 2 a.m., I couldn’t take it anymore. My body acted on ins
Christina’s POV“Chris, have you reached?” Mom’s voice was warm, but I could hear the faint tremor of worry.“Yes, Mom. The plane just landed,” I said, trying to sound less exhausted than I felt.“The house feels so empty without you. Carter misses you too. It’s not even been a day and we’re both already lost without you.”I smiled, my chest tightening. “Same here, Mom.”“I’ve texted you my friend’s son’s number—Asher. Call him when you step out of the airport.”A notification blinked at the top of my screen. Asher. Just a capital letter A for his profile picture—no face, no clue.After eight long hours in the air, I finally touched down in Auckland—half a world away from my hometown. The moment I stepped into the terminal, the foreign air felt heavier, lonelier.Bags collected, I stepped out of the airport and dialed Asher twice. No answer.Great. Perfect start.I was about to book a hotel when I spotted it—my name written in bold, block letters on a sign.A tall, broad-shouldered gu
“Grandma… I miss you so much,” I whispered through trembling lips. My chest tightened as memories swirled like smoke. Her voice, her warmth, the way she held me when I thought my world was falling apart.This wasn’t just goodbye to her. This was goodbye to everything—my old life, my innocence, my love for Hunter.Maybe Grandma would’ve understood me. Maybe she would've told me to run far away.I turned to leave with the urn cradled to my chest.But Alina stepped right into my path like a snake poised to strike.“Christina, you’re still not over him, are you?” she hissed, her perfect smile cracking like glass.Hunter was nearby, his back turned, deep in a work call.I glared at her, clutching the urn tighter. “Are you seriously doing this here? At a crematorium?” My voice trembled with fury.But Alina wasn’t done.She grabbed my wrist. Her perfectly manicured nails dug in like claws. “You need to hear this—”I jerked away.The urn slipped.CRASH.“No—NO!” I screamed as the urn hit the