Dorian The box cutter in my hand was dull as hell, but I worked it like it was a damn scalpel, slicing through layers of tape. I was on my knees in the cramped backroom of the store, sleeves rolled up, whilst being surrounded by towers of cardboard and half-dusty shelves of expired cereal. The air smelled like plastic and detergent and a little bit like the overripe bananas Susie always left near the staff fridge.I was almost done for the afternoon. Just a few more restocks and then I’d hit the bank to transfer some cash to Mom. Her voice had sounded clearer last time we talked, less slurred from medication. She even asked me about school. Rehab was working. Or maybe she was just too tired to yell.Either way, she needed the money. And I would’ve just done the transfer on my phone, but I didn’t have one anymore. A few days ago, I returned the android Noah bought me. I wouldn't lie and pretend that I'd handed it over him to while looking him in the eye. There was no way in the fucki
Noah’s P.O.VThe seventh game of the regionals ended with the Arctic Blades fucking demolishing the Wisconsin's titans. The titans, of all the teams.. I could still feel the sting in my thighs from the sprints and the vibration in my hands from that final slapshot that screamed past their goalie and lit the whole fucking stadium on fire. The crowd was still roaring in my head but the celebratory noise wasn't enough to wipe off the ridiculous grin on my face as I skated off the ice. We did it. We fucking did it. We have already made it into the fucking frozen four and the last(eighth) game of the regionals was just a formality I was halfway down the tunnel to the locker room, already reaching up to unclip my helmet when Coach O’Rourke’s voice barked out. "Carter!" Glancing over my shoulders, I spotted him waving me over.So I fully turned around, skating in a slow arc, only to see he was standing next to a man I didn't recognize. He was tall, built like bulldozer. He probably used t
Noah's P.O.VI kept my eyes on the road, both hands tight on the wheel like I was holding on for dear fucking life. My heart was pounding loud enough to compete with the engine’s low growl. Every building I passed just made the nerves worse, like some countdown to a moment I didn’t know if I was ready for. Why the hell was I even nervous?It’s just Dorian.Except it wasn’t just Dorian.It was the first boy I ever wanted and was bold enough to let into my heart. The boy who got under my skin and twisted every part of me into knots. The boy who broke me, and the boy I still wanted, like a fucking masochist.When I finally pulled into the parking lot, I sat there for a second, dragging in a deep breath, then another. I could just leave. Text Coach and tell him I dropped the message. But no matter how much I tried to reverse out of here, I couldn't.. My fingers were already gripping the door handle, and then I was out, snow pelting lightly on my skin.The warm off-white lights of the stor
Noah's P.O.VI didn’t remember the moment when I left the store and got on the road, driving to Jaxon's family house. Hell, I couldn’t even tell you what was playing on the speakers, even though I knew it was that stupid ass playlist Jaxon had shared with me—grunge and rock and some country-folk hybrid that made me want to pull my hair out when he'd begged me to indulge him. Right now, my brain was loud, louder than any music could ever be.Outside, the snow fell heavier now, little white streaks dancing past the windshield, like the universe was throwing static at my face just to see if I’d blink.I didn’t because I was still thinking about him.His mouth. The kiss wouldn't fucking leave my brain. It was as if his lips was still crushing mine and his breath lived in my lungs. My lips tingled with the need to be back on his and now all I could think about was how fast it ended. I shifted in my seat, groaning through clenched teeth. My dick was pressing up against the seam of my jeans
Noah's P.O.VThe second I stepped out of my car, they jumped apart like kids caught making out behind the bleachers. Jaxon’s eyes flicked toward me, looking sheepish and… weirdly guilty? His hair was a mess from where the guy had clearly been gripping it. They looked like they’d been going at it for more than just a friendly peck.Oh my God.Oh my actual fucking God.“You might be surprised tomorrow,” Jaxon had said.This was the fucking surprise?Jaxon fucking Reid. Mr. “I’ve had a threesome with the Henderson twins.” Mr. “Choke me with your thighs, mommy,” himself… was gay too?And it was with his tutor? The same one I’d seen once or twice in the background when Jaxon was FaceTiming him at odd hours while claiming to be "studying" with him? That really pretty guy with the flawless skin and the glasses he probably didn’t even need?I blinked hard. “Am I hallucinating right now?”Jaxon raised both hands like I was holding him at gunpoint, pouring out words as he tried to dig himself o
Noah’s POVI winced so hard my spine nearly folded in half.Jaxon’s dad had a warm smile on his face and it was the kind of genuine one that made you feel instantly welcome, but right now it felt like a thousand-pound spotlight was on me. Because he was looking directly at me, assuming that Sebastian, Jaxon’s boyfriend, was mine.I risked a glance at Jaxon because I really didn't know if Jaxon was ready to tell his family.However, he looked surprisingly calm, lips pressed together, brows just slightly lifted. Then, he gave me a discreet nod. I'm ready.Right. Okay.I opened my mouth, ready to clear it up, but before I could even get past a single vowel, a hurricane in the form of a woman barreled into the room.“Oh mio Dio, i miei bambini!” she gasped out.She was tiny. Tiny, but her presence was enormous—fiery dark curls pinned back with two clips that were barely doing their job, red apron tied snug around her waist, and a look in her eyes like she was about to scold us into next w
Noah's P.O.VThanksgiving NightThe scent of roasted garlic and slow-cooked turkey clung to every inch of the Reid house. I could hear Mrs. Reid’s voice from the kitchen yelling at someone, probably Anna, for trying to taste-test the cranberry sauce before dinner. The house was glowing warm, every hallway and room filled with soft laughter and rich aromas and the sounds of a family that loved being around each other.I’d only been here for less than a day, and already it felt more like home than anywhere I’d ever known, making me wonder how I'd managed to stay away all these past months. It was no wonder I usually spent every holiday with the Reids.Dinner was chaos in the best way. The table was bustling with passed plates and overlapping conversations. Sebastian, for someone who claimed he was bad with families, had already managed to make every single Reid sister laugh at least once. The fourth oldest, Clarissa, I think, giggled so hard she choked on her wine when he deadpanned th
Noah’s P.O.VIt has been three days since that Thanksgiving dinner with Jaxon’s family and I swear to God, it might as well have been three years with how fucking hectic everything got afterward. Long hours, harder drills, screaming matches on the ice because Coach kept grinding us down to the bone. Everyone was running on fumes, trying to stay sharp for the last (8th) game of the regionals, but I felt like I was back in fucking hell week.On the...somewhat...bright side, Dorian was finally back with us. Coach had unbenched him after I promised to not let our personal relationship or the lack of it affect the twam , and for a minute, I thought things might go back to normal. Dorian stayed out of my way during practice and he'd gone back to his usual animosity, not speaking to anyone before and after practice. But when it came time for Coach to list the starting lineup for the final games, Dorian’s name wasn’t on it. I caught the flicker of hurt that crossed his face when Coach said i
Noah's P.O.VIt took me two hours. Two entire cold, hellish hours in Miami’s glitziest district, where ninety percent of the designer boutiques were either closed for the holidays or by appointment only, and the few open ones were selling garish silk scarves and overpriced tins of cookies that screamed pretentious. But finally, by some miracle, I found the perfect gift. It was silver, understated but elegant. The kind of watch Dorian could wear and not feel like he was trying too hard, but still look like he ran shit. I just hoped he wouldn't be able to tell how expensive it was, because knowing that stubborn Hayes Pride, he'd probably shove it back at me if he did. God, that pride. It drove me up the wall and made my chest ache in equal measure. I'd almost blown a gasket when I saw he'd returned the phone I bought him.Well here's hoping he doesn't notice.I didn’t bother with fancy wrapping and just grabbed the stupid red box with a silver ribbon offered to me from the lady at the
Noah's POVI woke up feeling... okay. Maybe better than okay. I felt really good than I did through out yesterday anyway. That soup must have worked wonders.My nose wasn’t a faucet anymore, and my head didn’t feel like someone had stuffed it with cotton and then shaken it around for fun. But I also woke up to an empty bed, a dry throat, and the hollow aftertaste of regret.Dorian and I had argued last night about Mark.Stupid, pointless, totally preventable fight.It wasn't that we would have shared the same bed if we hadn't gotten into that fight, but at least, we won't be keeping malice with each other.Honestly it was my fault. He’d asked who Mark was after I let the name slip, and instead of just saying he was a friend, which, let’s be honest, wouldn’t have been a lie, I played the game of poking the bear. Because some pathetic part of me still wanted Dorian to care enough to get jealous. I wanted...no, needed to see that fire in his eyes, the reminder that maybe I still matter
Noah's POVChristmas Eve, and I felt like roadkill that had been rained on, run over twice, and forgotten on the side of the road. My nose was clogged, my head was pounding, and my limbs felt like they’d been stuffed with wet socks. The apartment echoed with silence and I just felt so fucking miserable..Liam had left for “practice” three days ago. Practice. On Christmas week. Sure. I wasn’t stupid. Even NHL players got time off for the holidays. But I didn’t ask questions. It was his place, not mine. He could go to Jupiter and I’d still have to be grateful for the four walls and overpriced furniture.I shuffled to the door like a corpse when the bell rang, dragging the blanket off the bed with me like it was my emotional support animal. A tissue hung out of my nostril, clutched in one hand like my last shred of dignity.I was already mentally preparing myself for the sight of a package guy or maybe Mark, here to guilt-trip me into watching Elf for the fifth time. But when I opened th
Dorian’s POV“Twenty-nine... thirty.”The bar slammed back into place with a satisfying clang, my arms trembling slightly from the weight. My chest rose and fell, slick with sweat, and I laid there on the bench for a second, staring at the ceiling of the mostly empty university gym like it had answers. It didn’t.Groaning, I wiped my face with the towel I slung over the rod, then sat up and shook out my arms. The pain was good. It kept me focused and grounded. It had only been a week and a day since I started seriously training again, but my body was already responding—bulking, hardening, becoming familiar again. Something I could control. conditioning and playing ice hockey for the last few weeks of the championship season also helped a lot.Anyhow, I made my way to the floor-length mirror at the far end of the gym, bare-chested, my joggers hanging low on my hips. My reflection stared back at me and not to be a conceited asshole but I was impressed. My arms which had begun to thin wh
NoahIf you favoured Minnesota in the winter, the beautiful snow covered scape and curling up in front of a fire place with a hot whipped coffee, then you'd definitely find Miami offensive as fuck. It was less than a week to Christmas and the sun was out. It wasn’t even noon and it was already making a damn spectacle of itself, glaring down on my windshield like I owed it money. I had the AC blasting, sunglasses on, and I was still squinting like a mole dragged out of his burrow.it was insane. The only tell tale sign it was winter was definitely the over the top decorations along every single building I'm driving past and the string lights around trees that'd be lighted up at night.My phone suddenly buzzed where it was mounted on the dash, dragging me from my observation. I tapped the screen and my second bestfriend's name flashed across it. biting back a grin, I answered the call but before I could even say hello, her voice exploded through the car like a battle cry.“NOAH FUCKING
Dorian's P.O.VIf I thought the Carter mansion looked stunning at night, it was even more ridiculous in daylight. It wasn't just an house but an estate, looking like something off a postcard. I sat behind the wheel of Susie’s tiny car, jaw slack as I stared up at the sprawling estate. Massive hedges shaped into clean-cut shapes of cherubims. The last time it had been in shapes of chess pieces or I may have been mistaken looking at it in the night. Anyway, the pillars gleamed like they were carved from marble, and a few people in uniform swarming the front lawn like busy bees, stringing up massive Christmas garlands. It was literally a whole operation. Frosted wreaths, gold-dipped reindeers, strings of lights being looped over every surface that could take them.Of course, they had a whole staff for this. Rich people didn't climb ladders to decorate their house for Christmas. It was just perfect I caught them at this time. Shit.I opened the car door and stepped out, my shoes muted
Hello guys! Author here! I'm so sorry about the last chapter. I would love to launch into an explanation of why that happened but the words count for "authors notes" is very limited. (But it's a honest mistake.) It won't happen again and to show I'm really sorry. I'm making the next chapter free and adding it to this note. so here. Championship Season. Dorian's P.O.V DORIAN Three weeks later I shoved the door open with my shoulder, the tiny bell jingling in that annoying, rusty way it always did. The strip mall lights outside cast long shadows across the linoleum floor. Everything smelled like synthetic pine and warm plastic—exactly like a place that sold discount dish soap and almost expired soda should. At the front desk, Susie didn’t even look up. Her eyes were glued to the little TV mounted up in the corner like a shrine. Snorting at the reindeer jacket she had on--please it looked absolutely ridiculous --I blinked, pausing halfway into the store. That was me on the screen
Noah's P.O.V The long drive from campus to my home felt like a slow trek to my own execution. By the time I pulled up to the front of my family’s mansion, the same looming, white-stoned fortress I'd grown up in, it had gotten even darker. My tires crunched over the long winding driveway which was filled with floodlights along the stone paths down which cut through the Late night November darkness. I killed the engine, and left my hands on the steering wheel, breathing in and out. For a second, I just sat there, staring up at the massive house like it was about to swallow me whole. It was like a giant beast carved into hill, the many floor-to-ceiling glass windows reflecting lights causing the house to glow all by itself. Beside me, Dorian whistled low from the passenger seat. "Jesus," he muttered, turning to me with raised brows. "You lived here your whole life?" He shoved the door and stepped out, craning his neck to take it all in; the ivy wrapped columns, the massive lak doors
Noah's P.O.VThe long drive from campus to my home felt like a slow trek to my own execution. By the time I pulled up to the front of my family’s mansion, the same looming, white-stoned fortress I'd grown up in, it had gotten even darker. My tires crunched over the long winding driveway which was filled with floodlights along the stone paths down which cut through the Late night November darkness.I killed the engine, and left my hands on the steering wheel, breathing in and out. For a second, I just sat there, staring up at the massive house like it was about to swallow me whole. It was like a giant beast carved into hill, the many floor-to-ceiling glass windows reflecting lights causing the house to glow all by itself.Beside me, Dorian whistled low from the passenger seat."Jesus," he muttered, turning to me with raised brows. "You lived here your whole life?" He shoved the door and stepped out, craning his neck to take it all in; the ivy wrapped columns, the massive lak doors and