The night spun out of control in the most unexpected way. As I lay there, the remnants of our heated passion clung to my mind. It felt surreal—yet deeply satisfying—as if I had crossed a line I never imagined I would. And somehow, I didn’t regret it. Adrian and I had never gone that far. We fought, hurled insults, pushed each other’s buttons—but this? This changed everything. It wasn’t just a kiss or even the raw, uninhibited sex. It was the fact that, for once, I was sober. And I wanted it. That truth slammed into me like a freight train. The feeling felt so unfamiliar. I’d always claimed to be straight. Women have always been my preference. I built my life around that certainty. But in those moments with Adrian, my resolve crumbled, slipping away like sand through my fingers. I didn’t understand it. It wasn’t supposed to happen—especially not like this. But the second his lips touched mine, I craved him with a hunger I couldn’t explain. I remembered how he kissed me—better than
Matthew's POV "You misjudged us," Lily said all of a sudden, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. I frowned, thrown off completely.I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I might be gay—or at least not straight. Whatever label I was supposed to wear, I wasn’t ready for it. And now here she was, throwing in another curveball that only tangled up my already twisted thoughts."Just like you, I too am in a state of dilemma," she said, pausing for a breath, her eyes flickering with something soft—regret, maybe. "I wasn't sure at first, but after kissing Adrian... and then kissing you... I'm more than certain now."She swallowed, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth."I like her."My frown deepened. The hell is she talking about? And like who?"Jennie, you slow wink... don't get all worked up," she teased.Then it hit me.Realization crashed into me like a wave slapping across the face. My eyes widened, and I blinked slowly."You like girls?" I a
I no longer cared about the world outside that room—or the chaos clawing at the back of my mind, screaming for attention like a neglected child. Let it scream. Let it howl. Its voice was a distant echo now, fading into irrelevance. I used to live in that noise. I used to drown in it, second-guessing every impulsive choice, every reckless breath that felt too wild, too fast, too dangerous to be mine. I used to ask myself if I was spiraling.But not anymore.Tonight, I didn’t need clarity. I didn’t want a reason.I wanted this.I wanted him.The air between us pulsed with something raw, something unspoken and untamed. The dim lighting draped the room in golden shadows, blurring the harshness of our sins until they almost looked beautiful. His mouth found mine like it was always meant to—urgent, rough, aching. There was no grace in our kiss, no gentle prelude. It was a collision. Violent. Unapologetic. It tasted like desperation and heat and a thousand broken promises we didn't care to f
Matthew's POV Adrian sank heavily onto the couch, his breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps, his eyes already burning with a hunger that eclipsed everything else. It wasn’t just desire—it was something darker, something primal. And I could feel it, too, swirling inside me, pulling me toward him like gravity. I followed his lead, my legs slipping around his waist as I straddled him, the heat of his body colliding with mine in a rush that set every nerve on fire. Our bodies slammed together like two storms, tearing through each other, both of us desperate to be pulled apart and stitched back together in a single, violent union.There was no room for hesitation. No time for restraint. Our lips crashed together, urgently, demanding, a collision of fire and needed to obliterate everything else. The outside world vanished in that instant, leaving only the raw, undeniable truth: nothing mattered but this, nothing could ever matter more.We kissed like the earth was ending. Like the world had
Matthew's POV After that raw, sinful night, everything between Adrian and me shifted—tilted on its axis so subtly, yet so irreversibly, it felt like we’d crossed a threshold we couldn’t come back from. It wasn’t just lust anymore, though that still burned hot beneath our skin. Something deeper had taken root in its place, something quiet but unshakable. It curled around us like ivy wrapping itself around an old stone wall—slow, inevitable, and impossible to ignore. I found myself drawn to him in ways that had nothing to do with the bedroom. Every day peeled back a new layer of who he was beneath the bravado. He had these strange little quirks that both fascinated and softened me. Like his irrational hatred for vegetables. He loathed them with every fiber of his being but still shoved them down his throat just because I said they were good for him. He’d glare at me across the table, chewing like I’d just sentenced him to death, eyes narrowed with a betrayal so dramatic it was almos
Matthew's POV I grabbed the last bag sitting on the bed, giving the room one final, lingering glance. The walls, once so familiar, now seemed foreign, stripped of everything that made them ours. It felt strange, leaving like this — a bittersweet tug in my chest I couldn't explain, a quiet ache blooming under my ribs. Tightening my fingers around the handle, I drew in a slow breath, grounding myself, then stepped out and headed downstairs. Adrian was already there, waiting at the bottom of the staircase like a sentinel carved out of shadow and light. The moment my foot touched the ground floor, he moved, closing the distance between us with a few quick strides. Without a word, he took the bag from my hand, his touch casual but lingering — like he wanted to take every burden off me, not just the physical ones but the ones stitched deep into my bones. Wordlessly, I followed him out. The air outside wrapped around me, crisp and cool, tinged with the damp, earthy scent of rain still cl
Rudolph gave a stiff nod, his face pulled tight in a strained, unnatural smile as he shot a fleeting glance at me over Adrian’s broad shoulder. His usual easygoing charm had all but evaporated, leaving behind a raw, uncomfortable shimmer of regret and unease in his eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen him look so thoroughly out of his depth.I scraped together a small smile in return, barely more than a twitch of my lips. It was the least — and honestly, the only — thing I could offer him at that moment. Anything more felt impossible, too heavy for the fragile air hanging between us."I'm sorry," Rudolph muttered, voice low, scratchy with tension. His words seemed to trip over themselves as he shifted backward, pressing himself deeper into the corner of the elevator like a boy caught red-handed. His gaze dropped to the floor, unable or unwilling to meet either of ours, his whole body language screaming apology and shame.Adrian, by contrast, didn’t move an inch. Every line of h
Everything had been going perfectly—so perfectly, in fact, that I dared to believe the universe was finally giving me a break. Our time together felt like a dream I never wanted to wake from, a fleeting slice of heaven stitched together with laughter, silent glances, and stolen kisses. Just like how we had arrived—excited and wrapped up in each other—we rode back home, the weight of the world forgotten for those few precious hours.The wind outside hummed against the car, but inside, it was quiet. Comfortable. Safe.But somewhere along the way, something clicked in me. Or maybe it unraveled. I looked over at Adrain—always composed, always in control—but there was a fire in his eyes whenever he looked at me. A wild, unspoken intensity that said everything his mouth didn’t. That man may come off like ice to others, but when it came to me... he burned. He was obsessive, overbearing even, never letting me drift too far. And though it should've felt suffocating, strangely, it didn’t. I nev
Derrick ripped the seal tape off Matthew’s mouth in one swift, ruthless motion. The skin on Matthew’s lips, already split and bleeding, peeled with it. But Matthew didn’t flinch. He didn’t even hesitate. The moment his mouth was free, he summoned every ounce of disgust, every drop of rage he’d buried over the years, and spat—straight into Derrick’s face.It wasn’t just saliva. It was everything. Years of betrayal. Bitterness. Vengeance. It struck Derrick full on the cheek with a wet smack, sliding down his jaw like a curse—delivered not from weakness, but from defiant, deliberate loathing. As if Matthew had rehearsed that spit a thousand times in his head and now, finally, had his chance.Derrick jerked back, recoiling as the warm insult soaked into his skin. For a moment, he simply stood there—stunned, blinking, silent. His mouth twitched. His jaw clenched. Then fury surged to the surface, dark and unmistakable. One of the men leaning against the wall—stoic, bored, maybe even entert
Matthew stepped out into the crisp night air, dragging in a breath so deep it felt like he might swallow the whole sky. The cold bit into his lungs, sharp and unforgiving, but he welcomed it. Let it burn. Let it strip away the fog clouding his thoughts. The chaos in his head had been building all day, clawing at him, whispering doubts he couldn’t silence. Work. Family. Life. All of it pressing in from every direction.The street stretched ahead, dimly lit and mostly deserted. A few windows flickered with life, pale rectangles of gold behind drawn curtains. Somewhere in the distance, a siren wailed and faded. The hum of traffic barely reached his ears. He walked slowly, like each step might bring clarity, his footsteps echoing off the wet pavement. His hands were jammed deep into the pockets of his jacket, shoulders drawn up against the wind, but it wasn’t the chill that made him shiver—it was the storm in his head.He wandered without direction, letting the city guide him. Past shutte
Adrian paced outside Noah's house, fists clenched at his sides, heart pounding like a war drum in his chest. Ragged breaths tore through him as he locked eyes on the heavy door. He’d already screwed up once. Now he stood there, begging for another chance—one he wasn’t even sure he deserved. But he had to try. Only Matthew could help him. Only Matthew could drag him back into the game, back where he belonged.He knocked once. Before the sound could echo back at him, the door swung open. Noah filled the frame, tall and unyielding, his face a cold mask.“Adrian,” he said, voice low with a blade-sharp edge. “You need to leave. Now.”Adrian’s chest constricted. “Please, Noah. I—I’m sorry. I know I messed up. But I’m asking for just one more shot. Matthew will listen, I know he will. I can fix this.”Noah’s lips twitched into a thin, humorless smile. “You had your chances, Adrian. And you blew them. If I were you, I’d turn around before I have to spell it out.”Adrian stepped forward, despe
Author's POV Adrian paced outside Noah's house, fists clenched at his sides, heart pounding like a war drum in his chest. Ragged breaths tore through him as he locked eyes on the heavy door. He’d already screwed up once. Now he stood there, begging for another chance—one he wasn’t even sure he deserved. But he had to try. Only Matthew could help him. Only Matthew could drag him back into the game, back where he belonged.He knocked once. Before the sound could echo back at him, the door swung open. Noah filled the frame, tall and unyielding, his face a cold mask.“Adrian,” he said, voice low with a blade-sharp edge. “You need to leave. Now.”Adrian’s chest constricted. “Please, Noah. I—I’m sorry. I know I messed up. But I’m asking for just one more shot. Matthew will listen, I know he will. I can fix this.”Noah’s lips twitched into a thin, humorless smile. “You had your chances, Adrian. And you blew them. If I were you, I’d turn around before I have to spell it out.”Adrian stepped
Matthew turned his back to Adrain, his spine rigid, like a wall hastily rebuilt after a collapse. His shoulders quivered as he scrubbed at his face with both hands—rough, trembling palms dragging down skin already raw. He wasn’t just wiping away tears. He was clawing at the storm beneath them, desperate to rid himself of the weight, the filth of what he felt. The emotion clung like grime soaked deep into his pores, no matter how hard he rubbed.His breath hitched, uneven and sharp, like each inhale scraped along the inside of his chest. The silence that pooled between them wasn’t passive—it pressed down like a lead blanket, heavy with all the words neither of them could voice. It screamed without sound, teeming with every cut left to fester, every truth withheld, every apology that came too late.Adrain could hear the chaos inside Matthew’s body—the ragged way he breathed, the stiff way he held himself like he was about to break or bolt. Then Matthew shifted, just a fraction. His foot
Adrain's POV Happiness.That’s all I felt in my heart—pure, unfiltered happiness. A feeling so foreign, it almost scared me with how good it felt. They say, "It doesn’t always rain," a phrase I used to brush off like dust on my jacket. It sounded like one of those cliché lines people throw around when they don’t know what else to say. But standing here now, breathing in the calm that’s slowly wrapped itself around my chest, I think I’m finally beginning to believe it.For the longest time, home was just a word. Just letters stitched together with no weight, no warmth, no anchor. A concept, not a feeling. But when Matthew said it… when he said it, the word didn’t just sound different—it felt different. It didn’t feel hollow. It didn’t pass through me like wind. It settled—warm and solid—in the center of my chest. For the first time in what felt like forever, I believed him. I believed in the idea that I could belong somewhere. That I could belong to someone.He was my home—my peace, m
Everything had been going perfectly—so perfectly, in fact, that I dared to believe the universe was finally giving me a break. Our time together felt like a dream I never wanted to wake from, a fleeting slice of heaven stitched together with laughter, silent glances, and stolen kisses. Just like how we had arrived—excited and wrapped up in each other—we rode back home, the weight of the world forgotten for those few precious hours.The wind outside hummed against the car, but inside, it was quiet. Comfortable. Safe.But somewhere along the way, something clicked in me. Or maybe it unraveled. I looked over at Adrain—always composed, always in control—but there was a fire in his eyes whenever he looked at me. A wild, unspoken intensity that said everything his mouth didn’t. That man may come off like ice to others, but when it came to me... he burned. He was obsessive, overbearing even, never letting me drift too far. And though it should've felt suffocating, strangely, it didn’t. I nev
Rudolph gave a stiff nod, his face pulled tight in a strained, unnatural smile as he shot a fleeting glance at me over Adrian’s broad shoulder. His usual easygoing charm had all but evaporated, leaving behind a raw, uncomfortable shimmer of regret and unease in his eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen him look so thoroughly out of his depth.I scraped together a small smile in return, barely more than a twitch of my lips. It was the least — and honestly, the only — thing I could offer him at that moment. Anything more felt impossible, too heavy for the fragile air hanging between us."I'm sorry," Rudolph muttered, voice low, scratchy with tension. His words seemed to trip over themselves as he shifted backward, pressing himself deeper into the corner of the elevator like a boy caught red-handed. His gaze dropped to the floor, unable or unwilling to meet either of ours, his whole body language screaming apology and shame.Adrian, by contrast, didn’t move an inch. Every line of h
Matthew's POV I grabbed the last bag sitting on the bed, giving the room one final, lingering glance. The walls, once so familiar, now seemed foreign, stripped of everything that made them ours. It felt strange, leaving like this — a bittersweet tug in my chest I couldn't explain, a quiet ache blooming under my ribs. Tightening my fingers around the handle, I drew in a slow breath, grounding myself, then stepped out and headed downstairs. Adrian was already there, waiting at the bottom of the staircase like a sentinel carved out of shadow and light. The moment my foot touched the ground floor, he moved, closing the distance between us with a few quick strides. Without a word, he took the bag from my hand, his touch casual but lingering — like he wanted to take every burden off me, not just the physical ones but the ones stitched deep into my bones. Wordlessly, I followed him out. The air outside wrapped around me, crisp and cool, tinged with the damp, earthy scent of rain still cl