LOGIN{~Cherry Reed~}I brought us to one of my favourite malls, the kind of place that didn’t just sell clothes, but sold status. Glass ceilings, polished floors, designer storefronts lined up like trophies. Everything here was curated to make you feel like you either belonged… or you didn’t.I always belonged.Or at least, I knew how to act like I did.Bella walked beside me, still buzzing with energy, sipping her drink like she hadn’t just escaped her own household drama. I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop my mind from looping the same thoughts over and over again.Nathaniel.The way he looked at me.The way he looked at my mother.It was like watching two completely different people exist in the same man.With me, he was warm. Teasing. That dangerous softness that made it too easy to forget boundaries existed at all.With my mother, he was cold. Controlled. Final.The difference was… staggering.If he wanted someone to make him forget, someone to distract him, pull him out of whatever
{~Cherry Reed~} “Are you feeling alright?” that was a question I forced out of nowhere, but I kept wondering what the fuck is wrong with him? His behaviour is… so strange. If he's sick I can understand. I moved around the desk, closing the distance between us, and placed my hand against his forehead. I needed to check. My other hand came up to compare, pressing lightly against my own skin. He was warmer. But that wasn’t unusual. Nathaniel always ran hot. His body carried this constant heat that made every touch feel more intense than it should. In every sense of the word. Before I could pull away, his hand wrapped around my wrist and he tugged. I barely had time to react before I was pulled down into his lap, my breath catching slightly at the sudden movement. The first thing that hit me wasn’t him. It was the door. I didn’t lock it. My heart skipped, my eyes flicking instinctively toward it. What if Mom walked in? What if— “Cherry.” His voice pulled me back insta
{~Cherry Reed~} The look on her face said a lot. That… wasn’t a good sign. Not at all. Seeing my mother like that, quiet, shaken, actually unsure of herself, it did something to the atmosphere. It made everything feel heavier. More real. And the worst part? I didn’t know what to say to her. There was no comforting lie I could give. No easy reassurance that would magically fix what she’d done. So instead, I asked the one question that had been sitting in my chest, pressing against my ribs this entire time. “Is Nathaniel divorcing you?” My voice came out quieter than I expected. I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer. She shook her head and just like that, I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding. Relief flooded through me so quickly it almost made me dizzy. “That’s good,” I said, more to myself than to her. But she didn’t share that relief. “Not for me,” she replied. I frowned, turning to look at her again. “Honey,” she continued, her voice strained, “no
{~Cherry Reed~} I didn’t follow them. Even though every part of me wanted to. I stood there for a while after Nathaniel walked upstairs, the sound of his footsteps fading into the quiet of the house. My eyes stayed fixed on the staircase like I could somehow see through the walls, like I could hear what they were saying if I just focused hard enough. I wanted to know. I wanted to hear how my mother would explain herself. What excuses she’d come up with this time. Whether she’d finally take accountability or twist things around the way she always does. I wanted to hear Nathaniel too. His tone. His reaction. Whether he was still calm or if he’d finally snap. But I didn’t move. Didn’t take a single step toward those stairs. Because there was a possibility, one I didn’t want to admit, that this conversation wouldn’t end well. That it might be the end of something. And if it was…I didn’t want to witness it. I didn’t want to stand there and watch my mother’s second marriage
{~Nathaniel Cross~} I had barely stepped into my office before I heard it…footsteps. Soft. Measured. Familiar. I didn’t need to turn around to know it wasn’t Cherry. Her presence felt different. Lighter, even when she was tense. Her scent always arrived before she did. This was heavier. I expected her to want a conversation, I just didn't think she'd want it now. I set the duffel bag down by the door without a word and moved further into the room, my attention shifting to the one thing that actually mattered in that moment. The painting. Carefully, I unwrapped it. I moved, hanging it onto the spot on the wall where it'd been stolen from. I paused to admire it. There she was. My mother. Captured in that moment. Tired, worn, but smiling…soft, real, present in a way I hadn’t seen since she died. My fingers lingered on the edge of the painting for a second longer than necessary. I wondered, just briefly, what she’d think of me now. Of the life I chose. Of the choices
{~Nathaniel Cross~} I spent two weeks away from that house thinking. Not reacting. Not arguing. Not doing anything impulsive. Just… thinking. It gave me more clarity than I expected. The first thing I handled was the obvious problem. The theft. It didn’t take as long as it should have. The man Margaret hired wasn’t careful, he was just greedy. The kind of person who thought quick money meant easy money. I tracked him down, and when I did find the poor bastard he folded really fast. He was terrified out of his mind before I even had to do much. He gave everything up without a fight. The painting. The watches he thought he could get away with selling. Everything he took from my office. I got it all back within one hour. Every single item. The painting included. I didn’t even feel relieved when I saw it again. Just… a dull sense of completion. Like fixing something that shouldn’t have been broken in the first place. My documents were untouched. Locked where they needed
{~Cherry Reed~}Andrei took Red and me out to dinner that night to clear her mind from all the horrible things that had happened. We returned home late, and I left them to have fun.I wish I could say I had a different experience from the past two nights, that I slept soundly, but it was the same t
{~Cherry Reed~}I don’t know how long I stood there staring at Nathaniel’s body. I’ve seen him half-naked a lot. I’ve written down the date and time on my notes app. Just to immortalize each occurrence. I’ve perfected keeping my expression indifferent.But during those times, I assumed I was stuck
{~Nathaniel Cross~}Aeron arrived on time. Cherry had waited for him outside. I stood with her. Not wanting her to meet with my brother alone. If she thought he was intolerable at family dinners, then she hasn’t experienced him by himself.To his credit, Aeron is not as bad as Dallo. But he’s worse
{~Cherry Reed~}I searched the whole estate for Red.Okay, I’m exaggerating. I knew where to find her, but it was so far from the mansion that it was no different from actually running around the whole place.There’s this greenhouse, small and full of some of the most unique flowers and plants you’







