Chapter 2: Hello…Dorm-mate
Kai’s P.O.V
He raised his eyebrows questioningly and I realized I was standing completely still like an idiot as the elevator doors opened behind me.
“Sorry.” I murmur under my breath while balancing Cole’s weight on my shoulders.
But I must have underestimated his weight because the moment I turned to get into the elevator, I tripped over my own legs and almost went crashing down onto the floor.
“Watch out!”
The next thing I know, I’m being hauled up into a standing position with a hand on my waist as the man from earlier rushed in for my rescue.
“Thanks.” My voice came out more of a whisper as I looked up at his face, meeting hazel eyes that looked more green than brown from this close.
There were a few golden specks thrown in those orbs as well, but what I noticed most was just how handsome he was. His skin was all clear, a light golden in color that became even more prominent in the overhead light.
“No worries,” his lips tilted up in a slight smirk. “Consider it returning the favor for earlier.”
For a second, my mind went completely blank. “Earlier?”
“For shutting the stall door.”
And then it clicked.
I stopped short just before passing the stall. I couldn’t see what was going on inside from this angle, but I was still able to see his hand palms down on the stall wall. He wore a silver ring on his index with an intricate design on it…and even though I had no business being curious, I still couldn’t move my eyes from his hand…from that ring…until I reached out and shut the stall door as carefully as I could; preventing anyone else from enjoying the show they were putting on.
Fuck!
I was out of his hold and inside the elevator in record time as Cole groaned on my shoulders for being dragged around so roughly. I wasn’t paying attention though, because at that moment, my heart was beating fast enough to burst out of my chest.
Holy fucking hell!
He saw me!
He saw me peeking at him inside the washroom stall! Fuck! FUCK!!!!
Why can’t the ground just swallow me whole?
But just when I thought I could get over the embarrassment, I saw him enter the elevator right after me, a small backpack slung over his shoulder. I instantly froze on the spot.
“Let me help.” He came to stand on the other side and before I could stop him, he was taking Cole’s free hand and placing it over his shoulders.
I would have complained further, but as some of Cole’s weight lifted off of me, I couldn’t bear to complain exactly, especially when the guy was doing me a favor…and my best friend was heavy as hell.
“Thanks again…”
“Night.” He told me. “And you are?”
“Kai.” I moved away a bit further. “Kai Hunter.”
“Cool.” He gave a lopsided smile as the elevator doors closed. “Which floor?”
“Sixth.”
“Oh?” He looked at me a little startled. “I’m going there as well.”
“Visiting someone?” I asked after a moment of silence.
I don’t know why I was being curious, honestly. I didn’t like getting into other people’s business nor did I like it when other people got too curious about me. But still…
“Oh, no. I just moved into this dorm.” He said. “I’ll be sharing a room with a dorm-mate.”
“I see.”
Once the doors opened on the sixth floor, Night and I dragged Cole over to the other end of the hallway to his room and I knocked on the door a good few times before we finally got a response from Cole’s dorm-mate.
“What the fuck!” Samuel, the fourth year med student who was Cole’s dorm-mate, opened the door with an irritated look…which turned murderous as soon as his eyes landed on Cole. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Sorry, Samuel.” I gave him my best apologetic look. “Please just hold the door open so I can get him to bed.”
“Be careful of my books!” Samuel gave us a sour look before moving out of the way to let us in.
I turned to face Night, offering him a grateful smile. “I can take it from here. Thank you for your help man.”
“No problem.” He let go of Cole’s arm and I groaned once again as his entire weight fell on my shoulders.
Turning, I took Cole inside carefully, trying my best not to step on any of the million books that were sprawled all over the floor in heaps as I all but threw him onto his bed. Flexing my shouldered once his weight was off of me, I helped Cole take off his shoes and pulled the covers over his body before making a run for the exit.
Samuel got irritated easily if we stayed over at his dorm more than necessary, which is why Cole rarely had anyone over. Thanking him on my way out, I made my way over to the other side of the hallway, to where my room was…only to find Night standing right outside the door, with a keycard in his hand.
I was about to ask him what he was doing, but then I saw the two large bags by his side and the fact that he had just opened the door with the keycard.
Hold on a fucking second…did that mean?
Holy shit!
Rushing over to my room, I held the door open with one hand just as Night was about to close it shut.
He looked up at me startled, his hazel eyes wide as he looked me up and down before releasing the door.
“Can I help you?” He asked in confusion as he stepped back from the door, letting me enter the room as I shut the door behind me.
“I’m staying here.” Checking my pockets quickly, I took out my own keycard and showed him the number on the card. “This is my room.”
“Oh?” A slow smile spread over his lips as he eyed the card before his eyes met mine. There was something about his gaze that unsettled me…made me feel this tingling sensation inside my stomach that I couldn’t quiet name.
All I knew was that I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one bit…
“Then I guess I should reintroduce myself,” he gave me a lopsided smile, holding out his hand for me to shake. “My name is Night Winters, Freshman in Faculty of Communication Arts. Hello there…dorm-mate.”
Chapter 115: A Glimpse into the FutureKai’s P.O.V“You went to play gold with Mr. Williams?” Night folded his arms across his chest, his frown deepening with every passing second. “The School principal?”“Come on, babe, it was just a stupid game!” I sighed, rubbing at my temples. “I didn’t even score and stood off to the side listening to him talk about charity and stuff!”“You know what he’s like, Kai! How could you?” He snapped, his temper flaring.And to add insult to injury, Kelly rounded the corner at that moment, her backpack slung over her shoulders as she picked up an apple from the fruit basket on the table. “Also…word has it that he targets hot DILF’s, especially married ones.” She added with a smug smile.“Kelly! What the hell!” I snapped at my seventeen year old daughter, who simply shrugged and stood to the side, munching on her apple. “You’re just making this worse!”“I’m just saying what the mom’s are saying.” She shrugged again.“And how, pray tell, do you know what a
Chapter 114: AlwaysKai’s P.O.VSix years later…The beach stretched out before us in endless waves of sapphire and teal, the soft rush of the tide a soothing soundtrack to the most important day of our lives.We had chosen Night’s father’s beach house in Florida as the venue—an idyllic spot with sprawling, sun-kissed sand and a gentle breeze that carried the salt of the sea.A pathway of white rose petals led from the entrance of the beach house to the altar, which was an artful arch made of intertwined driftwood, adorned with clusters of white lilies and ivy.Delicate strings of fairy lights were wrapped around nearby palm trees, and lanterns hung at varying heights, swaying gently with the breeze as they caught the late afternoon sunlight, creating a warm golden glow.A canopy of sheer white fabric fluttered above rows of white wooden chairs, draped with ribbons of blue and green that mirrored the colors of the ocean.Guests filled the seats, familiar faces and old friends from col
Chapter 113: A Post-Engagement Treat Kai’s P.O.VThe last of our friends were starting to head out, their faces lit up with tired but content smiles, like they’d just had a blast. It had been a good celebration, and I could tell they were happy for us.First, Cole stepped up, his tall frame looming in the doorway as he flashed us his usual wide grin. "You two really knocked it out of the park with this place," he said, throwing an arm around Night’s shoulder and giving him a playful nudge. "I’m glad you guys are starting fresh. Don’t mess it up, alright?"Night rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face said he wasn’t actually annoyed. "We’ll try not to, Cole.""Good. Well, I’ll leave you to it. Don’t go getting into too much trouble now." He gave us a mock salute before stepping out the door, waving as he disappeared into the hallway. Landon, with his usual goofy grin, was holding Devon’s hand like he couldn’t quite bring himself to let go. "This night was awesome, guys," he said,
Chapter 112: This Is HomeKai’s P.O.VA few days later, we drove to the condo unit that Jonathan had previously bought for Night to live in, so he could live off-campus and stop sharing a room with me. The same condo that I had visited several months ago, when I had still been fighting with myself over where my heart truly belonged.But now… now we were here together with his parents’ blessing, and we were here not because of Night’s obligation to this family and their business, but because we were free to use this as we wished.And we wanted to.The condo that my sister had helped me get previously may have been cheap, but it was tiny and not enough room to have sleepovers and host our friends. But this one was definitely bigger and brighter. Perfect for me and Night.Tonight the condo was filled with the kind of warmth and noise that made the walls feel more alive than mere brick and plaster. Laughter bounced from one corner to another as our friends, our found family, filled the sp
Chapter 111: Just Me and HimKai’s P.O.VHow foolish had I been? The whole time, I was thinking that the only lives that would be affected by the revelation would be mine and Night’s.I didn't stop to think about the consequences it would have on their family. I had been so… selfish.I didn't even consider that Night might end up feeling horrible because of the things that I had brought to light.What if things turned out badly? What if Night ended up hating me? I couldn't help the wave of relief that washed over me as I watched their family embrace each other. Thank God it didn't turn out that way.I may have acted rashly and opened wounds that I shouldn't have opened, but at least, in the end, it all worked out to be in their favor.I guess it was mostly thanks to Jonathan finally having his senses return. If he had been too stubborn to see his faults, we probably would be having a very different scenario now.Still, I felt horrible for my own actions. I felt like a child who could
Chapter 110: Once A House, Now A HomeNight’s P.O.VWhen I turned to look at my mother, I had this undeniable feeling that our family was going to crumble. There was no other way to go about it—what was the right way of proceeding with your life when you suddenly find out that the man of your family turned out to have never loved you at all? That instead he had someone else occupying his heart, whether he admitted it or not?Thinking about it that way made me realize something else as well, the other side as to why my father had kept the truth. Just like Rosalie had said during her earlier fit, why would any woman want to waste her life being married to a gay man who could never love her the way she wants to be loved and never need her physically in the way that she wants to be needed?My father hadn't held back on the truth not only because of his troubled past, but because he was holding this family together…because he didn’t want me to grow up with only one parent, facing prejudice