LOGINAfter Aiden and Macmillan left, the house settled into a silence that felt almost staged. The front door had barely clicked shut behind them before the air inside thickened, I knew what was coming next so I braced myself.My phone buzzed against my palm, it was a message from my mother telling me to come to my father's study.“Orlando.” Her voice was clipped, “Why were Aiden and that Macmillan boy here?”I leaned my shoulder against the wall, eyes on the door because it was my only way out. “They were worried. I hadn’t answered their texts for a while. They’re my friends too. They decided to come check on me.”“Friends don’t arrive unannounced and talk in corners. What were you discussing with Aiden in private?” my father asked.The question landed exactly where it was meant to. I could still feel the pressure of the earlier conversation, Aiden’s careful wording, the way he’d watched my face like he was measuring how much truth I was willing to give. I kept my own voice even.“Not
**Aiden's POV**The next day, Macmillan and I set out to find Orlando.Jordan couldn’t come. He was buried under a stack of assignments and taking care of his siblings. “Text me if anything goes sideways,” and left us to it. Macmillan’s father had already done the hard part, tracking down the address through some quiet network of contacts that neither of us asked about. The house sat on a quiet street, locked away in a gate.Macmillan parked a little way down the block. We sat in the car for a moment, neither of us reaching for the door.“You sure about this?” he asked.I nodded. “We need to talk to him. Properly.”He didn’t argue. We got out and walked up the path together. The gate was opened by gatekeeper, after we introduced ourselves and showed him pictures of us with Orlando, he let us.The front door opened before we could knock. Orlando’s mother stood there, smiling the kind of soft, practiced smile that made you want to trust her on sight. She was neatly dressed, with warm
Aiden's POVWhen we finally left the restaurant, Macmillan and I walked Jordan and the twins to their car.I hadn't expected saying goodbye to be so difficult.The twins seemed to have completely forgotten that they were supposed to leave. They clung to me as though I was somehow going to disappear the moment they got into the car, and honestly, I couldn't blame them. I had grown attached to them too.Little Alexandria had both hands tangled tightly in my hair, her tiny fingers gripping the strands with surprising determination."Alexandria, sweetheart, you have to let go," I said, laughing as I gently tried to free my hair from her grasp.She immediately shook her head."No." She replied stubbornly.I blinked. "No?"She shook her head even harder, her little face scrunching up in stubborn determination.I couldn't help but laugh."Alexandria, you're hurting him," Jordan said from beside us, though there was amusement in his voice rather than any real concern."But I don't want Ariel
Aiden's POV "Where are we heading?" I asked, but Macmillan refused to tell me. He simply continued walking, his fingers wrapped firmly around mine as he dragged me along with an amused look on his face. We arrived at a restaurant a few blocks away from the mall. The moment we reached the entrance, Macmillan opened the door and ushered me inside like I was some kind of celebrity. The cool air-conditioning washed over me, carrying the delicious aroma of freshly prepared food and the soft hum of conversations from the dining area. I couldn't help but chuckle. "Follow me," he whispered into my ear before leading me farther into the restaurant and toward what seemed to be a private room. When I stepped inside after him, I couldn't stop smiling. The moment my eyes landed on the people waiting for me, something warm spread through my chest. Jordan was seated on one of the chairs, struggling to clean the mouth of a little brunette who clearly had no intention of sitting still. She kept
Aiden's POV After Macmillan's mother and I left the company with Macmillan and his dad, I thought we were going straight home, but she surprised me by taking us shopping. At first, I didn't understand why she had brought me along. I knew she was wealthy, and I had already noticed that she was the kind of woman who enjoyed taking care of the people she loved, but I still wasn't prepared for what happened when we stepped into the first store. She turned to me with a bright smile and told me to take whatever I liked. I stared at her. "Whatever I like?" She nodded as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Yes, Aiden. Anything you see that you like, take it. Don't worry about the price. I'll pay for everything." I immediately shook my head. "No, mom. That's not necessary." The words came out automatically. I wasn't used to people buying things for me. In fact, I wasn't even used to buying things for myself unless I genuinely needed them. I had spent most of my life l
Aiden's POV After my touching moment with Macmillan's mother, I retired to Macmillan's room to rest. I had not realized how much I needed the quiet until I found myself sinking into the softness of his bed, the faint scent of him clinging to the sheets and surrounding me with a strange sense of comfort. I settled against the pillows with a novel Macmillan's mother had given me and began reading. It was a beautiful book, the kind that easily pulled me into its world and made me forget everything happening around me. Every now and then, though, my thoughts drifted back to the garden and the way Macmillan's mother had looked at me as she spoke about her flowers. I found myself smiling whenever I thought about it. Before I knew it, the afternoon had slipped away. I glanced at the clock and realized it was already close to three in the afternoon. I had been lying there for hours, completely absorbed in the novel. A soft knock suddenly came from the door. I lifted my head. "Co
Mysterious Stranger’s POVThe boy was light, carrying him was no sweat. Slender and fragile, just how I like. Once I got him out from under the bar’s neon haze and into the back of the cab. His head lolled against my shoulder the whole ride, breath shallow and uneven, lips parted like he was sti
Aiden’s POVThe city felt like it was pressing in on me tonight, every streetlight too bright, every shadow too deep. My head was a storm, replaying what happened in the bathroom with Jordan like a broken record, the hollow ache in my chest that had been growing for two weeks. I thought I had suc
Jordan's POVI don't know how long I've been sitting here on this toilet seat, holding Aiden's boxer briefs.For a while now I've been concealing my feelings for my roommate. I know I am not his type, I know he won't accept someone like me.So I hid my feelings and suppressed them, dying in silenc
Aiden's POV It's been more than two weeks since the incident at the subway and my touching moment with Jordan.Mr Reginald hasn’t tried anything funny since that day however I also try to avoid being around him when we are alone.I was so worried Jordan would tell the others about what happened th







