SageShe gave me a sideways glance before sighing. “Well, it felt that way. I worshipped the ground he walked on. I thought we were meant to be. But the thing about loving someone that much is… when they stop loving you back, you feel it.”I stiffened at that. “He stopped loving you?”She tapped a fingernail against her cup. “I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe he never did. Or maybe he just… lost interest.”I frowned. That didn’t sound like River at all. The man I knew was passionate, intense in his emotions, even when he tried to hide them.“You’re saying he changed?” I asked.“No,” she said bitterly. “I think I just never saw him clearly to begin with.”I swallowed, unsure of how to respond to that.“He wasn’t cruel,” she admitted. “Not outright. He never yelled, never called me names, never raised a hand to me. But he made me feel small. Like I was an afterthought in his life. I’d talk, and he’d nod, but I knew he wasn’t listening. I’d reach for his hand, and sometimes, he’d let me hold it
SageI tried calling the professor, but he wasn’t picking up.I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone, willing it to ring, but nothing happened. Each unanswered call only made my frustration grow. I had spent all night tossing and turning, trying to make sense of Valarie’s words, of the pieces of their past that didn’t quite fit together.And now, I needed to talk to him. I needed to hear his side again to make sure he wasn’t lying to me.Kaiden had been scarce, not that I was surprised. He was good at disappearing when I needed him the most, but maybe that was for the best. I wasn’t in the mood for another one of his self-righteous lectures. I could already hear him saying, I told you so, with that infuriating smirk on his face.By morning, I was exhausted but had no choice but to drag myself to school.I walked into campus, my mind still tangled with questions, when I spotted her.Valarie.I stopped short for a while to make sure my lack of sleep wasn’t making me hallucinat
SageIt was surprising.I thought he would be angry with me for meeting her in the first place, he would know I never trusted him and decided to hear from another source.I would be furious if I was in his shoes. Anyway, I am glad he didn’t take offense.I had a new mission, stay away from Valarie.It sounded simple enough. In fact, I was determined to follow through. But, of course, the universe had other plans.Because the very next class on my schedule? History.And my new professor? Valarie.I groaned inwardly as I walked into the lecture hall, keeping my head down and moving quickly to my seat. Maybe if I didn’t make eye contact, she’d pretend I didn’t exist.No such luck.When I finally glanced up, our eyes met. She was already staring at me, an unreadable expression on her face. I forced myself to look away and focus on anything else, the desk, my notebook, the wall anything but her.I didn’t want to give her the wrong impression and make people start questioning our relationsh
SageThe first thing I became aware of was the pounding in my head. The second was the muffled sound of angry voices.I groaned and blinked my eyes open, squinting against the harsh white light of the school clinic. My vision was blurry at first, but as it cleared, I saw them.Professor and Valarie.They were standing at the foot of my bed, locked in a heated argument with hand gestures and stuff. The professor looked tired like he was tired of talking, he kept scratching the back of his neck. I knew it because everything he was exasperated by me, he often rubbed that place. I could see how much her return had taken a toll on him. I groaned again and pressed a hand to my forehead. “What… happened?”He turned to me immediately, his expression softening just slightly. “You fainted, but the nurse said it was nothing serious.”Before I could process that, Valarie let out a dramatic sigh. “Apparently, you couldn’t handle the truth. The moment you heard that we’re getting back together, y
KaidenI was sick of waiting. My impatience was beginning to piss me off.The more I watched, the more I was disappointed with the results. The other time were the pictures which didn’t work given that they were still together in their delusional world. It still wasn’t enough for me. No matter how many times I watched from the sidelines, waiting for Sage to wake up and see the truth, it wasn’t enough.He was mine.He just didn’t know it yet.And that professor? That smug, polished, perfect bastard? He was the only thing standing in my way.I had tried to be patient. Tried to wait for Sage to realize that this whole thing with the professor was doomed to fail especially during the time they were fighting.I liked that they weren’t speaking to each other and it was an opportunity for me to slip right back to where I was but it didn’t work out like that:Sage too was an idiot. Instead of crumbling, their relationship only seemed to grow stronger. It was infuriating for me.I needed a cr
Kaiden’s POVI rushed over to his place the moment he texted me. He knew our short comings right now but he chose to ignore that and reach out to me.I knew Sage better than anyone, and for him to reach out like this meant something had shaken him.I was willing to bet money that Valarie had arrived to take back her man.That should have made me happy. The plan was working, wasn’t it?Still, the moment I pushed open the door, I wasn’t prepared for the sight in front of me.Sage was pacing. The first thing I noticed was his hair, it was an absolute mess, sticking up in every direction as if he had been running his hands through it all day His shirt was slightly wrinkled, and his eyes had that wild, frenzied look he got when he was overwhelmed.Dried tears stuck to his cheeks and I had to guess he had been crying too.Poor thing.I closed the door behind me, taking in the absolute disaster of a person in front of me, and amusement curled in my chest.“Wow,” I said, crossing my arms. “
SageI stopped picking up the professor’s calls.I avoided him in the hallways, pretended not to see him when he passed by, and ignored the way my heart twisted every time I caught a glimpse of him. It was pathetic, but I couldn’t bring myself to face him. Not after everything.And the worst part? I had no one to blame but myself.I should have let things go when he told me his version of the story. I should have accepted it and moved on instead of letting Valarie worm her way into my thoughts, making me question everything.I was crashing out and rethinking everything. Now that I know that the professor was honest when he told me his story, I was even more pissed at myself for being so gullible.I could have seen this coming, you should always anticipate that the past would threaten the present.But I didn’t. And now, here I was, drowning in my own misery.The only person remotely pleased about my situation was Kaiden, not that I’d call him happy. No, he wasn’t gloating or celebratin
SageAfter that last conversation with the professor, everything went downhill.Now, it was his turn to avoid me.It was worse than I ever could have imagined. Every time I turned around, it seemed like he and Valarie were getting closer. They weren’t exactly together, but the way they talked, the way they stood near each other, the way she smiled up at him like she had a right to, it was enough to make my stomach twist.He ignored my calls. He ignored my texts. Even in class, when he used to meet my gaze as if no one else in the room mattered, he barely even looked in my direction.It was humiliating.It was miserable.I was miserable.And the worst part? I had no one to blame but myself.I did this. I pushed him away. I let Valarie’s words get under my skin, and now I was paying the price.She came to scatter my happiness and I let her do it, no questions asked. I should have fought just like he was fighting. I don’t know if I genuinely liked feeling this way because I seemed to en
SageIt was entirely unfair for someone like Amir to be real. Tall, lean, with chiseled features that looked like they belonged on a movie poster rather than in a security file, and a voice that dripped with smooth, practiced calm. He was the kind of handsome that made your thoughts scatter just a little if you looked at him for too long.And I was doing exactly that.“Mr. Amir, right?” I asked, extending a hand, hoping my voice didn’t tremble like my fingers did. “I’m Sage.”He nodded, his grip firm but not overbearing. “I know. It’s a pleasure.”He smiled and I don’t mean the empty kind people give when they’re on duty. It was warm. Polite. And it made my stomach flip in a way I hadn’t expected.But as he turned toward the room, I caught sight of Kaiden and the professor.Both of them were glaring.I blinked.Kaiden’s jaw was tight, eyes narrowed like he was assessing a threat he didn’t like the look of. The professor, arms crossed, stood with the energy of a man who’d already decid
KaidenWhen Martin dropped me in front of the professor’s house. I barely waited for him to drive off before I dug out my phone. My fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before I hit Bryan’s name.He was the only one who was making an attempt to help me right now. He answered on the second ring, his voice calm and clipped, like always.“Kaiden?”“Yeah, it’s me.” I moved to the far side of the room, away from the windows, and lowered my voice. “Something weird’s going on. I need to tell you about it.”“What kind of weird?” His tone sharpened immediately.I told him everything. The prepaid boutiques. The law firm. The condo being bought out. The way no one could or would tell me who was behind it. I could practically hear him frowning on the other end of the line.“You think it’s Sage?” he asked quietly.“No,” I said quickly, too quickly. “I don’t know. I mean—I don’t want to think that. And it’s not the professor either. I know that much. They would tell me if they are trying
KaidenI stared at the silver-trimmed envelope resting on the counter between the professor and me like it was some kind of explosive. The award ceremony. My name was on the guest list, of course. It had to be. I was the damn honoree.“I have my own invite, thanks to my connections,” the professor said casually, leaning against the kitchen counter. He swirled his coffee slowly, watching the dark liquid spiral. “But I think Sage should go with you.”Sage, sitting cross-legged on the couch and peeling a tangerine, looked up with a sheepish smile. “Would that be okay with you?”I didn’t even think about it before I answered. “No.”Their expressions changed almost instantly, surprise flickered across the professor’s features and Sage’s smile faltered.“It’s enough that Sage’s already in the spotlight,” I said, trying to keep my voice even, my words reasonable. “With the way everyone’s been talking and taking photos, I don’t want to put him in harm’s way, more than I already have. If you
Kaiden The clock on the bedside read 3:12 a.m. I rolled onto my side, confused by the soft glow seeping under the bedroom door. I blinked the sleep from my eyes, and when I looked over, Sage was still fast asleep beside me, his breathing steady and rhythmic. I reached out, touched his hair lightly, then slid out of bed. The hallway was silent except for the distant hum of the fridge and the occasional rustle of the wind brushing the windows. I padded barefoot across the wood floor, and as I neared the living room, the scent of whiskey hit me first. That, and the sound of papers being shuffled with irritation more than purpose. The soft overhead light in the corner cast a gold sheen across the professor’s back. He was hunched over the coffee table, glass of whiskey in one hand, papers spread out like an autopsy, calm chaos wrapped in tension. He didn’t look up when I entered. “You’re still awake?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “I have work to do,” he said, not looking at me. His
KaidenI watched Sage’s chest rise and fall steadily, his breathing finally even and calm after a long, exhausting day. The faint hum of the heater filled the small apartment as the evening air drifted colder through the windows. He looked peaceful in sleep, peaceful in a way that didn’t match anything we’d been living through lately. It was a lie his body told, one I was grateful for, even if I knew it wouldn’t last. The last thing I needed was for him to keep worrying about the unknown.Today took a toll on him.I sat at the edge of the couch, elbows resting on my knees, hands folded, but my thoughts weren’t still. They kept drifting back to the question he asked earlier about whether we’d ever go back to how things were. And now I knew for certain: we couldn’t. Not with this storm closing in around us, not when every time I let my guard down, something tried to take Sage from me.I haven’t even figured out how to apologize to the professor, it took me a lot of thinking to realize
SageThe next morning, Kaiden and I walked to school in silence. The meal we shared was so brief and he stayed with me. The professor didn’t come home and when I called him, he said he was working late and we should enjoy ourselves.I knew it was because he didn’t want to spend time with Kaiden. After their argument, they have been tense with each other.I didn’t want to Interfere in their problems as it could escalate into something I wouldn’t be able to control.I looked at Kaiden, I know we have already talked about this but I was so curious.I wanted to ask him again about where he’d really been that day, but the tension in his jaw warned me off. Still, I couldn’t help myself. “So,” I started, kicking a loose pebble on the sidewalk, “you never really told me where you went. Like, actually went.” His steps didn’t falter, but his grip tightened around the strap of his backpack. “I told you. I needed to clear my head.” “Yeah, but that could mean anything,” I pressed. “You just
SageI stood just outside the hospital’s main entrance, staring at the parking lot like it was a war zone. The discharge papers were crumpled slightly in my grip. I could feel my fingers tremble, but I didn’t loosen them. The sun was bright, the day clear, but I felt like I was standing in the middle of a fog, one that hadn’t lifted since I was attacked.Kaiden mentioned he would come and pick me up, hence the hesitation. I felt like if he wasn’t here to do that, I wouldn’t go. “Ready?” His voice pulled me out of my head.I turned toward him. He had one hand in his pocket, the other adjusting the strap of my duffel bag slung over his shoulder. His hair was a little messy, like he hadn’t even bothered with a brush this morning, and his hoodie looked slept in. But his eyes, his eyes were alert. “I don’t know if ready’s the word I’d use,” I admitted. My voice sounded too thin to my own ears. “I feel like I’m being pushed out of safety and right back into the middle of whatever this me
KaidenI slept at my place after the detective dropped me off. He was looking at me like he had a lot to say about what happened but I didn’t.Yes, I overreacted but I couldn’t go back there. I felt suffocated and the only thing I needed was freedom. I needed to find my answers and not let it extend to my relationship.I decided to go see Detective Bryan. The man in charge of narcotics. The one who might know what the hell was really going on. I hadn’t told Sage or the professor anything. Not yet. I couldn’t, not until I had something real. Something more than just paranoia and late-night shadows tailing me.I sat hunched over my laptop in a dingy little café two blocks from my apartment, the place reeking of burnt espresso and desperation. I typed in “Detective Bryan, Narcotics Division, city PD” and hit search. A few articles came up. He was decorated, involved in several high-profile raids. One article had a photo, square jaw, stern face, early forties. Not someone you’d expect to
SageI woke to silence. Not the peaceful kind, the kind that sets your skin crawling with dread, like the air itself is holding its breath. The clock on the wall read a little past 3am and I could see the shadows stretched along the floor, motionless. I looked around and noticed with a slight disappointment that Kaiden wasn’t here. I blinked twice and turned my head toward the small couch across the room. No professor either.My heart sank.They were gone. Both of them.I have never felt so alone. I thought they would both stay with me so I won’t be scared. But I was a big boy and could handle myself.I sat up slowly, the sheets slipping off my chest as I scanned the dim room. Maybe they went for a walk. Maybe Kaiden needed air and the professor tagged along. Maybe I was being paranoid.Or maybe something was very, very wrong.I was about to slide out of bed when the doorknob turned.I froze.The door creaked open, and the harsh fluorescent light from the hallway spilled into the r