SageKaiden and I sat in silence at first.Neither of us wanted to acknowledge the awkwardness of the situation, but it was impossible to ignore.I had no idea why the professor would leave us here knowing that we would be at each other’s throat before the night ends.I wonder if he had that much faith in me or he just didn’t care what we do. I was still pissed off that Kaiden was here. How was I supposed to stay with someone that openly said he hated me?Should I smile or just pretend like we don’t have so much history. I mean after what the professor said, was it even possible that I had feelings for my best friend.I looked at him to find him pointedly looking at everywhere else apart from me. I forced my gaze back to the television.I reached for the remote and he swatted my hand, I rubbed it, “what the hell?”“I am watching it.”I wanted to argue that he wasn’t even paying attention but I didn’t want trouble. Maybe that’s why the professor trusted me to keep Kaiden in check.I c
KaidenI was being ridiculous.I knew it. I knew it.Everybody knew it.And yet, I couldn’t stop the irritation clawing at my chest, couldn’t silence the voice in my head that kept circling back to the same damn thought.Why the hell do I care so much?I repeated the same thing over and over again, like some kind of twisted mantra hoping it would curb all the thoughts.I didn’t care about the professor. Not like that.Sage was the one I liked. Sage was the one who got under my skin in ways no one else did, the one who made my blood run hot with nothing more than a sharp remark or a cocky smirk.The professor?I just wanted to fuck him.That was it. That was all.So why the hell was I sitting here, stewing in my own irritation. I tried to tell myself that it was just anger from him bringing Sage here when he knew what I was trying to do.Woo him enough to get into his bed again.Sage ignored me after I snapped at him, he told me to my face to quit whining and acting so pathetic. I agre
SageAfter Kaiden left, I expected some kind of reaction from the professor. Maybe a sigh, maybe a muttered complaint under his breath about Kaiden being too dramatic. Instead, he just stared at the door for a few seconds, his expression unreadable, before turning back to me with a look that made my stomach drop.His eyes were cold. Detached.Just like I expected him to be earlier. I was truly surprised when he entertained me for as long as he did.He moved away from me, putting distance between us like I was something he needed to avoid."Your sulking doesn’t concern me, Sage," he said curtly. "Neither does Kaiden’s tantrum."I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. "I wasn’t sulking," I lied.He didn’t even acknowledge my response. He turned on his heel, walking toward the staircase, but just before he disappeared from view, he cast one final glance toward the door where Kaiden had left.My fingers curled into fists.That single look, barely a second, barely anything at all was e
KaidenI mindlessly scrolled through old messages while waiting for his texts.He didn’t text back after I sent him the location and that made me a little sad because I was expecting him to barrel in here.I had left his house without a word, without a backward glance, hoping no, expecting that he would come after me. That he would notice my absence, realize something was missing, and care enough to follow.But the phone remained silent.I sighed, running a hand down my face. Maybe it was childish, maybe it was dramatic, but I didn’t care. Sage was always there, always pushing his way into spaces that didn’t belong to him, always acting like he had some special claim. And the professor let him. He entertained his whining, let him get away with things I never could.Something he could never do with me. I have to be nagging if I want him to spend time with me. I didn’t want it to resort to this but it looks like I have no choice.I needed to remind him, remind myself that I wasn’t just
SageI knew I had to be careful because when I saw him standing in the doorway of my apartment, leaning against the frame with that same smug confidence, I felt an odd mixture of excitement and apprehension.His piercing gaze swept over me before he stepped inside without waiting for an invitation.I shut the door behind him, folding my arms. “I don’t want to chat with you.”“Why is that?”I gaped at him like he was crazy, maybe he was.“Are you really asking me that? You sent your men to attack me. I was sent to the hospital twice on your account. What the hell is wrong with you?”“It’s not personal. You are just collateral damage.”“You are crazy for saying that. Get the hell out of my house. I do not want to chat with a psycho like you.”“You have no choice because I am in your house, Sage. Didn’t your mother teach you not to open the door for strangers? I could kill you and nobody would do anything. Kaiden doesn’t even care about you.”The last part stung, I admit. I subtly looke
SageHe and I sat across from each other at the dining table, a meal between us that neither of us seemed particularly eager to finish.I forced myself to eat, but my appetite had dwindled the moment I noticed the way he kept glancing at his watch. Every few minutes, he would steal a look at the time, his fingers subtly tapping against the edge of the table, his mind clearly elsewhere.I hope it just wasn’t on that bastard, Kaiden because I would be so fucking furious. I am here, eating dinner with him and you are thinking about another person.I set my fork down. “Are you expecting someone?”He looked up, startled by my question, before shaking his head. “No.”I wasn’t convinced. “Then why do you keep checking the time?”He exhaled quietly. “I was thinking of going for a walk.”A walk? That meant he was leaving. Going somewhere that wasn’t here, with me.“Do you want me to come?” I asked, my voice carefully casual, even as my chest tightened with something close to desperation.I wa
SageThe past few weeks had been a blur of back-to-back work, photoshoots, meetings, and barely any sleep. Ever since I left the professor’s house, I threw myself into my career with reckless abandon, pushing every other thought, every lingering emotion into the background.It didn’t help that the professor didn’t come like I expected him to. He made that whole show of asking me for my address just to bail on me?I was a fool for thinking that, a really big fool.It was easier this way. Work didn’t betray me. Work didn’t make me question my worth.But exhaustion was creeping in. I could feel it in my bones as I walking to my car after wrapping up another long day. Martin really meant it when I said I was at the peak of my career so he utilized the chance to book me till events were clashing.I had barely closed the door when I caught movement from the corner of my eye.Too late.A hand wrenched the door open before I could lock it, and something hard slammed into the side of my head
SageThe soft morning light filtered through the curtains as I lay in bed, listening for any sign of movement from the professor’s room. My heart pounded against my ribs as I replayed last night’s events in my head.It was perfect. Or at least, it was perfect for me. I had done everything to make him stay, to make him look at me the way he used to. He hadn’t even stirred when I touched him, and yet, despite everything, I still felt… anxious.Would he kick me out when he finds out I took advantage of him or would he interprète it as a show of desperation.That I reached the end of my ropes and had to do something to tame the voices in my head before they swallowed me whole.I heard the low groan followed by the rustling of sheets.He was awake.Finally.Forcing a bright smile, I walked into his room just as he sat up, rubbing his temples. He looked disoriented, blinking at me before running a hand through his hair.“What… happened?” he asked groggily, his voice rough with sleep.“You
SageI woke up with a tight knot sitting right in the middle of my chest. The apartment was quiet. No sign of Kaiden, and the sun had already climbed halfway through the sky.The sheets beside me were cold. He hadn’t come home last night.Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I wandered out into the living room, expecting maybe a note, maybe Kaiden sitting on the couch eating cereal out of the box like he did when he was too tired to pretend to be put together. But it wasn’t Kaiden I found.The professor sat there, hunched on the edge of the couch, elbows resting on his knees, fingers loosely interlocked. He didn’t even glance at me when I entered.“You’re up early,” I said cautiously, voice still raspy with sleep.His eyes lifted to me. They looked tired, more than tired. Hollow. “Did Kaiden come home last night?”I shook my head. “No. I thought he went to see you. He got your message, didn’t he?”His lips pressed into a line. “I went to his condo. He wasn’t there. I waited. His car was gone.
KaidenMy phone buzzed again.I glanced down at the screen through the strobing lights of the after-party. The text was from the professor. “Are you home?” Something about him checking up tugged at my heartstrings. My chest tightened and I wanted to go home even more.Being here was challenging for me. I wasn’t home. I was at the kind of party that used to thrill me. A rooftop venue in the city, neon lights flickering against polished glasses, expensive perfume clouding the air, and beautiful people, too many beautiful people. Some I recognized from the runway. Others from TV. All of them orbiting around free liquor and someone else’s fame.I would have been delighted to have all these people around me,But none of them looked like Sage.None of them carried themselves like the professor.I leaned against the balcony railing, letting the air hit my face. I didn’t belong here. Not really. Not tonight.Months ago, I would have been thrilled to be here but right now, I wanted to be hom
KaidenThe clink of glassware and soft instrumental music floated through the private dining room, but I barely noticed any of it. My attention was locked on the man seated across from me, Desmond, the so-called sponsor, though I knew better now. He wasn’t just another businessman looking to capitalize on talent. He was the distributor. The puppeteer behind the chaos circling my life.Martin couldn’t stop talking. “You know, this whole thing… it’s a damn miracle. The sponsor paid for the new condo in full. Quietly. No credit checks, no delays. Even Sage’s outfit, hell, the professor’s tux too, he took care of it all. Who does that?”He kept saying all the things that I didn’t want to hear. Didn’t he know that I was terrified?I kept my gaze fixed on Desmond. He smiled faintly, swirling his wine like he had all the time in the world. I didn't trust that smile. It was too smooth, too practiced like everything about him.I was skeptical to be here even though I had no choice. I didn’t w
KaidenWhen we got home, Sage was still trembling in my arms.I guided him gently to the living room couch and sat with him, wrapping the throw blanket from the armrest over his shoulders. He hadn't spoken much since we left the boutique. The only sounds were the occasional hitch in his breath and the way his fingers clutched the fabric of my shirt like he needed something solid to anchor him.He really was scared, I can’t imagine how terrified he must have been. Hearing that so close to him must have pushed him off the edge. I hated seeing him that way.“I’ve got you,” I murmured. “You’re safe now.”He leaned into me, his body slowly relaxing as he drew warmth from my presence.“Kaiden,” he whispered, eyes fluttering. “I don’t understand why this is happening. Why me?”“Because you matter,” I said. “More than you know. And I swear, whoever’s behind this won’t get close to you. Not while I’m breathing.”Eventually, his head dropped to my shoulder, and his breathing slowed. I held him
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