Share

64 - RIFT

Author: Krystal Key
last update Last Updated: 2025-04-28 03:01:02

Cheryl’s POV

The morning light streamed through the pale curtains, brushing my room in gold, but it only made the pounding guilt in my head stronger.

I sat up slowly, rubbing my arms, feeling the faint bruises of last night's chaos beneath my skin. It was almost absurd how normal everything looked. The smell of bacon frying downstairs, the creak of the old wood floors in my aunt’s house, the chirping of birds outside.

But inside me?

Nothing felt normal.

Every time I closed my eyes, the gunshot echoed in my brain — loud, sharp, deadly. My fingers twitched at the memory, and I recoiled, wrapping my arms around my knees like they could somehow hold me together.

I had shot someone.

Not just anyone. Damon.

I hadn't meant to — God, I hadn't meant to. It was instinct, pure reflex. I had seen the gun pressed to Aiden’s head and I hadn’t thought — I had acted.

Like some wild animal, desperate to protect.

But the more I thought about it… the more I realized the sinking truth:

I wasn’t sure I ha
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Related chapters

  • The Roomie Complex   65 - SICK IDEA

    Cheryl’s POVI stared at the phone on my dresser for longer than I should have, the contact name glowing like it knew too much — like it was mocking me.Damon.I didn't even know what I wanted to say. What did you say to a man you shot? To a man you might've killed — who might still be bleeding out in some forgotten room?Still, my fingers moved on their own, like muscle memory. I tapped the call button before I could talk myself out of it. I held my breath as the dial tone started.Once.Twice.Three times.He’s not going to pick up, I told myself. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe—Click.His voice, low and gruff, filled my ears like smoke curling under a door."What a pleasant surprise," he said.I froze. My throat clenched, mouth suddenly dry."...You're okay," I managed. My voice sounded far away, like someone else had spoken for me."For the most part," he said, and I could almost hear the smirk beneath his words. "But my heart is still broken. Wasn’t expecting the woman I’m in

    Last Updated : 2025-04-29
  • The Roomie Complex   66 - LION'S DEN

    CHERYL'S POVThe sky hung heavy and gray above me as I drove, casting the entire town in a muted haze. It was the kind of weather that whispered secrets and warned of storms—fitting for the place I was heading. Damon’s house. Or, more accurately, the house Damon bought for me. My grip on the steering wheel tightened as I turned onto the long, winding driveway. The structure loomed into view like a forgotten secret—modern, cold, and elegant. It hadn’t changed. White concrete walls, dark paneling, glass edges that reflected the world but let no one in. It was still as breathtaking and lonely as the man who owned it.I parked and stepped out slowly, gravel crunching underfoot. The keypad beside the tall black door blinked awake as I approached. I didn’t hesitate—my fingers moved by memory, punching in the code he had set using my birthday. There was a soft click, and then the door opened with a sigh, as if the house had been holding its breath all this time.Silence met me inside.Thick

    Last Updated : 2025-04-30
  • The Roomie Complex   67 - TORN

    AIDENI should’ve known the address Damon sent wasn’t neutral ground. I mean I did recognise the address but I didn't think she'd be there too.The moment I stepped into the sleek, modern living room, the temperature dropped ten degrees. Not because of the air-conditioning, but because of her—Cheryl, sitting on one of those black leather chairs like she belonged there, and Damon, standing behind her with that arrogant smirk and a half-drunk glass of whiskey in his hand.The sight stopped me mid-step.I hadn’t prepared for this—hadn’t prepared to see her again in his space. The last time I’d seen her, she was shaking, holding a gun, her hands stained with fear and guilt. And now? Now she looked too calm, too collected, like she hadn’t just watched me disappear into the shadows of chaos.But what got me the most… was that she didn’t look surprised, maybe she did, I wasn't particularly looking at her. I was staring daggers into Damon's eyes“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I said,

    Last Updated : 2025-05-02
  • The Roomie Complex   68 - OLIVER?

    CHERYLMy heart slammed against my ribs so loudly I could hear it—like it was trying to speak before I could.Aiden’s voice still rang in my ears, soft but firm. “Come with me. I'll explain everything, I'll tell you everything.”And then Damon’s—darker, lower. “Don’t move.”I stood between them like the axis of some cruel universe, their opposing gravities tugging at my ribs. The silence that fell wasn’t peaceful. It was the kind that howled beneath your skin. The kind you find just before a car crashes or a gun fires.My feet didn’t move. But everything inside me did.Aiden was looking at me like I was salvation, or maybe a last chance. And Damon? Damon’s face was unreadable—except for his eyes. His eyes were sharp and cold, yet… pleading.That was the worst part. Damon never pleaded.My gaze dropped to his chest, to the white bandage stark against his olive skin, to the dried blood that clung stubbornly to the edge of his open shirt.I did that. I shot him.He should hate me. But in

    Last Updated : 2025-05-03
  • The Roomie Complex   69 - OLIVER BARKER

    CHERYL“Oliver,” I repeated, like tasting a name I hadn’t spoken in years. “Is it really you?”His smile deepened, soft and unreadable, like he was trying to decide if I was real too. He looked the same, and yet completely different. The boy I remembered had worn oversized glasses and carried too many books for one person. Now, he stood tall and self-assured, the years having carved definition into his jaw and stillness into his presence. There was something easy in the way he looked at me, casual—but veiled. Like he knew more than he let on.“I didn’t think I’d ever run into you here,” he said, stepping closer beneath the café’s warm glow. “It’s been… what? how many years?”I laughed softly. “More or less. You look good.”He glanced down at himself with mock curiosity. “I clean up better without the braces and the broken voice, huh?”“Definitely an upgrade,” I teased, a grin tugging at my lips before I could stop it.His eyes twinkled. “You haven’t changed much, Cheryl - you still lo

    Last Updated : 2025-05-04
  • The Roomie Complex   70 - NOT HOLDING BACK

    CHERYLI hadn’t laughed like that in a while.Not the polite kind of laughter, This was different. It was real. The kind that made my cheeks warm and brought tears to my eyes. The kind I used to have back when life was simpler and happiness didn’t feel like some expensive thing you had to earn with heartbreak.Oliver Barker.I couldn’t believe I’d run into him—here of all places, looking like he had just stepped out of some casual fashion catalog: dark jeans, a grey henley that clung to his arms in a way that hinted he’d been doing more than reading books lately, and that same untamed hair, a little longer now, brushing his forehead like it had a mind of its own. There was still something reserved about him—like he existed a beat away from the world—but that was part of the charm.I remembered him instantly.Back in high school, he was the quiet one in science class who always got the formulas right, the typ who wrote the answers with a bored flick of his wrist while everyone else scr

    Last Updated : 2025-05-05
  • The Roomie Complex   71 - THE INVITE

    CHERYLFor a moment, I couldn’t tell if the thudding in my chest was from the alcohol or the words he’d just said.“Because I don’t plan on holding back.”Oliver sat there so calmly, like he hadn’t just dropped a live grenade between us. His face gave away nothing—no nervous twitch of the lips, no uncertain glint in his eyes. Just that same cool, casual mystery that had always surrounded him, even back when he was just the quiet kid in science class with ink-stained fingers and oversized glasses.But he wasn’t that boy anymore.He was something else now. A little rough around the edges. Confident. Measured. Attractive in a quiet, dangerous kind of way that made your mind wander where it shouldn’t.My fingers tightened around the base of my wine glass. “Oliver…” I started, then stopped. I didn’t even know where I was going with that. I wasn’t prepared for this—him—to come storming into my life with this kind of certainty. Not when everything else felt so undefined. Especially Aiden.Es

    Last Updated : 2025-05-07
  • The Roomie Complex   72 - AN ENCOUNTER

    Cheryl’s PovI took one last look in the mirror, adjusting the thin strap of my black silk dress as it curved perfectly around my shoulders and fell gracefully down my body. My hair was swept into a loose, elegant bun, a few tendrils framing my face. I’d kept my makeup subtle yet striking—red lips, a touch of highlighter, and dark, winged eyeliner that gave my eyes a sharp, confident edge.I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach as I slipped on my black stilettos, the thin straps hugging my ankles. It had been a long time since I’d dressed up like this, and I hoped I didn’t come off as trying too hard.Grabbing my clutch, I stepped out into the night, my heels clicking against the concrete as I made my way to my car. The drive to the event was a blur, my thoughts tangled between excitement and a strange, unshakable apprehension.When I pulled up to the towering glass building, I felt my breath hitch. Barker Technologies. The name glowed in sleek, silver letters against the darkened sky

    Last Updated : 2025-05-09

Latest chapter

  • The Roomie Complex   72 - AN ENCOUNTER

    Cheryl’s PovI took one last look in the mirror, adjusting the thin strap of my black silk dress as it curved perfectly around my shoulders and fell gracefully down my body. My hair was swept into a loose, elegant bun, a few tendrils framing my face. I’d kept my makeup subtle yet striking—red lips, a touch of highlighter, and dark, winged eyeliner that gave my eyes a sharp, confident edge.I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach as I slipped on my black stilettos, the thin straps hugging my ankles. It had been a long time since I’d dressed up like this, and I hoped I didn’t come off as trying too hard.Grabbing my clutch, I stepped out into the night, my heels clicking against the concrete as I made my way to my car. The drive to the event was a blur, my thoughts tangled between excitement and a strange, unshakable apprehension.When I pulled up to the towering glass building, I felt my breath hitch. Barker Technologies. The name glowed in sleek, silver letters against the darkened sky

  • The Roomie Complex   71 - THE INVITE

    CHERYLFor a moment, I couldn’t tell if the thudding in my chest was from the alcohol or the words he’d just said.“Because I don’t plan on holding back.”Oliver sat there so calmly, like he hadn’t just dropped a live grenade between us. His face gave away nothing—no nervous twitch of the lips, no uncertain glint in his eyes. Just that same cool, casual mystery that had always surrounded him, even back when he was just the quiet kid in science class with ink-stained fingers and oversized glasses.But he wasn’t that boy anymore.He was something else now. A little rough around the edges. Confident. Measured. Attractive in a quiet, dangerous kind of way that made your mind wander where it shouldn’t.My fingers tightened around the base of my wine glass. “Oliver…” I started, then stopped. I didn’t even know where I was going with that. I wasn’t prepared for this—him—to come storming into my life with this kind of certainty. Not when everything else felt so undefined. Especially Aiden.Es

  • The Roomie Complex   70 - NOT HOLDING BACK

    CHERYLI hadn’t laughed like that in a while.Not the polite kind of laughter, This was different. It was real. The kind that made my cheeks warm and brought tears to my eyes. The kind I used to have back when life was simpler and happiness didn’t feel like some expensive thing you had to earn with heartbreak.Oliver Barker.I couldn’t believe I’d run into him—here of all places, looking like he had just stepped out of some casual fashion catalog: dark jeans, a grey henley that clung to his arms in a way that hinted he’d been doing more than reading books lately, and that same untamed hair, a little longer now, brushing his forehead like it had a mind of its own. There was still something reserved about him—like he existed a beat away from the world—but that was part of the charm.I remembered him instantly.Back in high school, he was the quiet one in science class who always got the formulas right, the typ who wrote the answers with a bored flick of his wrist while everyone else scr

  • The Roomie Complex   69 - OLIVER BARKER

    CHERYL“Oliver,” I repeated, like tasting a name I hadn’t spoken in years. “Is it really you?”His smile deepened, soft and unreadable, like he was trying to decide if I was real too. He looked the same, and yet completely different. The boy I remembered had worn oversized glasses and carried too many books for one person. Now, he stood tall and self-assured, the years having carved definition into his jaw and stillness into his presence. There was something easy in the way he looked at me, casual—but veiled. Like he knew more than he let on.“I didn’t think I’d ever run into you here,” he said, stepping closer beneath the café’s warm glow. “It’s been… what? how many years?”I laughed softly. “More or less. You look good.”He glanced down at himself with mock curiosity. “I clean up better without the braces and the broken voice, huh?”“Definitely an upgrade,” I teased, a grin tugging at my lips before I could stop it.His eyes twinkled. “You haven’t changed much, Cheryl - you still lo

  • The Roomie Complex   68 - OLIVER?

    CHERYLMy heart slammed against my ribs so loudly I could hear it—like it was trying to speak before I could.Aiden’s voice still rang in my ears, soft but firm. “Come with me. I'll explain everything, I'll tell you everything.”And then Damon’s—darker, lower. “Don’t move.”I stood between them like the axis of some cruel universe, their opposing gravities tugging at my ribs. The silence that fell wasn’t peaceful. It was the kind that howled beneath your skin. The kind you find just before a car crashes or a gun fires.My feet didn’t move. But everything inside me did.Aiden was looking at me like I was salvation, or maybe a last chance. And Damon? Damon’s face was unreadable—except for his eyes. His eyes were sharp and cold, yet… pleading.That was the worst part. Damon never pleaded.My gaze dropped to his chest, to the white bandage stark against his olive skin, to the dried blood that clung stubbornly to the edge of his open shirt.I did that. I shot him.He should hate me. But in

  • The Roomie Complex   67 - TORN

    AIDENI should’ve known the address Damon sent wasn’t neutral ground. I mean I did recognise the address but I didn't think she'd be there too.The moment I stepped into the sleek, modern living room, the temperature dropped ten degrees. Not because of the air-conditioning, but because of her—Cheryl, sitting on one of those black leather chairs like she belonged there, and Damon, standing behind her with that arrogant smirk and a half-drunk glass of whiskey in his hand.The sight stopped me mid-step.I hadn’t prepared for this—hadn’t prepared to see her again in his space. The last time I’d seen her, she was shaking, holding a gun, her hands stained with fear and guilt. And now? Now she looked too calm, too collected, like she hadn’t just watched me disappear into the shadows of chaos.But what got me the most… was that she didn’t look surprised, maybe she did, I wasn't particularly looking at her. I was staring daggers into Damon's eyes“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I said,

  • The Roomie Complex   66 - LION'S DEN

    CHERYL'S POVThe sky hung heavy and gray above me as I drove, casting the entire town in a muted haze. It was the kind of weather that whispered secrets and warned of storms—fitting for the place I was heading. Damon’s house. Or, more accurately, the house Damon bought for me. My grip on the steering wheel tightened as I turned onto the long, winding driveway. The structure loomed into view like a forgotten secret—modern, cold, and elegant. It hadn’t changed. White concrete walls, dark paneling, glass edges that reflected the world but let no one in. It was still as breathtaking and lonely as the man who owned it.I parked and stepped out slowly, gravel crunching underfoot. The keypad beside the tall black door blinked awake as I approached. I didn’t hesitate—my fingers moved by memory, punching in the code he had set using my birthday. There was a soft click, and then the door opened with a sigh, as if the house had been holding its breath all this time.Silence met me inside.Thick

  • The Roomie Complex   65 - SICK IDEA

    Cheryl’s POVI stared at the phone on my dresser for longer than I should have, the contact name glowing like it knew too much — like it was mocking me.Damon.I didn't even know what I wanted to say. What did you say to a man you shot? To a man you might've killed — who might still be bleeding out in some forgotten room?Still, my fingers moved on their own, like muscle memory. I tapped the call button before I could talk myself out of it. I held my breath as the dial tone started.Once.Twice.Three times.He’s not going to pick up, I told myself. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe—Click.His voice, low and gruff, filled my ears like smoke curling under a door."What a pleasant surprise," he said.I froze. My throat clenched, mouth suddenly dry."...You're okay," I managed. My voice sounded far away, like someone else had spoken for me."For the most part," he said, and I could almost hear the smirk beneath his words. "But my heart is still broken. Wasn’t expecting the woman I’m in

  • The Roomie Complex   64 - RIFT

    Cheryl’s POVThe morning light streamed through the pale curtains, brushing my room in gold, but it only made the pounding guilt in my head stronger.I sat up slowly, rubbing my arms, feeling the faint bruises of last night's chaos beneath my skin. It was almost absurd how normal everything looked. The smell of bacon frying downstairs, the creak of the old wood floors in my aunt’s house, the chirping of birds outside.But inside me?Nothing felt normal.Every time I closed my eyes, the gunshot echoed in my brain — loud, sharp, deadly. My fingers twitched at the memory, and I recoiled, wrapping my arms around my knees like they could somehow hold me together.I had shot someone.Not just anyone. Damon.I hadn't meant to — God, I hadn't meant to. It was instinct, pure reflex. I had seen the gun pressed to Aiden’s head and I hadn’t thought — I had acted.Like some wild animal, desperate to protect.But the more I thought about it… the more I realized the sinking truth:I wasn’t sure I ha

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status