LOGIN"He has every right to be here, just like the rest of us." The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Jace's eyes cut toward me like a blade, and my feet instinctively carried me a step back."Sam." David's voice dropped quiet, but loaded with warning. Strangely enough, it almost felt like he was on our side.Sam lifted both hands, a lazy smile spreading across his face. "Just trying to help here."Right. Sure he was.Anyone with eyes could see what this was the classic routine. One played it cool while the other pushed buttons. Sam had claimed the role of the villain without even trying to hide it.Jace said nothing. He didn't spare either officer a single word. The only thing he gave me was one last scorching look before he turned and disappeared down the aisle."Name?" Officer Sam turned his attention on me like a spotlight."Tim Evans." I squared my shoulders and held my ground. Intimidation was a language I already spoke fluently. The streets had been my classroom drug cor
That was genuinely one of the kindest things anyone had done for me in a while, especially after I'd basically told her I was bad at being a person. We exchanged numbers, and then I grabbed my drink and slipped out of Tranquil Brew before I could make things any more uncomfortable.The morning air hit me, and I exhaled.My skin felt too tight, the way it did whenever I let someone in even just a little. And underneath that, something quieter: a familiar guilt. My mother would have loved Sarah. She would have told me to hold onto people like that, to let them in, to stop building walls around myself and calling it protection.Instead, here I was, walking down the sidewalk to sit on a bench across from my workplace, sipping iced coffee, watching the hardware store like it owed me something.
"Understood, Dave." My legs trembled beneath me as I rose. A part of me wanted to run and I despised myself for even thinking about it. Pain was supposed to build you. That was what he always said.I had nearly reached the door when his voice stopped me cold."Jace."I turned. "Yes, Dave?""Keep this between us. I'll tell your mother you went out hunting. If she finds out you need to be disciplined, it'll destroy her. You don't want to be the reason she cries, do you?""No, Dave." Hurting her was the last thing I ever wanted. "She won't hear it from me."My eyes snapped open.I lay still, staring at the ceiling, le
Jace povThe stranger with the dark hair wouldnât leave my mind.Days had passed since I went into town, yet I still remembered the way he looked at me. His eyes stayed with me the most gray, distant, and painfully sad, like life had already broken him long ago.I didnât know why I kept thinking about him.People in town usually looked at me with fear, disgust, or suspicion. Others looked at me with hunger, the same way Bruce always did whenever he wanted me in his bed again.But this man had looked at me differently.Like he was trying to understand me.Like he saw something beneath the silence.
This was a hardware store, not some dark alley. He wasn’t going to hurt me here.Trying to act normal, I quickly moved behind the register again. “Did you find everything okay?” I asked softly.Of course, he said nothing.He simply began placing his items on the counter tools, paint stain, brushes, and other supplies. Behind him sat a flat cart loaded with wood and propane tanks.I searched my brain for conversation, but every thought disappeared under the pressure of his stare.Because he kept staring.The entire time.While I scanned each item, his eyes never left me once.
The two men exchanged a look before one of them muttered, “I have no idea what his problem is. The guy barely says a word. Something’s definitely off about him.”I almost laughed at the irony. To me, they were the ones acting strange, judging someone they didn’t even know. People always found it easy to criticize anyone who lived differently from them. Addiction, mental struggles, skin color, love anything could become a reason to look down on someone. I had seen it happen over and over again, so often that it no longer shocked me. It only deepened the dull ache that already lived inside me.Their voices faded into background noise as my attention stayed fixed on the door. Then he finally appeared.The man stepped outside carrying a bag, tossed it into his truck, and walked down the road with
Cole Williams POVNathan is off today. His sleep was a mess last night, and it shows. All morning, he moved like a cloud of gloom, dragging his feet, barely speaking. By midday, he’d snapped at me twice over nothing, small bursts of an
I like him, I realize.Heâs kind, relaxed, someone who moves through life without hurting people or pretending to be someone else.âIs this your job? Pottery?â I ask.âWell,â he says, crossing his legs and turning slightly toward me, âkind of a long story, but yeah, I do pottery. I love it. But I a
“He’s not just a random guy who happens to enjoy hockey, Carter. This isn’t some weekend pastime for him. He’s one of the most celebrated names the sport has ever seen. Practically carved into its history. He captained the Tampa Bay Blackeye
Carter Blake POVâThe things Iâd let him get away withâŚâ I drawl, letting my head sink into the back of the sofa and closing my eyes just enough to be theatrical. âHonestly, Ness, even you would turn red if you knew.âRachel likes to claim sheâs a little adventurous, a secret kinkster, though Iâve







