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last update publish date: 2026-05-22 07:05:12

"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?"

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  • The Way He Looked at MeĀ Ā Ā 165

    "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

  • The Way He Looked at MeĀ Ā Ā 164

    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.

  • The Way He Looked at MeĀ Ā Ā 163

    "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

  • The Way He Looked at MeĀ Ā Ā 162

    Jace povThe stranger with the dark hair wouldn’t 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 didn’t 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.

  • The Way He Looked at MeĀ Ā Ā 161

    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 Way He Looked at MeĀ Ā Ā 160

    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

  • The Way He Looked at MeĀ Ā Ā 90

    He’s trying to hide the grin.Which shouldn’t be hot.It really shouldn’t.And yet somehow it’s unbearably hot.By the time I finally figure out how to swallow my coffee, the heat from it travels straight down my throat… down my chest&hel

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-04-05
  • The Way He Looked at MeĀ Ā Ā 70

    Nathan’s eyelids start drooping before I even notice the time. One second he’s blinking slowly, the next he’s practically asleep on his feet. Carter and I have already opened another bottle of wine downstairs, so I push myself up and say quickly, ā€œDon’t disappear on me yet. I’ll be right back.ā€I s

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-31
  • The Way He Looked at MeĀ Ā Ā Chapter 5

    Luca Moretti povI didn't feel like going to the gym. I raised myself a bit, but I was unable to establish my stride. At home, a sofa is loudly screaming my name, and I am eager to go. I'm eager for this week to end since it has been awful. I usually work out after the game to allow the men time t

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-17
  • The Way He Looked at MeĀ Ā Ā Chapter 8

    I’ve pushed him. Like an idiot.He’s less than a foot away now. I can feel the cold night clinging to him, sharp and biting, flooding my space until I don’t know if I’m burning up or freezing in place.“I, uh…” My voice falters, useless. I

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-17
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