LOGINZach’s POVNicole lay curled against me, skin flushed and glowing, her breath still coming in soft little pants. I held her close, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other stroking slowly up and down her back. My body was still buzzing from the first round, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Not after weeks apart. Not with Kade howling inside my chest like a caged beast.I shoved him down hard, locking him behind mental walls, while focusing my gaze on Nicole.She tilted her head up and smiled at me, that soft, trusting smile that made my heart clench. “You’re still hard,” she whispered, pressing her thigh against me teasingly.I chuckled, low and rough. “Can’t help it. You do this to me.”I rolled us so she was underneath me again, bracing my weight on my forearms. Her legs parted naturally, letting me settle between them. I kissed her slowly this time, deep, lingering kisses that tasted like everything I’d missed. She sighed into my mouth, her hands sliding up my back, nails grazing l
Nicole Before I could even process the surprise, Bella came sprinting out from the crowd, her party hat tilted sideways as she threw her arms around me, nearly knocking me off my feet."Did we get you or did we get you?!" she squealed into my ear, laughing hysterically as she pulled back to shower me with a handful of glittering silver confetti. "You can thank your boy over there! He contacted us days ago to coordinate the whole thing!"I looked over at Zach, who was casually leaning against the door frame, his hands slipped into his pockets and a deeply satisfied, boyish grin playing on his lips. I couldn't even find my voice to speak, I just shook my head in pure disbelief, a massive, emotional smile stretching across my face. He had been planning this the entire time he was away, working behind the scenes with my friends while letting me believe he was just doing routine wardrobe cleaning thousands of miles away."Come on, birthday girl, don't just stand by the door!" Killian ca
NicoleA sharp, involuntary scream tore from my throat, echoing loudly through the hallway. I didn't care if I woke up every single student on the entire floor. My backpack slipped from my shoulder, tumbling to the carpet along with my keys, but I didn't even glance down.It was Zach.He was actually standing right there, leaning against my apartment door frame in a casual jacket, a soft, familiar smirk playing on his lips as he watched my jaw drop. The digital screen from our FaceTime call earlier was completely gone, replaced by his real, solid presence. Before he could even say a word, I launched myself forward, my feet moving on pure instinct. I threw my arms tightly around his neck, burying my face into the crook of his shoulder as the absolute reality of him hit me all at once.Zach caught me instantly, his strong arms wrapping around my waist and lifting my feet completely off the ground for a second. He held me so tightly against his chest that I could feel the rapid, steady t
NicoleThe relief that washed over me in the days following that disastrous dinner was almost palpable. I had spent forty-eight hours bracing myself for a barrage of angry text messages, defensive phone calls, or worse, Marcus showing up at my campus building to demand a second chance. But to my immense surprise, my phone remained completely silent. No notifications, no spammed calls, no extra gestures. He had simply gone cold turkey. It seemed my final words at the restaurant had actually done the trick, and I was incredibly grateful that he hadn't tried to pressure me into changing my mind or drag out an uncomfortable situation. I could finally walk across the track field without constantly looking over my shoulder."Oh my gosh, Nicole, are you even listening to me?!"A sharp, high-pitched squeal shattered my train of thought, dragging me abruptly back to reality. I blinked, focusing on Bella, who was practically vibrating with excitement across our shared library table. She had aba
Nicole “I just felt like getting them for you,” he said, his voice entirely too smooth as he navigated the evening traffic. He didn't even look over at me, keeping his eyes on the road with a relaxed, confident grip on the steering wheel. “No grand occasion needed. I just saw them, thought of you, and decided you deserved something nice after the stressful week you’ve had.” “Right. Thanks,” I murmured, looking down at the massive cluster of red petals resting heavily on my lap. The scent of the roses was completely overpowering, filling the air-conditioned cabin of his car until it felt like I was breathing in a floral shop. I shifted them slightly, trying to find a comfortable way to hold the wrapping without crushing the leaves. It was just too much. It was the exact type of intense, calculated gesture that made my inner alarms start ringing. He was treating this like we were in a long-term, serious relationship, completely skipping over the fact that we barely knew each other.
Nicole’s PovTwo days had passed since the incident, but my nerves were still fried. To distract myself, I was at the campus track field, working out with Killian and Bella. The afternoon sun was beating down on the sports ground, and we were in the middle of a high intensity circuit routine. I was trying to focus on my lunges, but my phone, sitting right on top of my water bottle by the bleachers, kept buzzing. The screen lit up every few minutes, vibrating aggressively against the bench."Nicole, seriously, pick that up," Bella said, wiping sweat from her forehead with a towel as she took a break from her squats. "It has been ringing non stop for the last twenty minutes. It is driving me insane.""Just ignore it," I muttered, moving into a plank position on the grass. "It is nothing important."I knew exactly who was calling. It was Marcus. For the past forty-eight hours, my phone had been a hostage to his notifications. He had asked me out on a date yesterday, and the day before th
Nicole’s Pov Marcus remained quiet, his dark eyes locked directly onto mine. He was looking at me with the exact same intense expression he had worn when he first walked into the venue. The same heavy stare that had drawn my attention from across the crowded room. That stubborn silence made me fee
Nicole.. I couldn't sleep that night when I eventually got to my room because of two things; First I was now the topic of discussion in my group chat, and probably the whole school by now, and that was not how I intended to start the semester, secondly, the stranger I barely knew in the jacuzzi
Nicole… “What have you done?” I was horrified as I pushed him off me to see the triumphant arrogant smirk on his face. In the next seconds that followed, I didn't care if my jeans weren't worn properly or my top, I didn't care about all of those things. They had seen me naked already, so I ran.
Nicole. The blaring sound went off and the pressure of my pillow against my ears did nothing to help. I groaned in protest. The noise continued, though. I rolled onto my side to turn it off when it fell on the floor and brought an end to my once peaceful slumber. I groaned as I picked it up







