تسجيل الدخول“Relax ladies, there is enough water to go round,” Coach Jacobs walked in carrying extra bottles of water, unknowingly saving everyone from the painfully awkward situation.The tension immediately broke.“Thanks, I’ll just take from there instead,” Lia quickly said to the boys before grabbing one of the fresh bottles from the coach.She walked away almost too fast, releasing a quiet breath of relief once there was enough distance between them.“Lia...” Trudy called in a warning tone as she followed beside her.“It was nothing...” Lia brushed it off quickly, twisting open the water bottle.“Okay... if you say so,” Trudy backed off, though the knowing look on her face remained.But Trudy didn’t need to remind her.Lia already knew.She knew exactly how dangerous things could become if she got caught between the two brothers again. She had already lived through the consequences once before, and she wasn’t about to repeat the same mistake.No matter how confusing her feelings still were.
“Well, technically we have seen but we've been talking,” Damien cleared.“Okay...tell me more,” Lia said, even more eager to listen.“So his name is Sebastian...”“Ooh, that’s a really hot name,” Lia wiggled her eyebrows. “...do you have pics?” Lia asked.“Yes, but not a full profile,” Damien said, scrolling through his gallery. He showed Lia a picture of a shirtless guy standing beside a pool. It was a face-off picture, but the guy’s well-built frame was impossible to miss. His biceps were hefty, defined muscles stretching beneath damp skin. Water clung to his torso, highlighting his six-pack abs, while his shorts were soaked enough to reveal the faint outline beneath.“Wow, he’s really hot,” Lia admitted, taking in every detail before finally tearing her eyes away from the photo.“I know,” Damien said with a smug little smirk, clearly pleased with himself.“How did you guys meet?” Lia asked curiously.“He messaged me on Instagram with an anonymous account...” Damien explained.“Ano
“And who is this?” Tyler asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.But beneath the calm expression, irritation clawed at him. He hated seeing another guy touch Lia so comfortably, like he belonged there.Lia, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside him, stepped aside slightly.“Tyler, this is my friend Damien. Damien, this is Tyler,” Lia introduced.Damien’s eyes widened immediately in recognition to the name.“Whoa... he’s the Tyler?” Damien asked, suddenly far more engaged in the conversation.Tyler’s brows furrowed slightly.“The Tyler?” he repeated slowly, unable to place what exactly that was supposed to mean.“Yeah, she spoke about you,” Damien said casually, completely oblivious to the tension thickening in the room.“Damien!...” Lia instantly stomped on his foot.“Ow... shit!” Damien yelped in pain, nearly losing balance.Tyler stood there confused.She talked about him?To Damien?His chest tightened.And somehow that only made things worse.Because now all he could thi
Lia made her way to the principal’s office as requested, her mind still crowded with thoughts from the assembly. The hallways buzzed with excitement over the fundraiser announcement, but she could barely focus on any of it. Something about the way Principal Gabriel had singled her out in front of everyone made her uneasy. She reached the office door and knocked once. “Come in,” Principal Gabriel’s voice answered immediately. Lia pushed the door open carefully. “You asked to see me, sir?” Lia said upon entering the room. The moment she stepped inside, her gaze landed on Adrian, who was already seated opposite the principal’s desk. He looked composed as always, dressed sharply, fingers folded calmly in his lap like he belonged there. It was obvious they had already been discussing something before she arrived. Lia instantly stiffened. She didn’t say a word to him. “Yes, please have a seat,” Principal Gabriel offered politely. Lia sat down slowly, though every instinct in her bo
Lia was finally done with her shift, but instead of heading home immediately, she step outside the café to find Damien patiently waiting as he said he would. For few minutes they sat in silence. The night air was cool, the soft glow from the café windows spilling onto the pavement beside them. Cars occasionally passed by, but neither of them spoke. The tension wasn’t awkward, just heavy, emotional. Lia sat with her hands wrapped around the sleeves of her hoodie, trying to process everything Damien had just confessed. “I still don’t understand…” she finally let out quietly. “Understand what?” Damien asked with a faint, humourless smile. “That I’m into guys?” “That…” Lia admitted softly. “…and why you found it so hard to tell me in the first place.” She paused before continuing. “You were acting strange, and I thought it had something to do with me. Somehow, I felt like I did something wrong, for you not to be able to talk to me.” Damien’s expression immediately softened with guilt
By the time Lia got to school, the atmosphere felt different. Whispers followed her through the hallway, eyes lingering a little too long as she passed. Phones were subtly lifted, murmurs spreading like wildfire but Lia kept walking. She refused to let it slow her down. “Hey,” Trudy said, jogging to catch up with her. “Are you okay?” “Yeah,” Lia replied flatly. “Why wouldn’t I be?” She didn’t even break her stride. “Well… everyone thinks you know the reason the wedding was called off,” Trudy said, glancing down at her phone. “And the comments? They’re awful.” “What?” Lia stopped. “Let me see.” “No,” Trudy said quickly, pulling the phone back. “If you haven’t seen it yet, you really shouldn’t.” “Oh yeah?” Lia scoffed, already pulling out her own phone. “You do know I have social media, right?” Trudy cursed under her breath. “Lia, you really shouldn’t...” Too late. Lia scrolled through T*****r, her jaw tightening with every swipe. “Wasn’t Lia adopted? Yeah, she’s definitely inf
Lia sat hunched over her laptop, the glow of the screen reflecting in her tired eyes. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, stuck on the same sentence she’d rewritten at least a dozen times. She was supposed to be working on her scholarship essay, but her thoughts were miles away.“Girl, you have
Back at the Walker’s house, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Zayden had been discharged from the hospital, and although he was moving slower than usual, he was grateful to be home. He and Ava sat across from their father in his office.“Now that Zayden is fully healed, he will continue from w
“Mum, could you pass me the sugar?” Lia asked gently. Stacey didn’t respond. She stared blankly at the dinning table, spoon frozen halfway to her tea. It was unusual, Stacey was never this disconnected. Lia’s brows furrowed in concern. “…Mum?” She reached out and lightly touched her mother’s hand
Zayden had been in a coma for days. Though his vitals remained stable, the atmosphere in the hospital room never eased. Machines hummed steadily beside him, the soft beeping of the heart monitor offering the only reassurance anyone had left. Ava checked in every hour. Trudy rarely left, she sat







