VANESSAI was a lot like my little sister Mia when I was her age. I was obsessed with princess movies- the kind where a handsome prince or a white knight would rush in and sweep the princess off her feet, then they’d ride off into the sunset together and live happily ever after. As I got older, I recognized that life wasn’t a fairytale, but that didn’t stop me from daydreaming about falling madly in love someday and finding my own happy ending. My parents did. Their relationship is like a real-life fairytale, so it didn’t seem far-fetched to dream of one day having something like that for myself.Turns out, relationships are far more complicated than I imagined, especially with a dark knight bent on pushing away anyone who gets too close. I took a chance on Callum because he made me feel things that nobody else ever has. He ignited something in me that made me want to take a leap of faith and see where the spark between us could go. Mates or not, he’s the first man I’ve had real feeli

VANESSAThe ride home is tortuously void of conversation. As soon as we get in the truck, Cal cranks the stereo so loud that I can barely hear myself think. I elect to give him time to cool down, nibbling my lip nervously while I try to think of something, anything to say to alleviate the tension hanging thick in the cab of the truck. I come up empty, so I just stare out the windshield, sliding him occasional side-eyed glances.His clenched jaw twitches. His fingers flex and tighten around the steering wheel, his knuckles going white. His throat bobs with every hard swallow, and his posture is so rigid that his muscles must be aching. Still, he says nothing.My mind wanders, images of the gruesome scene in the band’s dressing room flashing through my brain.Was it my fault?Violence is never the answer, but then again, I was the first one to throw an elbow into someone’s gut. Maybe if I hadn’t, things wouldn’t have escalated the way they did. Maybe we could’ve laughed it off as a misu

VANESSA“Just like that,” Callum murmurs, running his tongue over his teeth.“Like this?” I breathe.“Yeah.” His gaze is so intense that it feels like it’s searing my skin.My heart pounds.The corner of his mouth ticks up. “Fucking gorgeous.”My cheeks burn as Cal’s eyes drop back down to the page of his sketchbook, his pencil scratching against the page. A crease forms between his brows as he works, his gaze constantly flickering between me and the page in front of him.I can’t complain about the view. He’s seated in a chair at the end of the bed, clad only in his boxers with all that mouthwatering lean muscle on display. I drink him in, mapping out the tattoos on his thighs and forearms, wondering if I’ll inspire the next work of art he inks on his skin.“So am I your muse now?” I joke, still diligently holding my pose.His lips draw into another smile, his eyes returning to mine. “What makes you think you haven’t been for weeks?”My heart stutters in my chest, skipping a beat.He

VANESSA“Where do you think you’re going?” Cal growls, rolling to his side and reaching out to grab for me.His fingertips brush my waist as I dart away, giggling as I scramble off his bed. I can feel his heavy stare burning into me as I search for my underwear on the floor, stepping into them once I find them and pulling them up my thighs. “I’m thirsty,” I explain, reaching down to scoop up his discarded t-shirt and pulling it on over my head. “Gonna grab a glass of water.”His shirt smells like him. I inhale deeply, breathing in the subtle notes of juniper, leather, smoke, and spice before tugging my long hair out of the collar, darting him a glance over my shoulder. “Think you’ll survive without me for two minutes?” I tease.Callum smirks, his eyes dropping to my bare legs and raking up my form slowly before meeting mine again. “I’ll try,” he rasps, running his tongue over his teeth with a devious grin.Christ, the man’s insatiable. He just had me naked and screaming beneath him, b

CALLUMMy throat tightens as I step over the threshold into the house. I can’t stand this place, the people that live here, or the memories it harbors. I hate that I’m dragging Nessa into this mess, but I wasn’t about to fuck up everything I’ve built with her by shutting her out. She’d assume that I didn’t find her important enough to introduce to my family, while the truth is the complete opposite; she’s too important. I’d rather shield her from these people because she’s sweet and pure and good, and they’re fucking poison.“Perfect timing, Abby’s just getting dinner on the table,” Troy drawls as we shrug out of our jackets. I take Nessa’s from her and hang them both on the coat tree beside the door, keeping close to her because my protective instincts are on overdrive in my stepdad’s presence.“Thanks for having us,” Nessa says politely, slipping her hand into mine again.Fuckface’s eyes dart down to our intertwined hands, then snap back up to meet mine. “So glad you both could make