Author's pov The day became much brighter when Brenda left her parents' house to meet Danielle, her childhood friend whom she had always been close to. They had a great bond, which is why Brenda didn't hesitate to call her and knew that her spontaneous visit wouldn't upset Danielle. Brenda had one thing on her mind: being with Danielle would help ease her anxiety, and their conversations and laughter would provide comfort as it has always done. Danielle lived in her own house, so Brenda planned to spend one or two nights there before going to her own place. As Brenda arrived in front of Danielle's house, she honked her car horn twice before stepping out of the car. She rummaged through her handbag, knowing that Danielle had given her a spare key to enter her house when she wasn't around. Brenda thought Danielle might still be sleeping that morning and didn't want to disturb her. As she approached the front door, her hand found the silver key, and she confidently stood in front of

Author's pov On the same day, Brenda visited her friend Danielle at noon. Luke drove his car and stopped in front of a bar. Still inside his car, he took out his phone and called Aiden, his closest friend. He was wearing strip sleeves and dark eyeglasses. "Hi Aiden, where are you?" Luke asked. "I'm already at the bar, talking to one of the female bartenders. Where are you?" Aiden replied. "I'm about to get out of my car." "Okay, I'm waiting," Aiden responded. As Luke stopped in front of the bar, a security guard assumed he didn't know where to park and approached his car. The uniformed man pointed to an available parking spot, indicating that Luke could park there. Luke followed the directions, parked his car, and got out. "Thanks!" Luke waved his right hand at the security guard and entered the bar. A few seconds later, he found Aiden. "Aiden..."Aiden turned and they shook hands. Aiden was already engrossed in a deep conversation with someone. "When are you closing?"

Tyler's pov "Dad, you look so excited. What's going on?" Ava asked me after Charlotte had left the dining table, teasing me playfully. How could I not be happy when I was about to meet someone so intriguing? All I needed to do was open the message still on my phone. I purposely postponed reading it because I was afraid it would overwhelm me with emotions. And the thought of it seemed like the day I would finally meet that beautiful young lady. "Dad, you haven't answered my question. You seem really happy. Don't tell me it's because Mum has left home?" Ava asked. "No, no, no," I shook my head and I didn't want to give that impression. "Then why are you so happy?" "If I told you, you wouldn't believe it," I replied. "Tell me, I want to know." She stopped eating and focused on me. "I'm happy because the meal I cooked turned out delicious and was well-received. I hope you know that if your mum were here, she wouldn't appreciate my effort. You know how she reacts to anything

Charlotte's pov Did he say I should come inside or should I wait a minute? That question kept bothering me. What will he think of me? I barged into his privacy and even caught a glimpse of his naked body before he quickly grabbed his towel and started apologizing. But why was he apologizing to me? It was my fault for not listening carefully and entering his room while he was getting dressed. I almost turned back, but he called me back. "Charlotte, where are you going?" he said. It's been over thirty minutes since I left Tyler's room, and all those events keep replaying in my mind. When he told me to come inside and not to leave the room, I froze, feeling like I had been struck by lightning. This wasn't what I expected, and I can't tell Ava what I saw. He could see that I felt guilty, and he didn't know how to help me. All he could do was come closer to me and give me a hug. I think he believed that his embrace could bring me comfort. It's all my fault. I should have listened

Author's pov It was Saturday morning, and Danielle and Luke were lying on the bed, covered by a white blanket from their chests to their feet, and both were facing each other. "Stop! Stop!! Stop tickling me," she laughed. The blanket made it hard to see where Luke was actually touching her until Danielle said, "Is this how you used to tickle your ex?" She looked at Luke's face and waited for his response. "No, she never allowed me this kind of freedom with her body, and I hated that." "What's one thing I could do to signal the end of this relationship?" "Hmmm..." Luke shifted his legs and head. "I'm waiting," Danielle used her left hand to stroke his beard. "Depriving me of touching you when I want to?" "Wait a minute, can't you go without sex for a few days? What if I have to travel? Can I rely on you? Don't act like you'll die without it." "I won't die, but please, don't do it." He smiled at her. "What's the worst thing you hate, the one thing you don't want y