All Chapters of THE TIES THAT BINDS US.: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Maverick's POV A thick, almost tangible silence settled between us, stretching for what felt like minutes. The only sounds were the occasional soft drip of condensation and our steady breathing, deep and measured as we let the heat of the room seep into our bones. Steam curled around our bodies, clinging to our damp skin, soaking us in a relentless, humid embrace. Beads of sweat trickled down my temples, carving a slow, deliberate path along my jaw before slipping down my neck like warm fingers. It was suffocating, yet strangely liberating—like standing on the edge of something vast, unknown, and giving in to the fall.I leaned back against the heated wooden wall, surrendering to the sensation, my eyelids growing heavy as exhaustion lured me into a quiet lull. A deep sigh left my lips, my chest rising and falling with the slow rhythm of release. The stress, the anger, the weight of everything beyond these walls—it all melted away, dissolving into the thick air. For once, I felt unbur

Matthew's POV The car rolled to a smooth stop before the massive mansion, its towering presence casting long, creeping shadows under the dimming evening sky. The weight of the day pressed against my shoulders, but the moment I opened the door and stepped out, the cool breeze kissed my skin, momentarily easing the exhaustion clinging to me like a second layer.I rolled my shoulders, stretching my legs as I took in the sight before me. The estate loomed in the dying light, its vast windows glowing faintly against the darkening sky. Despite having seen it countless times, the sheer grandeur still held a quiet, suffocating presence.I turned toward the trunk, but before I could reach it, Jordan strolled up beside me, whistling low as his gaze swept over the mansion.“Wow,” he muttered, shaking his head as if in disbelief. “Now I get why you were in such a rush to get back. Damn, this place is huge.” He scoffed right after, shrugging as if the sight didn’t impress him. “Not that I care, t

Matthew's POV "You are insane," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper as I lowered my head to my plate. The once-appetizing meal before me blurred into an unappealing mess. My appetite had all but vanished, replaced by a heavy weight pressing against my chest, making it hard to breathe.Adrian is mad—there’s no other explanation. How could he, in his right mind, even entertain the thought that there was ever an us? That there could be an us? The sheer audacity of it made my stomach twist. It was absurd, laughable even, if not for the fact that he had said it so effortlessly, with a straight face, as if the idea weren’t completely delusional."Let's start all over," he said, his voice laced with something that made me pause.The words struck like ice-cold water poured down my spine, shocking me so much that I inhaled wrong. A sharp burn clawed at my throat as I choked on my food, the sudden spasm racking my body. My chest constricted, and my vision blurred with tears as I coughe

Noah’s POVWe didn’t even make it another thirty minutes at the bar before everything unraveled.Matthew was completely out of it—drunk beyond reason, his body slumped against mine like dead weight. He wasn’t just leaning; he was melting into me, every step we took an effort to keep him upright. Not that I was complaining. Honestly, there was something strangely grounding about having him so close, so unguarded. It wasn’t the first time I’d been the one to catch him when he fell, and I doubted it would be the last. Even if he wouldn’t remember a second of it tomorrow morning, I would. I always did.I’ve known Matthew for years. Hell, it feels like I’ve known him all my life. We grew up on the same streets, passed through the same schools, and faced the same bullshit together. If there’s one thing about him that’s never changed, it’s his ridiculously low tolerance for alcohol. The guy could barely handle a quarter of a shot before the world started spinning for him, yet that never stop

Adrian’s POV“Have you any idea what you’ve done to me?” I asked, voice low, almost trembling, as my eyes locked onto the sleeping man lying beside me. The car was cloaked in darkness, but I could still make out the outline of his face, every line of it etched in my memory like scripture. The curve of his mouth, the gentle rise and fall of his chest—every detail haunted me.It was absurd, really—how deeply I’d fallen. So much that even a few moments without his face flashing in my mind felt like torture. Every breath I took echoed his name. He was my obsession, my fixation, the only constant in a world that had long stopped making sense.I didn’t just think of him—I lived in my thoughts about him. I hallucinated the day he’d finally look at me the way I looked at him, when he'd stop running and start craving. I fantasized about that moment when his heart would finally align with mine, when he’d melt into my arms without hesitation. I even went so far as to imagine our next lives mergi