Semua Bab Only You: Bab 21 - Bab 30

Chapter 22: Get CookingCleo’s POVI sat cross-legged on the smooth suede sofa in my living room, the glowing screen of my laptop illuminating the darkening room, and tried to figure out where on earth to start.The adrenaline from the afternoon was finally beginning to crash, leaving me with a harsh, pounding headache right between my temples. I still couldn't quite wrap my head around the fact that this was actually happening to my best friend. Stalkers were the kind of thing you read about in trashy magazines or dealt with in high-profile legal divorce cases, not something that happened to bookish, sweet Tiana. The image of that pristine, pitch-black rose with its silver glitter edges was burned into my retinas.I cracked my knuckles, letting the sharp lawyer side of my brain take the steering wheel. I loaded up the Lovebomb website on my browser and logged straight into Tia's account. Since Mari and I were the ones who had forcefully set the profile up for her a few weeks ago, I k

Chapter 24: LailaKyle’s POV"What the flaming fuck is going on here!?"The venomous demand cracked like a physical whip through the cosy, intimate warmth of my office.Shit. Oh, absolute shit. The single expletive echoed on a frantic loop in my brain. My stomach plummeted directly into my boots, the rich, comforting taste of Cleo’s homemade pulled pork turning to instant ash in my mouth. My heart hammered against my ribs with the violent, erratic rhythm of a trapped bird.I pushed my leather office chair back so forcefully that the wheels squealed and it slammed hard against the back wall. I shot to my feet."Laila," I snarled, my voice dropping into a low, dangerous warning tone that I usually reserved for aggressive casualties. "What the hell are you doing here?"She stepped fully into the doorway, her broad shoulders practically filling the frame. She wasn't in her turnout gear, but even in her heavy dark winter coat and jeans, she looked imposing. Her icy blue eyes were narrowed

Chapter 26: Forgive me?Kyle’s POVThe heavy diesel engine roared as we reversed back onto the wide concrete forecourt of the Galencia Bay station. The callout had been nothing more than a group of bored, mouthy teenagers setting fire to the industrial rubbish bins behind the local Wholemans superstore, but the residual adrenaline was still pumping fiercely through my veins.Before the heavy red shutters had even fully lowered to the ground, I jumped out of the cab and practically sprinted down the linoleum corridor toward my office.She stayed, I thought to myself, the frantic, desperate drumbeat of my heart beginning to slow. She actually stayed. That has to be a positive sign, right? I paused outside my office door, took a deep, steadying breath to compose myself, and pushed it open.The harsh overhead lights were off, the room illuminated only by the soft, amber glow of the desk lamp. There she was. Cleo was slumped sideways on the black leather futon beneath the window, her vibra

Chapter 28: Dead EndsBen’s POVGreg came back downstairs with the laptops tucked under his arm pretty quickly, his heavy footsteps thudding against the hardwood stairs. He had a fierce, unblinking determination in his hazel eyes that I hadn't seen before.He dumped my sleek silver laptop and his own heavily modified, sticker-covered custom laptop onto the large oak dining table. We pulled out two chairs, set up our respective power cables, and got cracking.I booted up my laptop and rubbed my exhausted eyes. The adrenaline was starting to curdle into a dull, throbbing ache at the base of my skull."This could take a while, girls," I called out softly, glancing over to where Mari and Tiana were huddled together on the living room sofa, looking like two terrified teenagers. "Why don't you try and get some rest? It's been a hell of a night.""If it's gonna be a long one, I'll stick the espresso machine on," Mari said, ignoring my advice entirely. She stood up, smoothing down her velvet

Chapter 30: Meet the FamilyCleo’s POVKyle had not been exaggerating when he said his parents were putting him up in a nice place while his condo was being renovated. The Manzano family home was absolutely huge.Nestled high on a steep, winding hill overlooking the sparkling expanse of Galencia Bay, it was a large, breathtakingly beautiful grey stucco villa. The sprawling property was surrounded by a gorgeously landscaped, multi-tiered garden, perfectly framed with mature apple and pear trees whose leaves were just beginning to turn crisp, autumnal shades of gold and red.As Kyle navigated his red sports car up the sweeping driveway, I took it all in. The ground was fully paved in warm, honey-coloured sandstone, save for a few beautifully designed, raised flower beds bursting with late-blooming hydrangeas. To the left of the main house, there was a sunken fire pit surrounded by long, rustic stump seating, a heavy wooden gazebo laced with fairy lights, a large metal storage shed, and