Chapter 1- The Boy On The Edge

CONTENT WARNINGThis story contains themes of mental health struggles, suicidal ideation, emotional abuse, and trauma. Reader discretion is advised.Asher's pov.I slammed my door shut and twisted the lock, the metallic click echoing in the silence of my room. My hands were shaking so hard I could barely pull them away. I slid down the wood immediately, my back pressed against the door, my knees tucked tightly to my chest. I covered my ears with both hands, squeezing my eyes shut as if I could physically block out the world.But I couldn't. My mother’s voice was like a ghost, it drifted through the cracks, sharp and relentless.“Why are you so useless?”The words slipped past my defenses anyway.“Why can’t you be like your sisters?”My chest tightened. Of course. It always came back to them.“Why are you so different? Why do you act like you don’t give a shit about this world?”A shaky breath slipped out of me before I could stop it.She said she should have aborted me when she had t

Last Updated : 2026-05-09

Chapter 2- The Bad Son

Asher's POVI should’ve walked back home. It wasn’t far. But my legs wouldn’t cooperate, they were heavy, weakened by the adrenaline crash. I ended up in a cab instead, frozen in the backseat as the city passed in blurred streaks of light. Even now, the weight of the stranger’s wrist felt like a brand burned into my palm.My muscles were locking up in a delayed reaction to the stress.My brain was stuck on a loop, the roar of the water, the hollow desperation in those dark eyes, and the way the sleek black car had swallowed him whole.I couldn’t stop thinking about him, whether he was still alive, whether anything I did actually changed anything, or if I had just delayed the inevitable. When the cab pulled up to the curb, the sight of my house made my stomach knot. The windows were glowing with a warm amber light that felt like a mockery.I stepped out onto the pavement and stood still for a long minute, clenching my fists until the tremors subsided. “It’s fine, Asher, it’s fine,” I

Last Updated : 2026-05-09

Chapter 3- The Golden Cage

Asher's POVThe gallery was a cathedral of hushed whispers and polished concrete. Cool, sterile air brushed against my skin, carrying the faint, sharp scent of floor wax and expensive perfume. People moved in slow, deliberate patterns, their gazes glued to the canvases as if searching for a secret code. It was a world away from the suffocating heat of my father’s dining room, and for the first time in twenty-four hours, my lungs didn't feel constricted.Brady and Trevor trailed a few paces behind me. I could hear the low rumble of their voices, though the words blurred into the background noise of the crowd until Trevor’s shoulder bumped mine.“Ash, look at two o’clock,” Trevor whispered, leaning in. He nodded toward a girl in a silk dress standing with a group of friends near a sculpture. “Tell me she isn’t exactly my type. Isn’t she stunning?”Brady exhaled a sharp, dry breath. "So your main job here is just spotting pretty girls, Trev?”I let out a soft chuckle, shaking my head.

Last Updated : 2026-05-09

Chapter 4- The Boy On The Stairs

Leonard's pov.The evening air hit me as I stepped out of the gallery, heavier than I expected. I walked down the marble stairs, my shoes clicking against the stone. The staircase stretched endlessly beneath me, polished marble designed to make people feel insignificant before they even stepped inside.My mind stayed behind in that alcove with the boy who had explained the painting. He was striking, with brunette hair, long lashes, and a delicate symmetry to his face that felt far too soft for a place like this.Seeing him again brought the bridge back with it. I could still feel his hands pulling me back from the railing.I hated him for it, for witnessing my lowest moment and taking away the only choice I had left."Young Master." Marcus's voice cut through the memory, sharp and professional. "You have fifty minutes. Dinner with your father and brother is scheduled for six."I didn't respond. My jaw tightened at the thought of sitting at that long, cold table.I wanted to ask why w

Last Updated : 2026-05-09

Chapter 5- The Wrong Answer

Asher's pov.The professor’s voice faded into the background, mixing with the scratching of pens against paper.Everyone around me was hunched over their desks, desperate to capture every word. I leaned back, my own notebook open, but my pen wasn't tracing chemical bonds or reaction formulas.Instead, the graphite moved in soft, precise strokes, carving out the sharp line of a jaw and the intensity of a gaze I couldn’t shake. Seeing Leonard at the gallery yesterday… he looked different. Even more striking than the first time. The memory of him standing among the paintings made the air in my lungs feel thin.I let out a slow, silent exhale, my chest tightening as the rest of the day flashed back. The panic of seeing my father at the exhibition. Rushing into that cramped, dusty storage room to avoid being seen. I could still feel the itch of insulation against my skin and the relentless pounding of my heartbeat while Brady and Trevor stood guard outside for hours. By the time they si

Last Updated : 2026-05-09

All Chapters of The Edge Of You : Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Chapter 1- The Boy On The Edge

Chapter 2- The Bad Son

Chapter 3- The Golden Cage

Chapter 4- The Boy On The Stairs

Chapter 5- The Wrong Answer