Novel & Cerita Cross Roads

“Croissants. From the place that pretends they’re from Paris.” “Bless you,” I muttered, taking one. Lila perched on the arm of the couch, crossing one leg over the other. “So… I woke up to your face all over my feed again. It’s giving ‘star-crossed scandal sequel.’” I groaned. “Please don’t start.” She grinned. “Relax. I’m not judging. I’m just saying — the man looked like a walking heartbreak out there. You could feel the tension through the photos.”

At seventeen, Damien Delta severed all ties with his best friend. Without a single word or explanation, he cut Harrison Kane, out of his life completely. For years, Damien stayed on the circuit, masterfully calculating his schedule to make sure their paths never crossed. When dodging Harrison became too difficult, Damien quit driving altogether, stepping away from the track to build the cars instead. He thought he was safe behind the scenes. He was wrong. When the Delta empire faces complete ruin, Damien is forced to break his own golden rule. Dragged out of retirement for SLAT—the most prestigious, brutal racing tournament in the world—he has to step back into the driver's seat.  And

asked Damian who was also restless behind them. "Just sit there and wait." Lucas replied while focusing on his laptop. "Are we on the right track?" Kevin asked, driving a car. Lucas bit his lip, "When we cross the bridge, to your right...the map points to a little further. The signal is also lost," answered Lucas, still focused on the laptop. A few minutes after they crossed the bridge, Kevin followed his turn to the right. "Shit!" Kevin's reaction to seeing a large tree fall in their path.

Three days later, they reached Three Crosses, the last neutral town before the border split. It was a messy, loud place, built where three roads met, no one pack’s law holding full sway. Traders yelled over carts of wool and iron, and dried fruit. Dogs slept in the dust. Children chased each other between barrels. No one bowed. No one moved out of the way unless you almost ran them over. It was the closest thing to normal any of them had seen in months.

"Until we know otherwise. She goes in alive." He nodded. Relaxed slightly. "That's acceptable. Thank you Alpha Manuel." "Stop thanking me and get your coat. We're leaving in ten minutes." "Nine minutes and thirty seconds would be more efficient—" "Ten minutes Mitch." "Understood. Alpha Manuel." I didn't answer and Just started walking. But part of me hoped he was right. Part of me needed to know she'd survived. I hated that part of me. The Crossroads sat right on the border of Riverside land between three pack territories. A Neutral ground.

I said finally, “If he doesn’t find me - ” Jake cut in, his eyes still fixed on the road. “We’re almost there.” I blinked. “Almost where, Jake?” He didn’t answer right away. He just pressed his foot slightly harder on the gas. I turned to the window again, watching darkness blur past. Then we pulled up to a crossroads. There was not a single streetlight in sight. Every direction looked the same - pitch black, silent, still. Jake slowed the car to a stop. My fingers curled tightly around the edge of the seat.

They had left the farming landscape behind a couple of days ago and was now riding through a landscape full of small patches of trees that framed grassy knolls with boulders and rocks scattered around it. “How do we cross it? Is there a bridge?” Mary asked, trying to look ahead to see for herself. “No there isn’t a bridge, in about an hour we will come to a ford where we will be able to make it across” Leana explained. Mary frowned at the unknown word. “What is a ford?” she asked.

“It just makes sense that there would be with so much water around. There will likely be smaller rivers and tributaries we will have to cross, too.” “Then, we should probably stick to the road,” Rain thought aloud. Mist almost stopped as she glanced over her shoulder to look at Rain, like she couldn’t believe her friend had actually made a decision. Compelled to elaborate, Rain said, “If there are any chances of bridges being intact enough to use to cross, we will need to be on a road.” “Good point,” Mist said, turning back around. She didn’t stray from the path they were on, which made Rain wonder if she had actually made a good point--for once.

However, there were no ‘ifs’ in life. The car crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. Through the rain and mist, the streetlights on the bridge flickered on one by one, stretching forward like a road leading somewhere.

And in the silence of her flat, the weight of it pressed harder. That night she dreamed of two roads stretching before her. One was paved, smooth, lined with familiar voices cheering her on. The other was rugged, uncertain, shrouded in mist. She stood at the crossroads, unable to move. And when she turned around, both Liam and Darren stood behind her, waiting for her choice. She woke in a cold sweat, her sheets tangled around her legs. The dream stayed with her all day, a gnawing reminder that her decision was not finished.