Southern Man Book Novels & Stories

Thayer had spent every night in bars, his body deteriorating day by day. To chase thrill after thrill, he manipulated every woman he met, never using protection. Each conquest ended the same way: he disappeared afterward, refusing to acknowledge any of them.

Only after she heard me slam the bedroom door did she grit her teeth, punch the door in frustration, and storm off. I turned on the bedside lamp calmly and flipped open a magazine. The reason I dared to make such a scene today was simple—I had been reborn. In my previous life, a fire broke out when Irene had gone to be with Winston. My home became my pyre. Now that I was given a second chance, I wasn't going to let them walk all over me again. Since she wanted to run off to another man so desperately, I saw no reason to stand in her way. However, I'd make sure the whole neighborhood saw exactly what kind of people they were.

"After Dove left. After I saw the look on your face when you walked out. I couldn't concentrate on work knowing you were hurting, knowing you thought— I needed to do something with my hands and cooking helps me think. Helps me process." Now that I was actually looking around rather than being immediately pressed against a door, I could take in his apartment properly. It was stunning. Exactly what I'd expect from someone in his position - sleek modern furniture in blacks and greys, expensive art on the walls that probably cost more than my car, floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stunning panoramic view of the city lights twinkling below. But there were also personal touches. Books everywhere

The entire clearing seemed to narrow to that moment. To what was about to be said. And suddenly— I didn’t want to hear it. Because I already knew. We all did. “You need to come with me,” Sarin said gently. Her voice came then. Flat. Unfamiliar. “No.” It wasn’t defiance. It wasn’t fear. It was… absence. “You'll tell me here,” she added. Sarin hesitated. Just for a second. But it was enough. The truth settled fully. “He was recovered,” Sarin said carefully. “From the northern ridge.”