The Night We Began Novels & Stories

Serena, a mosaic of emotions etched on her face, gazed out of the window, contemplating the intricacies of the night that had just slipped away. As the dawn unfolded, Serena arrived at her doorstep, the quietude of the morning enveloping her. She stepped into her apartment, the remnants of the night clinging to her like a veil of memories. The world outside had shifted, and Serena, standing on the threshold between night and day, carried the echoes of an extraordinary journey—an odyssey that began with tequila shots, danced through the labyrinth of a pulsating club, and culminated in the quiet solitude of dawn.

The day dawned with a lot of brightness, even more than usual. Ironic. Drunken actions are reflections of sober intimate thoughts. This was very true for Roberth. The situation was complicated for him... Roberth woke up at an unusual hour, different from what he was used to. He went through his usual routine and went downstairs for breakfast, grabbing his phone. He was torn between seeking out Sarah to clarify everything or spending the day with Amanda. Nothing was easy. Anthony was already ready for the day and, startled by the seriousness on his son's face, sat down at the table and silently ate his cake.

“You really don't remember anything? Well, let me recap a little for you. Yesterday was the last ball of the season, everyone was excited about it. We had our driving lessons and then got ready for the party. We got to the party, it was going well. Your crazy mother showed up with a bump on her head, we all joked about it. Then you pulled Axel to the dance floor and danced with him, everyone watched, and everyone was happy. I and Max joined and other people did too. After the dance, I don't fucking know what happened but you suddenly got into an argument with Axel and you stormed off. You have been missing since then and you showed up this morning with your fucking nude all over the internet

... My fiancé's best friend, Candace Lombard, held her phone high, the camera trained on my nearly bare body. Her laughter was sharp and mocking. "Wow, Cathy, so eager already? The wedding night has barely started, and you're stripping?" My cheeks burned with shame as I yanked the blanket around me, shooting a desperate glance at my new husband, Sam Whitman, standing by the bed. He frowned but made no move to stop her. Instead, he gently nudged me. "Don't get upset. Candace is just having fun with the wedding night pranks. She doesn't mean any harm."

Still mad about my attitude on the phone, she grabbed a change of clothes and went to wash up. By the time she finished, I was already lying in bed, ready to sleep. Nyra stood at the foot of the bed, staring at me. Her intense gaze was impossible to ignore, even with my eyes closed. Just as I was getting annoyed, my phone rang. "Tyler! Isn't today your birthday? I've brought over some company perks for you!" Matteo's loud voice cut through the quiet night. Nyra's expression crumbled at his words. I hung up, then immediately got out of bed and walked out.

A brutal one. Should I be relieved? I sucked in a deep breath. "This is a consultancy agreement," I said. "This is — it's just work." I almost added 'so, what's the big deal?' "Mhm..." He looked amused. "It's just work." He took a step closer to me. "Let me read it to you the way I wrote it before my lawyer thought it wise to modify it into legal language." My heart thundered. I knew it. "Sixty nights." He nodded at the page in my hands. "That clause about availability after eight. It means when I call, you come. Not when it's convenient. Not when Liam's out of town. When I call."

--- The night raid began at midnight. We moved through the forest like shadows, our steps silent, our senses sharp. Altan led the way, his massive form blocking the wind, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. Ayşe walked beside me, her blade drawn, her breath steady. And Stellan walked at my side, his hand in mine, the bond pulsing between us like a second heartbeat.

That's why we had to leave early in the morning. At exactly five o'clock, one by one, my friends arrived with sleepy faces. Leopold was the last to arrive. I'm sure he didn't take a shower because the shirt he was wearing was upside-down. After hearing Nancy's explanation, the trekking began. The hill was not that far away; it was behind the resort. It was a light trek, but it was quite sweaty. The rest of the sleepiness immediately disappeared when we arrived at the hilltop. They laid out a healthy breakfast there, but no one touched it. All my coworkers were stunned when they saw the dark sky that suddenly opened up and presented a beautiful orange color.

The night that we didn't use protection though was one of the hottest nights that we'd ever fuck each other, though, and even now while I still sort of freak out about the thought of her being pregnant, just thinking about that night makes me hot enough I have to stroke myself. It started off like any other night really. My roommates weren't home, and Stephanie wanted a booty call. No big deal. She knew, and she showed up. We didn't really waste any time in doing anything like talking, or catching up.

she said, her tone deadly serious for a second, “I got dragged off the street by a stranger who looked like he could bench press a car, and as a thank-you, I promised myself I’d treat us to something nice. Tonight’s that night.” The three of us piled into a cab, laughing, teasing, feeling for a few hours like the rest of the world didn’t exist. Inside the nightclub, lights spun in iridescent patterns, music pulsed through our bones, and for the first time in weeks, I let myself forget. Forget Carson. Forget Luke. Forget everything that had nearly torn me apart. I raised my glass, clinking it against Cole’s and River’s. “To new beginnings,” I said, voice trembling just a little.