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The Summer That Wasn’t
( A LADs: Dissonance AU )
Welcome Home

— Zero —
Whitesand Bay had always been a second home to me.It was where I grew up, where the days smelled like sunscreen and salt, where the streets never changed, even when the people did. My mom had packed us up and left years ago, trading the slow, sun-drenched beach town for the sharp angles of the city, chasing her dream of becoming a police officer.But every summer, without fail, she brought me back here.To this house.Josephine’s beach house wasn’t just a house—it was a landmark. A mansion disguised as a coastal retreat, perched at the edge of the cliffs with wraparound balconies that caught the sunrise in the morning and the moonlight at night. She had been a top researcher for one of the leading organizations in Linkon once, but to me, she’d always been Grandma Josephine . My mom didn’t have family left, so Josephine became ours.I pulled my helmet off, shaking out my hair as I killed the engine of my motorcycle. Behind me, my mom honked as she parked her car to the side, and I rolled my eyes. She hated this thing.But it wasn’t just a motorcycle.It was the last thing my dad ever gave me before he died two years ago. Right before my birthday.Riding it was the only way I could still feel close to him.Even though I was adopted when I was seven, my parents—Jenna and Andrew—never let me feel like I didn’t belong. They were badass cops, even more badass parents. But after Dad died, Mom changed. She got colder , stricter. It was suffocating.So when she said we were coming back to Whitesand Bay for the summer, I knew it wasn’t really her decision. It was Josephine’s.Mom had fought it, I was sure. But Josephine was just as headstrong as she was, and if there was one thing I knew about those two, it was that arguing with them was a guaranteed loss.The salty breeze wrapped around me, carrying the scent of sun-warmed sand and the distant crackle of waves against the shore.And then, there it was.The house I had once seen as my second home—where I had spent summers, birthdays, stolen late-night adventures.It stood before me after two years, unchanged, untouched.I knew every inch of it—the grand wraparound porch with its pristine white railings, the scent of salt and sun-bleached wood drifting through the open French doors, the towering windows that framed the ocean like a living painting. The chandeliers in the foyer sparkled with the glow of golden-hour light, and the soft crash of waves echoed through the high ceilings. Even the old wind chime on the balcony—delicate and out of place against the elegant design—still rattled in the breeze, no matter how many times Josephine tried to fix it.Two years was a long time.Too long.And something told me that by the end of this summer, nothing would be the same again.I barely had time to set my bag down before Rafayel was there, leaning lazily against the porch railing like he had been waiting all day just to deliver that line. He had perfected that effortless, too cool to care energy years ago, but I knew better. Rafayel was always watching, always paying attention, even when he pretended not to.He looked the same as ever—fair skin and dusky purple hair tousled like he had just rolled out of bed but somehow still looked annoyingly perfect. He was all long limbs and relaxed posture, his half-unbuttoned linen shirt hanging loosely over his toned frame like he had just come from a photoshoot rather than lounging around Josephine’s house all day. A silver ring gleamed on his thumb, and his sunglasses, which I was convinced were more for style than function, were shoved into his hair.Rafayel lived for moments like these. He was a performer, and I was just another part of the script he had been waiting to act out.His gaze swept over me—slow, assessing, a flicker of something sharp and intrigued just before he smirked.“Damn, city girl,” he mused, tilting his head. “Didn’t expect you to roll up looking like that. ”I rolled my eyes, but my skin felt warm under his scrutiny. “Looking like what , exactly?”He grinned, slow and lazy, running a hand through his hair. “Like you actually grew up.”I scoffed. “If I had known my arrival was such a critical event, I would’ve charged admission.”Rafayel clicked his tongue, pushing off the railing with an easy grace. “Please. I’d make more money selling popcorn and watching you try to pretend you’re not excited to be here.”I rolled my eyes, ready to shoot back something equally snarky, but before I could, the screen door creaked open again.And suddenly, Rafayel’s teasing faded into background noise.Because Caleb stepped outside.And Caleb had the audacity to look like that.Sun-kissed and annoyingly effortless, his dark brown hair shorter than last summer but still long enough to fall into his eyes. His tan skin practically glowed under the afternoon sun, his athletic shorts hanging loose on his hips, a towel draped around his neck like he had just come back from a run. He wiped the sweat from his face, the movement casual, practiced, like he hadn’t just stepped into a golden-hour photoshoot for a GQ summer edition.Unbelievable.His usual teasing came slower this time, like he was still piecing something together. His eyes dragged over me—lingering just a second too long before snapping back up to my face.“Pip-squeak,” he said, his voice warm, teasing.And before I could react, his hand came down on my head, ruffling my hair like he always had when we were kids—except now, his palm was warm, slightly damp, and I was painfully aware of how ridiculously tall he had gotten.I froze. Not in a romantic way. In a processing sensory overload way.Caleb pulled back, draping his towel over his shoulder, his Adam’s apple bobbing as if he had something to say but thought better of it.I blinked once. Then twice. Recover. Say something normal. I crossed my arms, leveling him with my best unimpressed look. “Didn’t realize my attendance was on a strict time schedule.”Caleb smirked— of course he smirked—before reaching for his water bottle. “You’re always late.”I sighed, turning to Rafayel. “Is it too late to go back home?”Rafayel slung an arm around my shoulders, grinning. “Oh, cutie. You are home.”And then—From the corner of the entryway, past the white stone gate that framed the house, another presence pulled my attention.Xavier.He moved with quiet ease, his bicycle rolling to a smooth stop as he parked it next to my motorbike. A plastic bag dangled from his fingers, his silver hair shorter than before, the late afternoon sun catching along the lean muscle of his arms beneath his sleeveless tank.For a moment, no one spoke.I felt it—the weight of their eyes.It wasn’t just me noticing how much they’d changed.They were noticing me , too.Xavier’s sharp blue eyes flickered over me, slow and unreadable, his lips parting slightly, as if there was something he wanted to say but didn’t.“Zero,” he finally said, his voice as smooth and even as ever. No teasing, no unnecessary words—just simple, familiar. But there was something in the way he said it, something in the way his blue eyes held mine, that made my stomach tighten.He didn’t smirk. Didn’t whistle. Didn’t say a word right away.But his gaze lingered. I hesitated—not because I wasn’t expecting to see them.But because they weren’t expecting to see me .Not like this.Standing there in the golden light amidst the sea breeze, I realized something:I wasn’t the only one who had changed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Zero Hour
—Zero—
Josephine’s voice rang out, snapping me out of whatever weird moment had just passed.“Jenna!”I turned just in time to see Grandma Josephine step onto the porch, arms crossed but a warm smile playing on her lips. She looked the same as ever—sharp eyes, knowing smirk, the kind of presence that made you feel welcome and like she saw straight through you at the same time.Mom sighed as she shut her car door. “Don’t start, Jo.”Josephine smirked. “Me? Start? Never.” Then, her gaze flicked toward me, softening. “Look at you, dear! You’re taller, and all grown up!”I scoffed. “Barely.” Part of why Mom decided to agree to come was because Josephine wanted to celebrate my birthday together this year . Like old times. And this was the summer I’d turn 18. I was always the youngest, and it was always just me and the boys. And even though I was a girl, they always managed to include me in everything they did. And Josephine had always treated me like the daughter she never had. She hummed in response, clearly unconvinced, before turning to the boys.“Well? Are you all just going to stand there gawking, or are you going to help Jenna and Zero with their bags?”It was subtle, but it was there. The way Caleb straightened a little, how Xavier’s fingers flexed like he was adjusting to something, how Rafayel’s brows lifted slightly before a glint of mischief flashed in his eyes.I barely noticed—I was too busy shoving my duffle into Rafayel’s chest before he could open his mouth. “Here. Consider this payback for all the times you pushed me off the dock.”And suddenly, the three of them locked eyes.A moment of perfect, synchronized silence passed between them—one of those unspoken conversations that only people who had spent years causing chaos together could have.My stomach dropped slightly, but I didn’t let it show.Instead, I narrowed my eyes. “…Why… are you guys looking at each other like that?”Rafayel was the first to move, adjusting my bag against his hip like he hadn’t just been part of something weird. “No reason,” he said smoothly, already stepping inside.Caleb followed next, grabbing my suitcase without a word, though I swore I caught the edge of a smirk before he turned away.And Xavier—Xavier didn’t say a thing. He just glanced at me one last time, something ominous flickering in his eyes before he carried the last of my things inside.I watched them disappear, brows furrowed. Okay. That was weird.I shook it off, following after them, but the feeling lingered.~~ I had barely taken a moment to breathe after dropping onto the couch when Rafayel appeared in front of me, stretching dramatically.“Well, would you look at the time,” he mused, cracking his neck, that same scheming glint flashing in his violet eyes.I blinked. “…What?”Caleb appeared at his side, arms crossed, looking way too sexy and highly amused. “Did you forget already?”I frowned. “Forget what?”Xavier walked up last, standing just slightly behind them, gaze cool, and nonchalant. But there was something just barely tugging at the corner of his lips—like he already knew what was about to happen.Rafayel sighed, placing a dramatic hand over his heart. “Oh, this is tragic. Truly.”Caleb leaned in slightly, smirk deepening. “It’s…”Then, as if perfectly rehearsed, the three of them said it at once—“Zero Hour!!!”The realization hit me like a freight train.My eyes widened. My stomach dropped.“Oh, hell no.”I jumped out of my seat and hopped over the couch, and then spun on my heel to run, but it was too late.Laughter erupted behind me as I bolted for the front door, but heavy footsteps followed, fast and merciless. Trapped. I barely made it two steps before Caleb’s arm snaked around my waist, lifting me clean off the ground.“Got her!”I shrieked, thrashing, but it was useless. Xavier grabbed my legs, his grip firm but careful, while Rafayel strolled up in front of me, grinning like a damn movie villain.“This feels right, doesn’t it?” Rafayel teased, tilting his head as I struggled. “The balance of the universe has been restored~”“Let me go, you traitors!” I yelled between fits of laughter, twisting in their hold, but they only tightened their grip.“On three?” Caleb asked chuckling mischievously under his breath.Xavier gave a small nod followed by a soft grin that tugged at the curve of his lips. “Three.”They swung me back once.“Two.”I gasped, realizing I was actually going in the water. “Wait—wait, wait—!!!”“One.”And then—The world flipped.I let out one final scream-laugh before I was airborne, crashing into the pool with a giant splash.Water engulfed me, the chill sinking into my bones, and for a moment, all I could do was float, weightless, as the memories came rushing back.The way they always did this every summer. How I should have seen it coming. How I almost forgot.Zero Hour.By the time I surfaced, gasping, my hair stuck to my face, laughter still caught in my throat, I looked up to find the three of them standing at the edge of the pool—grinning, triumphant, like they had just won the greatest battle of all. Laughter still echoed in the air, but I wasn’t about to let them off that easy.Rafayel wiggled his fingers. “Welcome home, cutie pie.”I splashed him. Hard.Caleb broke into full laughter, Xavier shook his head but was definitely smiling, and Rafayel cursed as water soaked his entire front.It really did feel like home.I let out a dramatic gasp, clutching my ankle as I pouted. “Ow! That wasn’t fair—” I winced for effect, my voice wobbling just enough to sound convincing. “I think I hurt my ankle.”Instant silence.I barely had to look up to know that all three of them had immediately stiffened.Rafayel’s smirk dropped, his brow furrowing slightly. “Wait—seriously?”Xavier was already scanning me, calm but focused, his sharp blue eyes flicking toward my ankle like he was mentally assessing the damage.But it was Caleb who reacted first.Before either of them could move, he was already stepping forward, eyes locked on me, concern written all over his face.“Zero—”I reached up. “Help me?”He didn’t hesitate, crouching at the pool’s edge and reaching down to grab my hand, completely focused on me.Gotcha.The moment our fingers touched, I yanked him forward with all my strength.Caleb barely had time to curse before he lost his balance and crashed into the water.A massive splash erupted around us, sending waves rippling across the pool. I barely had time to laugh before I felt a strong arm loop around my waist, and then—I was yanked underwater with him.The world went quiet.Bubbles danced around us, sunlight cutting through the water in soft, golden rays.For a moment, it was just us.His hand still rested against my waist, warm even in the cool water. His dark hair floated slightly around his face, eyes finding mine through the shifting waves.I could see the surprise in them, the amusement. Something else.Something that made my stomach flip.I had always had the tiniest… biggest crush on Caleb.Not that I’d ever admit it.Not that I’d ever let myself think about it too hard.Because he was Caleb. The golden boy. The one who was always teasing me, looking out for me, treating me like I was someone to protect.He was right there, always. But somehow, he still felt out of reach.And even now—even with the way he was looking at me, eyes warm, unblinking, as if he had completely forgotten we were underwater—I was sure he didn’t see me that way.…Right?Before I could let myself sink too deep into the thought, Caleb smirked—underwater smirked—and then suddenly, he was pulling me down with him again, sending us both tumbling through the water as I let out a stream of bubbles, laughing.By the time we resurfaced, I was breathless.And it had nothing to do with the swim.Caleb wiped the water from his face, pushing his soaked hair back, his grin wide and triumphant."You think you're funny, huh Pip-squeak?" he breathed, blinking the water out of his eyes.I flipped my wet hair over my shoulder, smug. "Ohh. I think I'm hilarious."He lunged toward me, sending another wave of water crashing over my head.I shrieked, swatting at him as I kicked back toward the shallow end. Laughter filled the air, loud, unfiltered, familiar—a sound I hadn’t realized I missed until now.Rafayel and Xavier were watching from the edge, Rafayel shaking his head, his smirk firmly back in place.“Knew it was a trap,” he mused, crossing his arms.Xavier hummed, his voice as smooth as ever. “I wouldn’t have fallen for it.”I scoffed, dripping as I pulled myself out of the water, my clothes clinging to my skin. “That’s because you have zero sense of fun.”Xavier tilted his head slightly, watching me in that unreadable way of his. “Or maybe,” he said, “I just know you well enough.”I didn’t have a comeback for that.Instead, I rolled my eyes, marching toward the house, leaving a trail of wet footprints on the stone patio.“Don’t even think about dripping all over my floors!” Josephine called from inside.“Too late,” I sang, stepping into the house, water still dripping from my hair as I tried to wring out the hem of my shirt.I barely made it past the threshold before I heard the sound of three sets of footsteps closing in behind me.Before I could turn, Rafayel’s voice was right behind my ear, smooth as silk. “You should probably change before you catch a cold, city girl.”I turned, only to find him way too close, his bluish pink eyes flicking downward—not in a weird way, but in a way that made me hyper-aware of the fact that my shirt was still sticking to me like a second skin, and it was white.“God, you’re annoying,” I muttered, pushing past him, my face warming.Xavier was already by the staircase, his arms crossed, leaning against the banister. “Towels are in the upstairs closet,” he said, as if this was just another day, just another summer, as if I wasn’t standing there dripping wet in front of three guys who had been acting weird since I arrived.And then there was Caleb.He hadn’t said a word.But when I glanced at him, standing just a few feet away, his expression was different.Less teasing. More unreadable.I had spent years figuring out Caleb—learning when his smirks meant trouble, when his grins meant he was plotting, when his laughter meant he was really, really happy.But whatever this was?I didn’t know what to do with it.So, naturally, I did what I always did.I ignored it.“I’m gonna go shower and change before Josephine kicks me out for water damage,” I muttered, heading up the stairs.As I disappeared into the hallway, I could still hear their voices drifting up behind me.“Still think we should’ve held her under a little longer,” Rafayel was saying.“She’s lucky I didn’t drop her halfway in,” Caleb shot back.Xavier, ever composed, simply hummed. “She’ll get us back for it. You know that, right?”Silence. Then—Rafayel’s low chuckle. “Oh, I’m counting on it.”~~~
Later That Evening
I flopped onto my bed, still dressed in the tank top and board shorts I’d thrown on for the drive. My phone balanced on my knee as the video call rang. A second later, two familiar faces popped up—Tara, already shuffling a deck of tarot cards with a knowing smirk, and Simone, lounging in her desk chair, adjusting her headset like she was about to crack some military-grade encryption.“Finally!” Tara chirped, flipping a card with unnecessary dramatics. “The Lovers showed up before you called—this summer is gonna be juicy.”I groaned, throwing an arm over my face. “Nope. We are not doing this.”Simone smirked. “Too late. She already pulled the card. That means drama. So spill—who’s there, what’s happening, and how soon do we start taking bets?”I sighed, sitting up and pulling my knee to my chest. “I literally just got here.”“And?”I exhaled. “Alright, fine. Caleb was already waiting for me outside like he’s the welcoming committee. Rafayel immediately started talking shit—so, you know, business as usual. And then…” I hesitated.Tara leaned closer to the screen. “Then what?”I scratched the back of my head. “Xavier’s here.”Simone let out a low whistle. “Damn. The long-lost foster brother returns.”Tara gasped, her deck slipping from her hands. “I knew something was gonna shake up your summer!”I rolled my shoulders, trying to shake off the weird weight in my chest. “Nothing is shaking up anything. It’s just—awkward. I haven’t seen Xavier in forever, Caleb is already being Caleb, and Rafayel is Rafayel.”“So what you’re saying is,” Tara hummed, “you’re doomed.”Simone grinned. “I should’ve hacked into their group chats before you got there. I’d have all the intel on what they’re thinking.”I pointed at the screen. “That is exactly why you’re not allowed to do that.”Tara started shuffling again, her voice sing-songy. “I’ll do a full reading later, but I’m just saying—the cards never lie.”I flopped back onto my pillows. “Tara, if you text me at 3 AM saying I’m about to fall for Caleb—”Tara gasped dramatically. “I would never—”Simone snorted. “She absolutely would.”I groaned, dragging my hands down my face. “Alright, I gotta go. Pray for me.”“Manifesting chaos,” Simone said.“Manifesting love,” Tara added.I hung up before I could hear anything else.By the time I came back downstairs—showered, dry, and in a fresh change of clothes—the sun had started dipping beneath the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of pink and gold.The salty breeze rolled in through the open balcony doors, the house warm with the smell of something delicious cooking.Josephine was at the stove, humming as she stirred a pot of what I could only assume was her famous seafood stew.Rafayel was leaning against the kitchen counter, eating olives straight from the jar. Xavier was flipping through a book, half-listening to their conversation.And Caleb was standing in front of the fridge, shirtless.I stopped way too abruptly in the doorway.Because, okay. Yes, I knew Caleb worked out. Yes, I knew he had gotten buffer since the last time I saw him. But knowing something and seeing it were two very different things.His back was turned as he reached inside for something, but it didn’t even matter—I still saw the sharp definition in his arms, the way his muscles flexed slightly as he moved. His back muscles were so toned…It was so incredibly unfair how godly he looked in the kitchen lightning.I cleared my throat, get yourself together girl. It’s not like I’ve never seen sexy topless men before. I blinked a few times forcing myself to snap out of the daze. Rafayel grinned, tossing an olive into his mouth. “Finally back after your Hollywood shower, princess.”I threw a dish towel at his face. Xavier didn’t even look up from his book, but I swore I saw his lip twitch.Meanwhile, Caleb finally turned, a sports drink in his hand, eyebrows raising slightly at me.He didn’t smirk or tease me.Instead, he took a sip of his drink, eyeing me over the rim of the bottle before saying, in a tone that was far too casual—“…What’s up Pip-squeak?”I grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, twisting off the cap as I walked past Caleb, pretending like I hadn’t just completely short-circuited at the sight of him standing there all golden-skinned and ridiculously, unnecessarily shirtless.I took a sip, keeping my tone casual. “So what, you training to be a lifeguard now? Or just trying to give the ocean a complex?”Caleb turned, still drinking from his sports bottle, watching me over the rim. He swallowed, slow and easy, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.“You been thinking about me out there in the water, Pip-squeak?”I scoffed, leaning against the counter. “More like wondering how your ego’s supposed to fit on a surfboard.”His smirk twitched, the way it always did when I caught him off guard. A flicker of something unreadable passed through his eyes before he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice just enough that I felt it more than I heard it.“And here I thought you liked a guy with strong shoulders.”I raised a brow, tilting my head. “Strong shoulders are great. Even better if they don’t get in the way of their head.”For the first time, he hesitated.It lasted only a second, but I saw it. The brief parting of his lips, the way his fingers curled just slightly around his drink, like he wasn’t expecting me to hit back that hard.And then, just as quickly, he exhaled through his nose and shook his head, muttering under his breath, “Unbelievable.”I took another sip of my water, smiling to myself.Game on.Xavier shut his book, stretching one arm over his head before resting his elbow on the counter. “There’s only one way to settle this.”Caleb shot him a bored look. “Oh yeah?”Xavier smirked slightly. “Surf-off. Tomorrow. No excuses.”Caleb snorted. “You make it sound like we have contracts to sign.”Rafayel shrugged. “He’s got a point, though. You two talk big every summer, but I’ve yet to see a clear winner.”I rolled my eyes. “That’s because there is a clear winner. Me.”Caleb scoffed, finishing off his drink. “Right. Because spending two years in the city totally kept you in peak surfing shape.”I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t need to train for something I’m already better at than you.”Rafayel smirked. “You sure? I mean, what if she has lost her touch?” He turned to Xavier. “Think the surf shop has those foam training boards?”Xavier, flipping a page in his book, said casually, “I can make a call.”I gasped, clutching my chest. “Wow. Two years away and suddenly I’m an amateur?”Caleb smirked. “I dunno, Pip-squeak. City life might’ve made you soft.”I stepped closer, tilting my chin up at him. “You better pray that’s true. Because if I haven’t lost my touch, it’s gonna be really embarrassing for you tomorrow.”Caleb held my gaze for a second longer, then shook his head with a chuckle. “Alright, alright. Let’s see what you’ve got.”Xavier closed his book with a soft thump. “Then it’s settled. Sunrise.”Caleb smirked as if taunting me. “The early bird gets the word.”I grinned. “Less of a crowd to witness your defeat.”Caleb exhaled through his nose, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe he was agreeing to this. “You’re impossible.”I just smirked and took another sip of my water.The familiar back-and-forth with Caleb had settled into something easy, something I hadn’t realized how much I missed until now. The challenge had been made. The surf-off was set.Then my mom walked in.Jenna strolled into the kitchen, tying her hair up into a bun, fresh from her morning run. “So, what’s this I hear about a surf-off?”Caleb groaned. “How does she always know?”Jenna smirked. “Mothers have ears everywhere.” She poured herself a glass of water, then glanced at me. “Not that Caleb should be feeling too confident.”I smirked, twisting the cap back onto my bottle. “See? Mom believes in me.”“Oh, I do,” she said, leaning against the counter, “especially since you’ve been keeping up with your training in the city.”I froze for half a second.Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Training?”Rafayel popped an olive into his mouth. “Oho. What’s this?”Xavier shut his book again, clearly more invested now. “Didn’t take you for a gym rat, Zero.”I shrugged. “Not a gym rat. Just… kickboxing.”The room went quiet.Jenna beamed. “Believe it or not, she’s been taking lessons in the city. She’s stronger than she looks.”Caleb’s head snapped toward me. “Wait. You’ve been kickboxing?”I took another sip of water. “Yeah.”“For how long?”I shrugged again. “A little over a year.”His eyebrows pulled together slightly, like he was trying to process this new information.“I had to do something while I was gone,” I added, leaning against the counter.Jenna’s expression softened. “It’s been good for her.”She didn’t have to say what it was. We all knew. Losing Dad had left a hollow space in me, one I hadn’t known how to deal with. Kickboxing had been something—something that let me feel like I had control again, like I could let it out without breaking.But I wasn’t about to go getting sentimental in a room full of guys who smelled like sports drinks and salt water.So I rolled my shoulders. “Anyway, not a big deal.”Jenna hummed, sipping her water. “Well, I’m sure Sylus would disagree.”I blinked. “What?”She smiled. “Your coach, Sylus? The very handsome one you’ve been training with one-on-one?”Silence.Then—“What?” Caleb said flatly.Xavier raised an eyebrow and Rafayel, for once, didn’t immediately make a joke. There was something tense in the air for some reason, Jenna looked around at their stunned faces, completely unfazed. “What? It’s true. He’s young, fit, and I have eyes.” She turned back to me. “I just think it’s nice that you have someone keeping you accountable. I imagine he pushes you hard.”Caleb’s jaw ticked. “One-on-one?”Jenna shot him a look. “What? The city’s more dangerous than it used to be. Self-defense is good for a woman her age.”Caleb was too still, too focused, like he was processing this new information and not liking it at all.Rafayel finally broke his silence, a slow grin forming. “Ohhh, so that’s why you didn’t look impressed when Caleb flexed his muscles earlier. You’ve been training with some other beefcake all year.”Caleb shot him a glare so sharp it could’ve cut glass.I huffed, setting my water bottle down. “It’s not like that.”“Sounds like it is,” Rafayel teased.Jenna shrugged. “Well, if it was, at least she has good taste. He is quite the gentleman at that.”Caleb looked like he wanted to throw something.I ignored the way my stomach twisted at that. I liked teasing Caleb. I liked the way we could throw things at each other without it ever getting too serious. But this—this was different.It’s been two years since we saw each other sure, but for the first time in a long long time, I felt something unfamiliar and haunting when I looked at him.Because I knew Caleb.And I knew when he was jealous.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Unspoken Things
—Caleb—
The morning stretched out before me, the sky painted in soft streaks of pink and gold, the kind of dawn that should have felt calm, weightless. The waves rolled in a slow, steady rhythm, each one curling into itself before crashing against the shore in a deep, resonant hum.But nothing about this morning felt calm.Because she was here. After two whole years. She was back.Zero.She was walking toward me, surfboard tucked under her arm, the salt breeze lifting strands of her dark hair. She moved the same way she always had—like she knew exactly where she was going, like she belonged here, like she was untouchable .But the thing was, she wasn’t untouchable.Not to me.I had spent years knowing her—watching her push, watching her fight for everything, watching the way she could take a hit and throw one right back without hesitation. And yet, in the last two years, she had slipped through my fingers like sand, disappearing into a world I wasn’t part of.And now she was here, standing in front of me like she hadn’t left at all.“You warming up because you need it,” she asked, tilting her head, “or because you’re stalling?”I exhaled through my nose, rolling my shoulders back. Her voice had that same edge, the same bite, and damn , I had missed it.I smirked, keeping my voice easy, unaffected. “Didn’t realize I needed to warm up for a victory lap.”Her eyes flickered, just a little, just enough for me to catch it.She scoffed. “Big words for someone who’s about to eat saltwater.”And there it was. That look . That challenge. The same one she used to throw at me before we’d race down the beach, before she’d push too hard, before she’d test just how much she could get away with.She had always had this effect on me—pushed, pulled, made me want to chase after her just to see how far she’d run before she let me catch her.But I wasn’t so sure if she would let me catch her anymore.Xavier and Rafayel showed up then, their presence cutting through whatever had settled in the air between us.“You two look ready to kill each other already,” Xavier noted, sipping his coffee like this was just another day.Jenna stepped in before I could say anything else, arms crossed, exasperation already laced in her voice. “Alright, you two know the rules. Longest ride, cleanest tricks, best overall style wins.”Zero smirked, like the idea of losing wasn’t even a possibility. “Sounds easy enough.”I clenched my jaw, adjusting my board. “You sure you don’t need a refresher? You’ve been busy with other… activities .”The second the words left my mouth, I knew I had hit my mark.Her smirk stayed in place, but there was something else—something controlled about the way she shifted her weight, the way her grip tightened around her board.“Aw, you worried about me, Caleb ?”I hated when she said my name like that.Soft. Teasing.Like she knew what it did to me.I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. “Not in the slightest.”Jenna groaned. “Just get in the water before I start betting against both of you.”Zero didn’t wait. She turned and sprinted toward the waves, her body slipping into that effortless movement, muscles flexing as she dove into the water.And I—I just stood there for a second, watching her go.I told myself I was analyzing her form, that I was looking for weak spots, that I was trying to figure out how much she had lost in the time she had been away.But the truth was, she hadn’t lost anything .She looked so fucking good out there, cutting through the water like she belonged to it, her wetsuit clinging to every line of her body, her hair slicked back from the spray.She was stronger now. More refined in her movements.I clenched my jaw and ran forward, diving in after her.The ocean was alive beneath me, shifting, endless, pulsing in a rhythm I had always understood. The waves rolled in smooth and powerful, the scent of salt thick in the humid morning air. I had spent years out here, chasing the perfect ride, the perfect break.But this morning, I wasn’t chasing the waves.She moved through the water like she had never left, paddling out like this was second nature, like she hadn’t spent the last two years somewhere else, with someone else. Like she hadn’t been training with some guy I knew nothing about.And fuck if that didn’t make something inside me twist .I didn’t want to think about it.Didn’t want to picture some nameless, faceless man standing too close to her, pushing her limits, making her stronger. Didn’t want to wonder if she had ever looked at him the way she used to look at me—like I was the only person who could keep up with her, the only one she trusted to push her without breaking her.She was mine.Well… no, not mine. Not really.But she had been something to me. She always has.And that was enough to drive me insane.She smirked, tilting her head just enough for me to see the challenge glinting in her eyes. “You keeping up, Caleb ? Thought you were supposed to be good at this.”God, she was infuriating .I swam deeper into the water, keeping my smirk lazy, unaffected. “Just taking my time. No need to rush when I already know how this ends.”Her grin sharpened. “With you losing?”I narrowed my eyes, shifting my weight forward, ready to take off. “Not a chance.”The next wave swelled beneath us, powerful and steady. Zero caught it first, rising to her feet effortlessly, cutting through the water with sharp, practiced movements. She was fast, too fast, her turns smooth, controlled, her body perfectly aligned with the wave’s curve.She hadn’t lost a damn thing.And then—She twisted, angling her board just right , and before I could react—A perfect arc of seawater crashed into my face.I choked, sputtered, shaking the salt from my eyes, blinking hard as she sailed ahead of me, laughing .That sound—It hit me like a punch to the chest.Because I had missed it.
I had missed her.
The sunlight hit the droplets of water clinging to her skin, her tan deeper from two years in the city, her eyes bright, challenging, daring me to chase her. The curve of her mouth, the way her wetsuit hugged her in all the right places, the raw, untouchable energy of her—She was so fucking beautiful it hurt to look at her.And she had no idea.No idea what she did to me.No idea how much I wanted to close the space between us, how much I wanted to reach out, pull her off that board and—I swallowed hard, shaking my head, trying to get a grip.She raised an eyebrow. “What, no comeback?”I smirked, forcing myself to breathe, forcing myself to act like my entire body wasn’t on the verge of betraying me. “You’re such a menace.”She grinned, spinning her board around, already paddling forward, and she winked at me. “Then stop letting me win.”I clenched my jaw, gripping my board tighter than necessary. She thought this was a game . Thought this was just another challenge, another summer, another round of the same push and pull we’d always had.She didn’t realize that I was drowning .I exhaled, staring after her, something dark curling in my chest.“Alright, Pip-squeak,” I muttered under my breath, voice rougher than I wanted it to be. “Let’s see if you can do it again.”I paddled forward, chasing the next wave.Chasing her .Because no matter how much I told myself to let go—I knew I never would. I knew that I would never want to.She was ahead of me, cutting through the water like she was born to it, her silhouette sharp against the rising sun. Her body moved with ease, each turn calculated, each drop smooth. It pissed me off how effortless she made it look.I often thought about how easy it was for her to come back and slip into this like nothing had changed.Like she hadn’t changed.But I knew better. I knew her.I knew the way her hands twitched when she was restless, the way she flicked her fingers and bit her inner lip when she was overthinking. I saw the tension in her shoulders, the way she forced herself to be light, teasing, unbothered.She was the same girl who had left two years ago. But in many ways, she wasn’t.And that scared the shit out of me.She glanced back at me then, her mouth curling in that familiar smirk, her dark eyes glinting with challenge. “You good back there? Thought you were supposed to be keeping up.”My grip on my board tightened. She was taunting me.Daring me.I let out a slow breath through my nose, smirking back. “I’m just letting you have your moment. Gotta make it count before I take it back.”She rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. Still playing.I wanted to pull her under. Wanted to remind her that I was still here. That we were still here.But instead, I chased.Because that’s what I always did with her.The next wave hit, and we both caught it, launching forward at the same time. I didn’t hold back this time—I pushed, carving deeper, moving faster, keeping pace with her, making her work for it.She knew it too.Her brows furrowed slightly, her body shifting, adjusting, trying to find an opening. I waited, tracking her movements, knowing her movements.And then I cut in.Moved straight into her path, just enough to throw her off, to force her into a tighter turn.She sucked in a sharp breath, adjusted at the last second, and rode it out, smoothly, seamlessly, like she hadn’t even almost lost control.But I had seen it.The flicker of surprise in her eyes. The way her breath hitched.I grinned. “Problem?”Zero exhaled, shaking her head, her smirk creeping back, but there was something else there now. A flicker of something darker, something deeper.Something that said she felt it too .I wanted to press.Wanted to push .Wanted to know if she had spent the last two years trying to pretend I didn’t exist the way I had tried—and failed —to forget about her.But before I could say something, she slowed, dragging a hand through her wet hair. “Alright, alright, I’ll give it to you,” she said, breathless but grinning. “You still got it.”My chest tightened.I still got it.Not I missed this . Not I missed you .Just you still got it .I forced a smirk. “You doubted me?”She shrugged, flicking water at me. “Not doubted. Just thought city life might’ve made you soft.”Soft.I swallowed, forcing my face to stay neutral, ignoring the way my stomach twisted at the thought.She thought I had changed.She had no fucking clue.Xavier and Rafayel were still watching from the shore, Rafayel with his camera lifted, probably catching every single second of this. I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. “Tell me you weren’t filming that.”Rafayel grinned. “Tell me why I wouldn’t be.”I flipped him off.Zero laughed, already paddling back toward the beach. “Come on, let’s get breakfast. I forgot how much surfing makes me crave pancakes.”She said it so easily. Like nothing had changed.Like she hadn’t left this place, left me , without a second thought. I knew it wasn’t her fault, and I didn’t blame her for it. But the fact that we went from talking and checking in every day, to radio silence for two years. It hurt just a little.I clenched my jaw, shoving down the weight in my chest, paddling after her.She might’ve been able to pretend like nothing had changed.But I couldn’t. Because I still had a life here. And there were things that happened while she was gone too.~By the time we made it back to shore, the sun had fully risen, casting a golden glow over the beach, warming the dampness on my skin. Zero was already shaking the water out of her hair, like she hadn’t just spent the last hour completely owning the ocean. Like she hadn’t just turned my brain inside out without even trying.She grinned at me, breathless, her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright. “You coming or what?”I dragged my board onto the sand, barely processing what she had said, still too caught up in the way she looked . Like she belonged here. Like she had never left.Like she hadn’t spent the last two years somewhere else, with someone else .Something tightened in my chest, something sharp and uncomfortable, but I shoved it down. Not now. “Breakfast,” she said, stretching her arms above her head. “Pancakes. Immediately.”Rafayel snorted, lowering his camera. “You surf like you haven’t eaten in a week.”Zero flipped him off, then turned to me. “You good?”I blinked.She was staring at me, head slightly tilted, something almost concerned in her expression.Like she could tell something was off.Like she still knew me all too well.I forced a smirk, rolling my shoulders back. “Yeah. Just trying to decide if I should let you keep this false sense of superiority or bring up that wipeout you almost had.”Her eyes narrowed, her lips parting in an indignant huff. “That was not a wipeout.”I shrugged. “Close enough.”She scoffed. “You’re actually delusional .”I smirked, grabbing my board and walking ahead before she could smack me.Zero caught up fast, bumping her shoulder against mine as we made our way toward the café. Xavier trailed behind us, probably still half-asleep, while Rafayel kept muttering about needing to edit footage because this was art .But I barely heard them, because she was right next to me. And for the first time since she got back, it felt… normal.The kind of normal I hadn’t let myself think about in a long time.Just like old times.The walk from the beach to the boardwalk wasn’t long, but the silence between us was . Not awkward. Just there . Like we were both waiting for the other to say something, like we both knew there were things that needed to be said, but neither of us was willing to be the first one to say them.So I said something stupid instead.“You really gonna eat pancakes after all that?”Zero shot me a glare. “You really gonna pretend like I don’t always eat pancakes after surfing?”I smirked. “Yeah, but I was hoping two years in the city might’ve improved your taste.”She gasped, clutching her chest. “ How dare you. ”I shrugged, fighting a smile. “Some things never change.”She side-eyed me, still smirking, but there was something softer beneath it. A flicker of something that made my stomach clench.Something that made me think— maybe —she had missed this too.Missed me .But before I could overthink it, before I could get caught up in the idea that maybe I wasn’t the only one feeling this , Rafayel clapped a hand on my shoulder.“Don’t get too cocky, lover boy ,” he murmured low enough that only I could hear. “You know how she is. She’ll run if you try to chase her.”I stiffened. Rafayel had always been too aware for his own fucking good. Zero was already a few steps ahead, laughing at something Xavier said, completely unaware of the war going on inside my head.Rafayel was right.I knew Zero.Knew that she hated being backed into a corner, that if I tried to push her too soon, she’d find a way to slip through my fingers again.So I did what I always did.I bit my tongue.And I let her keep running.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Fault Lines— Zero —The scent of salt water clung to my skin as I walked barefoot across the boardwalk, my surfboard balanced against my hip, my body still thrumming from the high of the waves. The early morning heat was settling in, warming the dampness on my skin, and for the first time in a long time, I felt good .Better than I had in a while.But that was the problem, wasn’t it?Being back here—being with him —it was too easy. Too familiar.And I didn’t trust it.Didn’t trust myself not to get caught up in the feeling.“You really gonna eat pancakes after all that?”Caleb’s voice came from beside me, teasing, low, like he was waiting for a fight.I turned to glare at him. “You really gonna pretend like I don’t always eat pancakes after surfing?”He smirked, slow and deliberate. “Yeah, but I was hoping two years in the city might’ve improved your taste.”I gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to my chest. “ How dare you. ”He shrugged, unbothered. “Some things never change.”Something about the way he said it—so casual, so certain—made my stomach tighten.Because wasn’t that the whole issue?Things had changed.Or at least, I had.Hadn’t I?I forced my smirk to stay in place, unwilling to let the moment shift into something heavier. “Better be careful, Caleb ,” I said, flicking my fingers against his wrist as I walked past him. “If you keep talking like that, I might think you missed me.”He didn’t respond right away.And when I glanced back, I caught something in his expression—just for a second. Something dark. Something real.I didn’t know what I expected him to say.Maybe some cocky remark. Maybe an eye roll. Maybe an argument.Instead, he just held my gaze, unreadable, before finally shaking his head with a smirk.“You wish, Pip-squeak.”And just like that, the moment passed.I rolled my eyes, picking up my pace, choosing to ignore whatever that was.Because it was easier.Because it was safer.Because if I let myself think about it too much, I wouldn’t stop.Xavier and Rafayel caught up as we neared the café, the sound of waves fading into the low hum of morning chatter and clinking silverware. The place was already buzzing with locals, the smell of coffee and fresh bread curling in the air, the warmth of the sun rising higher against my shoulders.“Find us a table,” I said, nodding toward the patio. “I’m getting a drink first.”Caleb didn’t move, didn’t speak, just watched me as I slipped inside.And I felt his eyes on me.Even when I wasn’t looking. Even when I didn’t want to.The scent of saltwater still clung to my skin, mixing with the warm aroma of coffee and fresh bread as I stepped inside the café. The air-conditioning hit me like a wave, cooling the heat of the morning sun against my damp skin.I just needed a second.A second away from the boys’ watchful eyes.A second to shake off the way my pulse hadn’t quite settled since the water, since his teasing, since the way he had been everywhere —beside me on the waves, in my space, in my damn head .I had spent two years away from them. From him. Two years convincing myself that whatever feelings I had were in the past. Because there’s no way he’d see me the way I saw him right? It’s been two years anyways. We’re like strangers trying to reconnect.So why did it still feel like we were running in circles?“It’s you.”The voice came from behind the counter—smooth, warm, familiar in a way that sent a shiver up my spine.I turned.And froze .
So much for avoiding the past.
His silver hair caught the glow of the café lights, his red eyes flicking over me with that same unreadable gaze I had come to know so well. He looked exactly the same—sharp, smirking, too calm, too aware .Sylus.I hadn’t told Caleb or the others much about him.Not really.They had heard his name yesterday, when my mom mentioned that my very handsome kickboxing coach had been training me in the city. But even then, I had brushed past it. Hadn’t given them any real details. Hadn’t thought I needed to.Because Sylus belonged to a different part of my life.A different version of me.Or at least, I thought he had.“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.His smirk deepened slightly. “I could ask you the same thing.”I exhaled through my nose. “No, seriously.”His gaze flicked to the espresso machine as he started pulling a shot, like we were having a casual conversation and not a holy shit, what the hell are you doing here kind of moment. “My family owns the place,” he said easily. “I’m part-timing for the summer.”Of course he was.Of course his family owned a café in Whitesand Bay.Because why wouldn’t my past and my present collide at full speed, right here, right now?I ran a hand through my hair, still trying to process. “Since when do you work at a café?”Sylus lifted a brow. “Since I like money.”I huffed, shaking my head. Unbelievable. “Want your regular order?” he asked, already moving behind the counter.I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could—The bell above the door chimed .And I didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was.I felt it.Caleb.I saw it play out in slow motion—the moment Caleb stepped up beside me, just close enough that the heat of his skin brushed against mine, just close enough that his breathing was steady but too controlled.And then his gaze flicked to Sylus’s apron.His mouth barely moved as he read it.“Sylus.”Sylus’s smirk twitched, like he found that interesting. “That’s me.”Caleb’s jaw tensed. “Didn’t know you worked here.”Sylus leaned lazily against the counter, voice smooth. “Just started this week.”I felt Caleb’s fingers flex at his sides.This was already going downhill fast .Sylus exhaled, studying Caleb for a second too long before tipping his head slightly. “Though I guess I do know a little about you.”Caleb’s eyes narrowed.Sylus gestured vaguely toward the back of the café, like this was just casual conversation. “Zero used to talk about this place all the time. When she first started training with me, she said she grew up here. Mentioned her three childhood friends. Didn’t take much to put it together.”My stomach twisted.Because I had told him about them—about Caleb, about Rafayel, about Xavier.Not in detail. Not in a way that should’ve mattered .But Sylus had remembered .And now he was using it.Caleb exhaled slowly, his voice measured. “That so?”Sylus’s red eyes gleamed. “It is.”I had to step in before this escalated into something I wouldn’t be able to stop.Because I could see the way Caleb was holding himself still, I could feel the barely restrained energy coming off of him. His fingers flexed at his sides like he wanted to hit something, but his voice was cool, controlled.Dangerous.I cleared my throat, shifting slightly between them, looking at Sylus first. “I’ll take that coffee now.”His gaze flicked to me, amusement still playing at the edges of his smirk.Like he knew exactly what I was doing.But he didn’t push.Didn’t call me out.Instead, he reached for a cup. “Double shot, cream and sugar, coming up.”And then—He smirked.Just slightly.“Sweetie.”The word hit the air like a slow-burning fuse.I felt the moment Caleb went completely, dangerously still beside me.Felt the sharp inhale, the slight shift of his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched so tightly I thought I might hear it.I turned before I could say something I’d regret, brushing past Caleb, catching the way his fingers twitched when my arm barely grazed his.And for a split second—I wanted to grab his hand.I wanted to fix whatever had been broken between us.But then I was past him, and the moment was gone.I walked outside, the heat pressing against my skin, my lungs too tight as I made my way to the table.I didn’t have to look back to know that Caleb was still inside.Still seething .Still staring at Sylus like he wanted to rip him apart.I closed my eyes.
This summer was going to fucking kill me.

~
The heat pressed against my skin as I stepped outside, but it wasn’t nearly as suffocating as the weight sitting heavy in my chest. The café door shut softly behind me, but my heartbeat was still hammering too hard in my ears, too uneven. I told myself it was the residual energy from surfing, from moving too fast, from the morning sun baking against my still-damp skin.But I knew better.I could still feel the tension clinging to me, curling around my ribs like a slow-burning fuse. Still feel the way Caleb had gone completely still beside me , like something inside of him had snapped into place the second Sylus had said my name with that smirk on his face.I should’ve stayed.Should’ve at least waited to see how it played out, to see if Sylus would push Caleb just a little too far, to see if Caleb would let himself snap.Instead, I walked away.Left them alone together. Fuck.And now I had no idea what had just happened.Rafayel and Xavier were still at the table, both of them watching me in their own ways—Rafayel with that slow, amused smirk, sunglasses perched low on his nose, like he already knew I had been up to something I wasn’t going to tell them about. Xavier, on the other hand, didn’t say anything at first, just studied me, dark eyes sharp, assessing.I didn’t sit right away. Just ran a hand through my damp hair, shaking off the feeling that I had walked out of something I probably should’ve stayed to control.Rafayel stretched, slow and lazy, before raising an eyebrow. “So. From the way Caleb stormed in there like he was on a personal revenge arc, I’m guessing something happened?”I exhaled sharply, finally pulling out my chair and sliding into it. “Not really.”Rafayel snorted. “Zero, you are a terrible liar, but that was an especially bad attempt.”I didn’t answer.Because the truth was, I was rattled.I had spent two years away from this place, and somehow, within less than forty-eight hours of being back, I was already caught in a mess I hadn’t even seen coming.A mess in the form of Sylus standing behind the café counter like he had always been part of this town.A mess in the form of Caleb barely keeping himself together beside me, his presence so sharp and suffocating I could barely breathe.Xavier took a slow sip of his coffee, setting it down with a quiet clink . “So, are we talking regular Caleb pissed? Or dangerously close to throwing hands Caleb pissed?”I hesitated.Because I didn’t know.I had seen Caleb irritated before, had seen the way his jaw locked when he was barely holding himself together, had seen him inhale deep and sharp through his nose when he was trying really hard not to react.But this?This had been something else entirely.Rafayel leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, eyes glinting behind his sunglasses. “And what about you?”I blinked. “What about me?”His smirk deepened. “You seem a little rattled, princess .”I should’ve rolled my eyes. Should’ve ignored him, tossed some sarcastic comment back in his face, anything.But instead, I sighed. “I just didn’t expect to run into someone I knew from the city, that’s all.”Rafayel’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Huh.”Xavier leaned back in his chair, watching me closely. “Someone important?”I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could—The door to the café swung open.And everything in me stilled .Caleb stepped outside.His shoulders were tense, his jaw tight. He wasn’t looking at me, wasn’t looking at anyone , just walking straight to the table, movements stiff, controlled in a way that made my stomach twist .Rafayel raised an eyebrow. “And here I was thinking we might get a normal morning.”Caleb didn’t respond.Didn’t even acknowledge him.Just reached straight for Rafayel’s coffee.Rafayel scowled. “I was drinking that.”Caleb took a slow sip. “Not anymore.”Xavier and Rafayel exchanged a glance.I was still watching Caleb.Watching the way his grip on the cup was just a little too tight.Watching the way his jaw clenched every few seconds.Watching the way he still hadn’t looked at me .My stomach turned over, uneasy.I swallowed. “Caleb—”“I’m fine.”The words were clipped, short. Too sharp.I frowned. “You sure? Because—”He set the coffee down harder than necessary, finally looking at me, and the heat in his stare was instant, like a slow burn against my skin.“I said I’m fine, Zero.”Zero.Not Pip-squeak.Not anything else.Just my name .And the way he said it—flat, detached— hurt .I barely had time to process the sinking feeling in my chest before Rafayel leaned forward, his smirk finally slipping slightly. “Okay, what the hell happened in there?”Caleb leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms over his head, but I saw it.The tension in his body. The way his muscles were too tight , his movements too forced .He exhaled through his nose. “Nothing.”Rafayel narrowed his eyes. “Right. Because you definitely look like someone who just had a peaceful conversation about the weather.”Caleb didn’t respond.Didn’t rise to the bait.Just inhaled slow and deep, shaking his head, reaching for the coffee again.And I—I stared at him, my stomach twisting , because I didn’t know what had been said after I left.Didn’t know what had just happened .But I did know one thing.Whatever it was—It wasn’t over.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Aftershocks

—Zero—

Caleb wasn’t looking at me.

Not really.

His gaze was focused on his coffee, on the condensation trailing down the side of the cup, on anything except

me

. And that was the part that bothered me the most.

Because Caleb always looked at me.

Even when we were arguing, even when I was pissing him off, even when I caught him watching me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention.

But now?

Now, he wouldn’t.

And I hated it.

The scrape of a chair against the wooden deck made me flinch, breaking me out of my own head. Rafayel had leaned forward, elbows on the table, fingers drumming idly against the surface, still watching Caleb like he was waiting for something.

“So, you gonna tell us why you look like you’re seconds from snapping, or do we have to guess?”

Caleb finally

did

look up, but it wasn’t at me—it was at Rafayel, sharp and flat. “I said I’m fine.”

Rafayel let out a slow, exaggerated sigh. “Right. And I’m a fucking priest.”

Xavier was quieter, but I saw the way his fingers traced absentmindedly along the rim of his coffee cup, the way his sharp gaze kept flicking between me and Caleb like he was piecing something together.

I swallowed, suddenly feeling restless.

I wasn’t used to this—this tension, this

distance

.

I wasn’t used to

Caleb acting like this with me

.

And the fact that I didn’t know

why

was making my skin itch.

I shifted in my seat. “Caleb—”

“Drop it, Zero.”

I froze.

He never talked to me like that.

Never used that tone—low, controlled, but laced with something I couldn’t quite name.

Rafayel’s expression sharpened, and even Xavier, who normally let people deal with their own shit, narrowed his eyes slightly.

I clenched my jaw, pushing back against the sting in my chest. Fine. If he wanted to be like that, if he wanted to shut down and act like whatever the hell happened in that café didn’t matter, then that was on

him

.

I wasn’t going to beg him to talk to me.

I wasn’t going to chase him for an answer.

Instead, I shoved back my chair, grabbing my bag. “I’m heading back to the house.”

Xavier spoke up before I could leave. “Want company?”

I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak.

I could feel Caleb’s eyes on me now, but it was too late.

Too fucking late.

I didn’t look back.

—Caleb—

The second she was gone, my chest tightened, like something inside me had wound too tight and snapped all at once.

I had fucked up.

I knew it the moment I told her to drop it. Knew it when I saw that flicker in her expression, the way she squared her shoulders like she was preparing for impact.

But I still let her walk away.

Rafayel was watching me again, but this time, there was something different in his expression. Less amusement. More

knowing

.

“You’re an idiot.”

I exhaled slowly. “Thanks for your input.”

“No, seriously. What the fuck was that?”

I clenched my jaw, gripping my coffee cup. “

Nothing

.”

Xavier let out a slow breath, shifting in his seat. “That didn’t look like nothing.”

I didn’t respond.

Because I didn’t know how to explain it.

Didn’t know how to put into words what was

wrong

.

Because, yeah, part of it was Sylus.

Seeing him standing there, silver-haired and red-eyed, so at ease behind that counter, like he

belonged

in this town, like he

belonged

in her life—yeah, that had fucked with my head.

But what got me

more

was the fact that he had known about me.

Had known about all of us—me, Rafayel, Xavier. Because

Zero had told him

.

She had talked about us.

She had

thought

about us.

She had thought about

me

.

And yet, in the two years she had been gone, I hadn’t heard his name

once

.

Not in a single call. Not in a single text. Not in the rare conversations we managed to have when she was too busy to come back, when she swore she was

fine

.

Not a single fucking mention.

I knew I was being unreasonable.

Knew I had no right to be pissed.

She had left. She had made a life for herself. She wasn’t

mine

—not in any way that meant I had a say in who she spent her time with, in who she trained with, in who had the privilege of hearing her say

my

name when I wasn’t there.

But fuck.

It didn’t seem

fair

.

There were already too many things happening in my life, too many things stacking one after the other, pressing down on me, and meeting another man who had stepped into Zero’s life so soon after she came back—

a man who already knew me without me knowing him

—had me tipping further over the edge.

And boy, had I already been on the edge

before

the summer started.

I drained the rest of my coffee, ignoring the way Rafayel was still watching me like I was an unsolved puzzle.

Xavier sighed, finally breaking the silence. “So, what’s the plan?”

I set down my empty cup with a quiet

clink

. “What do you mean?”

Rafayel scoffed. “I mean, are you just gonna let her stay pissed at you, or are you actually gonna

do

something about it?”

I flexed my fingers, exhaling sharply.

Because that was the problem, wasn’t it?

I didn’t know

what

to do.

Didn’t know how to deal with this

new

version of Zero, the one who looked at me like she

missed

me but wouldn’t say it. The one who

ran

when things got too close, too real.

The one who

left for two years and came back different

.

I wasn’t stupid.

I knew there was more to this than she was letting on.

But if she didn’t want to tell me, I wasn’t going to force her.

I’d just have to figure it out myself.

I pushed back my chair, standing abruptly. “I’ll talk to her later.”

Rafayel sighed like he was

exhausted

by me. “Can’t wait.”

I ignored him, grabbed my board, and started heading toward the shore.

The ocean had always been the one thing that could clear my head.

But I had a feeling that even the waves wouldn’t be able to wash this away.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Reflections

—Zero—
The moment I stepped into the house, the silence wrapped around me like a second skin. The air-conditioning hummed faintly in the background, the only sound filling the empty space as I made my way upstairs. I stripped off my damp wetsuit, letting it pool onto the floor, and walked straight into the bathroom.I turned on the shower, stepped under the scalding water, and let my head fall forward, eyes shutting as the heat burned into my skin.But even that wasn’t enough to drown out the weight in my chest.Because this wasn’t just about Caleb .It wasn’t just about Sylus or the fact that Caleb was pissed or that I didn’t know how to deal with any of this.It was about the fact that I had spent two years away, but it wasn’t like I had been off living some whole new life, thriving, moving forward.No.The truth was, the moment my dad died, I had shut down completely.At first, I thought I was just waiting for it to pass. Waiting for that feeling—the emptiness, the stillness, the ache that sat so deep in my chest it felt like I’d never breathe right again—to just go away .But it didn’t.It only got worse.My mom barely looked at me.It wasn’t that she was cruel, it wasn’t that she didn’t love me. She just… couldn’t deal with it. She couldn’t deal with it.So she buried herself in work, and I was left to raise myself the rest of the way.The house was empty for months.Tara and Simone would visit, trying to get me to eat, to leave my room, to do anything , but there were still times when even they couldn’t reach me.I didn’t want to be reached.I just wanted to sleep.Forever.I stopped going to school. I shut my phone off for days at a time. I lost track of what day it was, what time it was. The only thing that mattered was that every second without my dad felt like static in my head, like I was floating above my body, waiting for something to snap me back.But nothing ever did.Eventually, it got so bad that my teachers started calling home. The school said if I didn’t come back, I’d have to repeat classes. Mom didn’t say much—just told me I was throwing my life away, that Dad wouldn’t have wanted this. And that was the first time we really fought.The kind of fight where I almost walked out the door and didn’t come back.Because how would she know what Dad wanted? She hadn’t even given herself time to mourn .She was back at work a week after he died. Put all his things in a box, packed them away in the attic like he had never existed, like the last eighteen years of our lives with him were just something that could be stored in the dark, forgotten.But I couldn’t forget.And I hated her for making it seem like she could.I probably would’ve run away if I hadn’t gone looking for something—anything—of my dad’s that still felt real .That was when I found the box.I don’t even remember what I was looking for.I just remember digging through all the packed-up remnants of my father’s life, my hands shaking, my breath uneven, and then—The picture.I had never seen it before.It was old, black-and-white, worn at the edges, like it had been handled too many times before someone finally put it away for good.And in the center of it—Was him .My dad, younger than I had ever seen him, mid-motion, fists wrapped in tape, standing inside a ring.I didn’t know my dad had been a kickboxer .He had never told me.I had never seen any trophies, any medals, any lingering traces of that part of his life.And I hated that I was finding out about it like this , after he was gone.It felt unfair.It felt cruel .I couldn’t stop staring at the picture, at the intensity in his eyes, the focus in his stance. He had looked so alive .And I—I didn’t feel alive at all.It took me weeks before I finally looked at the bottom of the picture and saw the name of the gym in Linkon.It took me another month before I finally worked up the nerve to go there.And that was where I met him .Sylus.I remember the exact moment it happened.I had walked into the gym, heart pounding, fingers clutching the photo so tightly my knuckles had gone white. The place smelled like sweat, metal, and old wood, the air buzzing with the rhythmic sound of fists hitting bags, the shuffle of sneakers against mats, the life in the room pressing against me from all sides.And then I saw it.My dad’s picture.The same one I had found in the attic, except bigger, framed, hanging up on the wall with a small nameplate beneath it.I had barely started toward it before someone stepped in my way.“Hey—”I looked up.And there he was.Silver hair, red eyes, hands wrapped in tape, a towel slung over his shoulder. He had looked at me with this strange, searching expression, something flickering in his gaze like recognition .And then—His eyes had landed on the picture in my hands.The shift was instant.He exhaled sharply, crossing his arms. “So, you’re his kid.”I blinked, my grip tightening on the photograph. “…You knew my dad?”Sylus studied me for a moment before nodding, slow and thoughtful. “Yeah. Taught me a thing or two when I was training.”My stomach twisted. “He never told me.”Sylus’s lips quirked slightly. “Sounds like him.”And that was how it started.How we bonded.Sylus had never pried, never asked why I had walked into that gym looking like I was either going to break something or fall apart entirely. He just taught me how to fight. How to move. How to take all the anger, all the grief, all the emptiness , and do something with it .Kickboxing became my lifeline.The one thing that made me feel like I wasn’t drowning anymore.And now, standing here, two years later, I should’ve been able to separate the past from the present.But I couldn’t.Because I had spent two years running.Running from grief.Running from myself .Running from this .And now everything I had left behind—everything I thought I had put away in a box and buried in the attic of my mind—Was here.Waiting for me.And I had no idea what the hell to do with it.Because some pain doesn’t go away.It just sits there, beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to drag you back under.I tilted my head back, letting the scalding water pour over me. My hands clenched into fists, breath shaky as the memories pressed down hard against my chest.They say people have their own timelines to grieve.That it gets easier with time.That the ache dulls, that the sharp edges soften, that one day, it won’t feel like someone’s reaching into your chest and ripping something vital out of you.But sometimes, I think they’re wrong.Because sometimes—like right now, in the quiet, in the loneliness, in the places where I let myself feel it —it still hurts.It still hurts .I gritted my teeth, pressing my palm to the cool tile, forcing my breath to steady.“I miss you so fucking much, Dad.”The words barely left me, so quiet they almost weren’t real.But they were.They always were.And maybe, they always would be.As I stepped out of the shower, steam curled around me, clinging to my skin like the weight of everything I was trying to shake off. Droplets ran down my arms, my shoulders, trailing over the faint bruises and calluses that kickboxing had left behind—the only proof that I had fought my way through something I almost didn’t come out of.I wiped a hand over the fogged-up mirror, my reflection slowly coming into focus.And I stared.Wondering—
Am I proud of the person I see staring back at me?
Some days, I wasn’t sure.Some days, I felt like I had built myself up from the ground, like I had taken all the grief, all the rage, all the unbearable ache , and turned it into something solid.Something unbreakable.But then there were days like today.Days where it still hurt. Where the old wounds weren’t as healed as I wanted to believe. Where a single memory, a single glance from Caleb, a single moment of standing in a place that once held pieces of my past could make me feel like I was unraveling all over again.I exhaled sharply, gripping the edges of the sink.I had come back to Whitesand Bay thinking I was stronger.That I was past all of this.But the truth was, I didn’t know if I ever would be.Because some things—some losses —never really leave you.They just settle into your bones, become a part of you, waiting for the quiet moments to remind you they’re still there.Still waiting.Still aching.I swallowed, dragging a hand down my face before straightening up, forcing my expression back into something steady.Something that looked like control.I had survived this much.I could survive a summer back home.Could survive Caleb .Could survive whatever the hell was brewing under the surface.Right?I exhaled again, shaking off the heaviness in my chest before grabbing a towel and heading toward my room.
—Rafayel—
Rafayel had seen a lot of things in his life.But watching Caleb walk out of that café, looking like he had just barely stopped himself from throwing a punch, was something else entirely.And the best part?Zero had no fucking clue .She had no idea how deep she had her hooks in him, no idea how much space she still took up in his head, his heart, his fucking soul .And that?That was fascinating.Rafayel leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms over his head as he watched Caleb sulk in the sand, sitting by his board, staring out at the waves like the ocean held some kind of divine fucking answer for him.It didn’t.Because the answer was obvious.Caleb was in love with Zero.Had been for years .But instead of doing something about it, instead of saying the words, instead of being honest with himself, he was too busy stewing in his own misery, too caught up in his pride, too wrapped up in the idea that Zero had somehow wronged him by having a life outside of him.Rafayel sighed dramatically, pushing himself up from his seat and grabbing his coffee before heading down to where Caleb sat.Xavier was still at the table, but he didn’t say anything—just gave Rafayel a small nod, like he knew whatever was about to happen was probably going to piss Caleb off.Good.Caleb deserved to be pissed off.Because he was an idiot .Rafayel strolled down toward the beach, stopping a few feet away from Caleb before dropping onto the sand beside him, stretching his legs out in front of him.For a long moment, neither of them spoke.The waves crashed, the sun was already too fucking hot, and Caleb was still brooding like some tragic novel character.Rafayel took a sip of his coffee, exhaling. “You gonna sulk all day, or do you want me to start taking bets on how long before you self-combust?”Caleb didn’t look at him. “Fuck off.”Rafayel smirked. “Charming as ever.”Caleb exhaled sharply through his nose, still staring at the horizon, still pretending like he wasn’t completely unraveling.Rafayel waited a beat before tilting his head slightly. “So… wanna tell me what really happened in there?”Caleb’s jaw twitched, his fingers digging into the sand.Bingo.Rafayel grinned. “Ah. So something happened.”Caleb exhaled roughly. “Nothing happened.”“Bullshit.” Rafayel took another slow sip of coffee, savoring the moment. “Was it Sylus ?”Caleb stiffened .And there it was .Rafayel let out a slow whistle. “Damn. That bad, huh?”Caleb didn’t answer.Didn’t deny it either.Which only made Rafayel even more interested.Because if there was one thing Caleb didn’t do, it was let shit get to him. He was cocky, overprotective, and way too intense for his own good, but he always kept his emotions locked down.Except when it came to Zero.Zero was the one person who could always get a reaction out of him.And now, apparently, so could Sylus .Rafayel leaned back on his elbows, tilting his head toward Caleb. “So, what’s the deal with him?”Caleb’s jaw tightened. “Ask Zero.”That was an interesting response.Rafayel arched a brow. “You really don’t know, huh?”Caleb finally turned, glare sharp. “Should I?”Rafayel grinned . “Dunno. Maybe if you actually asked Zero instead of sitting here throwing a silent tantrum, you’d find out.”Caleb let out a slow, controlled breath, his gaze shifting back to the water.For the first time, there was something almost uncertain about his expression.Like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer.Like the idea of Zero having a part of her life that he hadn’t been a part of was something he didn’t know how to deal with.Rafayel hummed. “You know, for a guy who’s spent the last two years pretending he doesn’t care, you sure as hell look like someone who cares.”Caleb clenched his jaw. “I don’t .”Rafayel smirked. “Mhm. Sure. And I’m the fucking mayor of Whitesand Bay.”Caleb shot him a glare.Rafayel just grinned wider.Because Caleb could lie to himself all he wanted.But Rafayel saw it.Saw the way Caleb felt it .Saw the way Zero still owned him , even if she didn’t know it.And if Caleb wasn’t careful, if he didn’t do something about it—Someone else would.
—Xavier—
Xavier had always been good at reading people.He didn't need to be the loudest person in the room, didn't need to stir the pot the way Rafayel did, didn't need to say much at all, really. All it ever took was watching. Listening. Picking up on the things people weren't saying.And right now?Caleb was saying a lot without saying a damn thing.Xavier had been watching from the café patio, his fingers idly tapping against the rim of his coffee cup as he observed the scene unfolding down on the beach.Rafayel had gone down first, all lazy smirks and drawn-out provocations, poking at Caleb in that way only he could.Caleb, of course, had taken the bait.Which was exactly what Rafayel wanted.Xavier could see it in the way Caleb’s shoulders were wound too tight, in the way his fingers clenched into the sand like he was barely restraining himself.And then there was the way Sylus had thrown everything off balance.Xavier hadn't been inside the café when it happened, hadn't seen the moment the two of them met, but the aftermath told him everything he needed to know.Zero had walked out looking unsettled.Caleb had walked out looking like he wanted to kill something .And that was enough to tell Xavier one thing—Sylus wasn’t just some random guy.He meant something.What that something was, Xavier wasn’t entirely sure yet.But he was going to find out.He finished off the last sip of his coffee before standing, sliding his hands into his pockets as he made his way down toward the beach, where Caleb and Rafayel were still talking—or, more accurately, where Rafayel was talking and Caleb was brooding like he was preparing to wage war against the entire universe.Xavier had seen Caleb pissed before.But this?This was different.“Is this a private sulking session,” Xavier said as he approached, his voice even, calm, “or can anyone join?”Rafayel turned first, smirking. “Oh, please. You think I would sulk? I’m just here for the entertainment.”Xavier gave him a look. “Sure you are.”Rafayel’s grin widened before he stretched out on the sand, arms folded behind his head. “Go on, Ice Prince. I’m dying to hear what words of wisdom you have for our dear Caleb.”Xavier ignored him and turned to Caleb instead. “You look like you need to hit something.”Caleb let out a slow, measured breath, still staring at the ocean. “Yeah, well. Not much I can do about that right now.”Xavier tilted his head slightly. “Because the person you want to hit is currently working behind a café counter?”Caleb stiffened.And there it was.Rafayel let out a low whistle, clearly delighted. “Damn, Xavier. Straight to the point, huh?”Xavier didn’t respond.Because he was still watching Caleb.Still waiting .Caleb exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. “It’s not like that.”Xavier lifted a brow. “No?”Caleb clenched his jaw, but there was something else flickering in his expression now. Something closer to frustration than anger. “I just don’t get why she never mentioned him.”Xavier hummed. “Maybe because it wasn’t something she thought she needed to explain.”Caleb’s fingers dug into the sand. “That’s bullshit.”Rafayel let out a laugh. “Oh, so you wanted her to tell you about the guy she was spending time with while she was gone? What, so you could sit there and stew in jealousy for two years instead of just now?”Caleb shot him a glare.Xavier remained neutral. “You really don’t know anything about him?”Caleb exhaled sharply. “No.” He hesitated, then added, quieter, “But he knew about me.”Xavier stilled slightly, processing that.So that was it.That was what was really bothering him.Caleb could pretend all he wanted that this was just about Zero keeping secrets, about the principle of the thing, but the truth was simpler than that.It wasn’t that Zero had never mentioned Sylus.It was that Sylus had known about him —and she had never once mentioned Sylus to him.That shift in control, in perspective, in who knew what about who , was throwing Caleb off balance.And Caleb hated being off balance.Xavier tilted his head slightly. “So ask her.”Caleb’s jaw tightened. “And what if I don’t like the answer?”Xavier sighed. “Then at least you’ll know .”Rafayel let out a lazy chuckle. “Man, I love this.”Caleb ignored him, exhaling another slow breath before rubbing a hand over his face.Xavier let the silence stretch between them for a moment before speaking again. “You’re not mad at her.”Caleb frowned. “What?”Xavier’s voice remained calm, measured. “You’re not mad at her. You’re mad at yourself .”Caleb’s gaze snapped to his, sharp and narrowed, but Xavier didn’t falter.“You’re mad because she left, and you let her. You’re mad because she was hurting, and you didn’t know how to fix it. You’re mad because for two years, you convinced yourself she was fine, that she was moving on, that you were too.”Xavier’s eyes flicked down to where Caleb’s fists were still clenched in the sand.“And now she’s back, and she’s not fine , and neither are you.”The words hit like a slow-burning fuse, stretching between them, heavy and undeniable.Caleb didn’t respond right away.Didn’t deny it.Didn’t argue.And that silence?That was more telling than anything else.Rafayel exhaled dramatically. “Whew. That was deep .”Xavier shot him a dry look.Rafayel grinned. “But also, accurate as hell .”Caleb rubbed his hands over his face, exhaling roughly before finally shaking his head. “I need to clear my head.”Rafayel smirked. “Yeah, good luck with that.”Xavier just nodded once. “Then go talk to her.”Caleb didn’t say anything.Didn’t agree.Didn’t argue.But Xavier could see it.See the wheels turning in his head.See the way his fingers twitched, like he wanted to move, like he wanted to go after her but didn’t know how to close the distance between where they were now and where they used to be.He was smart and strong as fuck, But damn.Caleb was a complete idiot when it came to his own feelings.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Undercurrents
—Caleb—
I needed to move.To do something.Because sitting here, staring at the ocean like it was going to magically untangle the mess in my head, wasn’t working. It hadn’t been working for the past two years, and it sure as hell wasn’t working now.I shoved up from the sand, brushing my hands off against my shorts, and ignored the way Rafayel was still smirking at me like he had me all figured out.Because maybe he did.Maybe they both did.Xavier hadn’t been wrong.That was the worst part.I wasn’t mad at Zero.Not really.I was mad at the fact that I let her slip away in the first place. That I let two years pass without stopping her, without asking the right questions, without doing something when I had the chance.And now?Now she was back.And she wasn’t the same.She was tougher, sharper around the edges, still her —still the same girl who could cut me down in two words, still the same girl who would get on my nerves one second and make me laugh the next—but also…
Different.
She held herself differently.Moved differently.Like she had learned how to take care of herself in ways I hadn’t been there for.And that did something to me.Made me feel something I wasn’t ready to name.I didn’t own her.I knew that.But the fact that someone else had been there —that he had been there—when I hadn’t been?That fucked me up more than I wanted to admit. I exhaled sharply through my nose, dragging a hand through my hair.“Don’t do anything too stupid,” Rafayel called lazily from behind me.I flipped him off without turning around.Xavier, at least, had the decency not to say anything.I grabbed my board, started heading back toward the house, muscles still too tense, jaw still locked.I needed to talk to her.I didn’t know what I was going to say, but I needed to talk to her.Because if I didn’t—If I kept letting this sit, letting it fester—It was going to eat me alive.~The house was quiet when I stepped inside.The air-conditioning was on full blast, but my skin was still warm from the sun, my chest still tight.I didn’t have a plan.Didn’t have a script.But I knew where she’d be.I took the stairs two at a time, moving down the hallway until I was standing outside her door.For a second, I hesitated.Because what the fuck was I even doing?Was I really about to pick a fight when I didn’t even know why I was so mad?But before I could talk myself out of it, my hand was already knocking.There was a pause.Then—A muffled, "What?" I exhaled. “It’s me.”Another pause.Then the sound of her moving, the door opening just a crack, and then—There she was.Hair damp from a shower, skin still flushed from the heat of the water, wearing one of those oversized shirts she always used to steal from my closet when we were younger.And fuck.Fuck, I wasn’t ready for this.I wasn’t ready for her .But it was too late now.Because her eyes locked on mine, her expression unreadable, and then—“What do you want, Caleb?”The way she said my name—sharp, guarded—made something twist in my chest.I swallowed, inhaling deep. “We need to talk.”She huffed out a laugh, no humor in it. “That’s rich. You barely looked at me earlier, and now you suddenly want to talk ?”I clenched my jaw. “Zero—”She shook her head, stepping back. “You’re pissed about something, so just say it. Stop hovering around me like you don’t know how to deal with your own damn feelings.”That made my blood heat.Because she always did this.Always pushed me.Always knew exactly what buttons to press.I stepped inside, shutting the door behind me.She arched a brow. “Wow. So now we’re just inviting ourselves in?”I ignored that.Because I needed to get this out.Needed her to understand.“I met him.”That made her pause.For a second, something flickered in her expression—too fast for me to catch—but then she just crossed her arms. “Okay.”I exhaled sharply, trying to keep my temper in check. “So that’s it? Just, okay?”She lifted a shoulder. “What do you want me to say, Caleb? You were bound to meet him eventually.”I let out a rough breath, dragging a hand through my hair. “Zero, he knew about me. About all of us. But I never even fucking heard his name until yesterday.”Something in her gaze shifted.Her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to say something, but then—She didn’t.And that?That pissed me off even more.“Jesus, Zero.” My voice came out rough, frustrated. “I’m not saying you had to give me a fucking list of every person you met while you were gone, but him ?” My eyes locked onto hers. “Did you ever think about how that might feel? That I had to hear it from him instead of you?”Her throat bobbed, but she still didn’t say anything.And that was the part that killed me.Because for the first time in years, Zero didn’t have a comeback.No snark.No bite.Just silence.
—Zero—
The air between us was thick.It felt like every inch of space was closing in, like his presence alone was suffocating me, pressing against my ribs, making it impossible to breathe.Caleb was standing in my room, his jaw tight, his chest rising and falling with slow, deliberate breaths, and I knew— I knew —he was barely holding it together.And the worst part?I didn’t know what to say to him.Not this time.Because he was right.I hadn’t told him about Sylus.I hadn’t told him about any of it.Not because I was trying to keep secrets. Not because I didn’t care.But because I didn’t want to open that door.Because if I did, if I let him see even a fraction of what those two years had really been like, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to close it again.And Caleb?He’d never let it go.His fingers flexed at his sides, his gaze still burning into mine, waiting— waiting for me to say something, for me to explain .But I couldn’t.Because how was I supposed to explain the fact that the person he was mad at wasn’t him, or Sylus?It was me .I swallowed, exhaling slowly. “What do you want me to say, Caleb?”His jaw clenched. “I don’t know. Maybe anything .”I exhaled, shaking my head. “This is stupid.”His eyes flashed. “No, what’s stupid is the fact that I’m standing here feeling like an idiot because you left for two years and came back with a whole fucking life I don’t know about.”That stung.I stiffened, my nails digging into my palms. “I didn’t owe you an explanation.”Caleb let out a rough breath, raking a hand through his hair. “You really don’t get it, do you?”I folded my arms. “No, Caleb. Why don’t you enlighten me?”His gaze locked onto mine, sharp and unreadable. “I missed you.”The words hit me like a punch to the gut.I swallowed hard, my breath hitching slightly, but I didn’t move.Didn’t let it show.Because I couldn’t.Not when my chest was already tight, not when my hands were already shaking, not when I was so close to saying something I’d regret.But Caleb?Caleb had never been the type to let things sit in silence.He stepped closer, his voice lower now, rougher. “Did you even miss me?”I flinched.Because how could he even ask that?I opened my mouth, but the words got caught in my throat.Because if I told the truth—if I told him that there hadn’t been a single night in the past two years where I hadn’t thought about him, that I had dreamed about this place, about him , that I had spent so many fucking nights wondering what would happen if I just came back —Then it would all come crumbling down.So instead, I took a step back and did what I do best.Put distance between us.Because I couldn’t do this.Not now.Not when he was looking at me like that, like he was searching for something, like he was waiting for me to give him the one answer I couldn’t give him.He exhaled sharply. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”Something in my chest cracked.I took another step back, my fingers curling into fists. “You think life’s just been easy for me?”Caleb’s lips parted slightly, but I didn’t let him speak.I shook my head, my voice coming out uneven. “You think I just left and moved on and never fucking thought about you again?”His throat bobbed.I inhaled sharply. “I didn’t tell you about Sylus because I didn’t want to talk about that part of my life. Because I was barely surviving . Because if I told you—if I let you in—you wouldn’t have let me go.”Silence.The kind that weighed.The kind that said everything.Caleb’s fingers twitched, his breathing uneven, his eyes locked onto mine like he was seeing me for the first time.And maybe he was.Maybe then he might’ve realized that I hadn’t been okay.That I hadn’t just left.That I had lost myself.And suddenly, all the fight drained out of him.He exhaled slowly, running a hand over his jaw, shaking his head. “Zero…”I swallowed hard. “I can’t do this with you right now.” I wasn’t ready to have this talk, so I apologized to him in the depths of my heart. Caleb’s throat bobbed, but he nodded.And in that momentHe let me walk away.
~
The door clicked shut behind me, but I didn’t move.I just stood there, my back pressed against the cool wood, my fingers curled into fists at my sides, my heart hammering against my ribs like it was trying to break free.Because this —this was the conversation I had been avoiding since the second I got back.The one I had been pretending wouldn’t happen.The one I knew I couldn’t outrun forever.I exhaled shakily, my hands shaking as I ran them through my damp hair.Because for all the anger in Caleb’s voice, for all the sharp edges and pointed words, there had been hurt buried beneath them.A kind of hurt I knew too well.Because I had been the one to put it there.I closed my eyes, the memories pressing in—uninvited, relentless.The nights where I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling nothing and everything all at once.The days where I couldn’t even find it in me to try, where the weight of grief was so unbearable I wanted to disappear into it entirely.And Caleb—Caleb had tried.He had called, texted, showed up at my house even when I didn’t answer.He had stood outside my door, knocking, voice softer than I had ever heard it.
"Zero, just let me in."
And I hadn’t.I had just pulled the blankets over my head, shut my eyes tight, and wished he’d stop trying.Because it was easier to push him away.Easier than letting him see how fucking broken I was.No guy wanted to be with a depressed girl.I knew that.And Caleb…Caleb wasn’t just some guy.He was everything to me.And that was why I couldn’t let him stay.Because it would have been selfish to ask him to hold me together when I was too far gone to do it myself.Because I knew if I let him in, if I asked him to be there, he would’ve been.And I couldn’t do that to him.So, I went through the whole thing alone.Because I thought that was what it meant to be strong.I thought if I could just make it through, if I could just pull myself together, then maybe—maybe I wouldn’t need anyone.If Mom was able to do it, then maybe I also—Maybe I wouldn’t miss him as much as I did.But I was wrong.Because standing here, two years later, I was realizing that I had never stopped missing him.Not once.I swallowed, my throat tight, my chest aching.Because Caleb had asked me something back there.
"Did you even miss me?"
And I hadn’t answered.Because the truth was too big, too painful.Because the truth was—I had missed him more than words could ever fucking explain.But it was too late to say that now Wasn’t it?

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Player Two, Always
Caleb stood at the stove, the scent of soy sauce, garlic, and brown sugar thick in the air, curling around him like a memory that refused to fade. The sizzle of the wings in the pan was steady, grounding, filling the silence of the house in a way that felt… right. Familiar.It had been a long time since he’d made this.A long time since she’d been here to eat it.And yet, his hands moved on instinct, measuring without thinking, stirring without effort. Zero had always bragged about his cooking like it was something godsent, always exaggerated, always smug.
"You guys don’t get it. This isn’t just food—it’s life-changing. Life-altering. I should start charging people just to watch me eat these wings."
She’d say it with that stupid, satisfied grin, legs thrown over the armrest of the couch like she had no bones, chewing lazily while everyone else rolled their eyes.Caleb had always called her dramatic.And yet, here he was.Making them for her without even thinking.The faint sound of a video game filtered in from the lounge, the rhythmic clicking of buttons, the low murmur of Xavier’s voice, steady and even. Caleb exhaled, rolling his shoulders.He knew what Xavier was doing—pulling her back into the world in the only way she’d let him. It was the same thing Caleb was doing now.Because Zero wasn’t someone you could drag out of a bad place. She didn’t get reeled in with gentle words or forced reassurances. She had to come back on her own terms, in her own way.But he knew her better than anyone. And if there was one thing that could reach her without words, without pushing—It was this.Food had always been their unspoken truce. A quiet bridge between them, even when things felt distant, even when everything else was too complicated.He plated the wings, the sauce clinging perfectly, glistening under the kitchen light, then walked into the lounge without hesitation.Zero was curled into the couch, headset pushed slightly off her ear, completely absorbed in the game, her eyes sharp, focused. Xavier sat beside her, a controller in his hand, his posture relaxed as he quietly played along.Caleb didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to.He set the plate down beside her, close enough to reach, but not enough to make a thing out of it.For a moment, she didn’t move, didn’t react. But then—her fingers stretched out, grabbing a wing without looking, taking a bite, chewing slowly. And just like that—he saw it.That tiny flicker of acknowledgment.He almost smirked. Come on, Pip-squeak, I know you. She swallowed, then, finally— “Caleb.”He raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the couch. “Yeah?”There was a pause. Like she didn’t want to admit it. Like saying it too easily would give something away.But then— “Thank you.”Her voice was quieter, but the sincerity was there. “I missed your cooking. It’s… still the best.”Caleb exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. Then, without thinking, he reached out and ruffled her hair, messing it up with a casual ease that made her swat at his hand.“Anytime, Pip-squeak,” he said, smirking. “You know I’m always happy to cook for you.”Zero didn’t reply—just took another bite, shifting slightly in her seat, a little more at ease.Caleb turned, heading back to the kitchen—but not before catching the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.A small victory.That was all he needed.
— Zero —
There was a knock at my door. A part of me knew I should respond, but I stayed still.The knocking persisted, this time a relentless series of raps. I let out a heavy sigh through my nose. "Go away, Raf."A beat of silence hung in the air, then—"Not Rafayel."My eyes widened. Xavier.I hesitated before shifting onto my back, my gaze locked on the ceiling. "Still not interested," I called out, my voice flat.A pause followed, stretching just long enough for doubt to creep in. Then—"I could use help from my Player Two."That got my attention.I sat up, turning toward the door, suspicion creeping into my eyes as if he could see me through the wood. "Is this a trap?"Xavier's voice was a low hum. "Only if you lose."I let out a short breath, running a hand over my face. I'd been holed up in my room for hours, cycling through the same thoughts, replaying the morning until it didn’t feel real anymore.A distraction didn’t sound so bad.Still, I wasn’t giving in that easily. “You do remember the last time we played, right?”A beat of silence.“Yeah,” Xavier said. “I remember winning.”I scoffed, shoving my blankets off. “Bullshit.”I opened the door, and the first thing I saw was the old, battered gaming headset in his hand.My old headset.The one I had refused to replace, even after Caleb had accidentally stepped on it years ago. The one that had somehow survived every late-night match, every heated argument over co-op strategies, every moment we spent playing just to kill time.I blinked.Xavier didn’t say anything, just lifted it slightly, his way of offering a challenge.And just like that—I was in.Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting cross-legged on the lounge floor, a controller in my hands, hoodie sleeves pushed up to my elbows.The moment the game booted up, my body relaxed automatically, muscle memory kicking in. My fingers adjusted on the controller, my gaze sharpening as I leaned into the screen.Xavier barely glanced at me before smirking. “You still remember the controls?”I scoffed, rolling my shoulders back. “Please. I could do this in my sleep.”Xavier hummed. “Good. I don’t have the patience to explain.”I smirked, shifting slightly, tucking my sock-covered feet under my thighs. “Don’t worry. I’ll carry you like I always do.”His eyes flicked toward me for a second—quick, unreadable—but he didn’t argue.The match started, and my focus narrowed instantly.I barely heard anything outside of the game, barely noticed anything except for the way my character moved smoothly across the map, my fingers guiding every motion with instinctive precision.Xavier tried to keep up, but he wasn’t as fast.“Where are you?” he asked, scanning the mini-map.I grinned, adjusting my mic absently. “Right behind you.”A second later, I took out an enemy halfway across the map.Xavier sighed. “Liar.”I giggled through the mic, soft and amused, then took another shot.My focus didn’t waver once.It was easy, familiar, natural—the way my body just fell into rhythm, the way I barely had to think.And for the first time all day, I wasn’t stuck in my own head.I wasn’t replaying the morning.I was just here.And then—I gasped.My character got taken out from behind, and I pouted, shifting slightly as I leaned forward. “No way.”Xavier chuckled under his breath. “You getting soft?”I adjusted my mic, eyes locking back onto the screen. “Okay. No more nice girl.”Xavier smirked. “You were holding back?”I didn’t answer.Just went full gamer mode, fingers flying over the controls, movements sharp and efficient as I flipped the game back in my favor within seconds.Xavier sighed. “You’re terrifying.”I grinned. “I know.”We played like that for a while, the only sounds filling the space between us being the distant crash of waves outside and the occasional hum of victory on my end.It was peaceful.No tension. No expectations.Just Player One and Player Two.The first time I met Xavier, he barely looked at me.He was taller than me—most people were—but he had this way of carrying himself like he was trying to take up as little space as possible. Quiet. Unreadable. Like a shadow that had learned how to exist without drawing attention.I, on the other hand, was the tiny annoying girl that never shut up. “Hey,” I had said, standing on my toes to get a better look at him while he laced up his sneakers on Josephine’s front steps. “You’re the new kid, huh?”Xavier didn’t answer at first.Then—without glancing up—he muttered, “You’re shorter than I thought you’d be.”I narrowed my eyes. “Excuse me?”He shrugged, tucking the loose ends of his laces into his shoe. “Caleb told me about you,” he said, finally looking up. His silver eyes were sharp but distant, like a mirror reflecting something I couldn’t quite see. “Said you were loud and crazy.”I gasped, scandalized. “That traitor.”Xavier shrugged again, clearly unimpressed by my dramatics.That was how it started.At first, he was just there —one of the older kids who floated in and out of Josephine’s house, never really staying long enough for anyone to get too attached. My situation was different. I had been adopted by Jenna and Andrew when I was seven, but Jenna always made sure I stayed connected to Josephine, especially since we were still living in Whitesand Bay back then.Like I said, Josephine’s house was our second home. And us fosters, we were always family.Xavier was just a little different.His father had a way of pulling him back into his life whenever it suited him. He never talked about it, never explained, but I knew enough to understand that whatever was waiting for him outside of Josephine’s house—he didn’t want to be there.But on the days when he was here?He was my Player One.We became video game partners by accident.One day, I caught him sitting alone in the lounge, flipping through the stack of worn-out game cases beside the ancient console Josephine kept around.“You play?” I asked, hopping over the back of the couch to sit beside him.He glanced at me, then back at the case in his hands. “Sometimes.”I grabbed a controller, shoving it into his lap. “Well, now you play all the time.”Xavier stared at me like he wasn’t sure if I was joking or not.I wasn’t.From then on, we were a team— Player One and Player Two. We played everything together, from fighting games to racing sims to whatever random RPG we could get our hands on. He never talked much, but he didn’t have to. We understood each other in ways that didn’t need words.When the other kids got bored of staying inside, choosing to roam the neighborhood in the late afternoon heat, Xavier and I stayed back, sprawled out on the worn couch, controllers in hand, screens lighting up our faces as we laughed and cursed and got way too competitive.“Dodge, dodge, dodge, ” I hissed one evening, gripping my controller as our characters battled on screen.“I am dodging,” Xavier shot back, brows furrowed, jaw tight in concentration.“You’re dodging like a grandma. ”He scoffed. “You are a grandma.”“How dare you—”I lost the match.Xavier, to his credit, only smirked a little.“I hate you,” I muttered, slumping into the cushions.He leaned back beside me, arms crossed behind his head. “No, you don’t.”Fortunately enough, he was right.Even outside of video games, Xavier had become a special part of my childhood.I was always a little chaotic, a little too reckless for my own good, but he had this quiet steadiness about him that balanced it out. Caleb was the golden boy, charming and easy to love, mister popular, king of the crowd, the type of person who could talk his way into or out of anything. But Xavier?He carried himself with a quiet confidence, never too loud, never too eager, like he had the whole world figured out. He had always been soft spoken to most people. But beneath it all, he was sharper than people realized. I actually thought he was a sociopathic supergenius at one point.At first, I thought he just didn’t like people, but that wasn’t it. He was just careful with his presence, selective about who he let close. And somehow, I ended up being one of those people.He was the one who never made a big deal out of things but always made sure I was okay.When the power went out one summer night, and the whole house plunged into darkness during a thunderstorm, it was Xavier who sat with me on the floor while Caleb and Rafayel went to go look for Josephine, our backs against the couch, passing a flashlight back and forth like it was some kind of lifeline.“It’s too quiet,” I whispered. “Where’s Caleb?”“You’re too loud,” he muttered back, he was clearly more scared of the dark than I was, but he stayed there with me anyway.And if I had a habit of getting myself into trouble, Xavier had a habit of showing up right before it happened, like he had some kind of sixth sense for my nonsense.Like the time I got stuck climbing a tree, too scared to jump down but too stubborn to admit it.“You got yourself up there, how can you not come down?” he had said from below, arms crossed, thoroughly unimpressed.I huffed, gripping the branch for dear life, my ten year old self scared shitless. “I was doing fine until I looked down.”Xavier sighed, stepping closer. “Do you want my help or are you still proving a point?”“…I’m thinking.”“Well… I’m leaving.” He turned dramatically, walking off.Panic shot through me. “ Wait! ”He stopped. Slowly. Smugly.“Fine,” I muttered. “I… want your help.” And he always helped me in the end, all I had to do was ask.And then, of course, there was his problem—falling asleep in the weirdest places.I used to find him knocked out in the backyard hammock, the couch, the windowsill—once, even on top of a stack of books in the library.“How can you sleep everywhere ?” I had asked one afternoon, finding him dozing under a tree while everyone else played in the sprinkler.Xavier cracked open one eye, looking vaguely irritated. “Because you exist.”“What does that mean?”“It means,” he grumbled, closing his eyes again, “I need to conserve energy in case any of us have to rescue you from another bad idea.”So, naturally, I started waking him up in the worst ways possible. For fun of course. Even Rafayel and Caleb ended up joining me in the mischief, and it was glorious.Our pranks on each other knew no bounds.Once, we tied his shoelaces together while he was napping on the porch. Another time, I balanced a piece of toast on his forehead just to see how long it would stay. Caleb had a timer on the entire time. I feel like we still have pictures we took during that era.Anyways, and that was how our friendship was. We were all best friends.Then, during my second year of high school, Xavier left.Not that it was unusual—he always left.No one ever said much about Xavier’s family, but we all knew that they always had this way of yanking him back whenever it was convenient, like Xavier was nothing more than a possession to be retrieved at random times and sent back when he wasn’t needed. But he always told me when he’d be back.“Two weeks,” he said the last time I saw him.“Two weeks,” I repeated.“Don’t go replacing me as your Player One while I’m gone.” He said.I scoffed. “As if anyone else is dumb enough to team up with me.”He smirked. “True.”Then he left.And never came back.Weeks turned into months, and then months turned to years. I went back to Josephine’s, waiting for the day he’d walk through the door with that same unreadable expression, like nothing had changed. But he didn’t.I asked Josephine about him once.“He’s back with his father,” she had said, her voice carefully even. “I don’t know when he’ll be back, sweetheart.”I told myself he was fine.Told myself he had probably just moved on, that I was stupid for waiting, for expecting anything different.But a part of me always wondered.And now— four years later —Xavier was back, his blue eyes were the same but different, his presence as steady as I remember but heavier, older.I don’t know where he’s been.Don’t know if he’s still the same boy who used to sit beside me on the couch, passing the flashlight back and forth, sharing a silence that never felt uncomfortable.The pier stretched long into the night, the wooden planks creaking beneath my feet as I walked toward the edge. The ocean whispered below, dark and endless, waves lapping against the shore in rhythmic succession. Out here, away from the lights of town, the sky opened up—stars scattered across the horizon, their faint glow reflecting against the water’s surface.I exhaled slowly, leaning against the railing, letting the salt-tinged breeze cool my skin.My first few days back had been a little overwhelming.Too much unspoken history pressing against my ribs.And Caleb…I frowned, pressing my fingers into the worn wood beneath me. We made up in our own way, like before. But it still felt like we were walking parallel, just close enough to touch but too far to truly reach.My thoughts were interrupted by the quiet sound of footsteps.I tensed slightly before glancing over my shoulder.He stood at the start of the pier, hands in his white hoodie pockets and silver hair catching the moonlight. His gaze found mine easily. He didn’t say anything at first, just took in the sight of me standing alone by the water.“You’re not hiding, are you?” he finally asked.I scoffed lightly, turning back toward the ocean. “No. Just thinking. You know how I am. It just felt too cramped up in that old house I guess.”Xavier approached, his steps slow, deliberate. When he reached my side, he leaned against the railing, mirroring my posture. “Dangerous habit.”I rolled my eyes. “You sound like Caleb.”At the mention of his name, Xavier’s gaze flickered slightly, “Speaking of which.” The silence between us settled into something quiet, something almost comfortable.“Are you okay though?” he asked after a moment, his voice softer this time.I hesitated, gripping the railing. “Yeah.” A pause. “Just… a lot on my mind.”Xavier didn’t push, but I could feel his attention lingering. He had always been like that—sharp enough to catch things without needing to pry, patient enough to wait until I wanted to talk.I appreciate that about him.“You gonna tell me where you’ve been all this time?”Xavier hadn’t answered me yet.His hands were still in his hoodie pockets, his silver hair catching the glow of the moon, but I could feel the shift in him—the way his body tensed slightly, the way his fingers twitched before curling against the fabric.I knew that look.He was debating.Deciding whether to tell me or keep it to himself. I understood that he had his own baggage too, but he didn’t reach out in those four years. Not even once. Who was I to judge, anyway?I had done the same thing when my dad…The thought pressed in, unwelcome, heavy. I pushed it away, but the realization stuck.This—this hesitation, this unspoken weight—I knew it.It was the same thing Caleb had felt when he looked at me and saw someone who wouldn’t let him in.I’m so stupid.Like, how would I even know when the right time was? When would I be ready to talk about something like that to someone I had purposely pushed away?How do you even start a conversation like that? How do you form the words when everything inside you feels too raw, too tangled, too impossible to explain?Anxiety really fucking sucks at times like this.The water stretched out before us, dark and endless, the waves rolling in and out like something steady, something constant. And finally—“I moved around a lot… mainly because of my father,” Xavier said, his voice lower now, more measured. “Work. Life. Trying to figure things out. Toxic family type shit.”I glanced at him. He wasn’t looking at me, but I could tell he was choosing his words carefully. I never knew much about his father. None of us did. Xavier always kept that part of his life to himself. Even now.Sometimes the past is a shadow that follows you, and the only way to keep it from consuming you is to keep it locked away.There were depths to Xavier's story that remained unspoken, secrets lurking just beneath the surface. I felt the urge to probe, to drag them into the light.But I hesitated. I knew the weight of unspoken truths, the burden of secrets kept hidden. And in that moment, I chose to respect his silence.I leaned forward, the railing's weathered wood creaking beneath my palms. "Did you ever think about coming back?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.Xavier's gaze met mine, his eyes searching my expression with a quiet intensity. His movements were slow, deliberate, like he was savoring the moment. My breath caught, but it was more surprising than anything else.For a moment, time hung suspended, the only sound the distant hum of crickets and the creaking of the old wooden railing. Then, Xavier's gaze dropped, his lashes sweeping down like a curtain, hiding his emotions from me.He took a breath then. Like he was about to say something real.Something true.But before he could decide whether or not to say anything else—Another voice cut through the night.“Ah, I should’ve known you guys would end up here.”I turned just in time to see Rafayel strolling toward us, looking completely at ease, his usual smirk playing at the corners of his lips. The sea breeze tugged at his unbuttoned shirt, his dusky purple hair a little tousled like he had just come from a long drive with the windows down.Xavier didn’t move, but I could feel the subtle shift in his posture—a quiet awareness at Rafayel’s presence.“You two look cozy,” Rafayel remarked, stopping just a few feet away. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say I was interrupting something.”I rolled my eyes. “You’re always interrupting something.”He pressed a hand to his chest, mock-offended. “Me? Never.”Xavier remained silent, his expression unreadable, but I caught the faintest hint of something in his gaze—like he was already exhausted by Rafayel’s antics before they even started.Rafayel didn’t seem to mind.“I came to deliver an invitation,” he said, tilting his head slightly. “We’re throwing a bonfire over at the dunes. Everyone’s gonna be there.”I hesitated.Rafayel must’ve seen it, because his smirk shifted into something smoother, less teasing. “Even Caleb’s going.”My fingers curled slightly against the railing.Caleb. So he had decided to go, too.I wasn’t sure why that solidified my decision, but it did.The ocean air clung to me, heavy with the scent of salt and secrets. I shifted my gaze, and Xavier's eyes met mine, their blue depths calm and inscrutable. He hadn’t agreed.But he hadn’t refused either.The moment stretched, something quiet settling between us, something that almost felt like a question neither of us knew how to ask.I exhaled slowly, forcing my grip to loosen, and turned back to Rafayel.“Fine,” I murmured. “Give us a minute.”Rafayel’s grin widened, something knowing flickering behind his eyes. “Don’t take too long,” he murmured, voice laced with something light, something teasing—something that felt too damn perceptive.Then he turned, slipping back toward the beach, his silhouette swallowed by the night, fading into the glow of the distant bonfire.The waves rolled in, pulling and retreating, filling the space he left behind.For a moment neither of us moved, the only sound between us was the rhythmic crash of the tide, the quiet hum of wind threading through the wooden beams beneath us.“Are you sure about this?” he asked, his voice low.I laughed before I met his gaze. “Are you?”He held my stare for a long beat, blue eyes, as bright as the ocean. Then, finally, he exhaled through his nose, a quiet amusement in his expression.“You make a valid point.”I smirked, nudging at him before pushing off the railing. “Come on. Let’s go before all the good snacks are gone.”Xavier hummed, his gaze flickering toward the ocean one last time before he turned to follow.And just like that, we walked into the night, toward the fire, toward the past—toward whatever awaited us on the other side of the sand.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Salt & Smoke
Beyond the salt-stained shores of Whitesand Bay, past the last stretch of civilization where the world blurred between sand and sky, were The Dunes—a golden expanse of untouched wilderness, shifting and endless beneath the pull of the wind.By daylight, they were deceptively serene, an ocean of rolling sand sculpted by time, the sun dipping low and molten over the peaks, turning them into something otherworldly. But at night—At night, the dunes came alive.This place had always belonged to Rafayel.Since the day he first stumbled upon them in high school, barefoot and sunburnt, his hair wild from the sea breeze, he had claimed this place as his own—a kingdom built not of stone, but of sand, sin, and stardust.He was the god of these dunes, and every wild thing that happened here belonged to him.His parties were the kind people whispered about long after the fire burned out—events that blurred into legend, that left behind nothing but footprints in the sand and stories that sounded too indulgent, too depraved, to be real.But they were real.And exquisitely, explicit.This wasn’t a place for the careful, the hesitant, the ones who flinched at temptation.The dunes were a temple of pleasure, of reckless abandon, where sweat-slicked bodies tangled in the flickering firelight, where lips met with the reckless hunger of youth, where desire was currency and inhibition was left at the door.Neon lights flickered in the distance, casting the sand in shades of violets, reds, pinks, and blues, like something out of a fever dream. The air was thick with salt, smoke, and sweat, the music pulsing deep, a heartbeat beneath bare feet and wandering hands.Here, nothing mattered but the now.Drunken laughter, the sharp crack of a beer can opening, the distant hum of pleasure as strangers disappeared into the shadows—this was Rafayel’s masterpiece.A playground of lust and longing.A kingdom made for those who lived fast, loved hard, and never looked back.The dunes were alive.Not just with the crackle of the bonfire, but with music, laughter, and the electric hum of something untamed.This wasn’t just a beach party.It was one of Rafayel’s dune parties—a reckless, drug-laced, neon-lit celebration of youth and chaos.Somewhere between Burning Man and an underground club, but messier.Wilder.The fire burned high, stretching its glow over the shifting sands, but it was nothing compared to the flashes of neon light strung between wooden poles, casting deep purples, blues, and reds across the bodies tangled in motion.Music pounded through the air, bass-heavy and hypnotic, making the ground feel alive beneath my feet.This was freedom.This was everything I had been holding myself back from for too long.I was here—and I wasn’t thinking about anything else.People were everywhere, spilling across the dunes, drinks in hand, glowing under the mix of firelight and neon.Some were dancing, hips rolling, hands sliding over sweat-slicked skin, lost in the rhythm of the night.Some were sprawled across beach blankets and makeshift lounges, laughing, smoking, lips brushing against each other between whispered conversations.And some were already gone, lost to the haze of something stronger than alcohol, bodies pressed together in the shadows of the dunes.This was exactly what I needed.I felt electric, the buzz of beer warming my veins, my body moving on instinct as I let myself get swept into the chaos.A hand brushed against mine—someone offering me a shot.I took it without thinking.The burn hit fast, spreading like wildfire down my throat, and I chased it with a sip of something sweeter before I even had time to process it.I laughed, the sound lighter than it had been in months, maybe years.“Feeling good?”I turned, and Rafayel was there, grinning like he owned the night.Which, honestly, he kind of did.He was in his element, dusky purple hair tousled, shirt unbuttoned just enough to make it obnoxiously obvious that he was the best-looking guy here, a cigarette tucked between his fingers.I smirked. “You throw a decent party, I guess.”He let out a low chuckle, tilting his head. “Decent? I should throw you back in the city for that insult.”I laughed again, loose, free, almost weightless.Maybe it was the booze. Maybe it was the music shaking through my chest.Or maybe it was the fact that, for the first time in forever, I wasn’t holding myself back.I let my body sway to the music, let the heat of the fire mix with the warmth spreading through my skin.I felt untouchable.“Alright, alright, enough standing around looking like lost tourists,” Rafayel drawled, draping an arm over both mine and Xavier’s shoulders, effectively steering us deeper into the madness. “Loosen up. Take some shots. And for fuck’s sake, strip those hoodies off. We’re in the dunes—this is a temple, not a tax office.”His smirk turned wicked as he added, “Wouldn’t want either of you getting heatstroke, anyway. That’d be a hard one to explain to both our moms.”I snorted, barely hearing Xavier’s sigh of deep, long-suffering regret as Rafayel shoved a shot glass into my free hand.He didn’t give me time to process it—just raised his own and tipped it back.I followed suit.The shot burned, sharp and fast, sliding down my throat like liquid fire.I gasped, sucking in a breath as warmth spread through my chest, my skin already humming from the night, the heat, the sheer weightlessness of being here, now.Rafayel grinned, slow and indulgent, like he had been waiting for this exact moment. “Atta girl.”Xavier, on the other hand, remained exactly as he was—fully clothed, completely unimpressed, and watching everything with that infuriatingly unreadable gaze.Rafayel sighed dramatically. “You too, nerd.”Xavier exhaled through his nose, already looking like a man who had accepted his fate and hated every second of it.Still, after a beat—after a moment of undeniable hesitation—he plucked the shot from Rafayel’s outstretched hand and knocked it back without a word.I cheered, bumping my hip into him. “That’s the spirit.”Xavier barely spared me a glance. “You two are going to be the death of me.”Rafayel’s smirk widened under the neon glow, teeth flashing, wild and so very Rafayel.“Oh, c’mon,” he drawled, tipping his drink back effortlessly. “You love us.”Xavier didn’t respond, but in Xavier-speak, silence was as close to maybe as we were going to get.I smirked, my body buzzing with warmth and something reckless, something that whispered why not? instead of should you?So, without thinking, I reached for the hem of my hoodie, yanked it over my head, and tossed it straight at Rafayel’s face.A challenge and a declaration that tonight, I wasn’t holding back.Rafayel caught it effortlessly, smirking as he draped it over his shoulder like a trophy.But it wasn’t his reaction that got me.It was Xavier’s.He had been mid-sip, the rim of his beer bottle still touching his lips, when he looked at me.And paused.Just for a second.Just long enough for his gaze to drop; enough for him to really see me.I suddenly remembered exactly what I was wearing.Simone’s so-called “perfect for summer” swimsuit.The top was minimalistic, a barely-there triangle bikini with delicate straps that crisscrossed over my collarbones before wrapping around my back in intricate loops. The fabric was thin but secure, dipping low enough to leave just enough to the imagination—but not much.The bottoms were even worse. Or better. Depending on who you asked.A high-cut, tie-side style that sat snug on my hips, accentuating the curve of my waist and leaving more skin bare than covered. The strings rested dangerously high, drawing attention to the smooth planes of my stomach, dipping just low enough to be daring, sinful, dangerous.And then there was the color—a deep, sultry red, the kind that burned under neon lights, the kind that demanded attention, the kind that made it impossible to fade into the background.Something I never would have picked out for myself.I ran a hand absently down my stomach, adjusting the fit. It was nothing.Except Rafayel stepped in closer to me, and Xavier looked away too fast, which both made heat in my veins burned a little hotter. I narrowed my eyes at him, suspicious. “What’s wrong?”Xavier was so painfully casual when he responded, “Nothing.” But his voice was a little lower than usual, and his shoulders a little tenser.I awkwardly shifted, trying to find my comfort zone again.I tugged at my loose hair and looked away, sort of timid and self conscious about it all…“Simone picked it out for me,” I said, grinning. “It’s cute, right?”Xavier raised a slow and steady hand towards his mouth as if masking himself from saying something before Rafayel moved my hair from my face and chuckled darkly. “Oh, it’s more than cute, cutie,” Rafayel said as he looked me up and down like a work of art. “Are you okay?” I asked Xavier noticing as he took a few steps back with his beer. Xavier sighed. “Yeah. It’s just—” He exhaled sharply. “It’s kinda hot ….outside. Must be the alcohol.”And then—before I could call him out on his obvious weirdness—he yanked his hoodie off in one smooth motion, revealing lean muscle, toned arms, the kind of build that belonged to someone who had spent their entire life moving like a fighter.Which, to be fair, he had.Rafayel clearly noticed too though, because he smirked instantly and gave him a slap on the back in kind.“Thaaaat’s what I'm fucking talking about,” he mused.Xavier ignored him.I grinned, feeling the warmth of the shots settle deep in my stomach, and my cheeks.And then—I let myself go.Music pulsed, the neon glow shifting in time with the beat. Bodies moved like waves crashing against the shore—fluid, relentless, without hesitation.I could feel the heat of the fire behind me, the coolness of the ocean somewhere ahead, the unmistakable feeling of freedom thrumming through my veins.I swayed my hips slightly to the music, letting the moment take me, letting it drown out everything else.A hand brushed against mine—someone offering me another shot.I took it.Tipped it back.Laughed, loose and untethered.I felt weightless.I turned to Rafayel, grinning as I yelled over the music. “Okay, fine. You throw a pretty good party.”He raised a brow. “Just ‘pretty good’?”I shrugged playfully and he scoffed back at me, shaking his head, then draped an arm around my shoulders.Rafayel was that guy.He didn’t chase. Never had to and never would.He lured. Like a damn siren.And instead of pressuring—he merely invited.A tilt of the head, a half-lidded gaze that held just enough challenge, a smirk that promised something better, wilder, and completely untamed.“Alright, little heathen,” he murmured, his voice low, rich, wicked with something unspoken.“Let’s see if you can actually keep up.”I scoffed, shoving my empty shot glass into his chest. “Please. You’re the one who’s behind.”Rafayel’s eyes flickered, glowing beneath the neon haze.And then—he laughed.Low. Amused. Indulgent.“You really think I don’t know you by now?” His voice was velvet, warm and cool at once, smooth enough to slip through cracks. “I saw you out there earlier—standing on the edge, watching, thinking too much. You always think too much.”I opened my mouth—to argue, to deny, to do something.But then his fingers brushed over the side of my throat, a touch so casual it shouldn’t have mattered.He had a way of making things feel like a challenge, like he was waiting for you to prove him wrong.And I was never one to back down from a challenge.So I smirked, tilted my chin up slightly.“And what, exactly, do you think I need, Rafayel?”He hummed, tilting his head, studying me with a gaze that was equal parts teasing and knowing.Then—he leaned in.Close enough that I could feel his breath against my cheek, smell the faint trace of something expensive—woodsy, rich, something that made my stomach tighten before I could stop it.“You need….”The words were a whisper, a dare wrapped in silk.I barely had time to process it before his fingers wrapped around my wrist. “—To have some fun.”And then—he pulled.And as he pulled me, I laughed the loudest and looked over my shoulder and snatched Xavier’s hand, dragging him along with us. “C’mon, broody,” I teased, swaying in front of him, hands loose at my sides, my body a challenge in itself. “You gonna stand there all night?”Xavier exhaled through his nose, just slightly.Like he was trying to decide if he should play along.Rafayel leaned in, grinning against the rim of his drink. “Oh, he doesn’t dance.”I arched a brow, locking eyes with Xavier again. “Doesn’t dance, huh?”He just looked at me as I let go, with the dunes swallowed us whole. And I let them. The night had no edges here.Only heat and sound, pulse and rhythm, and the liquid fire of whatever drink Rafayel had just put into my hands next.I tossed it back, the burn trailing down my throat like the start of something dangerous.Rafayel laughed, watching me like he already knew I’d keep up.“You feeling it yet?” he asked, leaning in and yelling over the music.I licked the taste of liquor from my lips, exhaling slowly, letting the heat settle under my skin as I wiped a trickle that dripped down my chin.“Hell yeah,” I murmured, tilting my head just enough to catch the neon glow in his gaze.He grinned. “Good.”Then he pulled me back into the chaos.The bass throbbed under my feet, the kind of sound that demanded movement, demanded surrender.So I gave in.Let the music take me. Let the firelight blur the edges of my thoughts. Let the weight of reality disappear beneath the crush of the night.Rafayel was a force of nature, guiding me through the crowd like we were made for this, for the feeling of sand between our toes, for the flicker of heat against our skin, for the laughter that came too easily..We danced like the night would never end and the world outside the dunes didn’t exist.Like we weren’t just bodies moving in the dark—we were the dark, the heat, the rhythm, the pulse.I let myself  be reckless and free again.Completely letting go for the night. That was the thing about Rafayel.He didn’t hold you back.He dared you to live.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Late Night Escapade
The music was omnipresent, pulsating beneath my feet, entwining with my skin, and resonating deep within my ribs. It drowned out my thoughts, overwhelming everything else.I swayed, my eyes half-lidded, as the warmth of the fire, liquor, and ocean breeze enveloped me like a living entity. My body moved instinctively, rolling with the bass, as the neon lights transformed the dunes into a surreal dreamscape of violet, blue, and red hues.This was freedom – losing myself without being lost.Rafayel remained beside me, his presence still palpable, his smirk lingering in the air like cigarette smoke. He watched, indulged, and knew.But then, a voice called out his name. A few of his friends, waving and laughing, beckoned him over. He glanced at them, then back at me, amusement flickering in his dusky pink eyes."I'll be right back," he said, his voice low, smooth, and certain.I laughed, the sound light, hazy, and caught between tipsy and untouchable."Go, go," I told him, still moving to the rhythm of the night. "I'm fine."Rafayel's smirk deepened, as if he knew a secret I didn't.Then, he vanished into the crowd.And I was alone in the music.But it didn't feel like loneliness.It felt like everything.I raised my hands, letting my body surrender to the beat, as the neon lights blurred across my vision like streaks of paint on a canvas.The world dissolved, its edges melting into a kaleidoscope of heat, movement, color, and sound.I felt weightless.Like the night had wrapped itself around me, like I was floating, like I was infinite.The bass shook the ground beneath me, the firelight flickered in the corner of my vision, everything slow and stretched, like a dream that didn’t know it was a dream.I closed my eyes, head tilting back, a soft laugh slipping from my lips.And then—A tap on my shoulder jolted me back to reality. My eyelids fluttered open, and the world snapped back into focus just enough to register the figure in front of me.A guy, older, with a relaxed demeanor, stood before me. He was the kind of party regular who had seen too much and cared too little. His eyes flickered over me, casual, assessing.Then, he extended his hand, palm up. In it lay a small, off-white pill – Ecstasy.The music pulsed around me, the world vibrating in time. Every color seemed sharp and blurred all at once.His voice was low, just above the music, smooth in a way that was meant to be convincing. "You're already feeling good," he said. "Why not feel even better?"The pill in the guy's hand blurred in and out of focus, small and harmless-looking, like a secret waiting to be swallowed.My fingers twitched, reaching for the pill, as the music throbbed through my skull. My pulse chased the bass, my body floating somewhere between euphoria and weightlessness.And then, there was a sudden flash of movement. My wrist was caught in a firm grip. I blinked once, and then I saw him.Tall, lean, and completely unbothered, Sylus stood before me. He held the pill bag between his fingers, turning it slightly under the neon glow, before finally lifting his gaze to the guy – who, now that I was really looking, couldn't have been much older than me.I blinked again, trying to steady the ground beneath me. The guy who had offered me the pill stiffened, his smirk dropping the moment he got a good look at who had taken it."Oh, shit – hey, Boss," he muttered, his voice laced with a mix of fear and respect.Wait. What?The guy rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly nervous. "Just making sure the cool kids have a little fun, you know?"Sylus tilted his head, his red eyes gleaming with boredom, amusement, and a hint of danger. The guy's expression changed, and he looked like he was rethinking his life choices.Sylus rolled the pill between his fingers, then flicked his gaze back to the guy. "I'll deal with you later."The guy swallowed audibly and flashed me a nervous grin before hurrying away. I exhaled, feeling the weight of my limbs. As the fog in my head began to clear, frustration spiked within me.I turned to Sylus. "Seriously?" I asked, crossing my arms, but the movement felt looser and clumsier than intended."I didn't need saving," I muttered.Sylus raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"I scowled. "It was my decision to make."Sylus took a slow, measured step toward me, but I refused to back down. He was tall, and I had to tilt my head to meet his gaze. His presence made my stomach dip in a way I refused to acknowledge.He lifted the baggie of pills between us, dangling it just out of reach. "If you can reach it," he said, smirking, "then it's yours."I blinked, incredulous. Was he serious?I narrowed my eyes. "You're joking."Sylus shrugged, lifting the baggie higher. "I can't stop you from making bad decisions, kitten. But if you want it that badly, go ahead."I clenched my jaw. He thought this was funny? Fine. I bent my knees and jumped.Missed.Jumped again.Still missed.Sylus made a low sound in his throat, a chuckle. "How cute," he mused. "Are you done?"How dare he. "Not even close," I muttered, my cheeks hot from the alcohol, heat, and audacity.I jumped again, higher and harder, fueled by stubbornness.But the alcohol hit me all at once. My balance wavered, and I crashed into Sylus.The world tilted, and I landed on top of him, breathless and dizzy.Sylus's body was warm, firm, and solid beneath me. His scent, faintly spiced and familiar, wrapped around me like a poisonous flower.I swallowed hard. The world still felt like it was tilting, the alcohol making everything hazy and slow.Sylus blinked up at me, his red eyes gleaming with an unreadable emotion. I stared back, my hands planted against his chest, realizing I was straddling him.My heart pounded as the firelight cast sharp shadows along his jaw. He let out a breath, his voice lower than before."Well," he murmured, lips curling into a smirk. "Didn't think you'd fall for me this fast, kitten."I groaned, dropping my forehead against his chest. "Shut up."His chest shook with a low laugh. His hand remained curled around my wrist, the other at my waist, as if he had broken my fall.The party sounds around me faded into the background – the music pulsing, the bonfire crackling. All I could focus on was Sylus.His sharp features, cut and smooth like marble. His silver hair, slightly tousled from the fall.The way his lips parted slightly, his breath even, his expression unreadable.I tilted my head, blinking down at him, entranced."Huh," I murmured.Sylus lifted a brow. "Huh?"I hummed absently, my fingertips grazing Sylus's chest. The touch sent a shiver down my spine, and I felt an inexplicable pull to explore further. Before thinking, I reached forward, my fingers brushing against his lower lip.The sensation was intoxicating – soft, warm, and barely there, yet impossible to ignore. Sylus stilled, his expression unchanged, but something in his eyes flickered, like a spark of electricity. My heart skipped a beat as I felt the air thicken between us.I squinted slightly, my gaze locked on his lips. "Huh."Sylus's brow ticked up, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Are we just saying 'huh' now?"I ignored him, my fingers tracing the curve of his bottom lip, as if drawn by an unseen force. The touch sent waves of heat through my body, and I felt myself melting into the sensation."You're…really pretty," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. The alcohol haze seemed to amplify my emotions, making every feeling sharper, more intense.As I spoke, Sylus's body tensed beneath me, his hands twitching slightly. But I was captivated by the way his lips parted beneath my touch, the way his breath hitched, sending a thrill through my veins.Then, his voice – quiet, smooth, and deeper than before – sent shivers down my spine. "You're drunk."But I didn't care. I was lost in the sensation of his lips beneath my fingers, the way his eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire. I felt like I was drowning in their depths, and I couldn't look away.Sylus's voice was like a distant hum, a reminder that there was a world beyond the two of us. But I didn't want to hear it. I wanted to stay in this moment, suspended in the thrall of his gaze.His hands flexed again, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. It was like he was fighting to keep himself in check, to maintain the fragile thread of control that bound him. I felt a thrill of excitement at the thought, a sense of power and discovery.And then, without thinking, I leaned forward, my lips brushing against his. It was like the entire world had come to a standstill, leaving only the two of us, suspended in the heat of the moment.Sylus's eyes flashed, and for an instant, I saw something raw and unguarded. Something that made my heart skip a beat. It was like glimpsing a hidden truth, a secret that only he knew. And then, just as suddenly, everything went dark.A hand wrapped around my upper arm, firm and unyielding. Familiar. I gasped as I was yanked off Sylus, my body torn away from the warmth of his. I felt a jolt of disorientation, like being pulled from a dream.As I stumbled backward, I caught a glimpse of Sylus's face, his eyes still burning with an inner fire. And then, his expression changed, his mask slipping back into place. He looked up at me, his eyes glinting with amusement, but I saw something else there, something that made my heart skip another beat.

The world slowed.
Not in the way alcohol made everything hazy, soft around the edges.
No, this was different.
This was the kind of slow that happened when something irreversible was about to unfold.
The kind of slow that came before impact.
Sylus’s head snapped to the side, his silver hair falling into his face, the firelight catching the sharp angles of his jaw as clenched fist smashed right into it.
I barely registered the sharp intake of breath from the crowd and the way a few bodies turned toward us.
My own breath caught—a single second stretched into eternity.
And then—
Sylus exhaled calmly. The kind of calm that wasn’t actually calm at all.
His tongue darted out, brushing over the cut at his lip, tasting the blood before he let out a low, almost amused chuckle.
His red eyes lifted, burning into the one person who had shattered the moment.
Caleb.
He stood rigid, chest rising and falling with slow, even breaths, but his knuckles were still curled, still shaking slightly from the force of the punch.
I knew that look.
The one that stood too still, too controlled, because if he moved, he’d do something he couldn’t take back.
Something about that realization sent a cold chill through the heat of my alcohol-dazed body.
Because I had never seen him like this before.
Never because of me at least.
Sylus flexed his jaw, testing it out, before letting out another slow exhale. His gaze flickered to me for half a second—just long enough to let me know exactly what he was about to do.
And I panicked.
I turned instinctively, reaching out—
"Don’t."
One word. One warning.
Caleb’s voice, low, quiet, but lethal.
I froze.
My fingers hovered, inches from his arm, but I couldn’t move.
Because he wasn’t looking at me.
He was looking at Sylus.
And Sylus—he was still smirking.
Still sitting there like the punch had barely touched him.
He reached up, brushing his fingers along his jaw, then tilted his head slightly.
“Well.” His voice was smooth, low, entirely too amused.
“I suppose I should say thank you.”
Caleb’s jaw flexed. “For what?”
Sylus met his eyes, and his smirk turned razor-sharp.
“For proving my point.”
Something dark and dangerous, flickered across Caleb’s face.
Sylus just chuckled, shaking his head before finally shifting his gaze back to me.
I realized, too late, that I was still standing there.
Still staring.
Still shaken.
His expression shifted.
Not into something mocking, not into something teasing.
it just... softened.
Just slightly enough for only me to see.
Just enough to make my stomach flip.
But then, before I could even begin to understand what that meant—
Caleb’s fingers tightened around my wrist.
Firm. Final.
And then—he pulled me away.
And I let him.

Everything blurred.The heat of the bonfire, the neon lights pulsing in time with the pounding bass, the weight of alcohol in my veins—it all became background noise to the storm raging in front of me.Fists flew, bodies crashed against sand, and Caleb and Sylus were at the center of it all.And fuck, they weren’t holding back.Sylus fought with precision, every movement calculated, smooth, like he had already anticipated the next three moves before Caleb even threw the punch. His expression never wavered, cool, amused, infuriatingly composed.Caleb, on the other hand—he was fire.Explosive, unchecked, fueled by something deeper than just anger.This wasn’t just a fight. This was something years in the making.And I—I could barely keep up.I had seen Caleb get mad before. I had seen his temper slip, felt the tension when things got under his skin.But this?This was something else entirely.Something dangerous.Sand kicked up around them as they collided again, Caleb tackling Sylus to the ground, a snarl ripping from his throat as his fist drove into his jaw.Sylus took the hit—almost like he wanted it.He rolled them over effortlessly, pinning Caleb down for a split second, eyes gleaming red under the firelight.Then, just as fast, Caleb shoved him off. They were back on their feet, circling each other, breathing hard.Sylus chuckled, wiping his split lip with the back of his hand. "Oh, Caleb. You're so easy to rile up."And with that—they clashed again.Gasps rippled through the party. People stopped dancing. Stopped drinking. Stopped everything.Because watching these two felt like watching a fucking war.A clash of gods, both unwilling to yield.The crowd was shifting now—some were entertained, some instinctively uneasy.And me?I was panicking.This was getting out of control.I tried to move forward, to say something, to do something—But then, in a blur of motion, Sylus’s leg shot out, landing a vicious kick to Caleb’s ribs.Caleb staggered back, breath hissing through his teeth.The firelight flickered over his face—his jaw tight, his eyes dark, his hands shaking as they clenched into fists.And for the first time that night, Sylus hesitated.It was brief—so brief I might’ve imagined it.His lips parted slightly, his brows drawing together as if…concerned?But before I could process it, before I could even blink—That mask of his slipped right back into place.And Sylus smirked.“You’re not even a challenge.”His voice was laced with mockery, taunting, dripping in pure, arrogant disdain.Then—he said something he shouldn’t have.
"You’re just a pathetic, lovesick—"
Caleb snapped.A sound tore from his throat—half snarl, half something worse.And then—he lunged.Not like before.Not like a fight.Like a fucking warpath.I felt the shift before I saw it, the sheer rage rolling off of him, sharp and volatile, ready to destroy.I sucked in a breath. This was bad.Because Caleb, when he was pissed—truly, completely pissed—was unstoppable.And Sylus was pushing him there.I had to do something.I staggered forward, but the alcohol in my system was slowing me down.Everything was too hot, too loud, too fast.And before I could reach them—The fight exploded.More people jumped in.At first, I thought they were breaking it up—But no.They weren’t stopping it.They were joining it.Caleb’s old high school friends, hyped up on adrenaline and bad decisions, threw themselves into the chaos.And then—"Hey, leave our boss alone!"I turned just in time to see two younger boys—**twins, maybe high schoolers at best—**shove their way toward Sylus.Oh, fuck.One of them was the same guy who had tried to give me the pill earlier.The other—**identical to him—**wore the same expression of reckless confidence, like he had no idea what the hell he was about to step into.And they were absolutely in over their heads.Caleb’s friends didn’t give a shit who they were.They just saw an opening.And suddenly—it wasn’t just Caleb and Sylus anymore.It was a fucking brawl.Bodies colliding, fists swinging, shouts echoing across the dunes.I sucked in a sharp breath, my heartbeat spiking.I had to stop this.I pushed forward, shoving past bodies, trying to reach Caleb, to do something—And then—Pain.Sharp. Sudden.Something slammed into my face.Hard.I barely registered the impact before I was on the ground.My vision tilted, a hot, stinging sensation blooming across my nose as my skull throbbed from the hit.For a second everything spun."FUCK, THAT HURTS!" The words tore out of me, unfiltered, unrestrained.My eyes watered instantly. I clutched the bridge of my nose, pain pulsing, a mix of pure agony and sheer disbelief.What the fuck just happened?!The fight continued around me, but the moment I hit the sand, a few people noticed—stopped, hesitated.And somewhere in the chaos—I heard my name.Not yelled. Not screamed.But snapped.And when I finally looked up, I saw him.Caleb.Standing there, chest rising and falling, knuckles split, face still twisted in raw, unfiltered fury.But his eyes were on me.And then, suddenly, Caleb was beside me. He dropped to his knees, his eyes scanning my face with a mixture of rage and concern.Everything was a blur. The lights, the sand sticking to my skin, the distant muffled sounds of people cheering and gasping at the fight. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, the alcohol mixing with adrenaline, spinning through my bloodstream like a song on repeat.One second, I was on the ground, fingers pressing against the bridge of my nose, warm blood slick between them. The next—Caleb. Kneeling. Close. Too close.His hand hovered over my face, but he wasn’t looking at me. His gaze had already locked onto the guy who elbowed me, his expression shifting into something deadly."You," Caleb growled, his voice like the sharp edge of a blade. "You did this."A heartbeat later, he moved.Faster than the guy could react.Faster than I could process.One moment, there was distance. The next, Caleb’s fist connected with his jaw in a brutal, sickening crack, sending him sprawling into the sand.The party faded. The fire, the music, the lingering taste of liquor on my tongue—none of it mattered. All I could see was Caleb. His chest rising and falling too fast, hands flexing at his sides, ready for another hit.Another one. And another.And I knew—if I didn’t stop him, he wouldn’t stop himself."Caleb—"Too late.His body coiled; his muscles tensed—And then.
"What the hell is going on here?"
A voice sliced through the chaos, low and authoritative.Everything halted. The tension snapped like a wire pulled too tight.I turned, my vision swimming, eyes landing on a figure I hadn’t seen in years.Zayne.Tall, dark-haired, green-eyed. Familiar in a way that didn’t quite fit anymore. The last time I saw him, we were kids—before he vanished without a word, before he disappeared like a ghost that had never existed in the first place.Now, he was here. Wearing a fitted white shirt rolled up to the elbows, black EMT cargo pants like he had just come off a shift. And despite the chaos, despite the fight still barely simmering beneath the surface, he looked calm.Collected.Like he’d walked into this moment knowing exactly how it would unfold.Caleb turned, spitting blood onto the sand, tilting his head like he was sizing Zayne up for a fight. His voice was low, steady. Dangerous."Why are you even here, Zayne?"Zayne didn’t answer him. He didn’t even spare him a glance.Instead—He looked at me.And just like that, the past felt closer than I was ready for.His gaze flickered over my face, landing on my bleeding nose. His jaw ticked. He exhaled sharply through his nose, then stepped past Caleb like he wasn’t even there."Long time no see, Zero," Zayne murmured, voice even, unreadable.My throat tightened.I wanted to say something. I just didn’t know what.Instead, I let him check my nose. Let him tilt my chin, his touch careful, professional. Let myself remember—just for a second—what it felt like to be looked at like that. Like someone actually saw me."It’s not broken," he finally said, voice quiet. "But it’s gonna hurt like hell tomorrow."I swallowed, nodding once.That’s when Rafayel and Xavier showed up."Zero, holy shit," Rafayel said, voice sharp with worry. "What happened?"Xavier was already looking at Caleb. "What the hell did you do?"Caleb didn’t flinch. Didn’t explain.Zayne straightened, exhaling. "She’s fine." His voice was steady, but I caught the way his eyes flicked toward me again, just for a second.Sylus snorted from the sidelines; arms crossed. "Great. Just what we need. A medic who thinks he's above the law."Zayne didn’t even acknowledge him. "I’m just trying to help." His voice was controlled, smooth. "Unlike some people."Caleb scoffed, rolling his shoulders back. "This doesn’t concern you, Zayne."Their gazes locked.A quiet challenge.A history I didn’t understand.My patience snapped."Shut the fuck up, all of you!" I yelled, frustration bubbling over. "I don’t care who punched who, or why you suddenly feel the need to measure dicks over who gets to look after me—just look at my damn nose and let’s move on!"Silence.Zayne huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "Hold still."And just like that, the moment shifted. The fight was still there, but it was…paused. Suspended in the heat between the bodies, in the way Caleb’s fingers flexed at his sides, in the way Sylus watched everything like he was waiting for the next move.Rafayel crouched down next to me, brows furrowed. "Need some water?"I wiped at the blood under my nose, smirking despite the pain. "Nah, but another drink wouldn’t hurt."Rafayel grinned. "Now, that’s my girl."Xavier sighed through his nose. "I’ll get it. You stay here."Rafayel nodded, staying close as Xavier disappeared into the crowd.And Caleb hadn’t moved.He was still watching me. Eyes dark, jaw tight.I felt it in my chest—the way something between us had shifted tonight yet again.I just didn’t know what to do about it.And then—
Sirens.
The first one wailed in the distance, followed by the telltale flicker of blue and red over the dunes.Someone cursed. Someone screamed, "Fuck! Cops!"And then. Chaos.People scrambling for their shit. Drinks tossed into the sand. Bodies colliding in the rush to cars, to exits, to anywhere but here.Rafayel grabbed my wrist. "Come on, we gotta bail!"Zayne hesitated before pressing something into my hand. "Ditch this," he murmured, low and close. "You don’t need more trouble."I blinked down at the drink in my grip. Nodded once.One second, I was moving. The next, his arm was around my waist, pulling me into the car as Rafayel floored it.The city blurred past, the wind whipping through the open windows.Caleb sat beside me, his knee brushing mine.I glanced at him.His lips parted, like he wanted to say something.But he didn’t.Instead, he reached out.Brushed a strand of hair out of my face.His fingers lingered, just for a second.And then—The moment was gone.Rafayel’s eyes caught mine in the rearview mirror, pinning me in place with a look that burned too sharp, too knowing. The party, the chaos, the sirens still echoing in the distance—all of it faded into the background. For a moment, it was just the two of us, trapped in that thin strip of reflection.His gaze wasn’t teasing this time.And for the briefest second, I felt like he could see right through me—past the liquor-dazed haze, past the adrenaline still humming in my veins, past the half-hearted bravado I used to keep myself from unraveling.I knew he saw it.The messy, tangled emotions beneath.The weight of everything I wasn’t saying.I swallowed, my fingers curling against my lap.Rafayel didn’t say a word.Didn’t smirk. Didn’t call me out.But his fingers tightened ever so slightly around the wheel, knuckles flexing just enough for me to notice.Then, he looked away and the moment passed.The car sped forward, leaving nothing but tire tracks in the sand and too many unsaid things between us.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Morning After Madness
Last night was a fucking headache.Literally.The moment I opened my eyes, pain shot through my skull, pounding and relentless, like someone had cracked a bass drum inside my head and let it play on full volume. I groaned, rolling over onto my side, burying my face into the pillow. My body felt sore, my mouth dry, the taste of liquor still lingering on my tongue like a bad decision that wouldn’t let me forget.I sat up too fast.Big mistake.The room lurched, my stomach flipping in protest. I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing the heel of my palm against my temple.Shit.Pieces of the night before started piecing themselves back together in jagged fragments. The party. The almost-dancing. The almost-drugs.And then Caleb—I groaned again, dropping back onto the bed.Nope. Not thinking about that right now.A soft knock rapped against the door. I ignored it, pretending that if I stayed still enough, whoever it was would disappear.No such luck.The door creaked open, and the scent of something warm and familiar slipped into the room before the voice even hit me.“You alive in there, Pip-squeak?”My eyes snapped open.Caleb.I turned my head just enough to catch sight of him standing in the doorway, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, the other braced lazily against the frame. He was wearing sweats and an old gray shirt, looking far too put-together for someone who had been in a brawl just hours ago.Meanwhile, I probably looked like roadkill.I scowled, voice scratchy. “You’re way too chipper for someone who got punched last night.”Caleb smirked. “I’m built different.”I rolled my eyes, then winced as my head throbbed in response. “Fuck off.”Instead of listening, he stepped further inside, setting the coffee on my nightstand before leaning against it, arms crossed. His gaze scanned my face, slower this time, like he was actually checking for damage.I didn’t like the way it made my skin prickle.“I didn’t get punched,” he corrected, finally. “I landed more than I took.”“Oh, congrats,” I muttered, pointing at my bruised nose beofre pulling the blanket over my face. “Want me to bake you a cake?”He took in a breath and I could tell he could feel the hint of guilt before pushing it aside and brushing it off with a chuckle. “Nah. Just drink your coffee.”I peeked out from under the blanket, eyeing the cup suspiciously. “…Did you poison it?”Caleb sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. “Yeah, Pip-squeak. I poisoned your coffee.”I squinted.He groaned. “Just drink the damn thing.”I reached for it, taking a careful sip. The warmth spread through me, cutting through the lingering fuzz of last night.It was perfect.I hated that he knew exactly how I liked it.“Thanks,” I muttered begrudgingly.Caleb smirked again, but there was something softer beneath it this time, something unreadable in the way he looked at me.For a second, I thought he might say something.But then—A loud voice rang from somewhere downstairs or outside, I couldn’t really tell from the panging migraine that started to manifest again as I sipped the rest of the coffee.“Zero! Get your ass up, we’re getting breakfast!”Rafayel.I groaned, throwing my pillow over my head. “Tell him to leave without me.”Caleb smirked, pushing off the nightstand. “Like that’s gonna happen.”I sighed, already regretting everything.Because if last night was a headache—This morning wasn’t shaping up to be much better.I stumbled out of my room, clutching my coffee like it was the only thing tethering me to this godforsaken planet, and immediately regretted it.The light—too bright. The movement—too much. The distant clatter of pots and pans in the kitchen—an actual war crime.I groaned, dragging myself toward the living room like a wounded soldier returning from battle. Xavier was passed out on the couch, looking even worse than I felt. One arm thrown over his face, legs hanging off the side, hair sticking up in odd directions. His hoodie was barely clinging to his body, the collar stretched from what I could only assume was a night of tossing, turning, and regretting all his life choices.At least I wasn’t suffering alone.The scent of something savory wafted from the kitchen, and I turned my head just enough to see Josephine stirring a pot on the stove, moving with practiced ease as she hummed under her breath.Of course. Hangover soup.Fitting for the occasion.I let out an exaggerated sigh, grabbing a pair of sunglasses from the coffee table before collapsing onto one of the beanbags next to Xavier. I tugged the frames onto my face, shielding my already melting eyeballs from the god-awful morning light pouring through the windows.Fuck. Maybe I’ll never drink again.I felt the room sway slightly, the combination of dehydration, exhaustion, and whatever mistakes I made last night still clawing at the edges of my memory. I pressed the coffee cup to my lips, silently willing the caffeine to work faster.From the couch, Xavier groaned.“Kill me,” he mumbled, voice hoarse, still half-asleep.“Already planning your funeral,” I muttered, sinking deeper into the beanbag.Xavier exhaled dramatically, shifting just enough to roll onto his side. I mirrored him without thinking, our faces now inches apart, both of us too wrecked to care. His lashes fluttered as he barely cracked one eye open, gaze unfocused but somehow still amused.“You look like shit,” he murmured, voice rough from sleep.I huffed, letting my head loll slightly toward him, our foreheads almost touching. “Yeah? You look like you died three times and respawned in the worst possible location.”His lips twitched, just barely. “Sounds about right.”For a moment, neither of us moved. Just laid there, groggy and tangled in the quiet of the morning, too tired to put up our usual defenses. His breath was slow, steady, warm against my cheek, and his face was close enough that I could see the faint traces of sleep still clinging to his features.Xavier let out a weak snort, but it quickly turned into a groan as he buried his face back into the couch. “Why did we let Rafayel convince us to drink that much?”I exhaled through my nose. “I think we convinced ourselves.”“Terrible idea.”“Agreed.”We lapsed into silence, both too hungover to keep up the usual banter.Josephine stirred the pot one last time before grabbing two bowls, ladling the steaming broth into them with the precision of someone who had done this too many times before. She turned, glancing between the two of us before putting a hand at her hip and shaking her head.“Drink some water,” she said, her voice carrying that no-nonsense tone only moms could master.Xavier groaned again, lifting one weak hand in a half-hearted thumbs-up.At the counter, Jenna, my mom, sat with her coffee in one hand and a book in the other, effortlessly composed. She was still in her robe, legs crossed, looking every bit the picture of calm—a stark contrast to the disaster that was me.I dropped my head back against the beanbag, exhaling. “Mom, why is the sun so aggressive today?”Jenna barely glanced up from her book. “That’s called consequences, sweetheart.”I groaned, pulling my hoodie strings tighter around my face. “Consequences suck.”Before Jenna could respond, a loud crash sounded from the back door.I winced, pressing a hand to my forehead as Rafayel stumbled in, looking like he’d just crawled out of the wreckage of last night’s chaos. His sunglasses were still perched on his nose—indoors, in the morning, which was never a good sign. His dusky purple hair was an absolute disaster, a few strands sticking out at odd angles like he’d either just rolled out of someone else’s bed or lost a fight with the wind on the way here. Judging by the smirk barely hidden behind his exhaustion, either option was just as likely.His shirt, notably, was missing.Because of course it was.Instead, he had his signature sweater slung lazily over one shoulder, his toned frame on full display, his fair skin peppered with faint marks that I definitely wasn’t going to ask about. And a faint scent of expensive cologne mixed with something undeniably wild clung to him, like he’d spent the entire night tangled in trouble and somehow came out the other side untouched.His usual devil-may-care confidence was still intact, despite the clear signs that he should absolutely be suffering from the worst hangover in human history.Rafayel pushed his sunglasses up onto his head and ran a hand through his messy hair, flashing a lazy, lopsided grin as if he hadn’t just made the most dramatic entrance possible.“Morning, sinners,” he drawled, voice hoarse but smug. “Did you miss me?”I squinted. “Did you sleep in the sand?”He smirked, flopping onto the couch, draping himself across Xavier’s legs like a housecat. “I don’t sleep. I enter a trance-like state and return stronger.”Xavier let out a long, suffering sigh but didn’t push him off.Jenna, still unbothered, turned a page in her book. “Josephine, do we have enough soup to feed the orphans?”“Always,” Josephine said from the stove.Rafayel grinned, dramatically clutching his chest. “ Ouch .”I groaned, rubbing my temples. “Can you all keep it down? My brain is actively trying to escape my skull.”Jenna sipped her coffee, unimpressed. “You did this to yourself.”I sighed, leaning back into the beanbag. She wasn’t wrong.From beside me, Xavier stirred, cracking one eye open. “Where’s Caleb?”I groaned into my hoodie as I pulled the drawstrings together and closed my hood over my face to shield myself from the light, “He was just upstairs.”Rafayel snorted. “Probably off punching trees to burn off whatever angst he’s got left.”I stiffened slightly but didn’t comment.The fragments of last night started slotting back together—flashes of neon lights, the heat of the bonfire, the dizzying mix of alcohol and music.I exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to my forehead.Jenna finally looked up from her book, arched her brow. “ So ,” she said, tone measured, “do I even want to know what kind of disaster you all got into last night?”Silence.Then—Xavier, still half-asleep, muttered, “No.”Jenna hummed, unconvinced. “Josephine?”Josephine, still stirring the soup, said, “I heard sirens at 2 a.m.”My mom’s brow lifted.Rafayel just grinned, stretching his arms over his head as he lowered the sunglasses that rested on his head. “Pure coincidence.”Jenna’s gaze swept over all of us, landing on me last.I sighed, waving a lazy hand. “What? You said to enjoy the summer.”She exhaled, rubbing her temples. “Zero.”I held up my hands as my hood fell off my head. “Mom, I’m fine. Nothing happened.”Her eyes flickered over to my nose.  “Honey! What the hell happened?!”I froze for a second remembering the bandage on the bridge of my nose, and how it was still tender, and bruised from the hit I’d taken in the middle of the fight. I instinctively pointed at Xavier who was still half dead from the alcohol alone. “I’d say he looks worse than I do.”Xavier groaned, flipping me off.My mom gave me a long look, like she was debating whether or not to actually yell at me or just let my hangover do the job for her.In the end, she just sighed. “Just… don’t make this a habit.”I pressed a hand to my heart. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”Josephine set a bowl of soup in front of me with a knowing look. “Eat.”I sighed dramatically but sat up and obeyed..The conversation moved on, but my thoughts remain tangled.The sound of heavy footsteps came from upstairs, followed by the unmistakable creak of the staircase.Caleb appeared at the bottom of the stairs, his chest rising and falling steadily, like he’d been working out in his room instead of, you know, doing literally anything else. His dark hair was damp, strands sticking slightly to his forehead, evidence of whatever self-inflicted torture he’d just put himself through. The gray tank he wore clung to his torso, stretching over broad shoulders and the kind of chiseled chest that made it way too obvious just how much time he spent at the gym. His forearms flexed as he ran a hand through his hair, veins prominent, skin flushed from exertion.I was absolutely not looking.Not at the sharp dip of his collarbone, not at the way his sweat made the fabric of his shirt just a little too sheer, not at the way his fingers flexed absently at his sides like he was still shaking off the adrenaline— Nope.Not looking.Not even a little.I groaned and adjusted the sunglasses on my face, slumping further into the beanbag. “Can someone turn off the sun?”Why was Caleb so… hot.Xavier, who was still half-passed out on the couch, mumbled something unintelligible into the pillow.Josephine, completely unfazed by the chaos, stirred a pot of soup on the stove, her movements slow and methodical. “That’s what you get for drinking like a college frat boy.”He barely made it past the threshold before his eyes zeroed in on Rafayel, who was still sprawled across Xavier’s legs like a lazy cat.“The fuck did you say about me?” Caleb asked, casually, tossing a protein bar onto the counter before rolling his shoulders back.Rafayel grinned, not even bothering to lift his head. “Just that you were off somewhere having an emotional crisis. We were all thinkin’ it.”Caleb didn’t hesitate. He crossed the room in two steps and shoved Rafayel right off the couch. Rafayel hit the floor with a dramatic oof, rolling onto his back, one arm draped across his forehead. “Betrayed. Attacked. Mistreated in my own home.”Caleb snorted, standing over him. “Keep talking and I’ll help you pack for exile.”Rafayel peeked at him from under his arm. “You wouldn’t last a day without me.”Caleb exhaled sharply, shaking his head before dropping onto the couch in the now-empty spot Rafayel had left behind. He grabbed a nearby pillow and chucked it at him anyway.“Shut up.”Rafayel caught the pillow effortlessly, smirking as he sat up, rubbing his elbow like he was actually injured. “So touchy. Let me guess—Zero still giving you a hard time?”Caleb’s gaze flickered to me, unreadable, before he scoffed. “She always does.”I rolled my eyes. “That’s called personality, Caleb.”He smirked, leaning back against the couch. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”“Boys,” Jenna interjected, her voice carrying the weight of a mother who had seen this play out too many times. “No fighting before breakfast.”“Technically, it’s lunch,” Xavier mumbled, still half-asleep.Jenna hummed, unimpressed. “No fighting before my second cup of coffee, then.”Caleb’s smirk deepened, but he let it drop, letting his head rest back against the couch, his eyes briefly closing like he was still recovering from last night.I watched him out of the corner of my eye, pretending not to.He looked tired. Not just in the hungover way, but in that way he got when something was eating at him, something he wouldn’t talk about unless someone forced it out of him.Rafayel stretched dramatically, tossing the pillow back onto the couch. “Anyway, we all survived last night, so I say we celebrate with some more partying later. Pool perhaps?”“I second that,” Xavier muttered, rubbing his face.I pressed the heel of my palm into my temple, hoping—praying—that if I applied enough pressure, I could push the headache out of my skull and into the atmosphere.I had already resigned myself to this fate, curled up in a bean bag chair with sunglasses shielding my already half-dead eyes, when the fragments of last night started piecing themselves together in my mind.The dunes. The fire. The music pounding through my veins like a second heartbeat. The way my body had felt weightless, floating on the intoxicating blur of alcohol and laughter.My stomach twisted.Sylus.The pill. His smirk. The way he dangled it just out of my reach, taunting, teasing, testing me. The way I jumped for it, determined and drunk, my body buzzing with heat and liquor.The way I fell. We fell.Straight into the sand.Him beneath me. Me pressed against him. Oh. Oh, fuck.The memory sharpened, every detail cutting its way into my mind with brutal clarity.The way I touched his lips.The way I whispered— You're really pretty. The way he tensed beneath me, his body rigid, his breath uneven.The way he looked at me, like he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or let the moment swallow him whole.My fingers tingled, as if they could still feel the shape of his mouth beneath them, the warmth of his skin.And then—The moment Caleb pulled me away.The second his fist collided with Sylus’s face.The way the entire night spiraled into something else—something charged and chaotic and dangerous .Shit. Last night was really fucking wild.“Something on your mind, Pip-squeak?”I jolted, too quickly, my headache punishing me immediately for the movement. I shot Caleb a glare over the rim of my sunglasses.He was sitting on the couch across from me, leaning back, soup in hand, looking like he wasn’t brooding over last night even though I knew damn well that he was.“Nothing,” I muttered.His brows lifted slightly. “Sure about that?”I exhaled, forcing a lazy smirk onto my face. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”He smirked back. “Yeah.”Too direct.I looked away quickly, pushing the sunglasses higher onto my face, using them as a shield.Because the truth was—I wasn’t sure what was more dangerous.The memory of Sylus.Or the way Caleb was looking at me now.Caleb cracked one eye open, gaze sliding to me again. “You good, Pip-squeak?”The nickname made something shift in my chest, but I kept my expression neutral. “I’m great.”His eyes lingered for a second longer, as if weighing whether or not to believe me.Then, slowly, he nodded. “If you say so.”Rafayel grinned, sensing the tension, and decided to make it worse. “She was very lively last night, if that’s what you’re asking. Dancing. Drinking. Flirting. Jumping into the arms of strange men—”Caleb’s smirk vanished.And I felt another shift.Not just in the air.In him.He exhaled through his nose, slow and measured, and turned his attention to Josephine and got up from his spot instead. “That soup ready yet?”Josephine gave him a look that said I’m not an idiot but ladled some into a bowl anyway. “Might help you unclench your jaw.”I nearly choked.Rafayel, however, looked delighted. “You hear that, Caleb? You’re tense. You know what fixes that?” He paused, then smirked. Caleb shot him a do not fucking start look before getting up and grabbing the bowl of soup, still visibly annoyed.I watched him, head tilted slightly, sunglasses slipping down my nose.Caleb still hadn’t looked away.I stayed perfectly still, my sunglasses shielding my eyes as I slumped further into the beanbag, willing my hangover to take me out before I had to deal with whatever the hell this was.Because if I so much as met his gaze again, I’d have to acknowledge the weight of it. The way he was watching me, like he could see straight through the layers of forced nonchalance, straight to the mess underneath.And I wasn’t ready for that today.So instead, I let my head fall back against the chair and groaned. “Why are you even up? You should be suffering like the rest of us.”Caleb smirked around his spoon before taking a slow, lazy bite of his soup. “I don’t get hangovers.”“Liar.”“What can I say,” he conceded with a shrug, “I just sweat it out.” He gestured toward his damp hair, the faint sheen of sweat across his toned arms—like he’d been upstairs working out instead of, you know, dying like a normal person.I squinted at him through my shades. “You are truly a menace to society.”He grinned, setting his bowl down on the coffee table before leaning back on the couch. “And you,” he drawled, “are awfully quiet for someone who went full party girl last night.”I scowled. “I wasn’t that bad.”“Hmm.” He tapped his fingers against the couch, watching me. “So, you don’t remember?”I hesitated.Caleb noticed.His smirk deepened.“Interesting,” he mused, voice far too entertained for my liking. “Should I remind you?”I sat up quickly, regretting it immediately as my brain tried to escape through my skull. “Nope.”He laughed, reaching over to ruffle my hair before I could duck away. “Relax, Pip-squeak.”I shoved his arm off. “Not my fault you’re still tiny.”“I—” I exhaled sharply, choosing to let that one slide. “And second, I do remember.”Caleb raised a brow. “Oh, yeah?”I nodded slowly. “Mhm.”I could feel his eyes on me, reading me like he always did.And then—“So you remember Sylus, then?”My fingers curled around the hem of my hoodie, gripping the fabric as I forced my expression into something neutral.Caleb saw it.His smirk didn’t slip, but something in his gaze sharpened.It was subtle, almost imperceptible—the way his fingers curled slightly against his knee, the way his jaw tensed just enough to be noticeable.But it was there.And suddenly, the room felt too small and I needed a distraction.So I did the only thing I could think of.I reached for his soup.Caleb reacted on instinct, grabbing my wrist before I could steal the spoon from his bowl.“Zero.” His voice was a warning, a thread of amusement woven into the syllables.I met his gaze, my lips twitching as I pointed at my bandaged nose in protest. “Come on. Look at my major injury. The last you could do is give me that piece right there…” I say eyeing the large piece of beef at the center of his bowl.He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head as he finally released my hand. “Fine. But if you double-dip, I’m ending you.”I grinned, grabbing the spoon and taking an exaggeratedly dramatic bite.Josephine’s hangover cure came in the form of a steaming bowl of Galbitang—the kind of soup that could resurrect the dead. Or, at the very least, drag me back from the grave of last night’s decisions.The aroma alone was enough to cut through the haze clouding my skull—rich beef broth, slow-simmered short ribs falling off the bone, earthy daikon radish softened to perfection, and a hit of garlic so strong it could probably ward off evil spirits. Thin glass noodles floated just beneath the surface, tangled in wisps of green onion, and the whole thing was topped with a raw egg yolk, waiting to be stirred in, waiting to coat everything in silk.Josephine set Caleb’s bowl down in front of me with a quiet sort of finality, like eat or suffer , and I groaned, letting my forehead thunk against the table.“If I die eating this, just know it was worth it.”“You’re not dying.” Josephine stirred her own soup with practiced ease, her voice unwavering. “You just made stupid choices.”Jenna, still perched at the counter with her coffee and book, let out an amused hum.Across from me, Xavier barely stirred on the couch, looking worse off than I was. He cracked an eye open, took one whiff of my bowl, and immediately groaned, curling back into himself.I picked up my spoon, took a sip, and—Oh.Instant warmth. A slow, rolling comfort that spread through my chest and curled deep into my stomach. The beef, rich and velvety, melted against my tongue, chased by the delicate sweetness of radish and the sharp bite of garlic. A meal that tasted like home and healing and every reason I needed to pretend last night never happened.I blinked. “Holy shit.”Josephine gave me a knowing look. “Told you.”Mom’s eyes snapped at me, “Language!”I took another sip, sighing as the warmth settled in my stomach.Okay. Maybe I would survive after all.I hummed, leaning back against the beanbag with a sigh. “God, I love Josephine.”Caleb snorted. “Join the club.”“Your soup sucks, though.”Caleb scoffed. “Excuse you?”I smirked, taking another bite. “You heard me.”He narrowed his eyes, lips twitching. “You’re lucky I’m a patient man, Pip-squeak.”“Yeah, yeah,” I murmured, closing my eyes behind my sunglasses.And just like that—The moment passed. I turned my head slightly, just enough to look at him again—this time, with none of the tension from before. Just… this. The way it had always been. The way it should’ve been.I missed this.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The Art of Letting Go
By the time I stepped out of the shower, the world still felt slightly off-kilter—like the remnants of last night’s chaos were still clinging to my skin, refusing to wash away with the steam.I ran a towel through my damp hair, pausing in front of the mirror.The bruise on my nose had bloomed into something impressive overnight.I poked at it. Winced. Yeah, definitely not my best look.Sighing, I wrapped the towel around myself and padded back into my room, rummaging through my half-unpacked suitcase. I threw on a loose white tank, denim shorts, and my favorite sneakers, leaving my hair to air-dry in its usual mess of waves.The house was quieter now—Xavier was still dead to the world on the couch, Rafayel had disappeared somewhere (probably stirring up mischief), and Caleb had gone upstairs to shower after his impromptu workout.Which meant it was the perfect time to slip out unnoticed.I grabbed my sunglasses and wallet before making my way down the hall, passing by the kitchen where Josephine was still puttering around with the aftermath of her famous hangover soup.Jenna was at the counter, nose still buried in her book. Without looking up, she took a slow sip of her coffee and said, “Where are you sneaking off to?”I froze mid-step. Damn.I plastered on my best nothing-to-see-here smile. “Just heading into town for a bit. Thought I’d walk around.”Jenna hummed, finally lowering her book to peer at me over the rim of her coffee cup. “Alone?”I nodded, inching toward the door. “Yep. Totally alone. Just me and my good decisions.”Josephine snorted under her breath. Jenna just arched a brow.“…Alright,” she finally said, setting her coffee down. “Just be back before dark.”“Got it, boss.” I saluted, then slipped out the door before she could change her mind.The air outside was thick with the scent of salt and sun-warmed pavement, the town already buzzing despite the lazy summer heat.Whitesand Bay had a way of feeling timeless—like it existed somewhere between nostalgia and the present, untouched by the chaos of the outside world.I took my time walking down Main Street, weaving past locals and tourists alike. The town was alive with street musicians, vendors selling handmade jewelry, and the familiar hum of old cars rolling down the narrow roads.I passed the Soft Tide Bookshop—the little indie bookstore I used to haunt as a kid—and considered stopping in, but the line for iced coffee outside Mariner’s Brew caught my attention first.I had every intention of getting coffee. I really did.But the second I spotted the new dessert shop tucked between Mariner’s Brew and the old surf shop, all thoughts of caffeine flew right out the window.The display alone was enough to stop me in my tracks—rows of freshly baked pastries, artisan gelato, and fluffy cakes topped with fruit and edible flowers. A seasonal peach tart sat proudly in the center, golden and glistening under the glass case, practically calling my name.And because I had zero self-restraint when it came to sweets, I veered off course and slipped inside.The shop smelled like vanilla and caramelized sugar, the air cool against my sun-warmed skin. It was one of those places that felt effortlessly aesthetic, all light wood shelves, handwritten chalk menus, and the faint sound of jazz humming from the speakers.I stepped up to the counter, already mentally preparing my order—when a familiar voice cut through the space.“Didn’t think you’d be the type to fall for tourist traps.”I blinked.Dark hair. Green eyes. A face I hadn’t seen in years.Zayne.I turned slowly, and there he was—standing near the counter, holding a cup of something that looked suspiciously like matcha latte.For a second, I just stared.Zayne had always been taller than me, but now? Now he was broader, sharper, his once-boyish features replaced by something more… defined. His black EMT cargo pants were tucked into his boots, the sleeves of his white shirt pushed up just enough to reveal the faint scars along his knuckles.The last time I’d seen him, we were kids in middle school. He was Caleb’s best friend. Then, one day, he was just gone.And now he was here. In Whitesand Bay. Drinking matcha like he hadn’t disappeared off the face of the earth.I blinked again, trying to process the moment.Then—“You still drink that weird green shit?”A flicker of amusement crossed his face. “You still eat enough sugar to kill a grown man?”Fair.I tilted my head. “Didn’t think you’d come back.”Zayne took a slow sip of his drink, his gaze steady, unreadable. “Didn’t think you’d still be here.”And ouch. Okay.I scoffed, crossing my arms. “Trust me, it wasn’t exactly part of the plan. Besides, I’m just here for the summer”A beat of silence. Not uncomfortable—just… loaded.Then his gaze flicked toward the menu. “What’s good here?”“I have no idea. First time too..”Zayne smirked, like he half-expected that answer. “Pick for me.”I raised a brow. “What, you trust me now?”A hum. “Not even a little.”Still—he handed me his card.I absolutely could’ve abused that power. Ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, just to be an ass.But for some reason, I didn’t.Instead, I ordered him the same peach tart I’d been eyeing earlier, plus an iced lavender tea—because I had a feeling he’d pretend to hate it, but secretly enjoy it anyway.When the barista handed us our plates, we took our drinks and made our way outside, the warm breeze carrying the scent of sea salt and sugar.And that’s when I noticed the crowd gathered across the street.Banners, tents, a cluster of adorable puppies rolling in the grass—Wait.I squinted. A pet adoption event?Before I could process it, Zayne spoke.“…You’re gonna make me go over there, aren’t you?”I grinned. “You know me so well. Ah come on, didn’t you love animals before? You wanted to be a vet or something when we were kids!”His sigh was dramatic, but he followed me anyway.Because even after all this time—Zayne still let me drag him into my chaos.The adoption event was set up in the grassy lot across from the dessert shop, a mix of tents, fences, and shaded playpens filled with dogs and cats waiting for a home. Volunteers bustled around, handing out brochures, answering questions, and trying to convince passersby to adopt, not shop.But all I could focus on was the absolute chaos of tiny animals yipping, purring, and rolling around in the sun like the world was their playground.A golden retriever puppy made direct eye contact with me and flopped onto its back, paws in the air like it already knew I was weak for this shit.“Oh my god,” I whispered.Zayne barely glanced at it. “No.”I looked up at him, eyes wide. “I didn’t even say anything.”“You were thinking about it.”I gasped. “You don’t know that.”“I do.”I huffed but didn’t argue because, fine, maybe I was already mentally picturing the golden ball of fluff curled up in my bed.A volunteer walked by, smiling at us. “Feel free to go inside the pens if you want! The animals love visitors.”I didn’t need to be told twice.I stepped into the nearest enclosure, immediately kneeling to pet a husky mix with too-big paws and a wagging tail. Zayne hesitated but eventually followed, hands in his pockets, looking more like a reluctant bodyguard than a guy voluntarily here to pet dogs.“…You’re not a dog person?” I asked, glancing up at him.He gave me a look. “I’m here, aren’t I?”“Yeah, but like, reluctantly.”Zayne sighed and crouched down, rubbing the ears of a sleeping mutt. “I don’t dislike dogs.”“That’s not exactly a glowing endorsement.”He hummed but didn’t elaborate. Typical.I shifted, playing with the husky mix’s ears as I hesitated over what I wanted to say next.“…Thanks for looking after me last night,” I finally said, voice softer.Zayne didn’t respond right away. Just kept petting the dog, his fingers moving absentmindedly.“Your nose still hurts?” he asked after a beat.I exhaled through my nose, testing the dull ache. “Not as bad as last night.”“That’s good.”Silence stretched between us—not awkward, but full of things unsaid.I watched him carefully.“…Didn’t think I’d ever see you here again,” I admitted. “It’s been, what? Almost a decade?”His expression barely shifted, but I caught the subtle tension in his jaw.“Yeah,” he said simply.I tilted my head. “So… why now?”Zayne’s green eyes flicked toward me. Sharp. Guarded.And for a second, I thought he was going to give me something real.But instead, he just said, “Got transferred.”“To Whitesand Bay?”“Yeah.”I narrowed my eyes. “Why does it feel like you’re leaving something out?”He smirked, amused but giving me nothing. “Because I am.”I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. “Vague, as always.”He shrugged. “You asked.”I shot him a glare but let it drop—for now. Pushing Zayne never worked.But there was one thing I wasn’t letting go of just yet.“…Caleb seemed pissed to see you,” I said carefully. “What’s that about?”Zayne’s expression didn’t change.But something in his eyes flickered—something unreadable, something careful.He looked away, rubbing a hand over the mutt’s head before standing.“That’s between me and Caleb,” he said. Final. Firm.I studied him for a long moment, debating whether to press further.But instead, I sighed. “Fine. Keep your mysterious brooding secrets, see if I care. But I’m actually surprised you’re an EMT. I always thought you’d end up a vet like you always talked about before.”Zayne smirked like he knew I did care.I rolled my eyes.After a beat, he exhaled and added, “I was in basic training.”I blinked. “For what?”“Combat medic,” he said, shoving his hands back in his pockets.I straightened slightly. “For the Fleet?”He nodded.I frowned, piecing it together. “But you’re an EMT now.”“Yeah.”“…So what happened?”Zayne’s lips twitched slightly, something wry and self-deprecating in his expression.“Heat stroke,” he admitted. “Didn’t exactly pass the endurance tests.”I stared at him, processing that.Zayne—who had always been so calm, so controlled, so effortlessly put-together—got heat stroke?The thought was so absurd that I almost laughed. But something in the way he said it, in the way he avoided looking at me, made me think it wasn’t funny to him.“…So you got discharged early, then?” I asked carefully.His jaw tightened, but he nodded.And finally, I understood why he didn’t want to talk about it.Zayne had never been the type to quit. If he had left, it wasn’t because he wanted to. It was because he had to.I opened my mouth, not even sure what I wanted to say—something teasing, something comforting, something neutral—but before I could, a sharp bark split the air, followed by a chaotic blur of fur and motion.The golden retriever puppy I’d been obsessed with earlier had escaped from the enclosure—and was currently sprinting down the street like a tiny, golden menace.“Shit—”I bolted up, already running.Behind me, Zayne sighed—deep, long-suffering, and inevitable—before taking off after me.Even after all these years, he still followed my lead.“HEY—STOP!”The golden blur bolted down the sidewalk, tiny paws kicking up dust, ears flopping wildly, an absolute menace with no fear of the law or common decency.“Oh, you little—” I swerved past a group of confused pedestrians, barely dodging a couple holding iced coffees.Zayne was right behind me, longer strides, unbothered, barely winded, like he wasn’t in the middle of chasing down a dog in the scorching Whitesand Bay sun.“Zero, why are you yelling at the dog?” he called, exasperated.“Because it’s a fugitive!” I shot back, leaping over a curb.The puppy barked once—mocking. Defiant. Then it veered left, straight into traffic.“NOPE—NOPE—NOPE—”I lunged , heart slamming against my ribs, but Zayne was faster.One second, the pup was a reckless golden blur heading for disaster—The next, Zayne had scooped it up, spinning slightly from the momentum, his arms locking around the wriggling ball of fur like he’d done this a hundred times before.I skidded to a stop, hands braced on my knees, gasping for breath, sweat beading at my forehead.“You—” I wheezed. “Are you secretly superhuman?”Zayne blinked, still holding the struggling puppy with zero effort.Then, flatly: “You’re out of shape.”I straightened, rolling my shoulders back. “Okay, first of all, I was wearing sandals—”Zayne’s brow lifted.I narrowed my eyes.“You don’t believe me?”He smirked. “I believe you can do better.”My scowl deepened, but I didn’t let it get to me. Because I could do better. I wasn’t just some city girl out of her element—I trained, I fought, I could drop-kick him right now if I felt like it.Instead, I exhaled, shaking off the heat lingering in my chest. “I box, you know.”Zayne glanced at me. “Yeah?”I nodded. “Kickboxing, actually. Therapy first, then it stuck.”His expression shifted, something unreadable flashing through his green eyes.He didn’t look surprised.Before I could think too hard about it, the puppy whined dramatically, wiggling in his arms like it had done nothing wrong.“Demon,” I muttered, still catching my breath.Zayne smirked, shifting the dog under one arm effortlessly, like he was used to handling things stronger than me. “You want to carry it back?”I stared at the dog—fluffy, golden, unrepentant—then at Zayne, who was totally fine, barely winded, standing there like we hadn’t just sprinted halfway across town.“…Come here,” I muttered. “You little escape artist.”Zayne smirked slightly, then turned back toward the adoption event.And this time, I followed him.The sun was high by the time we returned the puppy, a soft breeze rolling through the town, carrying the scent of sea salt and something sweet.Zayne had been unusually quiet since we left the adoption event, his green eyes lost somewhere in thought. I figured pressing him for answers wouldn’t get me anywhere—so instead, I dragged him into the nearest ice cream shop."You're paying," I declared the second we stepped inside.Zayne barely blinked. "You're the one who dragged me in here.""Yeah, well, consider it a fee for making me chase after that dog." I squinted up at the menu, tapping my chin. "You know what? I'm feeling adventurous today."Zayne exhaled a quiet laugh. "Since when?""Since always," I shot back, already leaning over the counter. "One scoop of—" I paused, glancing at the options. "Actually, two scoops of mint chocolate chip."Zayne made a face. "Seriously?"I narrowed my eyes. "What's wrong with mint chocolate chip?"He crossed his arms, unimpressed. "It tastes like toothpaste."I gasped, placing a dramatic hand over my heart. "Take that back."Zayne smirked but said nothing, shaking his head as he turned to order. "One scoop of cookies and cream."A few minutes later, we were outside again, sitting on the curb with our cones. The pavement was warm beneath my legs, the gentle hum of the town making everything feel… oddly peaceful.I licked my ice cream thoughtfully, watching Zayne out of the corner of my eye."So," I started, nudging his knee with mine. "You gonna tell me what’s on your mind, or are we just gonna sit here pretending you don’t look like you’ve been overanalyzing your entire existence since we left that event?"Zayne took a slow bite of his ice cream, eyes fixed on the street ahead. "Just thinking."I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I got that much."He hesitated, then sighed. "You ever wonder if things would've been different if you'd made one small choice differently? Like, if you’d turned left instead of right—where would you be now?"I blinked. "Damn. That's kinda deep for ice cream talk."Zayne gave a small, lopsided smile. "Guess so."For a moment, we just sat there, the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore filling the silence. Then, before I could stop myself, I reached over and swiped my ice cream against his.Zayne pulled back immediately, eyes widening. "Did you just—?"I grinned, licking the stolen mix off my cone. "Looks like you're a mint chocolate chip fan now."He stared at me for a long beat before exhaling through his nose, shaking his head.Then, without warning, he leaned in and swiped his cone against mine."Hey!" I protested.Zayne, completely unfazed, took a bite from his now slightly mint-tainted scoop and hummed. "Still tastes like toothpaste," he said.I shoved his shoulder, laughing. "You're the worst."He just smiled, easy and rare.For a moment, the past and the present blurred, and we were just two kids sitting on the curb, sharing ice cream and fleeting summer memories.I took another slow lick of my ice cream, letting the minty sweetness melt on my tongue before glancing sideways at Zayne. He was staring off at the street, still lost in whatever deep, brooding thoughts he’d been stewing in all afternoon.I nudged his knee with mine. “Okay, seriously. Are you gonna tell me or not?”Zayne blinked, turning his gaze back to me. “Tell you what?”I rolled my eyes. “Don’t play dumb. Why did you and Caleb stop being friends?”He went still. It wasn’t obvious, not to anyone else. But I caught the subtle way his shoulders locked up, the way his fingers tightened just slightly around his cone, like I’d just pressed a bruise he’d forgotten was there.The hesitation was enough of an answer.I sighed, shifting so I was facing him fully. “Zayne, come on. You were best friends. One day, you just… disappeared. No explanation. Not even to me.”He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck, still avoiding my eyes. “It’s complicated.”I scoffed. “So is everything in this damn town, apparently.”Zayne smirked slightly, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He took a slow bite of his ice cream, like he was trying to buy time, and I let him.I waited.And finally, he sighed.“When I left, I didn’t think I’d come back,” he admitted, voice quieter now. “I thought it would be easier if I just… cut things off completely. No loose ends.”I frowned. “You didn’t think maybe we deserved an explanation?”Zayne’s jaw tensed. “It wasn’t that simple.”I stared at him, the weight of unspoken things stretching between us.“Was it Caleb?” I asked, softer now. “Did something happen between you two?”For the briefest moment, something flickered behind his eyes—something old, heavy, like a wound long since scarred over but never fully healed.But then, just as quickly, it was gone.Zayne licked his ice cream absentmindedly. “Like I said. It’s complicated.”I let out a slow breath, studying him. He wasn’t going to tell me. Not now.But I saw it—the weight of whatever he was holding back. And I had a feeling that whatever it was, it wasn’t just about Caleb.I sighed dramatically, nudging his arm. “Fine. Be mysterious and broody, see if I care.”He huffed a quiet laugh, finally meeting my eyes again. “It’s not that interesting, anyway.”I narrowed my gaze, not buying it. “Yeah, sure. I bet it’s the least interesting thing in the world. Totally not something that left Caleb looking like he wanted to deck you last night.”Zayne smirked, but this time, there was something knowing in it. “He still hits like a truck, huh?”“Like a damn wrecking ball.”Zayne chuckled, shaking his head. “Good to know some things never change.”I studied him for a moment longer, debating if I should press further—but then, the moment passed.Instead, I took one last swipe of his ice cream with mine, grinning. “You’re still not off the hook, by the way.”He just shook his head, amusement flickering in his gaze. “Didn’t think I would be.”And just like that, the conversation shifted, the weight of old wounds slipping back into the silence where they had lived for years.The waves lapped against the seawall, the rhythmic crash filling the silence between us as we walked along the edge of the world. The ocean stretched out endlessly before us, a vast and breathing thing, restless beneath the golden glow of late afternoon.Zayne walked beside me, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. But his gaze flicked to me now and then, like he was seeing someone familiar but slightly different, like time had shifted us just out of sync.“You remember how your dad used to bring us here every summer?” he said after a while.I glanced at him, my fingers brushing against the cool stone of the seawall as I walked. “Yeah.”He smiled a little, nostalgia softening the sharp edges of his usual guarded expression. “He’d wake us up at, like, five in the morning. Drag us out here with those tiny, shitty fishing poles.”I let out a quiet laugh, the memory tugging at something in my chest. “And he’d always say the same thing—‘If you wanna catch the best fish, you gotta beat the sun to it.’”Zayne chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. “Yeah. And Caleb would always be the first one up, acting like it was some kind of competition.”I snorted. “He always had to be the best at everything. Dad would always tease him for it, of course.”Zayne nodded, his gaze drifting toward the horizon. The sky was painted in watercolor hues, a slow-burning sunset casting soft golds and pinks across the waves.I let out a small breath. “I miss him.”It slipped out before I could stop it. And maybe I didn’t want to stop it.Zayne’s steps faltered slightly. He turned to me, brows furrowed just a little, like he was piecing something together too late.And then, quietly— “Your dad? Is he…”I swallowed, looking down at the stone beneath my feet. “Yeah. He died two years ago.”A beat of silence. It stretched between us, dull and heavy. Not awkward, but something else. Something slower. I don’t think I’ve ever said those words out loud until now.Zayne didn’t say anything at first. He just stood there, the wind tousling his dark hair, his green eyes unreadable.Then, after a long moment, he exhaled. “I didn’t know.” His voice was quieter now.I nodded, not trusting myself to say more. I had spent so long wrapping my grief in layers of distraction, in distance, in anything but acceptance. But here, now, with Zayne beside me and the ocean breathing steadily against the shore, it felt different. Lighter. Less suffocating.We sat down on the seawall, neither of us speaking for a while. Just listening to the waves, watching the sky shift, the world turning even when we weren’t ready for it to.Zayne tapped a stone against the wall absentmindedly, his movements slow. “You know, in my job… you see a lot of people go. It never gets easier. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the people we love wouldn’t want us to be stuck in the sadness of losing them.”I turned to look at him, the weight of his words settling over me.“They’d want us to keep living,” he continued, voice even. “To hold onto the memories they left behind and actually enjoy life.”Something about the way he said it, the quiet certainty of it, made my chest tighten.Maybe it was because he’d seen more loss than I ever had. Maybe it was because I’d spent so long avoiding the truth of it. But somehow, the words didn’t feel like empty comfort. They felt… real.I took a slow breath, letting the salty air fill my lungs, and as I exhaled, the ache in my chest felt a little less sharp.Maybe, for the first time, I was beginning to understand.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Redline
The wind had a way of making you feel invincible.It rushed through the open windows, tangling in my hair, stealing the words from my mouth before I could even think to say them. The scent of salt and sun-warmed asphalt clung to the summer air, thick with the promise of something endless. Something untouchable.Rafayel’s sports car tore down the coastline, hugging the cliffs, the ocean stretching infinitely beside us—a deep, rolling blue that swallowed the sky whole. The sun had begun its slow descent, casting golden light over the waves, painting the world in soft oranges and deep purples, like we were racing toward the edge of a dream.He drove like he owned the road. Like he was born for it. One hand on the wheel, the other resting lazily against the gearshift, sunglasses slipping down his nose as the breeze threatened to steal them away. He wasn’t in a rush, not really. But there was something exhilarating in the way he let the car glide over the pavement, the tires humming in rhythm with the pulsing beat of the music pouring from the speakers.I leaned back, letting the wind whip against my skin, the corners of my lips pulling into a smile.The quiet hum of the engine, the distant cries of seagulls wheeling above the cliffs, the rhythmic crash of the waves below. The entire world felt like it had been distilled into this single moment, where nothing else existed but the road ahead and the endless stretch of sky above.I glanced over at Rafayel, his hair a dusky mess from the wind, his grin lazy and knowing.“You missed this,” he mused, shifting gears effortlessly. “I can tell.”I didn’t deny it.Because he was right.I’d missed the feeling of freedom that came with the open road, the unspoken understanding between old friends, the way the summer air tasted different when you weren’t thinking about tomorrow.Rafayel suddenly let go of the wheel.I jolted. “What the fuck—”“Relax,” he laughed, stretching both arms behind his head, like we weren’t currently flying down the highway at 80 miles per hour. “The car basically drives itself.”“Rafayel—”But he just grinned, tipping his head back to let the wind catch at his open shirt, the fabric billowing like he was some kind of careless demigod in the front seat.I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up in my chest.He was so Rafayel sometimes it physically hurt.I reached out and shoved his arm. “Eyes on the road!”He caught my wrist, his grip warm and familiar. “Admit it. You love it.”I scoffed. “I love not dying in a car accident, maybe.”Rafayel only smirked, finally returning his hands to the wheel, but the spark of reckless amusement never left his face.The city lights flickered in the distance, signaling the approach of town. Our moment of wild abandon, of wind and waves and infinite sky, was coming to an end. But I wasn’t ready to let it go just yet.I let my hand drift out the window, fingers tracing the wind, feeling the weightlessness of it all.After a while I had my feet propped up on his dashboard—much to his dismay.“Can you at least pretend to have manners?” he drawled, flicking his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose to shoot me a look.I wiggled my toes in response. “Can you at least pretend not to care?”Rafayel exhaled, shaking his head. “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood, cutie.”I smirked. “You’re always in a good mood.”“True. But only because I’m the best thing to ever happen to this town.”I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue. He wasn’t wrong. Rafayel had always been larger than life—too charming, too reckless, too impossible to ignore.The wind hummed through the open windows, carrying the scent of salt and summer through the car as we tore down the coast. Rafayel drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, one arm lazily hanging over it like he had all the time in the world. His sunglasses were still on despite the sun dipping low, the sky bleeding into deep blues and purples over the ocean.It was easy to pretend nothing had changed.Like I hadn’t disappeared for two years. Like I hadn’t left without a word, without a promise to come back.But I had.And he hadn’t asked me why.Which meant I had to ask him something instead.I hesitated, my fingers curling against the seat. “Are you mad at me?”Rafayel didn’t answer immediately. He just kept his eyes on the road, rolling his lips together in thought.The pause made my stomach twist.I tried again. “Rafayel.”He sighed, shaking his head with a lazy sort of amusement. “I don’t think I could ever be mad at you, Zero.”Something in my chest tightened.“But I disappeared,” I pointed out, more to myself than to him. “For two years.”“You did.”“And I didn’t say anything.”“Nope.”“And you’re really not mad?”This time, he turned toward me, the golden hour light catching in his eyes as he smirked. “Mad? No. Annoyed? Maybe. But I know you. If you left, it’s because you needed to.”I stared at him.It was such a simple thing to say. But I hadn’t realized how badly I needed to hear it.I turned my gaze out toward the ocean as we curved along the cliffs. “It wasn’t easy, you know,” I admitted, voice barely above the wind.Rafayel hummed like he already knew. Like he had always known.“You don’t owe us an explanation,” he said after a moment. “But I won’t lie to you either. I was worried about you.”The words hit softer than I expected, like a quiet confession wrapped in familiarity.I swallowed.“And so were the others,” he continued, eyes still on the road. Then, with a casual ease that didn’t match the weight of his words—“Caleb probably took it the hardest.”I blinked.The car felt suddenly smaller, the air thicker.“Really?”Rafayel shrugged. “I mean, you did up and vanish on us. We were all worried, but Caleb…” He trailed off, like the rest of the sentence wasn’t meant to be spoken aloud. Instead, he glanced at me, lips tilting just slightly. “Let’s just say it wasn’t his best summer.”I opened my mouth, then closed it.I didn’t know what I had been expecting, but that wasn’t it.I looked down at my hands, my fingers twisting in my lap.I hadn’t let myself think about it before. About what I had left behind. About who I had left behind.Rafayel exhaled, shifting gears as we neared town. “But at the end of the day,” His voice was quieter now, more certain. “You came back.”I glanced up at him.“And that’s what matters,” he finished simply, like it was the easiest thing in the world.Something lodged itself in my throat.I swallowed it down and forced a smirk. “Wow. That was almost sentimental of you, Raf. You feeling okay?”He groaned, reaching out to ruffle my hair. “Don’t ruin the moment, city girl.”I swatted his hand away, laughing as he pushed the gas a little harder, the car roaring down the road.“Hey, where did you say we were going again?”
1 Hour Ago
It was past midnight when I heard Rafayel’s voice drifting through the house, low and edged with something unfamiliar.I had been lying on the couch, half-awake, wrapped in a blanket, still fighting the remnants of a lingering summer haze. The house had quieted down—most of the others were either passed out or upstairs. But Rafayel?Rafayel was up to something .I slipped off the couch and padded toward the back patio, moving carefully, my bare feet silent against the cool floor.Through the open door, I saw him standing outside, leaning against the railing, his phone pressed to his ear. The faint glow of his cigarette flickered against the darkness, painting his sharp features in gold and shadow.“No, we’re not bringing any outsiders,” he muttered, voice clipped. A pause. “Just tell them to be there one by one. I’ll handle the rest.”I frowned.That definitely didn’t sound like his usual rich-boy antics.I took another step, just as he exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his face. “Yeah, yeah. Relax. It’s handled .”Something in my gut twisted.The call ended. He sighed, flicking his cigarette into the sand before turning—only to stop short when he saw me standing in the doorway.For a moment, neither of us spoke.Then—“ Shit. ” His lips quirked into a knowing smirk. “How long have you been there, little spy?”I crossed my arms, unimpressed. “Long enough to know you’re about to do something stupid.”His grin widened. “Define stupid.”I crossed my arms and nudged at him curiously. “ Where are you going, Rafayel?”“ Why ?” He tilted his head, eyes glinting under the dim porch light. “You wanna come?”I hesitated.Because, yeah, I did want to come. Not because I trusted him to stay out of trouble, but because something about his voice on that call had sent my curiosity into overdrive.I shifted my weight. “ Maybe .”Rafayel exhaled, then stepped past me into the house, grabbing his keys off the counter. “Then move your ass, princess,” he said lazily. “We leave in fifteen.”I blinked. “Wait, seriously?! ”He threw a wink over his shoulder. “You said it yourself— long enough to know I’m about to do something stupid . And I know one person who can match my crazy, or at least balance it out. HA!”Now here I was, two hours later, in the passenger seat of Rafayel’s McLaren 765LT, the kind of car that didn’t just exist—it commanded the road. Candy-painted black cherry, sleek as sin, its glossy finish shimmered under the nighttime glow shifting between obsidian and deep crimson, like liquid fire sealed beneath glass.Everything about it was built for speed. Built for control. Built for destruction if handled by the wrong hands. But Rafayel? He wasn’t just a driver—he was a fucking artist behind the wheel.The engine purred beneath us, a low, hungry growl that vibrated through my seat, waiting—begging—to be let loose. The moment he touched the throttle, I knew it would lunge forward like a beast slipping its chains.“You good over there, city girl?” he mused, voice smooth, teasing.I exhaled, gripping onto the hand-stitched leather seats, pulse thrumming.I wasn’t just good.I was ready.And the night was about to burn.I turned to him, raising a brow. “So, are you going to tell me where we’re actually going, or do I have to guess?”Rafayel smirked, his fingers drumming against the wheel. “Ever been to a real car meet?”I blinked. “Like… the kind with guys who think revving their engines makes up for their lack of personality?”His laughter was rich, indulgent. “That’s cute. But nah— not that kind of meet.”I frowned, but before I could ask what the hell that meant, he took a sharp turn off the main road, the tires gripping the pavement with a smooth precision that made my stomach flip.Then I saw it.Ahead, just past the dunes and tucked beneath an overpass near the outskirts of town, was a gathering of sleek machines—cars lined up in neat rows, their paint jobs catching the glow of streetlights and neon underglow.People milled about, leaning against hoods, laughing, exchanging cash and hushed words.Engines growled low and threatening in the distance, the air thick with the scent of gasoline, cigarette smoke, and something electric—something alive.My pulse kicked up.I turned to Rafayel, narrowing my eyes. “Whoaaa!”He just grinned, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. “Told you, you’re in for a treat tonight.”Somehow, I wasn’t sure if that was a promise or a warning.The moment Rafayel pulled into the lot, I felt it—that intoxicating mix of adrenaline and recklessness, the pulse of something untamed humming beneath the surface.This wasn’t just a car meet.This was a scene .Rows of sleek, high-performance machines gleamed under the glow of neon underlights. The air was thick with the scent of gasoline, burnt rubber, and cigarette smoke, laced with the faint bass of music thumping from someone’s trunk. The crowd was a mix of tattooed guys in black hoodies, girls draped over car hoods in crop tops and leather jackets, and a handful of racers exchanging cash and quiet nods.And Rafayel?He fit in too well.The moment he stepped out of the car, sunglasses low on his nose, hair tousled from the wind, wearing that signature smirk—he was in his element. A few people called out to him, and he responded with casual waves, daps, and smirks that could’ve been greetings or challenges.I climbed out after him, my boots hitting the pavement, feeling instantly out of place. But the second I adjusted my hoodie, Rafayel’s arm casually draped over my shoulders, pulling me into his orbit.“Look alive, cutie pie,” he murmured against my ear. “You’re in for a show.”I exhaled sharply, shaking him off as he chuckled.We wove through the crowd, the buzz of conversation blending with the occasional pop-pop of an engine revving in the distance. Someone peeled out down the open stretch of road just past the overpass, the sound splitting through the night like a whip crack.I could feel it—the tension, the thrill, the undercurrent of something illegal just skimming beneath the surface.This wasn’t just about cars.It was about dominance.About speed, money, and ego.And from the looks of things, Rafayel was right in the thick of it.He stopped by a group huddled near a matte black Mustang, the hood propped open, exposing the beast of an engine beneath. The guy standing beside it—tall, lean, with a buzz cut and an unimpressed expression—crossed his arms when he saw Rafayel.“Didn’t think you’d show,” he said.Rafayel tilted his head, smirking. “Didn’t think you were still getting your ass handed to you.”The guys standing around them exchanged looks, low laughter rippling through the group.The buzz-cut guy—who I now assumed was the competition—rolled his jaw, exhaling sharply through his nose. “You here to talk or to race ?”Rafayel clucked his tongue. “Thought you’d never ask.”I frowned. Race? I turned to him, grabbing his arm. “Wait— you’re racing!? ”He grinned down at me, all effortless charm. “Sweetheart, why else do you think we’re here?”My stomach flipped.I had seen Rafayel do a lot of reckless things before, but street racing ? That was new.“I thought we were just—” I gestured vaguely to the crowd. “ Observing ?”He chuckled, tapping my chin playfully before pulling away. “Guess you should’ve asked before getting in the car, huh?”I groaned. “You absolute —”The sound of an engine roaring to life cut me off, sending vibrations through the pavement beneath my feet.I turned to see two cars lining up at the start line, a girl in impossibly short shorts and fishnets standing between them, holding a checkered flag.The energy shifted.People crowded closer, murmurs spreading like wildfire.Rafayel stretched his arms over his head, then cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders like an athlete before a game.I grabbed his wrist before he could move.He raised a brow. “Scared for me, cutie?”I scowled. “I’m scared of you wrecking your stupid car.”His grin widened. “Oh, ye of little faith.”I groaned again, but before I could argue, someone called out—“Rafayel, you’re up next!”The crowd buzzed, people shifting toward the starting line as Rafayel strolled toward his car.I exhaled, pressing a hand to my forehead.I had come here expecting trouble.I just hadn’t expected to care this much about it.Engines revved. The scent of burning rubber thickened in the night air. Someone waved a flare, casting streaks of red against the dark pavement.The race was about to begin.I stood by Rafayel’s McLaren, arms crossed, heart hammering harder than it should’ve been. He stood a few feet away, talking to someone who looked like they belonged in a Fast & Furious movie—tattoos snaking up their arms, a cigarette hanging loosely from their lips, exchanging a few words before shaking hands.I watched as a few more drivers lined up along the impromptu starting strip, each one in a machine just as fine-tuned as the next.A Nissan 370Z, a suped-up BMW M4, a candy-apple red Supra.Rafayel’s opponent for the night?A black Dodge Challenger Hellcat.Big, mean, built for straightaways.I hated it immediately.Not because it wasn’t beautiful, but because I knew how Rafayel drove. He didn’t have a death wish—he just liked dancing on the edge of one.And there was a fine line between confidence and reckless self-destruction.So when Rafayel made his way back toward the McLaren, rolling his shoulders loose, sunglasses perched on his nose despite the fact that it was well past sunset, I made a decision.A really stupid decision.I rounded the car, yanking the passenger side door handle before he could stop me.“ Zero —”“Shut up,” I said, sliding into the low bucket seat like I belonged there.He paused, one brow quirking up, amusement flickering beneath those tinted lenses. "Oh? Decided you actually like my car after all?"I buckled my seatbelt. “No, I’m making sure you don’t die in it.”Rafayel exhaled a short laugh, shaking his head as he walked around to the driver's side. "Cute," he muttered under his breath, voice laced with something I couldn't quite place.The door closed with a satisfying click, sealing us in the cockpit.The world outside felt muted, a distant hum behind the luxury of engineered silence.Until Rafayel pressed the ignition button.The engine roared to life—a deep, visceral growl, so rich it rattled through my ribs. The digital screen lit up, casting the interior in a sleek blue glow.I glanced at him. "You better not crash this thing."Rafayel smirked, shifting into launch mode."Then hold on, baby. "The starter girl stood between the two cars, raising a bandana over her head, hips cocked to the side, waiting.I caught a glimpse of the Challenger’s driver through the windshield—he had one hand gripping the wheel, his other resting lazily on the gear shift, his confidence bordering on arrogance.I could feel Rafayel grinning before I even looked at him.“You’re enjoying this way too much,” I muttered.“Of course I am,” he said, flexing his fingers against the Alcantara wheel.I gripped the carbon fiber door handle, my pulse racing just as fast as the engines.And then—The bandana dropped.And so did my stomach.Rafayel launched forward, the McLaren’s twin-turbocharged V8 engine screaming, shoving me back into my seat with a force that stole the breath from my lungs.The Challenger’s tires squealed, its supercharged engine thundering alongside us as both cars tore down the stretch, leaving a whirlwind of dust and neon behind.100 mph.Rafayel’s fingers flicked gears with razor-sharp precision, his expression nothing but calm, controlled arrogance.The Challenger’s horsepower kept it neck-and-neck, its deep snarl vibrating through the night, but it wasn’t built to outmaneuver.And that’s where Rafayel had the advantage.“ He’s gaining on you! ” I yelled over the roar of the engines.He barely acknowledged me. Just licked his lips, eyes locked on the road ahead.And then—He jerked the wheel.The McLaren cut in front of the Challenger so sharply that the other driver had no choice but to ease off the gas for a fraction of a second.A fraction of a second was all Rafayel needed.140 mph.I could barely process the world around me—just a blur of city lights, wind roaring past, adrenaline pounding through every inch of my body.And then, just as the finish line neared—Rafayel did what Rafayel always does.Something stupid.He let go of the wheel for half a second, just enough to throw his hands up with pure, cocky abandon, the biggest smirk on his lips before grabbing the wheel again and—Crossing the finish line first.The moment we passed, he hit the brakes, the carbon-ceramic rotors catching instantly, sending a sharp jerk through my spine as the McLaren came to a flawless, controlled stop.I inhaled, trying to process the fact that we weren’t dead.Rafayel just leaned back, exhaling through his nose, sunglasses sliding slightly down the bridge of it.As if he hadn’t just played god with gravity itself.He turned his head toward me, smirk still firmly in place.“So,” he drawled, “how was that for not dying?”I let out a shaky breath.Then punched him in the arm.Hard.“Ow— shit, ” he laughed, rubbing his shoulder. “You’re welcome, by the way.”I ignored him, still catching my breath. Still feeling the phantom force of the race in my veins.Outside, the crowd went wild.The Challenger pulled up beside us, its driver looking pissed but impressed.Rafayel, of course, rolled down the window just to wink at him.I groaned.“ You’re insane. ”Rafayel grinned.“But admit it,” he murmured, voice dangerously low, “you enjoyed it .”I opened my mouth.Then I closed it.Because, yeah.I fucking loved it.The second I stepped out, my legs felt wobbly, the aftershock of speed still rattling through my bones. Rafayel, naturally, looked infuriatingly unfazed, stepping out with a lazy stretch like he had just taken a leisurely drive down the coast.“You good?” he asked, tilting his head at me.I shot him a glare. “You’re insane.”His grin was all teeth. “And yet, we won.”A few people from the crowd who had been watching came up, offering fist bumps and slaps on the back, hyped off the energy of the race. The neon glow from the modified streetlights cast streaks of color over the pavement, the rumble of engines filling the space like a heartbeat.And then—A slow, deliberate clap cut through the noise.He stood just at the edge of the crowd, arms crossed over his chest, a black and orange windbreaker unzipped just enough to reveal the skin-tight black undershirt beneath it—fabric clinging in all the right places, flexing slightly with the slow, deliberate rise and fall of his breath. His black cargo pants sat low on his hips, tucked into lace-up combat boots, scuffed just enough to make it obvious he wasn’t just wearing them for looks.But his eyes—those violet eyes—were locked onto me.And he did not look impressed.“Well,” Caleb mused, his voice smooth, low, cutting straight through the charged air. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Pip-squeak.”I exhaled sharply through my nose, my hands finding my hips as I tilted my head up at him. “Didn’t think you’d be one to watch from the sidelines, Caleb.”A smirk twitched at the corner of his lips, but his eyes—his eyes didn’t waver.Slowly, he stepped forward, closing the space between us until he was just close enough for me to catch the faintest hint of his cologne—something clean and deep and familiar, laced with something that made my stomach tighten in a way I refused to acknowledge.Caleb’s gaze flicked toward Rafayel. “And you let her in the passenger seat?”Rafayel, who had been watching the exchange with far too much enjoyment, merely shrugged. “She wanted to. And who am I to deny a lady her thrill?”Caleb’s jaw tensed for half a second. Then, his attention returned to me, scanning me over once, like he was checking for injuries. Like he hadn’t just been annoyed, but worried.“You’re lucky you didn’t get hurt,” he murmured, voice lower. “Or worse.”I arched my brow. “I’m fine.”He huffed, shaking his head slightly. “That’s not the point.”“Then what is?” I challenged.Something flickered in his expression—something fleeting, something unreadable, something almost vulnerable.And then, just as quickly, it was gone.His tongue clicked against his teeth, and suddenly, the tension between us shifted—the frustration replaced with something lighter, something familiar.He cocked his head slightly, finally allowing a smirk to pull at his lips. “Didn’t take you for a speed junkie.”I shrugged. “Maybe I’m full of surprises.”His gaze lingered a second longer.Then—“I’ll give you that.”And with that, he walked past me.Just like that, like he hadn’t just made the air unbearably thick, like he hadn’t just thrown me completely off balance with one look.Rafayel let out a low whistle beside me, nudging my shoulder as Caleb disappeared into the crowd.“Whew,” he mused, dragging out the sound, “I felt that.”I scowled at Rafayel, but my stomach twisted as my eyes flicked back to Caleb. He had drifted over to a group of friends, the effortless way he fit in making it feel like he’d never left. Smoke curled lazily into the air as a few girls hovered nearby, their laughter mixing with the heavy bass booming from their speakers. One of the guys clapped Caleb on the shoulder, offering him a cigarette.He took it without hesitation.Damn. Times really did change.Rafayel reached into his pocket for a lighter, and I caught the flicker of his gaze in my periphery. I rolled my eyes, stuffing my hands into my jacket and pulling out my own pack of cigarettes. His brows lifted, the hint of amusement barely hidden behind his smirk.“Wait… city girl smokes now too?”I let the pack dangle between my fingers, cocking a brow. “Oh, shut up. It was a rough two years, in case you forgot.” I tapped one out and glanced pointedly at his menthols. “And I’ll have you know, these are heavily medicated.”Rafayel chuckled under his breath, nudging me toward the shadows behind his car. But before I followed, my gaze lingered—snagged—on the figure wrapping her arms around Caleb from behind.Fiery orange hair, fading into golden tips. Deep turquoise eyes that shimmered even under the neon haze of the streetlights.She hugged him with a familiarity that made my skin prickle.And Caleb—he didn’t pull away. One arm slung loosely over her back, the ghost of a grin tugging at the corner of his lips as she flashed the group a bright, easy smile.I stopped.Who the hell was that?She was gorgeous. Unfairly, painfully gorgeous.Not in an unapproachable way—but in the kind of way that made people stop and stare, like a sun that burned just a little too bright. Her skin was dusted in ink—not obnoxious, just enough to hint at something reckless, something untamed. A single dragon tattoo lined the curve of her spine, standing stark against the bare skin revealed by her backless halter top.I caught my breath.Damn.She was hot.And so was Caleb.My fingers curled around my lighter as I swallowed the thought trying to claw its way out.I wonder if—Rafayel’s elbow bumped mine, snapping me back into the present.“You good, city girl?”I looked back at him as I came to my senses, “Yeah,” I said, placing the butt of the weed cigarette in my mouth and lit it up. “I’m good.”Of course, he already knew.Rafayel followed the path my gaze had just taken, then let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he flicked his lighter open. “Ahh. Tori.” He leaned in, lighting his cigarette against the burning tip of mine before leaning back, exhaling smoke into the night. “One of the best racers out here, actually.”Tori.The name lingered on my lips before I even realized I’d said it aloud.Rafayel shot me a knowing smile before glancing over his shoulder at her again. “Yeah. She started coming around the summers after you left, I think.” He shrugged. “Her dad used to be some big-shot racer until he ended up in jail—supposedly.”That got my attention. “Jail?”Rafayel looked back at me like he was relaying the latest scandal, voice dropping into something conspiratorial. “Word on the street is he was tied up in some gang that smuggled weapons through the ports. Got caught. Whole operation went to shit. She was fifteen when it happened—got emancipated not long after. Been on her own ever since, drifting from place to place.” He smirked. “Now she just pops up every summer, riles things up, makes people lose their damn minds.”I barely heard him.Because across the lot, Caleb’s group erupted into cheers, their voices carrying over the music.I will not be jealous.I had absolutely no reason to be.But the fact that there was a girl out there who could rile Caleb up—Made me absolutely fucking sick.I took a slow pull from my cigarette, letting the dopamine sink into my bloodstream like armor.“Rile up, huh?” My voice came out even, but I bit the inside of my cheek anyway.Rafayel exhaled a slow stream of smoke, watching me with that all-too-knowing glint in his eye. He took his time, tilting his head as he took another drag, letting the embers glow between his fingers before smirking."That a problem, city girl?"I scoffed, rolling my eyes like it was the dumbest thing I’d ever heard. Like my stomach hadn’t just twisted into a fucking pretzel."Nah," I said smoothly, taking another slow pull from my cigarette. "Why would it be?"Rafayel hummed, unconvinced.Across the lot, the group hollered again, Caleb right in the center of it, laughing at something one of the guys said. Tori was still draped against his side, her fingers idly tracing something on his forearm, the dragon down her spine shifting under the soft neon of the streetlights. She was effortlessly cool in a way that made my teeth grit.Not that I cared.I didn’t.I had no reason to."Mm," Rafayel mused, flicking his ash onto the pavement. "She and Caleb get along real well. Summer crew, you know? They got a lot in common."I huffed, forcing my expression to stay neutral. "Yeah? Like what?"He took another drag, exhaled, then flashed me a lazy grin. "Fast cars. Fast nights. Fast fun."I sucked in a slow breath through my teeth, my grip tightening around my cigarette. Fast fun. Right. Of course.I wasn't stupid. Caleb had always been the guy everyone wanted. The golden boy. The dreamy heartbreaker with that impossible smile and those eyes that made it feel like you were the only person in the world when he looked at you. It was inevitable that girls like Tori—girls who weren’t afraid to chase the thrill—were drawn to him.I wasn’t the jealous type.But fuck, I was feeling something.And Rafayel knew it.He nudged me, his voice low, amused. "Careful, city girl. You bite your cheek any harder, you're gonna start bleeding."I let out a slow exhale, willing the tension in my jaw to ease. "I’m fine.""Uh-huh," he drawled, flicking his cigarette away and stretching his arms over his head. His dusky purple hair was still tousled from the drive, and his shirt—well, he hadn’t worn one all night, because of course he hadn’t.He looked over at the group again, then back at me, a smirk tugging at his lips. "If you wanna get under his skin, you should probably start actually having fun instead of standing here like you’re plotting a murder."I shot him a glare. "Shut up."But he just chuckled, draping an arm over my shoulders as he led me back toward the crowd. "C’mon, Zero. Let’s go stir some shit up."Rafayel must’ve noticed the way my fingers twitched against my lighter, the way I was chewing on the inside of my cheek like I was not affected by any of this. Because in the next second, his arm slung over my shoulders in that effortless way of his, pulling me close like he was claiming me as his partner in crime for the night.“C’mon, city girl,” he murmured, low and conspiratorial, just for me. “You’re staring at the wrong thing.”I scoffed, flicking my cigarette away. “And what exactly am I supposed to be looking at?”He grinned, all teeth and trouble, leaning in like he was about to whisper a secret. “Me, obviously.”I shoved at his chest with a laugh, but he didn’t budge, only laughing with me, warm and real. And just like that, whatever tension had been curling in my stomach unraveled, replaced by something lighter, something fun.Rafayel didn’t do heartbreak. He didn’t do lingering .He did distraction. And he was damn good at it.“Let’s make some memories, yeah?” he said, pulling me toward the other side of the meet, where neon lights flickered against souped-up cars and the scent of gasoline mixed with salt in the humid air. “Before you start overthinking your entire existence again.”I rolled my eyes but let him lead me anyway. “So bossy.”“You love it.”I pretended not to hear him.We weaved through the crowd, past revving engines and half-finished drinks, past couples tangled together in the shadows, past groups laughing loud, the kind of carefree that only ever existed in summer nights like these.And then—I stopped.Because parked in the farthest corner of the meet, half-hidden behind a row of muscle cars, was a motorbike.Black. Sleek. Custom-built for speed.And I’d recognize it anywhere.Rafayel followed my gaze, his grin shifting, something keener sparking in his dusky-pink eyes. “Ah.”I exhaled slowly, staring at the bike like it was going to answer all the questions spinning in my head.Sylus.I hadn’t seen him since the dunes. Since that almost kiss. Since the fistfight that followed.But he was here. Somewhere.I dragged my tongue over my teeth, tilting my head. Interesting.“You know,” Rafayel said, tipping his head toward me, voice edged with something unreadable. “I’ve got some better ways to spend the night than chasing ghosts.”I arched a brow. “Yeah?”His grin was slow, lazy. Dangerous.“Yeah.”I smirked. “Then let’s hear it.”Rafayel’s fingers slid around my wrist, tugging me closer, his breath warm against my skin.“Nope.” His eyes gleamed under the streetlights. “You’ll just have to trust me again, mademoiselle.”And with that, he pulled me into the night.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

City of the Damned
The night wrapped around us like a promise, thick with heat, laughter, and the undeniable feeling that we were infinite—just for now, just for tonight. The air pulsed with the bass of speakers stacked against open car trunks, music spilling out like it belonged to the ocean breeze, tangled with the scent of gasoline, salt, and something electric.Rafayel’s grip on my wrist was loose but firm, his fingers warm against my skin as he led me past the glow of neon underbodies and cigarette embers sparking against the night.We weren’t running.But it felt like it.Like we were escaping something. Or… like we were chasing something else entirely.He pulled me toward a row of cars where a makeshift rooftop hangout had formed—people perched on hoods, beers in hand, neon lights reflecting in their sunglasses. A few guys were setting up speakers on top of a blacked-out Jeep, while a girl twirled a bottle of something high-proof and dangerous between her fingers, offering sips to anyone brave enough.Rafayel plucked it straight from her hands without missing a beat, took a swig, and then passed it to me without hesitation.A dare.I took it.The burn hit fast, warming my veins, sending a dizzy rush straight to my head.Someone cranked up the music, and suddenly, we were moving—not just me, not just Rafayel, but everyone, caught in that golden hour haze of summer nights that felt too big, too bright, too alive to ever end.I laughed, twirling away from Rafayel just as he reached for me, barefoot against warm metal as I climbed onto the hood of a low-riding classic, my drink swaying dangerously in my hand. The sky above was endless, stretching in deep shades of indigo and navy, the stars almost drowned out by the city glow behind us.But I didn’t care about the stars.Because the moment was brighter.Rafayel climbed up next to me, flashing a grin that could have started fires.“You’re having fun now, aren’t you?” he said, knocking his knee against mine.I hummed, stretching my legs out, leaning back on my hands as I let the alcohol settle into my bones, let the night pull me under.“Maybe,” I teased.Rafayel exhaled a laugh, tilting his head toward me, too close but just close enough, his pinkish eyes glinting under the lights.He looked at me like he knew things I didn’t. Like he saw the way I kept looking over my shoulder, the way my mind was still tangled in something else.Or someone else.But he wasn’t going to let me dwell on it.Because suddenly, he grabbed my hand, pulling me off the hood, straight into the crowd of bodies that had formed near the speakers.The music shifted—louder, heavier, the kind of song that made you feel invincible.And just like that, we were dancing.Laughing.Spinning under the neon lights.Someone had a camera, flash after flash capturing the moment—Rafayel tossing his head back in laughter, me mid-spin, a drink in one hand, my hair flying wild, our friends around us, lost in their own worlds.Somewhere in the distance, cars revved, the next round of street races about to begin.But I wasn’t thinking about racing.I wasn’t thinking about anything, really.Not Sylus.Not Caleb.Not the past, not the future.Just now.Just this.Just the way the sand felt beneath my feet, the way the music vibrated through my chest, the way Rafayel grinned at me like I was untouchable, like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.The alcohol was finally doing its job.Everything was a little softer, a little brighter, like the world had been coated in honey and neon. The music melted into my skin, the laughter around me felt like it was buzzing in my veins, and the ocean air curled around my ankles, tugging me closer to the edge of something reckless.I swayed to the music, my fingers still tingling from where Rafayel had spun me, the warmth of his touch lingering even as he stepped away to grab more drinks. My head tipped back, the stars spinning overhead, and for the first time in a long time—I felt free.No past. No future. Just the moment.And then I caught him watching me.Sylus.The cigarette burned slow between his fingers, the embers glowing like a secret as he exhaled, his gaze heavy from across the lot.I felt it like a static charge along my spine.The way his eyes dragged over me, slow, assessing.Not like I was something fragile.Like I was something dangerous.The kind of dangerous he might just want to touch anyway.A thrill shot through me, bold and fever-hot under the neon haze of the night. Maybe it was the glow of the streetlights, or maybe it was the tequila in my veins, but suddenly, standing still wasn’t an option.I wanted to move.To get closer.To see if he was real or just another illusion in the heat of summer.So I did.I walked, or… floated, toward him, the crowd parting around me like it had already decided this was inevitable. The music pulsed beneath my feet, the ocean breeze chased the sweat on my skin, and when I finally stopped in front of him, I realized I was smiling.“I thought you were too cool to be caught at childish parties like this,” I teased, my voice loose, playful, dripping in whatever spell the night had put on me.Sylus tilted his head, eyes catching on the glow of the streetlights.“I’m not,” he said simply, flicking his cigarette away, the embers sparking against the pavement.His voice was low, smooth, cutting through the noise like it had been meant for me and me alone.The space between us was too close to be casual.But I didn’t move.And neither did he.The night stretched around us, wrapping us in salt air and static.I was too warm, too buzzed, too drunk on the feeling of being young and untouchable.So, I did the most logical thing.I plucked the pair of sunglasses from his collar and slid them onto my face, striking the worst, most obnoxious model pose I could think of.“Look at me,” I purred, running my fingers through my hair like I was someone’s beachside summer fling, like I wasn’t entirely too much tequila deep for this conversation.“I’m mysterious now.”Sylus stared at me and then he laughed.Low and gravelly, the kind of sound that felt like it had been designed to mess with me.The kind that made me want to hear it again.His fingers twitched at his side, and for a second, I swore he was about to touch me. But instead, he just shook his head, eyes flicking up to meet mine through the dark lenses of his shades.“Yeah?” he mused, his smirk dangerously lazy. “Then tell me, mysterious girl. What exactly are you looking for tonight?”I tilted my head to think about it for a moment before looking over at Rafayel as if he’d have an answer, but it was Sylus who stopped me.“Zero,” Sylus said, his tone warm and teasing, “you know you’re the one who should be setting the rules tonight.” His words rolled out with a rebellious ease that made me smile despite myself.I laughed and shook my head, the music making the world spin in a kaleidoscope of color. “I’m trying, Sylus. Actually, Rafayel here was telling me to be as wild and free as the ocean itself.”Rafayel grinned and nudged me. “That’s right, city girl. No holding back.” He glanced at Sylus with a playful smirk, as if daring him to disagree.I arched a brow and stepped forward, the night’s pulse thrumming through my veins. A slow grin tugged at my lips.“You know what?” I said, my voice edged with both mischief and certainty. “I think it’s time you two met properly. After all, what’s the wild without a little chaos—and just the right touch of danger?”I turned to Rafayel first. “This is Sylus—the one who never lets me forget that I can do whatever I want, whenever I want.” Then, shifting my gaze to Sylus, I smirked. “And this is Rafayel—my ride-or-die, the one who makes sure I live as recklessly as I’m meant to.”Rafayel’s eyes sparkled as he extended his hand toward Sylus, who paused for a moment before shaking it, his grip confident and cool. “Heard a lot about you,” Rafayel said with a smirk that was all business and pleasure. “Glad to put a face to the name.”Sylus’s smile was slow and dangerous. He took a slow drag from his cigarette, eyes locked onto mine like he was seeing through every excuse I could come up with.“What’s the occasion?” His smirk deepened. “Or are you just looking for trouble tonight?”I could feel the music swell, the bass vibrating through the concrete under our feet, and the smell of salt and summer life mixing with a hint of rebellion.In that moment, as I stood between these two forces of nature, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be—caught in a perpetual summer dream where everything was wild and unstoppable.“Let’s go cause some mayhem,” I said, a grin tugging at my lips.And just like that, the night surged on. We moved as one—a trio of misfits, rebels, and free spirits—ready to chase the endless horizon, fueled by the pulse of our youth, the thrill of the unknown, and the promise that, tonight, nothing could hold us back.The hum of engines, the scent of burning rubber, the low murmur of voices exchanging bets and boasts—this was the underbelly of the car meet, the part most people didn’t wander into unless they had a reason.We strolled through the outskirts, past the glow of taillights and the gleam of chrome, slipping between the groups of racers and spectators. The deeper we went, the more the atmosphere shifted—less about the spectacle, more about the business. The real kind.Sylus walked ahead of us, his hands in his pockets, the flickering glow of nearby floodlights catching the silver strands of his hair. He had that look about him again—composed, unreadable, like he was always five steps ahead of whatever conversation we were having.I narrowed my eyes. “So, what exactly are you doing here?”Sylus exhaled a quiet chuckle, not bothering to slow his pace. “Family business.”That was a little too vague.I shot Rafayel a look, but he only raised a brow, amused, before flicking his cigarette into the dirt.“Man of mystery, huh?” Rafayel mused. “Why am I not surprised?”Sylus didn’t bite.I picked up my pace until I was at his side, tilting my head slightly as I tried to read his face. “Business like… overseeing some bets? Or business like breaking a few kneecaps?”He finally looked at me then, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Would it change anything if I said both?”I snorted. “Depends. Am I supposed to be impressed or concerned?”Sylus turned down a narrow pathway between parked cars, leading us into a quieter part of the meet, where the air was heavier, the voices lower, more serious.I exchanged another glance with Rafayel, who just sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “You really like testing fate, huh?”“I like to keep things interesting.”We reached the entrance of what looked like an old, abandoned warehouse, tucked into the far edge of the lot. A few men stood by the door, exchanging money, murmuring in low voices. A thickset guy with a scar running down his cheek clocked Sylus immediately, giving him a nod before stepping aside to let us through.The moment we walked in, the energy hit me like a punch to the chest.The underground fighting ring.The air was thick with sweat and adrenaline, the scent of alcohol and blood mixing into something intoxicating. The crowd circled the makeshift ring, fists pounding against the metal barriers, shouts echoing off the concrete walls. Inside the ring, two fighters clashed, muscles straining, skin glistening under the dim, hazy lights.I turned to Sylus, who was watching the fight with quiet interest, his expression as unreadable as ever.“This is your family business?” I asked, voice laced with curiosity.He glanced at me sideways, his crimson eyes glinting under the overhead lights. “Part of it.”Rafayel let out a low whistle, sliding his hands into his pockets as he scanned the crowd. “Damn. Haven’t been to one of these in a minute. Thought they shut this shit down last summer.”“They did,” Sylus said, rolling his shoulders slightly. “But things like this don’t stay dead for long.”A loud cheer erupted from the crowd as one of the fighters landed a brutal hook, sending his opponent sprawling onto the mat.I exhaled slowly, my pulse kicking up as the energy of the room seeped into me.Sylus studied my reaction, a knowing smirk playing at his lips. “Ever seen one up close?”I lifted a brow. “A fight?”He hummed. “A real one.”My gaze flickered back to the ring, watching as the fallen fighter dragged himself up, spitting blood onto the floor before throwing himself back into the brawl like he had nothing left to lose.I swallowed.Sylus leaned in slightly, his voice dropping just enough to send a shiver up my spine. “Bet it’s different from the matches you’ve seen in the gym.”I turned to him, holding his gaze. “Maybe.”He studied me for a beat longer, then tilted his head toward the ring. “Wanna see how deep this rabbit hole goes?”The way he said it sent something electric through me.Rafayel groaned beside me, rubbing his temples. “Man, I swear, if we end up in some high-stakes mess tonight—”“It’s just your scene though, isn’t it?” I teased.He huffed, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes as he nudged and winked at me. “You’re absolutely right, cutie.”Sylus smirked, stepping forward, leading the way deeper into the crowd until we came across a deep tunnel that seemed to be an out of commission sewer of some kind that connected the building towards something deeper.The entrance wasn’t marked. No neon signs, no grand reveal. Just a barely noticeable shift in the air—a subtle breeze, like stepping over the edge of a ripple in reality.The tunnel stretched before us, gaping and endless, a forgotten artery of the city buried beneath time and dust. The walls were damp with condensation, the scent of metal and rain lingering in the air.The further we stepped in, the more the noise from the car meet above faded into something distant, muffled—like we had just crossed the threshold into another dimension.Ahead of us, Sylus moved with purpose, his silhouette a shadow against the dim  lights that flickered deeper down the passage. His presence made the tunnel feel less like an abandoned sewer and more like an entrance to something forbidden. Something sacred in its own twisted way.For a moment, as we passed under a jagged gap in the concrete where faint light still managed to trickle in, his form shifted—distorted by the interplay of shadows and neon glow. The flickering reds stretched the outline of his figure, bending and warping it until, for a breath, he looked like something else entirely. Something unholy. The slant of his shoulders cast twin shadows that flared like wings, the sharp angles of his jaw accentuated by the fractured glow, giving the illusion of horns curling from his head. A fiend, an omen of the kind of night we were stepping into.The ground sloped downward. The walls narrowed. The glow of streetlights from the world above grew fainter and fainter, replaced by a different kind of luminescence.The low thrum of bass, vibrating up through my feet. The murmur of voices, rising and falling in a rhythm that felt almost primal. A metallic clang echoed from somewhere ahead, followed by a sharp burst of laughter.Then we turned a corner—and a portal into another world cracked open.Red light bled from the ceiling, casting everything in shades of desire and danger. The tunnel gave way to a vast underground chamber, sprawling and alive with movement.It was more than a fight club. More than a party. More than anything I had dared to imagine. It was an underground city—breathtaking and terrible, a forgotten world carved from steel and shadow, humming with unnatural life.The cavern stretched into infinity, its ceiling lost in a haze of neon and smoke, where massive pipes dripped something thick and black, their hiss swallowed by the relentless thrum of bass vibrating through the bones of the city. Catwalks clung to crumbling walls, tangled bridges of rust and wire webbing above the abyss. Water dripped from unseen heights, catching in the glow of flickering holograms—ghostly advertisements that whispered promises of ecstasy and oblivion. Below, the streets pulsed like a living thing. Bodies swayed in hypnotic abandon, their movements feverish, primal. The scent of sweat, liquor, and something metallic hung in the air, thick enough to taste. To the right, a cage fight raged—a brutal dance of flesh and fury, the wet crack of bone and the clash of metal ringing through the hollow expanse.The blood that splattered across the bars gleamed like molten rubies under the neon glow.Above, shadowed figures lurked on the balconies, watching like silent gods of the underworld, their faces half-lit by the blue flicker of data screens, fingers curling over the edges like predators waiting to strike. Somewhere deeper, machines hummed, unseen gears grinding beneath the city’s heartbeat.And at the far end, a stage loomed like a temple of light and sound, its edges dripping in shifting violet and crimson, as a singer's voice wrapped around the crowd like a velvet noose—low, aching, and inhumanly beautiful.This place was more than chaos. It was poetry in corruption, beauty carved from ruin, a dream so dark it could make you weep.And we had just stepped into its ravenous heart.I exhaled, pulse thumping as I turned to Sylus. His smirk deepened as his eyes glinted beneath the crimson haze.“Welcome to Tartarus,” he murmured. “Try not to get lost.”~~~

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

No Holds Barred
Tartarus.It was a world beneath a world.A hidden metropolis that thrived beneath Whitesand Bay, pulsing with life when the rest of the city slept. An underground empire built on vice, wealth, and secrecy.Here, the rules of the surface didn’t apply. Money talked, fists settled disputes, and power belonged to those who weren’t afraid to seize it.As I stepped deeper into the underbelly of this hidden city, I felt it—the weight of it. The way the walls pulsed with bass from somewhere distant, the way neon signs flickered over alleyways where figures in silk suits and leather jackets struck deals in the shadows.Tartarus was alive.The streets weren’t paved with asphalt but smooth, polished stone, the echoes of our footsteps swallowed by the hum of machinery overhead—ventilation systems, secret passageways, entire tunnels that stretched beneath Whitesand Bay like veins feeding into the heart of something ancient.This was a city built to be unseen. A place where wealth, crime, and indulgence coexisted in delicate balance.And Sylus?He walked like he belonged to it.Like Tartarus had been waiting for him to return.Rafayel exhaled beside me, hands shoved into his pockets, his gaze sweeping over the towering buildings of steel and black glass, the people moving between them—some dressed in luxury, others in streetwear, all of them knowing, all of them belonging.“Holy shit,” he muttered under his breath. “A whole fucking city down here?”Sylus shot him a smirk, his pace never slowing. “Only for those who know where to look.”I swallowed, watching as people filtered in and out of bars with no signs, hidden speakeasies with blood-red lighting, storefronts that didn’t seem to sell anything on the surface but had back rooms filled with treasures people would kill for.And somewhere, deep beneath these streets, was the reason Sylus had brought us here.The deeper we moved, the louder it became.A roar. A pulse. A chorus of voices rising and crashing like a wave.Sylus led the way, his stride never faltering, cutting through the winding streets like someone who knew exactly where he was going. The further we followed, the less polished the underground city became—gone were the sleek black-glass buildings, replaced with industrial metal structures, iron staircases, and deep crimson banners hung from towering walls.The building loomed ahead, an octagonal dome of steel and shadows, glowing faintly from the inside. Rafayel exhaled beside me. “Shit. You run this?”Sylus glanced over his shoulder, a smirk playing at his lips. “You could say that.”A gust of heat hit us as we stepped inside, the doors swallowing us whole.A massive sign hung above its entrance, flickering in pale gold letters—
THE NEST.
The heartbeat of Tartarus.It was a goddamn coliseum.Rafayel let out a low whistle. “This place is insane.”A circular, multi-leveled arena stretched before us, its center dominated by a massive cage. Fighters moved inside—bare-knuckled, dripping sweat, eyes locked on each other like predators in the wild. Around the perimeter, an eager crowd roared with excitement, their voices rising in sync with every landed hit, every bone-crunching blow.But this place wasn’t just for fighting.Scattered throughout the venue, people talked in hushed voices over expensive drinks. At the bar, figures dressed in dark suits exchanged quiet words, flicking lighters and sipping aged whiskey like they were sealing deals worth more than lives.Where fighters bled, secrets were bought, and no one left without a price. Compared to the raw, underground chaos of Tartarus outside, this place was its crown jewel—a luxury fight club built like an emperor’s colosseum, where bloodshed and brutality were framed with decadence.The arena stretched wide beneath us, its vast circular floor enclosed by sleek, reinforced bars that descended from the ceiling like something mechanical, something designed for spectacle. Every fight here was a show. Servers moved effortlessly through the crowd, trays balanced with gold-rimmed glasses filled with top-shelf liquor. Not a single drink spilled, not a single step faltered. This wasn’t just a fight club—it was a place for the rich, the reckless, the power-hungry. And we had front-row seats.Sylus had found them for us, seating me and Rafayel at a prime spot against the railing before the twins approached him—the same ones from the dunes, Luke and Kieran. I recognized them instantly, their mirrored smirks sharp under the flashing neon glow.“Business,” Sylus had murmured before leaving, promising he’d be back soon.Rafayel leaned against the bar beside me, swirling his drink in hand as we waited. For what, I wasn’t sure."Well, at least the entertainment’s starting," I said, eyeing the announcer as he stepped into the cage.The lights dimmed. A heartbeat of silence. Then—A spotlight beamed down, illuminating a lean young man stepping into the ring. Brown hair. Bulky, muscular, but with the kind of movements that screamed experience.“Introducing—” The announcer’s voice echoed through the arena, commanding attention.“Fighting out of Linkon City! The brawler, the bruiser, the man with hands that don’t miss— Jeremiah!”The crowd erupted.Glasses clinked. Voices roared. Cheers and shouts rose up around us. Jeremiah lifted a fist, acknowledging the audience, his expression focused, unreadable.I sipped my drink, already caught up in the moment. “He looks good,” I murmured.“Formidable,” Rafayel agreed, clapping lazily with one hand. “I like a guy who can hold his own.”The energy shifted.The lights flickered, dimming to a deep, burning red.The announcer turned, raising his mic to his lips, his voice dropping into something deeper, something theatrical.“But now—”The air changed.The bass of the music throbbed in sync with my pulse.“You all know his name.”A slow, eerie hum built in the background. The kind of sound that slithered under your skin, that warned before the storm.Every eye locked onto the entrance tunnel.“The undefeated. The untamed. The fire that burns through every challenger who dares to step into his arena…”“THE ONE WHO NEVER FALLS…”A shadow flickered at the edge of the tunnel.“HE NEVER FORGIVES…”  The crowd went absolutely feral.“HE NEVER HESITATES...”And then—he stepped into the light.“OUR UNDEFEATED CHAMPION OF TARTARUS…”The sound hit like a tidal wave. Cheers. Chants. The kind of pure, primal energy that turned a man into a legend.Sylus walked out like he owned the world.And maybe he did.“Holy shit.”He stood in the cage like a vision of ruin and temptation, all raw power wrapped in effortless control. Bare-chested, his physique was impossibly, unfairly built—broad shoulders, sculpted arms, and a chest carved from discipline and destruction, every muscle honed to perfection through years of breaking bodies and perfecting his own.His abs, chiseled and taut, flexed subtly with each breath, the kind of lethal definition that made it impossible to look away. His forearms, wrapped tight in crimson, veined and unrelenting, looked strong enough to break men apart like they were made of glass.The red wraps stood out against his flawless, pale skin, coiled tight like restraints that barely contained the violence thrumming beneath the surface. Every inch of him was a contradiction—beautiful, devastating, refined, and ruinous all at once.His silver hair was an unruly masterpiece, strands damp from the heat, clinging to his forehead like the aftermath of something reckless and unstoppable. He looked like a man straight out of a daydream turned nightmare—wild, unpredictable, and capable of making you forget your own goddamn name.Rafayel let out a low whistle beside me, shaking his head. “Holy shit is right. Your boy is FIGHTING TONIGHT.”I licked my lips, eyes locked onto him as he rolled his shoulders back, the taut muscles of his arms flexing beneath the red wraps. His body was built for this. Carved from power and precision, lean and strong, all brute strength wrapped up in the deadly grace of a man who knew exactly what he was capable of.And holy fuck, was he hot doing it.The crowd pulsed around me, buzzing with an electricity that made my skin prickle. I gripped Rafayel’s forearm tightly, my heart hammering as the announcer’s voice echoed through The Nest.“THE DRAGON HIMSELF—SYLUS!”The arena fucking erupted.
“SYLUS!”

“SYLUS!”

“SYLUS!”
A wave of deafening cheers and hollers and stomping feet rattled the metal cage as Sylus stepped forward, owning every goddamn second of it.He didn’t rush or acknowledge the noise. He didn’t need to.Because they were already his.The crowd, the fight, the moment—it all belonged to him.His sanguine gaze glowed under the hot lights, the silver of his hair wild and untamed. He lifted a fist to his mouth, kissed his knuckle, and threw a punch into the air—and it was pointed just subtly enough that I knew it was for me.Oh, this bastard.I inhaled sharply, my fingers digging into Rafayel’s arm as a grin curled on my lips. I knew that move. He did it during every match I watched him in. Every time. I just never thought it was meant for me.“Are you seeing this?!” Rafayel shook my shoulders.“I fucking saw it.”We clenched onto each other, not caring how ridiculous we looked. Hype as hell. Superfans who were about to lose our damn minds.And then the bell rang—
And the fight began.
Sylus and Jeremiah collided like a goddamn car crash.The force of their blows reverberated through the steel cage, raw power against raw power. Muscle against muscle. Strength against strategy.Jeremiah came in with an unwavering fury.A right hook aimed straight for Sylus’s jaw.Sylus ducked like he saw it coming before it even happened—because he probably did.He pivoted, shifted, and countered with a ruthless uppercut that sent Jeremiah stumbling back.“Oh, shit!” Rafayel half-shouted, gripping my forearm.I exhaled through my teeth, shaking my head. “He taught me that move!”I knew the way he moved, the way he thought, the way he could dismantle someone with nothing but his fists and a sickening level of patience.Every move he made—I’d seen it before, because he’s the one who taught me.And right now, watching him in the cage was like watching a beast let out of its chains.I had felt those exact hits before, the sheer force behind them. The power in Sylus’s strikes wasn’t just for show—it was calculated. A weapon in itself.Jeremiah recovered quickly, shaking out his arms, rolling his shoulders, recalibrating. His jaw was clenched, his expression pure grit and determination. He came again, faster this time, using his weight and footwork to corner Sylus toward the edge of the cage, throwing a series of quick, aggressive jabs aimed at Sylus’s ribs.Wrong move.Sylus was quick. Too fucking quick.He sidestepped, slipping just out of reach, his movements as smooth as liquid—a seasoned fighter who knew exactly when to strike and when to evade. Jeremiah went for a right hook, but Sylus ducked, dodging under the punch like he was toying with him.Then—a ruthless counter.Sylus dropped his weight and delivered a sharp, devastating liver shot—knuckles sinking into Jeremiah’s side with pinpoint accuracy. A second later, he followed up with a brutal elbow strike to the ribs, driving it in with controlled, vicious force.Jeremiah choked on air, staggering back, his face contorted in pain. A hit like that didn’t just hurt—it fucking crippled a fighter’s endurance, sent a shockwave through the body, stealing breath, disrupting rhythm.But Sylus didn’t stop there.A left hook, fast and precise, slammed into Jeremiah’s jaw, snapping his head to the side. The impact cracked through the cage like a gunshot. The crowd roared, and I could barely keep still, Rafayel gripping the bars while he jumped as if he was about to launch himself into the fight too.“Goddamn, that’s gotta hurt.” Rafayel hissed between his teeth.Jeremiah staggered, blinking hard, but he was still standing. He spat blood onto the canvas and braced himself. He wasn’t done.But Sylus just smiled. A sharp, knowing thing. Like he was enjoying this and had barely broken a sweat.“Come on,” Sylus taunted, rolling his neck, cracking his knuckles as he shifted his stance. His red eyes burned like a predator waiting for his opponent to break. “I know you’ve got more in you.”Jeremiah exhaled hard through his nose, then charged.“FUCKING END HIM!” Rafayel yelled, shaking my shoulders so hard I nearly spilled my drink.“Sylus, fucking finish HIM!” I heard another guy yell over the roaring crowd.And then he did.A feint left, a right uppercut—a fast one. But Sylus was faster.I felt it then—that shift. That moment when Sylus decided he was done playing.I clenched my fists. “It’s over.”He dodged with the barest tilt of his head, Jeremiah’s punch grazing past his jaw by mere inches. But before Jeremiah could recover, Sylus was already inside his guard.One sharp pivot.A devastating left cross straight to the temple.Jeremiah’s entire body jerked on impact, his knees buckling, his stance collapsing. The moment hung in the air for just a second—before he crumpled to the floor.The crowd erupted.The cage lights flickered with the sound of cheers shaking the underground arena. Rafayel let out a yell, gripping my arm as we both screamed in victory, hyped beyond control.Sylus stood above his fallen opponent, barely breathing hard, looking like a fucking king standing over conquered territory.He lifted his knuckle to his mouth again, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to it.And this time, he looked directly at me as he did it.
Was that… really for me?
I was already tipsy, still buzzing, and now, this.I sucked in a sharp breath as Sylus finally turned, walking toward the exit of the cage like he hadn’t just fucking wrecked another man’s entire existence.Security cleared the way, parting the crowd as he climbed up the side of the cage with the kind of ease that shouldn’t have been possible for a guy that massive.And then—he was right in front of us.Rafayel clapped him on the shoulder, eyes wide with pride. “That was some goddamn theater, man. Jesus. I got goosebumps. I might actually cry.”Sylus snorted, shaking him off. “Don’t be soft.”And then his gaze landed on me.I stared up at him, my chest rising and falling too fast, my throat suddenly dry as fuck.Sylus was wrecked. Sweat-drenched, messy-haired, and fresh off the high of victory—and I hated how good he looked.He smirked, just barely, and my stomach flipped like a goddamn gymnast."You're quiet," he murmured, voice low, edged with something smug.I hated that my mouth felt too dry to speak.Rafayel grinned. “Nah, she was screaming your name like a crazed fangirl the whole time.”I was going to kill him.“I was not,” I muttered, crossing my arms. “I was just—enthusiastic.”“Oh, don’t worry,” Sylus tilted his head slightly, like he was trying to decipher me. Then, in one smooth motion, he leaned in. Way too fucking close. “I heard you, kitten.”The heat from his body still radiated off him, the scent of sweat, salt, and something darker, richer making my head spin. “You like watching me fight?” His voice dipped lower, something dangerous curling in the edges of it.I licked my lips—bad move. His gaze flicked down, just for a second.
Fuck.
Before I could gather my brain cells, Rafayel saved me—barely.“Of course she does,” he teased, “Aren’t you like her kickboxing coach in Linkon?” he said, nudging me before throwing his arm over my shoulder and steering me away from Sylus before I combusted on the goddamn spot.Rafayel grinned, calling over his shoulder. “C’mon, champ. Drinks are on you tonight!”Sylus chuckled, low and rich. “You wish.”The night was young, and we were unstoppable.Sylus was fresh out of the ring, high on adrenaline and sweat-slicked glory, and Rafayel was hyped off the fight, feeding off the chaos like he was made for it. And me? I was drunk on it all—the electricity in the air, the neon haze of Tartarus pulsing like a city of sin beneath our feet, the thrill of knowing there were no rules tonight.No regrets. No second thoughts.We left The Nest behind, weaving through the underground streets, past dimly lit alleyways and glowing storefronts selling things we probably shouldn’t ask about. The sound of bass-heavy music throbbed in the distance, beckoning. Rafayel threw his arm around me, practically dragging me forward as Sylus fell into step beside us, smirking like he already knew where the night was headed.We were alive , and nothing else mattered.The first bar was a blur of golden whiskey, sticky counters, and clinking shot glasses.“To the undefeated champion,” I grinned, slamming my empty shot glass down before nudging Sylus.He just rolled his eyes, but there was something smug about it—something wicked in the way he leaned down, his breath warm against my ear. “You act like you didn’t already know I’d win.”And he wasn’t wrong. I did.The second bar was all flashing lights and bodies moving in sync to the music, the bass vibrating through the floor. Sylus disappeared for a moment—business, he said, but I was too drunk to care. Rafayel and I hit the dance floor, bodies moving under flashing lights, hands in the air like we had nothing to lose.Somewhere in the chaos, a bartender slid two glasses across the counter—deep red liquid, something dangerous.“You scared, city girl?” Rafayel teased, tipping his glass toward mine.I smirked. “Pffft. Not even.”Glass met glass.Burning. Sweet. Blood-red.We were lost in it, in the blur of spinning lights and laughter and hands that strayed a little too close, the night pulling us further into something reckless.By the time we hit the next bar, I barely knew what time it was.The night was young, and we were unstoppable. We moved through Tartarus like we owned the night. Like we had every right to take whatever thrill we wanted from it.~~~The night had been leading to this.It started slow—a whisper of something unspoken that only grew louder with every drink, every glance, every lingering touch that burned just a little longer than it should have.Sylus had disappeared for yet another business ordeal, but I hadn’t worried. I had Rafayel by my side.He was a bad idea wrapped in gold and silk, the kind of trouble that made it easy to forget the world outside of nights like this.But even as the drinks stacked, even as the music swayed us like a tide, he never lost sight of me."Slow down, city girl." Rafayel's voice was low, smooth, curling against my ear like a secret as he plucked the next drink from my fingers before I could down it. His other hand was already resting on my hip, steadying me before I even realized I'd started to tip forward.I pouted, leaning against him without thinking. "I’m fine ," I murmured, though the buzz in my head begged to differ.He exhaled a laugh, shaking his head. "You're many things, cutie, but fine? Not even close."Rafayel was definitely not a role model.He was an enabler, a devil in white, the first person to dare me into trouble and the first person to make sure I didn’t fall face-first into it.His arm curled around my waist. Just enough to keep me upright."Here," he muttered, pressing something cool against my hands. Water. Not alcohol. And the way he watched me—his bluish pink gaze heavy, familiar in the way only someone who truly knew you could be—made my stomach flip.I swallowed, and he tilted the bottle up slightly, making sure I drank enough before his fingers skimmed my cheek, brushing damp hair away from my face."You really think I'd let you wreck yourself in a city I’ve never even been in?" He grinned, but it was softer now, something hidden beneath the teasing.Something real.Something that made my breath catch.I swallowed again, this time not from the water."Not a chance," he murmured. "You're mine to look after.” I knew I should've teased him, flipped the words back on him, called him out for being such a damn contradiction.But the way he said it, and the way he looked at me as he did, made me wonder if I even wanted to.I barely had time to process it before Rafayel leaned back in his seat, stretching in that effortlessly smug way of his. “Besides,” he added, “our moms would kill me.”I scoffed, shoving at his arm as I gulped down the water. “Nothing like the wrath of the double J’s.”He wasn’t wrong either. Jenna and Josephine would murder him. Slowly. Painfully. Probably with a wooden spoon and a disappointed glare that could cut through titanium.The thought made me chuckle—which only landed me a sarcastic glare as he snatched the bottle from my hands and finished off the rest.“Oh, is that funny to you, city girl?” Rafayel teased, his voice low, playful, dangerously smooth.He was watching me again, but not just watching. Studying. Memorizing.Like he knew something I didn’t.Like he could see right through me—past the alcohol, past the laughter, past every reckless thing I was doing to forget whatever the hell was stirring inside me tonight.I tilted my chin up, fighting the warmth spreading through my skin. “A little bit, yeah.”Rafayel hummed, slow and knowing. Then, just to be a menace, he tugged on the hem of my shirt, flicking the fabric playfully like he was testing to see how far he could push before I stopped him.“Mm. We’ll see who’s laughing later.”And the way he said it sent something electric down my spine.Sylus found us again near the bar, eyes flicking over me and Rafayel like he was amused by how deep we’d let ourselves sink into the night. He took a shot without hesitation, then another, and by the time we stumbled outside again, we were breathless, laughing, teetering on the edge of disaster.And then, somehow, we found ourselves in one of the plush booths at the back of the club—Rafayel on one side, Sylus on the other, both of them entirely too close, entirely too focused.I leaned back against the velvet seat, head tipping against the booth’s cushioned wall, the heat from the liquor thrumming in my veins. The world felt distant, hazy, but they were sharp, solid, a presence I could feel even when I wasn’t looking.Sylus, ever the smooth talker, smirked as he reached for the drink in my hand, bringing it to his lips like it was already his. His fingers brushed against mine, warm and deliberate. “Are you always this reckless, kitten?”I exhaled slowly, tilting my head to look at him. “You’ve seen me train, Sylus. You tell me.”His lips twitched—like he liked that answer, like he liked me.Rafayel, on my other side, let out a low chuckle, shifting closer until his knee pressed against mine beneath the table. “See, I like her,” he said, eyes glinting as he draped an arm over the back of the booth, his fingers just barely grazing my shoulder. “Bold, cocky, cute— definitely trouble.”Sylus huffed a quiet laugh, his knuckles grazing my jaw in a way that sent something electric through my spine. “She’s more than that.”“You’re right,” Rafayel murmured, his voice dropping just enough to make my breath hitch. “So much more.”My head was spinning. From the drinks. From them.From the way they weren’t intimidated by each other at all. The only thing that mattered to them was me.I swallowed, pulse hammering. “Are you two always this friendly? You barely even know each other.”Sylus smirked against my skin, his fingers brushing the side of my thigh. “Depends on the company.”Rafayel hummed, lips curving in amusement. “And you, city girl, happen to be very good company.”It was reckless.It was fucking dangerous.And I—I wanted more of it.By the time we stumbled outside again, I didn’t know whose idea it was to slip into the alleyway. Maybe it was mine.Maybe it was always going to happen.And then— somehow —we were pressed together, lost in the haze of neon and bad decisions.Sylus stood to my left, Rafayel to my right. My back was against the cool brick, my pulse wild from the drinks, the music, the heat of their bodies too close to mine.Sylus huffed a quiet laugh, his knuckles grazing my jaw in a way that sent something electric through my spine. His touch was light, teasing, like he already knew how badly I was unraveling under their presence.I didn’t know who leaned in first. Maybe it was me. Maybe it was both of them.Rafayel tasted like whiskey and trouble, his mouth coaxing mine open, his tongue sliding against mine in a way that sent liquid heat curling in my stomach. He wasn’t hesitant—he knew exactly what he was doing. The kind of kiss that stole the air from my lungs, that sent a slow ache pooling between my ribs, that made my knees threaten to give out beneath me.His teeth caught my bottom lip, just enough to make me gasp. His hands gripped my hips, dragging me flush against him, his body solid and warm, his fingers pressing into bare skin like he wanted to brand me there.And my other hand was wrapped around Sylus’s.A quiet exhale left him, not quite a sigh, not quite a growl. His hand pressed against the wall beside my head, caging me in without even touching me. His silver hair was a wild mess, damp from the heat, from the night, from me. His red eyes burned, locked onto mine with something unreadable.Something hungry.“Now, now,” Sylus murmured, voice smooth as sin. His thumb brushed over my knuckles, slow and gently as he tilted my head away from Rafayel with ease.“I don’t remember saying you could start without me,” Sylus murmured, his voice dark, edged with something teasing as his lips brushed against the shell of my ear.His breath mingled with mine, warm and laced with the remnants of whiskey and adrenaline. Close. Too close. The kind of close that made the space between us feel non-existent, that sent goosebumps chasing down my spine.Rafayel smirked against my skin, his fingers still firm on my waist, but his attention flicked to Sylus—a silent challenge mixed with a quiet dare.But Sylus wasn’t fazed. If anything, he thrived off of it.His knuckles grazed my jaw as he tilted my chin ever so slightly, a featherlight touch that sent liquid fire pooling in my stomach. My pulse hammered against my ribs as his lips hovered just above mine—not quite touching, but absolutely devastating.“Didn’t I tell you to wait for me, kitten?” Sylus whispered, his voice slipping through me like silk and sin. His red eyes burned  heavy with intent.I swallowed hard.Because I wanted him to close the distance.My pulse pounded in my ears. I was drowning. And I wanted to sink further into the depths of this moment. It was like a fevered, reckless, beautiful dream—and I never wanted to wake up.Sylus chuckled as his hands roamed softly over my skin.“Zero,” he murmured. My name, just my name, and yet it sent a shiver through me.He was watching me. Waiting.For me to say it.For me to make the final call.“Say you don’t want this,” Sylus said, voice low, smooth, dark with something more. His knuckles brushed against my jaw, slow, deliberate.His voice—his fucking voice. Like a warning and a promise mixed into one.“I want this,” I say breathlessly.His breath ghosted over my jaw, his lips hovering like he was hesitant to taste me. The space between us felt razor-thin, charged with something heavy, something intoxicating.He was giving me the power. Giving me control.And yet—he was the one unraveling me.“Careful, kitten,” Sylus murmured, his voice dipping into something wicked as I pulled them both closer, wanting to feel them all over me. “You’re playing with fire.”Rafayel chuckled, his fingers tightening against my waist as his other hand lifted to my throat—not squeezing, just resting there, teasing the pulse point beneath his palm. “Maybe she likes the burn,” he mused, his lips so close I could taste his words, the heat of him bleeding into my skin.I let the moment stretch, let the fire between us simmer just long enough to make it unbearable.Then, my mouth crashed into his. Sylus made a sound—low, almost like a growl—a sound of approval, of possession, of something dangerously primal. His grip tightened, fingers tangling into my hair as he tilted my head back, deepening the kiss with a hunger that sent a sharp jolt of pleasure straight down my spine.His lips parted against mine, his tongue sliding in, coaxing me further, deeper. Testing me. Daring me.And fuck, I matched him. Met him head-on.My hand found his shoulder, his bare skin burning beneath my fingertips. He was solid, built like something sculpted to ruin me, his muscles tensing as I slid my palms down his arms, and then across his chest.Sylus pressed closer, his body heat swallowing me whole, his scent intoxicating, dark and heady. His lips dragged down, grazing my jaw, then lower—hot, open-mouthed kisses against the column of my throat.The second I kissed Sylus like I was ready to set the world on fire, Rafayel’s hands roamed lower, his breath ghosting over the shell of my ear. A soft chuckle—dark, knowing—sent shivers cascading down my spine as his fingers skimmed the hem of my shirt, teasing, possessive without claiming.I gasped, arching into Rafayel as my fingers gripped at his skin like I needed to anchor myself before I was completely lost."Tell us to stop," Rafayel murmured against my skin, his voice dripping with amusement. "And we will, princess."“Don’t stop.”And fuck, I let him. I let them.Because I wanted it all.I wanted them.My body jolted as Rafayel’s lips found my neck, the first slow, open-mouthed kiss igniting something wicked in me. His hands were a little rough, a little greedy, tracing the curves of my waist, mapping me out like he was learning a territory he planned to conquer.Sylus breath was ragged, voice a low rasp against my skin. “You sure about this, kitten?”His words sent another pulse of heat through me, but I was already too far gone.Sylus growled against my lips at the feel of Rafayel touching me, his grip on my waist tightening, like it was some silent challenge. Some silent promise.I was burning.Rafayel’s fingers traced me like a secret he wasn’t ready to let go of. His touch wasn’t hurried, wasn’t desperate—it was intentional. “Damn it, Zero…” he exhaled, his lips brushing just beneath my ear. I felt his breath stutter, just for a second, like he was holding back more than just desire. His fingers slid to my jaw, tilting my chin just enough so he could really look at me. His dusky-pink eyes, usually full of mischief, held something deeper now.“You always did have a habit of wrecking me,” he murmured, his thumb brushing over my cheek like he wasn’t sure he deserved to touch me at all.And when his lips finally met mine again, it wasn’t just fire—it was something deeper, something unraveling.Like maybe, I had wrecked him long before this.I gasped as Sylus tilted my chin back toward him, stealing another kiss—rougher this time, deeper. His fingers curled around my jaw, firm but careful, like he was staking his claim but still giving me the choice. And god, I wanted to be claimed.Rafayel chuckled against my skin, his lips dragging a path of fire down my neck. He nipped at the sensitive spot where my jaw met my throat, a tease, a dare. Like he was amused. Like he was enjoying this far too much.“Didn’t know you had this in you, city girl,” Rafayel murmured, his voice velvet and sin, his breath warm against my pulse.Sylus hummed in agreement, pulling back just enough to drag his thumb across my swollen lips, his red eyes smoldering.“She’s full of surprises,” he said, voice low, dark, dangerously pleased.And then—his lips crashed into mine again, hotter, hungrier, like he couldn’t stand to be apart for even a second longer.The heat between us was tangible, suffocating, sinful.My heart thundered, my breath hitched, my mind spun.This was dangerous.It was absolute desire. And I didn’t want to stop.The space between us disappeared. Sylus’s hand slid behind my neck, his thumb brushing up against the sensitive skin just below my ear, sending shivers straight down my spine. Rafayel’s fingers inched under the hem of my shirt, his touch grazing bare skin, igniting something molten beneath the surface.I was dizzy, breathless, heart pounding so hard I thought they’d hear it.A sudden crash from somewhere down the alley snapped the tension like a whip.A metal door slammed, drunken laughter rang out, and the moment dissolved in an instant.Rafayel let out a slow exhale, stepping back just enough for the spell to break. Sylus lingered a second longer, his fingers brushing against my jaw before he finally pulled away, smirking like he knew exactly what he’d done to me.I stood there, chest heaving, pulse wrecked , brain struggling to reboot.
So close.
And just like that, the night surged on.The heat of their touches still lingered, burned into my skin like a brand, refusing to fade even as we stumbled back into the neon haze of Tartarus.The air outside was thick with music and revelry, the pulse of bass vibrating through the pavement beneath my feet. Laughter spilled from the alleyways, drunken bodies swayed in a rhythm only the wild and reckless could understand. But the moment—the one that had nearly unraveled me—clung to the edges of my mind, refusing to be lost in the noise.Rafayel ran a hand through his hair beneath the glow of red lights. There was something softer in his eyes that night, something unspoken, but before I could even attempt to decipher it, he smirked, slipping effortlessly back into the careless charm that made him so damn dangerous."Guess we’ll have to finish this later, huh?" His voice was silk, his thumb briefly brushing against my wrist before he turned toward the crowd.Sylus, on the other hand, didn’t bother masking his amusement. He leaned in, so close I felt his breath against my cheek, a ghost of something that should’ve been dangerous, but instead sent another thrill down my spine."Careful, kitten," he murmured, voice low, teasing. "You're making it really fucking hard to behave."I exhaled sharply, shoving at his chest, needing some sort of distance before I did something stupid—again. "Behaving was never your strong suit anyway."His grin deepened. "You’d know."I turned on my heel, marching toward the bar, ignoring the way my legs still felt weak, ignoring the way my entire body was humming from the aftermath.Because no amount of alcohol was going to drown out the fact that, even after tonight—
I still wanted more.

And I couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing.